Maros Jedlicka – McKeen's Hockey

2025 NHL PROSPECTS REPORT: COLORADO AVALANCHE – Top 15 NHL Affiliated Prospects

Fri, 16 May 2025 15:37:22 +0000

NASHVILLE, TN - JUNE 28: Colorado Avalanche draft pick Mikhail Gulyayev poses for a photo with team officials during the first round of the Upper Deck NHL Draft, June 28, 2023 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Matthew Maxey/Icon Sportswire)

Subscribers can download the PDF in subscriber downloads.

Please note you can scroll through the PDF document here as well

Colorado 25 Prospects

MCKEEN’S 2024-25 NHL YEARBOOK – COLORADO AVALANCHE – Top 15 Prospect Profiles – Organizational Rank #25

Introduction - Dave Hall, Profiles - Josh Bell — Sun, 15 Sep 2024 18:00:53 +0000

_{OTTAWA, ON - JANUARY 16: Colorado Avalanche Goalie Justus Annunen (60) looks to make a save during first period National Hockey League action between the Colorado Avalanche and Ottawa Senators on January 16, 2024, at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, ON, Canada. (Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire)}

Prospect System Ranking – 25th (Previous Rank - 20th)
GM: Chris MacFarland Hired: July 2022
COACH: Jared Bednar Hired: August 2016

With both Alex Newhook and Bowen Byram now graduated and dealt elsewhere, the Colorado Avalanche dropped five spots in our McKeen’s prospect rankings to finish well within the bottom 10 of the list.

That said, the 2024-25 season saw several of their young prospects make solid strides in their development. Ivan Ivan made a smooth transition to the AHL, posting 31 points, while Oskar Olausson (226th) matched his rookie totals (20 points) in nearly half the games during his sophomore season. Sean Behrens (169th) also made his professional debut with the Eagles’ after winning a National Championship while being named the NCAA (NCHC) Best Defensive Defenceman with Denver. Meanwhile, goaltender Justus Annunen (195th) continued to impress between the pipes, recording a 14-5-4 record to bring his career AHL ledger to a solid 60-29-19 through 114 games. Annunen is poised to officially graduate and become the backup goaltender for the Avalanche behind Alexandar Georgiev next season.

Away from the farm, the club’s top two rated prospects, Calum Ritchie and Mikhail Gulyayev, continue to develop well. Ritchie, who sits just inside McKeen’s top 50 at 48th, increased his stock with the Oshawa Generals, finishing with a career-high 80 points in 50 games. Gulyayev (64th), Colorado’s 2023 first-round pick, continues to log solid minutes as an 18-year-old (now 19) over in Russia. Both are progressing, but still far from arm's reach to directly contribute to the big club.

Although the Avalanche did not have a first-round pick in the 2024 Draft, they managed to inject a healthy dose of fresh talent into their pipeline by selecting nine prospects in total. Ilya Nabokov (250th), a double-overaged goaltender, offers a solid future option in net. Meanwhile, William Zellers could provide some low-key offensive upside down the road. Aside from them, the jury is still out on the remaining seven names.

With a top-flight core featuring Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, Cale Makar and Devon Toews, the Avalanche’s winning ways are likely to continue. However, some roster turnover should be expected over the next few seasons as the team looks to – no, needs to – graduate more of their younger players. First up is McKeen’s 77th-ranked prospect, Nikolai Kovalenko, who is expected to slot into the NHL lineup out of training camp.

Colorado Avalanche Top-15 Prospects

1. Cal Ritchie

Ritchie, the Avalanche's first-round pick (#27) in 2023, put together a dominant season with the Oshawa Generals. The 6-foot-0 center exploded offensively, putting up a career-high 80 points (28 goals, 52 assists) in 50 games. This production came alongside a strong +45 plus/minus rating, showcasing his two-way awareness. While the gaudy numbers are impressive, it’s important to remain cautious. Ritchie's offensive outburst came in a sheltered role with the Generals, raising questions about his ability to translate that production against tougher competition. There are also concerns about his consistency – flashes of brilliance can be overshadowed by stretches of disappearing acts. Still, Ritchie's overall performance solidified his status as a top prospect. His skating and playmaking ability are undeniable, and his defensive awareness is improving. He'll likely spend another year in the OHL before turning pro but don't be surprised to see him pushing for a roster spot in Colorado sooner rather than later.

2. Mikhail Gulyayev

Drafted 18th overall in 2023, Gulyayev opted to stay in Russia in his DY+1. He spent the year honing his craft in the KHL with Omsk Avangard. He stood out there for a young defenceman, racking up 12 points in 64 games. His offensive prowess, particularly his transition ability, remains his calling card. Skating and mobility separate him from most of his age group peers. Explosive speed, a smooth utilization of crossovers, and a wonderfully fluid stride really pop out during transitions, guiding his team’s exits and entries, or executing give-and-go plays. However, questions about his defensive consistency persist. While he's not a liability in his own zone, there is a need to see a stronger showing in this area moving forward. Gulyayev's path remains unclear, especially since he’s signed through the 2025-26 season in the KHL. One thing's for sure: His offensive talent is undeniable. The key will be rounding out his game and proving he can be a reliable two-way force.

3. Nikolai Kovalenko

Kovalenko turned heads in the KHL in 2023-24. After signing an entry-level contract with Colorado but remaining in Russia on loan, the 24-year-old winger thrived for Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. He finished his KHL campaign strong, putting up 11 goals and 35 points in 42 games. Kovalenko's blend of size (6-foot-0, 192 pounds) and skill makes him a dangerous offensive threat. He can overpower defenders and possesses a knack for finding the net. He thrives in his small-area game, thanks to excellent hands and creativity. He stands out as a playmaker but is able to find the back of the net on his own too. However, questions linger about his overall consistency and defensive awareness. While flashes of brilliance exist, stretches of disappearing acts raise concerns. His performance will be crucial in determining his NHL readiness. Regardless, his KHL showing solidified his status as a top prospect.

4. Sean Behrens

Behrens solidified himself as a defensive cornerstone for the Denver Pioneers in 2023-24. The smooth-skating defenceman (5-foot-10, 190 pounds) led the team in blocked shots (58) and chipped in offensively with 31 points, ranking third among Denver's defencemen. His season wasn't without hiccups. A brief injury sidelined him for four games, and his consistency can occasionally waver. However, his strong two-way play earned him the NCHC's "Defensive Defenceman of the Year" award en route to the NCAA Championship where he was also named to the All-Tournament Team. Behrens' performance solidified his status as a potential top four NHL defenceman. He moves exactly as well as you’d want an undersized blueliner to move, and his mobility gives him upside as a transitional defenceman. His stride is extremely smooth and looks almost effortless when he’s picking up the puck in his own zone in order to lead a breakout. While questions about his offensive ceiling remain, his ability to shut down attackers and contribute on offence makes him a valuable prospect to watch.

5. Justus Annunen

Justus Annunen's 2023-24 campaign was a turning point. After splitting time between the AHL and NHL early on, the Finnish netminder solidified his place in Colorado with a late-season surge. In 14 NHL appearances, he boasted a strong 0.928 save percentage and a respectable 2.55 GAA. Even more impressive were his two shutouts, showcasing his ability to steal games. This strong showing earned him a two-year extension, signalling their confidence in him as a future starter. Questions remain – his sample size is small, and consistency will be key. But Annunen's composure and athleticism have fans and analysts alike buzzing. Could he be the heir apparent to the Avalanche crease? Only time will tell, but his 2023-24 performance was a promising step in that direction. Look for him to stick with the big club this season as the backup to Alexandar Georgiev.

6. Jean-Luc Foudy

Foudy's 2023-24 campaign was a glimpse of his potential but lacked consistency. Despite a strong showing in the AHL (14 points in 26 games), a brief NHL stint was forgettable (one goal in four games). Injuries played a role, limiting his overall development. His calling card remains his blend of size, skill, and skating. He can protect the puck and create scoring chances, as evidenced by his AHL success. However, translating that into the NHL will require more from him. Decision-making needs to be sharpened, and defensive awareness has to improve. Foudy's future hinges on refining his game. Another year in the AHL could be crucial. If he can elevate his all-around performance, a more permanent NHL role could be within reach. The Avalanche still views him as a valuable prospect, but the clock is ticking for him to solidify his spot.

7. Oskar Olausson

Olausson's 2023-24 campaign was a rollercoaster. After a decent start with 20 points in 39 AHL games for the Colorado Eagles, shoulder surgery abruptly ended his season. His offensive flash – a lethal shot and smooth hands – was evident. He displayed the tools that made him a first-round pick in 2021. Feed him the puck in the offensive zone and give him enough time and space and there's a good chance he'll make the other team pay, primarily through his hard, accurate release. Unfortunately, he runs into trouble creating scoring opportunities for himself or his teammates, and his off puck play leaves a lot to be desired. There were stretches where he dominated, followed by stretches of disappearing acts. The injury throws a wrench into his development. While his offensive upside remains enticing, the key question remains: Can he find consistency and become a reliable producer? The 2024-25 season will be crucial in answering that question and determining his NHL arrival timeline.

8. Ilya Nabokov

Ilya Nabokov should have been drafted in 2023 based on his MHL All-Star performance, having posted impressive numbers over three seasons: 61-27-10 record, 0.930 SV%, and a 2.02 GAA. Instead, he had to wait - to the benefit of Colorado. In his draft year, Nabokov excelled in the KHL, quickly securing the starting role for Metallurg Magnitogorsk. He went 23-13-3 with a 0.930 SV% and a 2.15 GAA in 43 games and was even better in the playoffs with a 0.942 SV% and 1.82 GAA, earning Rookie of the Year, Playoff MVP, and helping his team win the Gagarin Cup. His seven shutouts highlight an outstanding year. Nabokov is technically sound and makes athletic saves when needed, always staying in position. While his mobility can be uneven and his rebound control needs improvement, his overall performance makes him a promising prospect.

9. Sam Malinski

Malinski's 2023-24 campaign was a grinder's delight. The Avalanche prospect spent most of the year with the Colorado Eagles, chipping in 27 points (5 goals, 22 assists) in 46 games while suiting up for his first 23 NHL games. While the point totals might not jump off the page, Malinski's value lies in his defensive acumen. At 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds, he’s not the biggest but uses his frame effectively to protect the puck and clog passing lanes. His skating is a strength, allowing him to stay mobile and make plays in transition. However, offensive flashes remain inconsistent. There are moments where he displays a good shot and the ability to join the rush, but these are overshadowed by stretches of quiet play. The question is one of offensive development. Can he refine his offensive skillset and become a more consistent contributor at both ends? If he does, there is the potential to be a reliable bottom six defender in the NHL.

10. William Zellers

Zellers was a challenging prospect for NHL teams to evaluate in his draft year. He excelled at the Hlinka/Gretzky Cup and with Shattucks, showcasing high-end skill, vision, and competitiveness. His ability to consistently find the net and problem-solve is evident, but his NHL projection is complicated by his skating. Zellers relies on his hands and spatial awareness rather than dynamic speed. Although he’s agile and explosive on his edges, allowing him to exploit poor defensive coverage and cut into the slot, he isn’t as effective in linear skating. His quick release means he doesn’t need much space to score. However, there are questions about his overall skill level. If he can enhance his athleticism and physical tools over the next few years at North Dakota, his offensive abilities could make him a valuable complementary player in the NHL.

11. Ivan Ivan

Ivan Ivan made a strong impression in his first pro season, leading Colorado Eagles rookies with 12 goals, 19 assists, and 31 points in 67 AHL games. While his offensive skills are evident, his skating and defensive awareness need improvement. The Avalanche signed him to a two-year NHL deal, and although a full-time role this season seems unlikely, expect him to get NHL exposure. His future depends on refining his defensive game and translating his AHL success to the NHL.

12. Tory Pitner

Tory Pitner is a stay-at-home defenceman who excels in his role, demonstrated by his solid performance with the Youngstown Phantoms and his leadership in his draft year. At 6-foot-1 and 183 pounds, he uses his strength effectively to win battles and disrupt plays. His stick work and rush defence are strong, though he lacks offensive skill. Committed to the University of Denver for 2024-25, Pitner is expected to develop further. He has potential as a bottom-pairing shutdown defender.

13. Jake Fisher

Surprised that Fisher went undrafted last year despite being ranked 130th, he has since made a strong case for himself with Fargo, capturing a Clark Cup and returning to the draft radar. Fisher is a well-rounded center with good size, strong two-way play, a powerful shot, and improved skating. While he shows promise as a top NCAA player for the Denver Pioneers, his lack of a standout skill may limit his upside.

14. Maros Jedlicka

After being passed over in the NHL Draft twice, the Avalanche took a flier on Slovak forward Maros Jedlicka. After a strong showing in the 2023 camp, he ended up missing the entire season due to shoulder surgery. He’s heading to Czechia for the 2024-25 season, where the Avs hope that he can get right back on track in his development.

15. Matthew Steinburg

It’s been a long road for Matthew Steinburg who was drafted back in 2019 and then spent all four years in the NCAA before joining the AHL’s Colorado Eagles in 2023-24. He played more of a depth role, which does seem like the role he will stick with moving forward. He’s likely reached or is approaching his ceiling at this point.

MCKEEN’S 2024 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – #20 Colorado Avalanche – Organization Overview – Top 15 Prospects

Josh Bell — Tue, 04 Jun 2024 11:26:11 +0000

Oshawa Generals #21 Calum Ritchie. Photo by Brandon Taylor/ OHL Images

A Stanley Cup in the books, with an elite core at the beginning of their prime in Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and Mikko Rantanen, who all rate among the very best at their position. The quest to return to the Stanley Cup Final was derailed by injuries (again) and a tough Dallas Stars team in the second round. General manager Chris MacFarland has proven that the focus is on winning now, moving future pieces for some help now. Acquiring Casey Mittelstadt for Bowen Byram looks like a win for both teams, and the Sean Walker deal was steep but looks solid as well. The faith is in the core though, with MacFarland locking down MacKinnon, Devon Toews, and Valeri Nichushkin to long-term deals.

The Avalanche still retain two of their next three first-round picks for the upcoming three seasons, but that is likely to change. After two earlier-than-expected playoff exits, expect some moves to come. Captain Gabriel Landeskog has been missed this season as he remains sidelined, especially in the playoffs, so if he can come back that would be a big addition on its own. For the young players in the system, Justus Annunen often looked not only like the goalie of the future, but the goaltender of now. Expect his games played to go up next season. Cal Ritchie looks like he might have been a steal, Nikolai Kovalenko is finally over in North America after another strong season in Russia, and Mikhail Gulyayev looks like a potential star. A strong 2023 NHL Draft with their two first-round picks (Ritchie and Gulyayev) went a long way to boost their organizational ranking.

RNK	PLAYER	POS	AGE	HT/WT	TM	Acquired	GP	G(W)	A(L)	PTS(GAA)	PIM(SPCT)
1	Calum Ritchie	C	19	6-2/185	Oshawa (OHL)	`23(27th)	50	28	52	80	20
2	Mikhail Gulyayev	D	19	5-11/170	Avangard Omsk (KHL)	`23(31st)	64	4	8	12	8
3	Nikolai Kovalenko	RW	24	5-10/180	Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)	`18(171st)	42	11	24	35	30
4	Sean Behrens	D	21	5-10/175	Denver (NCHC)	`21(61st)	44	4	27	31	53
5	Jean-Luc Foudy	C	21	5-11/175	Colorado (AHL)	`20(75th)	26	4	10	14	18
6	Oskar Olausson	RW	21	6-1/180	Colorado (AHL)	`21(28th)	39	11	9	20	24
7	Justus Annunen	G	24	6-4/210	Colorado (AHL)	`18(64th)	23	14	5	2.65	0.908
8	Sam Malinski	D	25	5-11/190	Colorado (AHL)	FA(3/23)	46	5	22	27	20
					Colorado (NHL)	FA(3/23)	23	3	7	10	6
9	Graham Sward	D	20	6-4/186	Wenatchee (WHL)	T(Nsh-3/24)	66	15	66	81	48
10	Ivan Ivan	C	21	6-0/190	Colorado (AHL)	FA(3/24)	67	12	19	31	20
11	Matt Stienburg	C	23	6-1/185	Colorado (AHL)	`19(63rd)	54	5	8	13	63
12	Maros Jedlicka	C	21	6-2/194	HKM Zvolen (Slovakia) - DNP	`23(219th)	0	0	0	0	0
13	Alex Beaucage	RW	22	6-1/195	Utah (ECHL)	`19(78th)	29	11	14	25	26
					Colorado (AHL)	`19(78th)	21	1	6	7	6
14	Trent Miner	G	23	6-1/185	Colorado (AHL)	`19(202nd)	18	9	6	2.10	0.930
15	Jason Polin	RW	24	6-0/195	Colorado (AHL)	FA(3/23)	42	4	6	10	21

1. Calum Ritchie, C, Oshawa Generals (OHL)

Ritchie, the Colorado Avalanche's first-round pick (#27) in 2023, put together a dominant season with the Oshawa Generals. The 6-foot center exploded offensively, putting up a career-high 80 points (28 goals, 52 assists) in 50 games. This production came alongside a strong +45 plus/minus rating, showcasing his two-way awareness. While the gaudy numbers are impressive, it’s important to remain cautious. Ritchie's offensive outburst came in a sheltered role with the Generals, raising questions about his ability to translate that production against tougher competition. There are also concerns about his consistency – flashes of brilliance can be overshadowed by stretches of disappearing acts. Still, Ritchie's overall performance solidified his status as a top prospect. His skating and playmaking ability are undeniable, and his defensive awareness is improving. He'll likely spend another year in the OHL before turning pro but don't be surprised to see him pushing for a roster spot in Colorado sooner rather than later.

2. Mikhail Gulyayev, D, Avangard Omsk (KHL)

Drafted 18th overall in 2023, Gulyayev opted to stay in Russia this season. He spent the year honing his craft in the KHL with Omsk Avangard. He stood out there for a young defenseman, racking up 12 points in 64 games. His offensive prowess, particularly his transition ability, remains his calling card. Skating and mobility separate him from most of his age group peers. Explosive speed, a smooth utilization of crossovers, and a wonderfully fluid stride really pop out during transitions, guiding his team’s exits and entries, or executing give-and-go plays. However, questions about his defensive consistency persist. While he's not a liability in his own zone, there is a need to see a stronger showing in this area moving forward. Gulyayev's path remains unclear, especially since he’s signed through the 2025-26 season in the KHL. One thing's for sure: His offensive talent is undeniable. The key will be rounding out his game and proving he can be a reliable two-way force.

3. Nikolai Kovalenko, RW, Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)

Kovalenko turned heads in the KHL this season. After signing an entry-level contract with Colorado but remaining in Russia on loan, the 24-year-old winger thrived for Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. He finished his KHL campaign strong, putting up 11 goals and 35 points in 42 games. Kovalenko's blend of size (6’, 192 lbs) and skill makes him a dangerous offensive threat. He can overpower defenders and possesses a knack for finding the net. He thrives in his small-area game, thanks to excellent hands and creativity. He stands out as a playmaker but is able to find the back of the net on his own too. However, questions linger about his overall consistency and defensive awareness. While flashes of brilliance exist, stretches of disappearing acts raise concerns. His performance will be crucial in determining his NHL readiness. Regardless, his KHL showing solidified his status as a top prospect.

4. Sean Behrens, D, University of Denver (NCAA)

Behrens solidified himself as a defensive cornerstone for the Denver Pioneers in 2023-24. The smooth-skating defenseman (5’ 10”, 190 lbs) led the team in blocked shots (58) and chipped in offensively with 31 points, ranking third among Denver's defensemen. His season wasn't without hiccups. A brief injury sidelined him for four games, and his consistency can occasionally waver. However, his strong two-way play earned him the NCHC's "Defensive Defenseman of the Year" award en route to the NCAA Championship where he was also named to the All-Tournament Team. Behrens' performance solidified his status as a potential top-four NHL defenseman. He moves exactly as well as you’d want an undersized defenseman to move, and his mobility gives him upside as a transitional defenseman. His stride is extremely smooth and looks almost effortless when he’s picking up the puck in his own zone in order to lead a breakout. While questions about his offensive ceiling remain, his ability to shut down attackers and contribute on offense makes him a valuable prospect to watch.

5. Jean-Luc Foudy, C, Colorado Eagles (AHL)

6. Oskar Olausson, RW, Colorado Eagles (AHL)

Olausson's 2023-24 campaign was a rollercoaster. After a decent start with 20 points in 39 AHL games for the Colorado Eagles, shoulder surgery abruptly ended his season. His offensive flash – a lethal shot and smooth hands – was evident. He displayed the tools that made him a first-round pick in 2021. Feed him the puck in the offensive zone and give him enough time and space and there's a good chance he'll make the other team pay, primarily through his hard, accurate release. Unfortunately, he runs into trouble creating scoring opportunities for himself or his teammates, and his-off puck play leaves a lot to be desired. There were stretches where he dominated, followed by stretches of disappearing acts. The injury throws a wrench into his development. While his offensive upside remains enticing, the key question remains: can he find consistency and become a reliable producer? This coming season will be crucial in answering that question and determining his NHL arrival timeline.

7. Justus Annunen, G, Colorado Eagles (AHL)

Justus Annunen's 2023-24 campaign was a turning point. After splitting time between the AHL and NHL early on, the Finnish netminder solidified his place in Colorado with a late-season surge. In 14 NHL appearances, he boasted a strong .928 save percentage and a respectable 2.55 GAA. Even more impressive were his two shutouts, showcasing his ability to steal games. This strong showing earned him a two-year extension, signaling their confidence in him as a future starter. Questions remain – his sample size is small, and consistency will be key. But Annunen's composure and athleticism have fans and analysts alike buzzing. Could he be the heir apparent to the Avalanche crease? Only time will tell, but his 2023-24 performance was a promising step in that direction.

8. Sam Malinski, D, Colorado Eagles (AHL)

Malinski's 2023-24 campaign was a grinder's delight. The Avalanche prospect spent most of the year with the Colorado Eagles, chipping in 27 points (5 goals, 22 assists) in 46 games, while suiting up for his first 23 NHL games. While the point totals might not jump off the page, Malinski's value lies in his defensive acumen. At 5’ 1” and 190 lbs, he’s not the biggest but uses his frame effectively to protect the puck and clog passing lanes. His skating is a strength, allowing him to stay mobile and make plays in transition. However, offensive flashes remain inconsistent. There are moments where he displays a good shot and the ability to join the rush, but these are overshadowed by stretches of quiet play. The question is one of offensive development. Can he refine his offensive skillset and become a more consistent contributor at both ends? If he does, there is the potential to be a reliable bottom six defender in the NHL.

9. Graham Sward, D, Wenatchee Wild (WHL)

Graham Sward is a physical and skilled defenseman with a well-rounded game. He took a huge step forward this season with the Wenatchee Wild, putting up 81 points (15 goals, 66 assists) in 66 games and nearly doubling the output from his rookie season that led to the Avs drafting him. He excels in his own end, using his quick feet and active stick to shut down opponents' attacks and clear the zone with ease. His vision and anticipation allow him to spark transition play, and his accurate shot makes him a threat from the point. He's also a physical presence, using his size and strength to win battles and protect his teammates. With continued development, Sward has the potential to become a top-four defenseman and a key contributor on the Colorado Avalanche's blue line. His upside as a reliable, two-way defender makes him an intriguing prospect in the Avs' pipeline.

10. Ivan Ivan, C, Colorado Eagles (AHL)

Ivan Ivan, a name that lives up to the hype (and then some), turned heads in his first pro season. Leading all Colorado Eagles rookies in goals (12), assists (19), and points (31) in 67 AHL games, his offensive production was undeniable. But is he all flash and no substance? His skating is a work in progress, and questions linger about his defensive awareness. However, his ability to create offense and find teammates in scoring positions is undeniable. The Avalanche rewarded Ivan with a two-year NHL deal. While a full-time role seems unlikely next season, expect him to get a taste of the big leagues. His ceiling hinges on his development as a well-rounded player. Can he refine his defensive game and translate his offensive dominance to the NHL? Only time will tell, but one thing's for sure: He is a prospect worth watching.

PROSPECT CRITERIA: Players under 26 years of age as of 9/15/2024 who have appeared in less than 60 games (30 for goalies) and less than 25 in one season (25 for goalies).

MCKEEN’S 2023 NHL DRAFT GUIDE – The McKeen’s team sleeper picks

Tue, 20 Jun 2023 14:47:12 +0000

One of the questions consistently asked of us on social media is “who are your favourite sleepers this year?” The concept of a draft “sleeper,” or a player currently flying under the radar is something that fascinates many draft followers. Everyone has their favourite, so we asked our scouting team to supply theirs! This article is included in our recently published McKeen's 2023 NHL Draft Guide. If you are not a subscriber check out more info here.

Brock Otten (Director of Scouting)

Joey Willis of the Saginaw Spirit. Photo by Natalie Shaver/OHL Images

Joey Willis - Center - Saginaw Spirit

The stat line won’t wow you. The physical tools won’t wow you. Yet, this is a player who consistently passes the eye test. On a deep Saginaw team, he consistently found a way to be noticeable. He has strong two-way instincts, is creative, and is a really strong playmaker. This was Willis’ first year playing above the AAA level, so no wonder the physical tools are lagging behind. Lots of room for this player to grow with increased confidence.

Larry Keenan - Defense - Culver Academy

Keenan is a very raw defensive prospect from the prep scene. He’s going to require a ton of patience as his game adapts to playing at the higher levels. However, he may be one of the most electric skating defenders available this year and he’s 6’3. His athleticism is off the charts good, and he is headed to a program (UMass) with a great track record for developing defenders.

Eric Pohlkamp - Defense - Cedar Rapids Roughriders

For my money, one of…if not the best re-entry player available this year. The USHL’s defenseman of the year is just a really fun player to watch. He’ll need to alter a few things to adapt his game to the next level, but he has a really intriguing upside. His point shot is one of the best available this year. He skates well. He defends aggressively. The rapid progression he showed this year in his second USHL season was remarkable. He also looked great at the World Junior A Challenge playing against some pretty good other players.

Derek Neumeier (Assistant Director of Scouting)

Josh Van Mulligen — Defense — Medicine Hat Tigers

A person might see Van Mulligen's minuscule point totals from this season and assume that he's not a good prospect, but that would be unwise. His value is at the other end of the ice, disrupting the offensive efforts of the opposing teams. He combines his long reach with clean footwork in all directions to close gaps and get his stick in shooting lanes. His capacity as a puck transporter is improving too, and it could make a lot more progress down the road as he adds strength and power into his lower body. He has the tools to become a true defensive specialist in the NHL one day.

Isac Hedqvist — Wing — Luleå

Hedqvist flew under the radar this season because he didn't play for Sweden internationally, but he didn't look out of place in the SHL games that he dressed for, which measured him up well against his top countrymen in this year's draft class. He's a winger who overcomes his smaller stature by being smart, tenacious, and playing with a competitive edge. He's around the puck a lot with his efforts, and when he wins them, he knows how to drive them to the opposing net. With such great pro tendencies already, it bodes well for how his game will grow over time.

Vojtech Port — Defense — Edmonton Oil Kings

It's a real shame that Port suffered a season-ending injury with a lot of hockey left to go, because he was making a real statement with his play. The rebuilding Oil Kings were an unmitigated disaster all season, but the import Czech defender was unfazed and just kept chugging away, logging big minutes in all situations and doing a lot of positive things in his shifts. He knows how to use his large frame to his advantage, he skates and handles the puck well, and he isn't afraid to be a focal point for his team. There could be a lot of untapped potential here.

Adam Tate (Western Region Scout)

Ty Halaburda - Wing - Vancouver Giants

I wrote about Ty Halaburda back in December as a notable mid-round candidate and I’m still on the Halaburda Hype Train now. His Vancouver Giants were eliminated early in the playoffs, so he was added to Canada’s roster for the U-18’s in April. He had a decent tournament, but I think he’d be the first to tell you he didn’t play as well as he would’ve hoped. As for his outlook as a pro, his ceiling is likely as a bottom six winger, but I think he’ll be able to thrive there. His skating is his best trait, but I think his hockey awareness is good as well. There is the potential to provide some secondary scoring and penalty kill utility at the bottom of a team’s forward lineup.

Matej Deraj (Central European Scout)

Maroš Jedlička – W/C – HKM Zvolen, Slovakia

Jedlička is already a double overager and may even end up not being drafted again, but his game would fit perfectly on the North American ice. He is a physical winger with solid skating, offensive skills, and more than a solid size (6´2”, 201 lbs). He likes to drive to the net and finishes his checks. He´s been a key part of Zvolen´s offense in the Slovak top tier league for two years in a row and has drawn a lot of NHL interest. He projects as a middle-six physical winger with a scoring touch who is able to play on both special teams.

Chase Rochon (Video Scout)

Aiden Fink - Wing - Brooks Bandits

Aiden Fink is a unique prospect in this year's draft class mainly because he is one of the only players on our ranking coming from the AJHL playing for the Centennial Cup champion Brooks Bandits. Fink isn't only undervalued because of his strength in the league but also because of his smaller frame of 5’9”, 152lbs. These factors do not stop Fink's dynamic offensive ability as a high-paced winger with great offensive tools, which he uses to drive the net. Fink has a real knack for scoring goals and using his awareness to find open space to take advantage of his quick release.

Chapin Landvogt (Central European Scout)

Arno Tiefensee - Goaltender - Mannheim Adler - DEL

Imagine being a 6’4”, 190-pound goaltender by the time you’re 18, heading to the WJC, and then falling into anonymity after getting shellacked in two outings on the world stage. Like a phoenix out of the ashes, you get your shot in a top European pro league with a top address atage 20 - and you run with it. We mean, you go 13-10, pitch 3 shutouts, and rack up a 2.43 GAA and .910 save percentage. Then you’re the starter in the playoffs, dialing in for a 2.07 GAA and .914 save percentage in 12 outings. You’re even in heavy consideration for an appearance at the World Championships. Well, we’ve just described the story of the calm, collective, and focused Tiefensee, who’s likely coming to an NHL franchise near you this summer.

Joely Stockl (Ontario Regional Scout)

Easton Cowan - Wing - London Knights

Easton Cowan has been an intriguing player all season long, but his playoff performance offensively alongside Denver Barkey has been something to behold. The combination of his smarts and work ethic is what makes Cowan so unique in this draft class, and these are the two driving forces in his game. Cowan translates as a 200-foot utility player at the next level who can provide secondary scoring. He is a forward that can play on both special teams units, plays with undeniable energy, and will give 110% effort on every single play. His offensive production late in the season is giving teams a reason to call Cowan’s name earlier rather than later in this year’s NHL draft.

Mark Dube (U.S. and Video Scout)

Noah Dower Nilsson - Wing/Center - Frölunda HC J20

Dower Nilsson is coming off a very impressive season in the J20 Nationell finishing 7th in the league in scoring posting 54 points in 37 games, tops among all draft eligible players. He also had a solid U18 showing although playing a limited role on a pretty strong team. Dower Nilsson possesses that raw talent that if developed properly could turn out to be a great pick up for any NHL team that selects him. He has good compete and has some scoring upside which are two attributes that every GM loves in a prospect. It is easy to see him becoming a solid middle-six player.

Viktor Fomich (Russian Scout)

Bogdan Konyushkov - Defense - Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)

When a player is undrafted a couple of times already and is in his last year of draft eligibility, it takes something special for him to finally get noticed. If we look at the basic stat line it looks good, but not too special for defenseman Bogdan Konyushkov, which is likely the reason there isn’t much mainstream talk about him outside of Russia, yet even just pure stats can be more interesting if we look at those closer and at the right angle. First thing that stands out in case of Konyushkov is that despite his age he made his KHL debut just this season and actually led his KHL team in average ice time, as his cerebral game on both ends convinced coach Igor Larionov to immediately give him an opportunity for a leading role on the team. And if we look at advanced stats, those are telling that this trust paid off really well, as Konyushkov is among the league’s leaders in both completed pass amount and percentage, as well as in the puck battle win percentage — quite a debut season I’d say. As a bonus Konyushkov is right handed, just in case if everything described above isn’t convincing enough yet about him potentially being a very intriguing prospect for the coming draft.

Ethan Hetu (U.S. Regional Scout)

Will Vote - Wing - U.S. NTDP

5’7” and 159. Those are the two numbers that will hurt USNTDP forward Will Vote the most in the draft process. His height and weight, respectively, numbers that pose a real challenge to his pro projectability. The number that won’t hurt Vote one bit when scouts dig into his game in advance of the 2023 draft? 110. That’s the percentage effort Vote gives on every shift, and what makes him an intriguing sleeper candidate. He proved this year that he can thrive in a role as a complementary player, leveraging his work rate, hockey IQ, and shooting ability to elevate his linemates. Would his profile look a whole lot better if he had the type of standout skating scouts look for in players his size? Absolutely, but it’s hard to watch the kind of nightly game Vote plays and not expect him to find a way to make it work at more challenging levels of competition.

MCKEEN’S 2023 NHL DRAFT – FINAL RANKINGS – TOP 224 Plus Honourable Mentions

McKeen's Scouting Team - Director of Scouting, Brock Otten — Sun, 28 May 2023 16:20:45 +0000

It’s that time! The McKeen’s scouting staff has finalized our final rankings for the 2023 NHL Draft ahead of the release of our draft guide in a few weeks. As per usual, our list runs 224 players deep to match the number of selections in the draft, but we have included over 300 players when you include our Honorable Mentions.

Much to the surprise of no one, Connor Bedard remains our top ranked player, as he has been all season long. In fact, our top three remains unchanged from our midseason rankings with Adam Fantilli and Leo Carlsson holding down the second and third spots, respectively. There has been one change in our top five with Will Smith leapfrogging Matvei Michkov into the fourth position following his dominant second half and U18’s.

Russian defender Dmitry Simashev remains our top ranked blueliner but has now moved into the top ten. His combination of size, mobility, physicality, and improving offensive skill set is going to be alluring to NHL teams and we feel that his upside is the highest in a weaker crop for defenders.

A trio of Swedish players are among our biggest risers from our midseason list, with Tom Willander, Anton Wahlberg, and David Edstrom all jumping up into the first round. All three were excellent in the second half of the season, which culminated with strong performances at the U18’s. Willander, in particular, has a huge fan in our Director of Scouting, Brock Otten. “If you were to ask me who my favourite defender in the draft class is, I’d probably say Willander. He rarely makes a poor play and I believe that we are underappreciating his potential as an NHL defender because of how efficient and safe his game can be. I would be shocked if he does not become a quality second pairing guy at the NHL level and I don’t think the other defenders ranked in the first have that same assurance,” said Otten.

Another massive jumper in our list is Hamilton Bulldogs winger Nick Lardis. 98th on our midseason list, Lardis now finds himself ranked just inside of our first round. His play with Hamilton, following a trade from Peterborough has vaulted him up draft boards, including ours. His combination of quickness and scoring ability gives him a solid projection at the NHL level.

Despite having two goaltenders inside of our first round at midseason (Carson Bjarnason and Michael Hrabal), we ended the year with none. Trey Augustine is now our top ranked netminder, ranked in the mid second round. However, Augustine, Bjarnason, Hrabal, and USHL Clark Cup MVP Jacob Fowler are all closely ranked in that range.

Look for the release of our 2023 Draft Guide in the next couple weeks. It will include all of our rankings and reports, a mock draft, a preview of the 2024 NHL Draft, and much more.

As a subscriber, link to our full ranking with links to the player pages here - McKeen's Draft Rankings - You can download the ranking as an excel file as well.

RANK	PLAYER	POS	HT/WT	DOB	NATION	TEAM	GP-G-A-PTS
1	Connor Bedard	C	5-10/185	17-Jul-05	Canada	Regina (WHL)	57-71-72-143
2	Adam Fantilli	C	6-2/195	12-Oct-04	Canada	Michigan (B1G)	36-30-35-65
3	Leo Carlsson	C	6-3/200	26-Dec-04	Sweden	Orebro (SHL)	44-10-15-25
4	Will Smith	C	6-0/175	17-Mar-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	59-51-75-126
5	Matvei Michkov	RW	5-10/170	9-Dec-04	Russia	SKA St. Petersburg-HK Sochi (KHL)	30-9-11-20
6	Zach Benson	LW	5-9/160	12-May-05	Canada	Winnipeg (WHL)	60-36-62-98
7	Dalibor Dvorsky	C	6-1/200	15-Jun-05	Slovakia	AIK (HockeyAllsvenskan)	38-6-8-14
8	Ryan Leonard	RW	5-11/190	21-Jan-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	56-50-43-93
9	Dmitri Simashev	D	6-4/200	4-Feb-05	Russia	Loko Yaroslavl-Loko-76 Yaroslavl (MHL)	33-1-11-12
10	Matthew Wood	RW	6-3/195	6-Feb-05	Canada	Connecticut (HE)	35-11-23-34
11	Oliver Moore	C	5-11/185	22-Jan-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	60-31-43-74
12	Colby Barlow	LW	6-0/195	14-Feb-05	Canada	Owen Sound (OHL)	59-46-33-79
13	Nate Danielson	C	6-1/185	27-Sep-04	Canada	Brandon (WHL)	68-33-45-78
14	Axel Sandin Pellikka	D	5-11/180	11-Mar-05	Sweden	Skelleftea (Swe J20)	31-16-20-36
15	Daniil But	LW	6-5/200	15-Feb-05	Russia	Loko Yaroslavl-Loko-76 Yaroslavl (MHL)	32-18-14-32
16	David Reinbacher	D	6-2/185	25-Oct-04	Austria	Kloten (Sui-NL)	46-3-19-22
17	Eduard Sale	LW	6-1/170	10-Mar-05	Czech	HC Kometa Brno (Czechia)	43-7-7-14
18	Samuel Honzek	LW	6-3/185	12-Nov-04	Slovakia	Vancouver (WHL)	43-23-33-56
19	Mikhail Gulyayev	D	5-11/170	26-Apr-05	Russia	Omskie Yastreby (MHL)	22-2-23-25
20	Lukas Dragicevic	D	6-1/190	25-Apr-05	Canada	Tri-City (WHL)	68-15-60-75
21	Gabe Perreault	RW	5-11/165	7-May-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	62-53-79-132
22	Otto Stenberg	C	5-11/180	29-May-05	Sweden	Frolunda (Swe J20)	29-11-15-26
23	Tom Willander	D	6-1/180	9-Feb-05	Sweden	Rogle (Swe J20)	39-4-21-25
24	Calum Ritchie	C	6-2/185	21-Jan-05	Canada	Oshawa (OHL)	59-24-35-59
25	Andrew Cristall	LW	5-9/165	4-Feb-05	Canada	Kelowna (WHL)	54-39-56-95
26	Gavin Brindley	C	5-8/165	5-Oct-04	USA	Michigan (B1G)	41-12-26-38
27	Bradly Nadeau	LW	5-10/165	5-May-05	Canada	Penticton (BCHL)	54-45-68-113
28	Anton Wahlberg	C	6-3/195	4-Jul-05	Sweden	Malmo (Swe J20)	32-14-13-27
29	Riley Heidt	C	5-10/180	25-Mar-05	Canada	Prince George (WHL)	68-25-72-97
30	Brayden Yager	C	5-11/165	3-Jan-05	Canada	Moose Jaw (WHL)	67-28-50-78
31	David Edstrom	C	6-3/185	18-Feb-05	Sweden	Frolunda (Swe J20)	28-15-13-28
32	Nick Lardis	LW	5-10/165	8-Jul-05	Canada	Pbo-Ham (OHL)	69-37-28-65
33	Kasper Halttunen	RW	6-3/205	7-Jun-05	Finland	HIFK (Fin-Liiga)	27-0-1-1
34	Jayden Perron	RW	5-9/165	11-Jan-05	Canada	Chicago (USHL)	61-24-48-72
35	Oliver Bonk	D	6-2/175	9-Jan-05	Canada	London (OHL)	67-10-30-40
36	Quentin Musty	LW	6-2/200	6-Jul-05	USA	Sudbury (OHL)	53-26-52-78
37	Trey Augustine	G	6-1/185	23-Feb-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	28-1, 2.14, 0.925
38	Tanner Molendyk	D	5-11/185	3-Feb-05	Canada	Saskatoon (WHL)	67-9-28-37
39	William Whitelaw	RW	5-9/170	5-Feb-05	USA	Youngstown (USHL)	62-36-25-61
40	Ethan Gauthier	RW	5-11/175	26-Jan-05	Canada	Sherbrooke (QMJHL)	66-30-39-69
41	Gracyn Sawchyn	C	5-11/160	19-Jan-05	USA	Seattle (WHL)	58-18-40-58
42	Carson Bjarnason	G	6-3/185	30-Jun-05	Canada	Brandon (WHL)	21-19, 3.08, 0.900
43	Aram Minnetian	D	5-11/190	19-Mar-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	61-7-24-31
44	Michael Hrabal	G	6-6/210	20-Jan-05	Czech	Omaha (USHL)	9-13, 2.86, 0.908
45	Jacob Fowler	G	6-1/215	24-Nov-04	USA	Youngstown (USHL)	27-9, 2.28, 0.921
46	Oscar Fisker Molgaard	C	6-0/165	18-Feb-05	Denmark	HV 71 (SHL)	41-4-3-7
47	Carson Rehkopf	LW	6-1/195	7-Jan-05	Canada	Kitchener (OHL)	68-30-29-59
48	Beau Akey	D	5-11/170	11-Feb-05	Canada	Barrie (OHL)	66-11-36-47
49	Danny Nelson	C	6-3/200	3-Aug-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	61-20-26-46
50	Etienne Morin	D	6-0/180	9-Mar-05	Canada	Moncton (QMJHL)	67-21-51-72
51	Felix Nilsson	C	6-0/175	22-Jun-05	Sweden	Rogle (Swe J20)	36-19-22-41
52	Maxim Strbak	D	6-1/205	13-Apr-05	Slovakia	Sioux Falls (USHL)	46-5-13-18
53	Jakub Dvorak	D	6-5/205	25-May-05	Czech	Bili Tygri Liberec (Czechia)	24-0-2-2
54	Carey Terrance	C	6-0/175	10-May-05	USA	Erie (OHL)	67-30-17-47
55	Jesse Kiiskinen	RW	5-11/180	23-Aug-05	Finland	Pelicans (Fin-U20)	31-20-23-43
56	Mathieu Cataford	C	5-11/185	1-Mar-05	Canada	Halifax (QMJHL)	68-31-44-75
57	Roman Kantserov	RW	5-9/175	20-Sep-04	Russia	Stalnye Lisy Magnitogorsk (MHL)	45-27-27-54
58	Tristan Bertucci	D	6-1/170	12-Jul-05	Canada	Flint (OHL)	63-11-39-50
59	Andrew Gibson	D	6-3/195	13-Feb-05	Canada	Soo Greyhounds (OHL)	45-7-14-21
60	Caden Price	D	6-0/185	24-Aug-05	Canada	Kelowna (WHL)	65-5-35-40
61	Charlie Stramel	C	6-3/215	15-Oct-04	USA	Wisconsin (B1G)	33-5-7-12
62	Coulson Pitre	RW	6-0/170	13-Dec-04	Canada	Flint (OHL)	59-25-35-60
63	Adam Gajan	G	6-2/165	6-May-04	Slovakia	Chippewa Steel (NAHL)	19-12, 2.57, 0.917
64	Hoyt Stanley	D	6-2/185	4-Feb-05	Canada	Victoria (BCHL)	53-4-34-38
65	Andrew Strathmann	D	5-10/190	27-Feb-05	USA	Youngstown (USHL)	56-3-35-38
66	Hunter Brzustewicz	D	5-11/185	29-Nov-04	USA	Kitchener (OHL)	68-6-51-57
67	Luca Pinelli	C	5-8/165	5-Apr-05	Canada	Ottawa (OHL)	67-29-34-63
68	Cam Allen	D	6-0/195	7-Jan-05	Canada	Guelph (OHL)	62-5-20-25
69	Tanner Ludtke	C	6-0/185	27-Nov-04	USA	Lincoln (USHL)	57-32-34-66
70	Theo Lindstein	D	6-0/180	5-Jan-05	Sweden	Brynas (SHL)	32-1-1-2
71	Koehn Ziemmer	RW	6-0/205	8-Dec-04	Canada	Prince George (WHL)	68-41-48-89
72	Carter Sotheran	D	6-3/195	26-Jun-05	Canada	Portland (WHL)	68-4-19-23
73	Arttu Karki	D	6-1/175	8-Dec-04	Finland	Tappara (Fin-U20)	36-13-26-39
74	Albert Wikman	D	6-0/190	10-Mar-05	Sweden	Farjestads (Swe J20)	43-2-10-12
75	Quinton Burns	D	6-1/180	14-Apr-05	Canada	Kingston (OHL)	54-2-27-29
76	Nico Myatovic	LW	6-2/180	1-Dec-04	Canada	Seattle (WHL)	68-30-30-60
77	Jeremy Hanzel	D	6-0/190	27-Feb-03	Canada	Seattle (WHL)	66-13-35-48
78	Easton Cowan	RW	5-10/170	20-May-05	Canada	London (OHL)	68-20-33-53
79	Juraj Pekarcik	LW	6-2/185	12-Sep-05	Slovakia	HK Nitra (Slovakia)	30-0-3-3
80	Denver Barkey	C	5-8/160	27-Apr-05	Canada	London (OHL)	61-22-37-59
81	Martin Misiak	RW	6-2/195	30-Sep-04	Slovakia	HC Nove Zamky (Slovakia)	29-1-9-10
82	Drew Fortescue	D	6-1/175	28-Apr-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	61-1-25-26
83	Felix Unger Sorum	RW	5-11/170	14-Sep-05	Sweden	Leksands (Swe J20)	42-10-36-46
84	Lenni Hameenaho	RW	6-0/175	7-Nov-04	Finland	Assat (Fin-Liiga)	51-9-12-21
85	Kalan Lind	LW	6-0/160	25-Jan-05	Canada	Red Deer (WHL)	43-16-28-44
86	Rasmus Kumpulainen	C	6-2/190	8-Aug-05	Finland	Pelicans (Fin-U20)	41-11-23-34
87	Alex Ciernik	LW	5-11/175	8-Oct-04	Slovakia	Sodertalje-Vasterviks (HockeyAllsvenskan)	25-3-9-12
88	Alexander Rykov	RW	6-0/175	14-Jul-05	Russia	Chelmet Chelyabinsk (VHL)	20-4-7-11
89	Scott Ratzlaff	G	6-0/175	9-Mar-05	Canada	Seattle (WHL)	25-8, 2.15, 0.918
90	Yegor Rimashevsky	RW	6-3/200	1-Feb-05	Belarus	MHK Dynamo Moskva (MHL)	29-13-13-26
91	Jesse Nurmi	LW	5-10/165	7-Mar-05	Finland	KooKoo (Fin-U20)	41-21-29-50
92	Kaden Hammell	D	6-1/175	12-Mar-05	Canada	Kam-Evt (WHL)	67-8-18-26
93	Jayson Shaugabay	RW	5-9/155	4-May-05	USA	Warroad (USHS-MN)	31-33-63-96
94	Noel Nordh	RW	6-2/195	25-Jan-05	Sweden	Brynas (Swe J20)	38-13-14-27
95	Gavin McCarthy	D	6-1/180	2-Jun-05	USA	Muskegon (USHL)	42-8-19-27
96	Tyler Peddle	LW	6-0/195	28-Jan-05	Canada	Drummondville (QMJHL)	64-24-17-41
97	Francesco Dell'Elce	D	6-0/165	23-Jun-05	Canada	St. Andrew's (CHS-O)	51-20-42-62
98	Timur Mukhanov	LW	5-8/170	17-Jun-05	Russia	Omskie Krylia (VHL)	31-4-4-8
99	Larry Keenan	D	6-3/185	15-Mar-05	Russia	Culver Academy (USHS-IN)	49-11-26-37
100	Emil Jarventie	LW	5-9/165	4-Apr-05	Finland	Ilves (Fin-U20)	21-8-11-19
101	Matthew Mania	D	6-1/180	11-Jan-05	USA	Sudbury (OHL)	67-10-28-38
102	Juha Jatkola	G	6-1/175	12-Sep-02	Finland	KalPa (Fin-Liiga)	20-11, 2.16, 0.903
103	Zach Nehring	RW	6-3/180	7-Mar-05	USA	Shattuck-SM (USHS-MN)	48-34-40-74
104	Austin Roest	C	5-9/175	22-Jan-04	Canada	Everett (WHL)	60-32-46-78
105	Hedqvist, Isac	C	5-10/165	22-Mar-05	Sweden	Lulea (Swe J20)	41-14-20-34
106	Stephen Peck	G	6-2/170	18-Jan-05	USA	Avon Old Farms (USHS-CT)	28GP, 1.26, 0.948
107	Yegor Klimovich	RW	5-9/160	14-May-05	Russia	Sibirskie Snaipery Novosibirsk (MHL)	36-19-30-49
108	Nikita Susuyev	RW	6-0/170	6-Feb-05	Russia	MHK Spartak Moskva (MHL)	38-11-17-28
109	Ethan Miedema	LW	6-4/205	22-Mar-05	Canada	Wsr-Kgn (OHL)	68-20-32-52
110	Luca Cagnoni	D	5-9/180	21-Dec-04	Canada	Portland (WHL)	67-17-47-64
111	Jakub Stancl	LW	6-3/200	10-Apr-05	Czech	Vaxjo Lakers (Swe J20)	35-11-6-17
112	Aydar Suniev	LW	6-1/200	16-Nov-04	Russia	Penticton (BCHL)	50-45-45-90
113	Ty Henricks	LW	6-4/205	28-Jun-05	USA	Fgo-Mus (USHL)	47-9-10-19
114	Yegor Vinogradov	C	6-2/180	17-Apr-03	Russia	Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)	53-7-10-17
115	Yegor Sidorov	RW	5-11/180	18-Jun-04	Belarus	Saskatoon (WHL)	53-40-36-76
116	Will Vote	RW	5-8/155	22-Feb-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	60-16-29-45
117	Brandon Svoboda	C	6-3/210	4-Feb-05	USA	Youngstown (USHL)	59-16-10-26
118	Axel Landen	D	6-1/185	29-Mar-05	Sweden	HV 71 (Swe J20)	44-10-6-16
119	Alexander Hellnemo	G	6-2/180	5-Jan-04	Sweden	Skelleftea (Swe J20)	15-8, 2.32, 0.916
120	Nikita Nedopyokin	C	5-10/185	22-Mar-05	Russia	SKA-1946 St. Petersburg (MHL)	37-14-18-32
121	Brady Cleveland	D	6-5/210	1-Apr-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	54-0-6-6
122	Ondrej Molnar	LW	5-10/170	8-Feb-05	Slovakia	Erie (OHL)	34-4-15-19
123	Noah Dower Nilsson	LW	6-0/175	25-Apr-05	Sweden	Frolunda (Swe J20)	37-26-28-54
124	Jordan Tourigny	D	5-10/165	28-Feb-05	Canada	Shawinigan (QMJHL)	67-6-35-41
125	Cole Knuble	C	5-11/175	1-Jul-04	USA	Fargo (USHL)	57-30-36-66
126	Erik Pahlsson	C	6-0/170	9-Apr-04	Sweden	HV 71 (Swe J20)	46-26-37-63
127	Eric Pohlkamp	D	5-10/200	23-Mar-04	USA	Cedar Rapids (USHL)	59-16-35-51
128	Dylan MacKinnon	D	6-1/185	12-Jan-05	Canada	Halifax (QMJHL)	61-6-17-23
129	German Tochilkin	LW	6-2/180	24-Sep-03	Russia	Kunlun Red Star (KHL)	21-4-2-6
130	Jake Fisher	C	6-1/180	27-Mar-05	USA	Cretin-Durham Hall (USHS-MN)	29-34-29-63
131	Damian Clara	G	6-6/215	13-Jan-05	Italy	Farjestads (Swe J20)	17-17, 2.79, 0.903
132	Aiden Fink	RW	5-9/155	24-Nov-04	Canada	Brooks (AJHL)	54-41-56-97
133	Bogdan Konyushkov	D	5-11/175	20-Dec-02	Russia	Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)	64-2-23-25
134	Yegor Zavragin	G	6-2/185	23-Aug-05	Russia	Mamonty Yugry (MHL)	11-6, 2.49, 0.920
135	Ty Halaburda	C	5-11/175	22-Apr-05	Canada	Vancouver (WHL)	66-21-16-37
136	Cole Burbidge	LW	6-1/160	26-Aug-05	Canada	Saint John (QMJHL)	68-19-31-50
137	Daniil Karpovich	D	6-3/210	6-Dec-04	Belarus	Avto Yekaterinburg (MHL)	47-10-25-35
138	Andrei Loshko	C	6-1/175	7-Oct-04	Belarus	Chicoutimi (QMJHL)	67-22-48-70
139	Beckett Hendrickson	C	6-1/175	24-Jun-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	51-13-21-34
140	Alex Pharand	C	6-3/205	1-May-05	Canada	Sudbury (OHL)	67-18-21-39
141	Zeb Forsfjall	C	5-9/170	16-Jan-05	Sweden	Skelleftea (Swe J20)	34-8-14-22
142	Joe Connor	C	5-9/170	31-Mar-05	USA	Avon Old Farms (USHS-CT)	28-21-23-44
143	Samuel Urban	G	6-1/195	1-May-05	Slovakia	Team Slovakia U18 (Svk2)	1-13, 4.51, 0.897
144	Mazden Leslie	D	6-0/195	15-Apr-05	Canada	Vancouver (WHL)	66-12-38-50
145	Maxim Fedotov	D	5-10/170	22-Jan-02	Russia	Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)	64-9-17-26
146	Joey Willis	C	5-10/170	14-Mar-05	USA	Saginaw (OHL)	68-15-29-44
147	Artyom Kashtanov	C	6-6/190	9-Dec-04	Russia	Avto Yekaterinburg (MHL)	43-15-25-40
148	Angus MacDonell	C	5-9/180	11-May-05	Canada	Sar-Mis (OHL)	64-29-12-41
149	Konstantin Volochko	D	6-0/170	19-Jun-05	Belarus	Dinamo-Shinnik Bobruysk (MHL)	46-8-12-20
150	Hannes Hellberg	LW	6-0/175	19-Jun-05	Sweden	Leksands (Swe J20)	42-34-23-57
151	Carsen Musser	G	6-4/215	19-May-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	14-6, 3.07, 0.890
152	Yaroslav Tsulygin	D	6-0/160	19-May-05	Russia	Salavat Yulaev Ufa (KHL)	44-0-2-2
153	Thomas Milic	G	6-0/180	14-Apr-03	Canada	Seattle (WHL)	27-3, 2.08, 0.928
154	Arno Tiefensee	G	6-4/190	1-May-02	Germany	Adler Mannheim (DEL)	13-10, 2.43, 0.910
155	Quinn Mantei	D	5-11/180	23-Apr-05	Canada	Brandon (WHL)	67-2-23-25
156	Matthew Soto	RW	5-10/180	31-Aug-05	Canada	Kingston (OHL)	54-15-27-42
157	Matt Copponi	C	5-10/165	3-Jun-03	USA	Merrimack (HE)	37-14-15-29
158	Vojtech Port	D	6-2/170	3-Aug-05	Czech	RD-Edm (WHL)	48-4-13-17
159	Michael DeAngelo	LW	5-11/180	19-Nov-04	USA	Green Bay (USHL)	52-11-24-35
160	Matteo Mann	D	6-5/225	31-Dec-04	Canada	Chicoutimi (QMJHL)	45-0-5-5
161	Paul Fischer	D	6-1/190	30-Jan-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	55-4-17-21
162	Hudson Malinoski	C	6-0/175	19-May-04	Canada	Brooks (AJHL)	44-16-53-69
163	Brad Gardiner	C	6-0/180	6-Mar-05	Canada	Ottawa (OHL)	68-19-20-39
164	Zaccharya Wisdom	RW	6-0/175	29-Apr-04	Canada	Cedar Rapids (USHL)	59-28-20-48
165	Jonathan Castagna	C	6-1/185	20-Apr-05	Canada	St. Andrew's (CHS-O)	50-29-43-72
166	Tanner Adams	RW	5-11/185	2-Sep-05	USA	Tri-City (USHL)	49-12-21-33
167	Grayden Siepmann	D	5-10/185	26-May-04	Canada	Calgary (WHL)	61-9-34-43
168	Axel Hurtig	D	6-3/200	10-Jun-05	Sweden	Rogle (Swe J20)	34-2-6-8
169	Ian Scherzer	C	6-0/180	3-Jul-05	Austria	Rogle (Swe J20)	30-3-4-7
170	Ryan Conmy	RW	5-9/190	23-Oct-04	USA	Sioux City (USHL)	60-33-29-62
171	Ethan Hay	C	6-1/190	15-Jan-05	Canada	Flint (OHL)	64-17-11-28
172	Rodwin Dionicio	D	6-2/205	30-Mar-04	Switzerland	Nia-Wsr (OHL)	50-15-35-50
173	Josh Van Mulligen	D	6-2/180	26-Jul-05	Canada	Medicine Hat (WHL)	68-1-8-9
174	Nikita Ishimnikov	D	6-3/195	21-Apr-05	Russia	Avto Yekaterinburg (MHL)	41-11-7-18
175	Justin Kipkie	D	6-4/190	28-Jul-05	Canada	Victoria (WHL)	67-8-25-33
176	Sawyer Mynio	D	6-1/175	30-Apr-05	Canada	Seattle (WHL)	68-5-26-31
177	Brady Stonehouse	RW	5-9/180	6-Aug-04	Canada	Ottawa (OHL)	68-37-20-57
178	Hunter Anderson	LW	5-9/175	28-Apr-05	USA	Shattuck-SM (USHS-MN)	48-52-47-99
179	Spencer Sova	D	6-0/185	10-Jan-04	Canada	Erie (OHL)	68-16-23-39
180	Oliver Tulk	C	5-7/170	19-Jan-05	Canada	Calgary (WHL)	68-24-36-60
181	Isac Born	C	5-11/165	7-Jul-04	Sweden	Frolunda (SHL)	36-2-3-5
182	Beau Jelsma	C	5-9/175	28-Apr-04	Canada	Barrie (OHL)	67-31-30-61
183	Carmelo Crandell	RW	5-11/170	2-Mar-05	Canada	Sherwood Park (AJHL)	49-17-37-54
184	Stanislav Yarovoy	LW	6-2/195	26-Aug-03	Russia	Vityaz Moscow Region (KHL)	45-9-7-16
185	Elliot Stahlberg	LW	6-0/185	29-Mar-05	Sweden	Farjestads (Swe J20)	35-9-12-21
186	Ivan Anoshko	C	5-11/170	7-Oct-04	Belarus	Dinamo-Shinnik Bobruysk (MHL)	53-21-32-53
187	Jake Livanavage	D	5-10/175	6-May-04	USA	Chicago (USHL)	48-6-30-36
188	Adrian Carnebo	D	6-2/185	1-May-04	Sweden	Djurgardens (Swe J20)	43-7-28-35
189	Jaden Lipinski	C	6-3/205	2-Dec-04	USA	Vancouver (WHL)	66-19-32-51
190	Ian Blomquist	G	6-2/185	29-Mar-03	Sweden	Vasteras (HockeyAllsvenskan)	4-11, 2.97, 0.904
191	Emil Pieniniemi	D	6-2/170	2-Mar-05	Finland	Karpat (Fin-U20)	31-1-12-13
192	Oskar Asplund	D	5-11/175	18-Nov-03	Sweden	Almtuna (HockeyAllsvenskan)	49-6-24-30
193	Daniil Davydov	C	5-11/165	6-Mar-04	Russia	MHK Dynamo St. Petersburg (MHL)	47-11-35-46
194	Victor Sjoholm	D	5-9/175	8-Jul-03	Sweden	HV 71 (Swe J20)	37-2-8-10
195	Aron Jessli	LW	5-11/185	29-Oct-04	Norway	Pickering (OJHL)	52-25-43-68
196	Adam Dybal	G	6-1/165	2-Sep-05	Czech	Karlovy Vary (Czechia U20)	29-15, 1.85, 0.942
197	Jonathan Fauchon	C	5-10/170	13-Jan-04	Canada	Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL)	53-25-40-65
198	Luke Mittelstadt	D	5-11/175	22-Jan-03	USA	Minnesota (B1G)	38-5-16-21
199	Owen Beckner	C	6-1/175	27-Feb-05	Canada	Salmon Arm (BCHL)	53-17-33-50
200	Ilya Kanarsky	G	6-2/165	6-Dec-04	Russia	AKM-Junior Tula Region (MHL)	4-19, 3.59, 0.919
201	Braeden Bowman	RW	6-1/205	26-Jun-03	Canada	Guelph (OHL)	54-33-39-72
202	Luke Coughlin	D	5-9/170	11-Apr-05	Canada	Rimouski (QMJHL)	37-5-14-19
203	Norwin Panocha	D	6-1/185	24-Feb-05	Germany	Eisbaren Juniors Berlin (DNL U20)	34-6-16-22
204	Cole Brown	LW	6-2/180	27-Apr-05	Canada	Hamilton (OHL)	60-17-25-42
205	Tomas Suchanek	G	6-0/180	30-Apr-03	Czech	Tri-City (WHL)	27-14, 3.05, 0.912
206	Vadim Moroz	RW	6-2/185	20-Nov-03	Belarus	Dinamo Minsk (KHL)	39-5-9-14
207	Davis Burnside	RW	5-11/175	22-Sep-03	USA	Ohio State (B1G)	40-14-7-21
208	Maros Jedlicka	C	6-1/185	23-Oct-02	Slovakia	HKM Zvolen (Slovakia)	39-17-18-35
209	Gavyn Thoreson	RW	5-8/180	30-Oct-04	USA	Andover High (USHS-MN)	31-41-56-97
210	Austin Burnevik	RW	6-3/200	3-Jan-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	43-6-13-19
211	Elmeri Laakso	D	6-1/185	19-Jul-04	Finland	SaiPa (Fin-Liiga)	32-4-7-11
212	Frantisek Dej	C	6-4/200	28-Feb-05	Slovakia	HC Modre Kridla Slovan (Slovakia2)	24-8-13-21
213	Matvei Maximov	C	6-0/175	18-Jan-05	Russia	MHK Dynamo Moskva (MHL)	48-18-19-37
214	Connor Levis	RW	6-1/190	5-Oct-04	Canada	Kamloops (WHL)	68-27-40-67
215	Teddy Townsend	C	5-10/160	2-Sep-05	USA	Eden Prairie (USHS-MN)	27-14-25-39
216	Petter Vesterheim	C	5-11/165	30-Sep-04	Norway	Mora (Swe J20)	41-12-27-39
217	Justin Gill	C	6-1/190	27-Jan-03	Canada	Sherbrooke (QMJHL)	68-44-49-93
218	Alex Weiermair	C	6-0/190	10-May-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	55-11-15-26
219	Jan Sprynar	RW	6-1/175	26-Feb-05	Czech	Rimouski (QMJHL)	60-23-17-40
220	Ty Higgins	D	6-0/185	26-Sep-04	Canada	Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL)	68-13-28-41
221	Tom Leppa	C	6-0/175	31-Jul-05	Finland	Jokerit (Fin-U20)	45-19-12-31
222	Aaron Pionk	D	6-1/175	16-Jan-03	USA	Waterloo (USHL)	60-12-24-36
223	Hampton Slukynsky	G	6-1/180	2-Jul-05	USA	Warroad (USHS-MN)	28-1, 1.47, 0.941
224	Noah Erliden	G	5-10/170	9-Sep-05	Sweden	HV71 (Swe J20)	10-8, 2.93, 0.912
HM	Matthew Andonovski	D	6-1/200	14-Mar-05	Canada	Kitchener (OHL)	67-0-16-16
HM	Gleb Artsatbanov	G	6-2/170	2-Mar-04	Ukraine	Sparta Praha (Czechia U20)	13-10, 1.95, 0.938
HM	Cale Ashcroft	D	5-10/200	5-Aug-04	Canada	Tri-City (USHL)	62-8-29-37
HM	Alex Assadourian	LW	5-8/170	24-Jul-05	Canada	Sby-Nia (OHL)	66-12-29-41
HM	Arvid Bergstrom	D	5-11/160	12-Jun-05	Sweden	Djurgardens (Swe J20)	41-2-21-23
HM	Kevin Bicker	LW	6-0/175	29-Jan-05	Germany	Jungadler Mannheim (DNL U20)	20-10-11-21
HM	Philippe Blais-Savoie	D	6-0/185	10-Jun-05	USA	Tri-City (USHL)	61-2-9-11
HM	Linus Brandl	C	5-11/185	1-Apr-05	Germany	Jungadler Mannheim (DNL U20)	32-25-22-47
HM	Finn Brink	LW	5-9/180	6-Apr-05	USA	Maple Grove (USHS-MN)	31-31-38-69
HM	Yaroslav Busygin	D	6-3/185	14-Feb-03	Russia	Vityaz Moscow Region (KHL)	42-1-2-3
HM	Kalle Carlsson	C	6-0/175	2-Mar-05	Sweden	Orebro (Swe J20)	44-11-24-35
HM	Adam Cedzo	RW	5-10/165	23-Feb-05	Slovakia	HC Ocelari Trinec (Czechia U20)	39-23-23-46
HM	Aiden Celebrini	D	6-1/185	26-Oct-04	Canada	Brooks (AJHL)	47-5-16-21
HM	Andon Cerbone	C	5-8/150	13-Apr-04	USA	Oma-Yng (USHL)	64-24-39-63
HM	Chase Cheslock	D	6-3/210	25-Oct-04	USA	Rogers High (USHS-MN)	28-4-27-31
HM	Sam Court	D	5-10/180	7-Jan-04	Canada	Brooks (AJHL)	52-13-59-72
HM	Adam Csabi	LW	5-10/160	17-Feb-05	Czech	SaiPa (Fin-U18)	28-16-15-31
HM	Nathaniel Davis	D	6-1/185	15-Nov-04	Canada	Burlington (OJHL)	45-10-26-36
HM	Nathan Day	G	6-2/180	4-Feb-05	Canada	Flint (OHL)	17-10, 3.91, 0.874
HM	Kocha Delic	C	5-10/185	11-Mar-04	Canada	Sudbury (OHL)	46-22-30-52
HM	Tyler Duke	D	5-8/180	19-Jul-04	USA	Ohio State (B1G)	40-4-8-12
HM	Filip Eriksson	C	6-0/170	5-Nov-04	Sweden	Vaxjo Lakers (Swe J20)	11-5-5-10
HM	Jiri Felcman	C	6-4/190	17-Apr-05	Czech	Langnau U20 (Sui-U20-Elit)	40-10-21-31
HM	Samuel Fiala	C	6-1/170	9-Apr-05	Czech	Bili Tygri Liberec (Czechia U20)	44-19-9-28
HM	Mans Forsfjall	D	6-0/180	30-Jul-02	Sweden	Skelleftea (SHL)	52-2-12-14
HM	Cooper Foster	C	5-11/170	4-Jun-05	Canada	Ottawa (OHL)	63-19-17-36
HM	Salvatore Guzzo	RW	6-0/185	17-Apr-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	58-17-11-28
HM	Michael Hagens	D	5-11/170	18-Feb-05	USA	Chicago (USHL)	60-9-17-26
HM	Sam Harris	LW	5-11/190	14-Oct-03	USA	Sioux Falls (USHL)	56-30-26-56
HM	Jack Harvey	C	5-10/175	31-Mar-03	USA	Chicago (USHL)	62-40-34-74
HM	Bogdans Hodass	D	6-2/200	13-Apr-03	Latvia	Medicine Hat (WHL)	56-11-24-35
HM	Ryan Hopkins	D	6-1/180	15-Apr-04	Canada	Penticton (BCHL)	48-10-39-49
HM	Ewan Huet	G	6-0/170	8-Feb-05	Switzerland	Lausanne (Sui U20-Elit)	14-12, 2.73
HM	Gustaf Kangas	C	6-0/175	27-Jul-05	Sweden	Vasteras (Swe J20)	27-7-13-20
HM	Sean Keohane	D	6-3/180	4-Nov-04	USA	Dexter Southfield(USHS-MA)	32-4-12-16
HM	Oiva Keskinen	C	6-0/175	28-Feb-04	Finland	Tappara (Fin-U20)	38-20-21-41
HM	Ruslan Khazheyev	G	6-4/200	20-Nov-04	Russia	Belye Medvedi Chelyabinsk (MHL)	8-8, 2.38, 0.923
HM	Matteo Koci	D	6-0/165	7-Jun-05	Czech	HC Energie Karlovy Vary (Czechia U20)	36-7-13-20
HM	Ryan Koering	D	6-3/185	11-Feb-05	USA	Eden Prairie (USHS-MN)	27-6-10-16
HM	Cameron Korpi	G	6-2/150	26-May-04	USA	Tri-City (USHL)	13-4, 2.52, 0.911
HM	Sergei Kosovets	D	6-5/250	17-Jul-02	Russia	HK Sochi (KHL)	26-2-2-4
HM	Artyom Kudashov	D	6-0/160	10-Jan-05	Russia	MHK Dynamo Moskva (MHL)	42-2-7-9
HM	Roman Kukumberg	LW	6-0/185	21-Mar-05	Slovakia	HC Modre Kridla Slovan (Slovakia2)	33-5-6-11
HM	Emil Kuusla	LW	5-9/165	11-Jan-05	Finland	Jokerit (Fin-U20)	36-18-17-35
HM	Jani Lampinen	G	6-2/185	14-Feb-03	Finland	Kiekko-Espoo (Fin-Mestis)	15-6, 2.35, 0.902
HM	Charles-Alexis Legault	D	6-3/205	5-Sep-03	Canada	Quinnipiac (ECAC)	40-2-7-9
HM	Aiden Long	LW	6-3/190	13-Mar-05	Canada	Whitecourt (AJHL)	50-19-27-46
HM	Connor MacPherson	RW	6-0/170	2-Mar-05	Canada	Leamington (GOJHL)	43-28-35-63
HM	Matthew Mayich	D	6-2/185	21-Dec-04	Canada	Ottawa (OHL)	64-5-17-22
HM	Donovan McCoy	D	6-0/200	11-Oct-04	Canada	Peterborough (OHL)	65-2-11-13
HM	Cole Miller	C	6-4/175	4-Feb-05	Canada	Edmonton (WHL)	61-10-9-19
HM	Lucas Moore	D	5-9/180	7-Jun-05	Canada	Hamilton (OHL)	65-3-25-28
HM	Josh Nadeau	RW	5-7/145	22-Oct-03	Canada	Penticton (BCHL)	54-44-66-110
HM	Alexei Noskov	G	6-2/205	13-Nov-04	Russia	Taifun Primorsky Krai (MHL)	7-26, 3.86, 0.905
HM	Owen Outwater	LW	6-2/160	4-Jan-05	Canada	Kingston (OHL)	62-16-25-41
HM	Joe Palodichuk	D	6-0/165	26-Feb-03	USA	Fargo (USHL)	44-8-21-29
HM	Petr Pavelec	LW	6-0/200	10-Feb-05	Czech	HC Vitkovice (Czechia U20)	46-8-5-13
HM	Oliver Peer	RW	6-0/165	9-Mar-03	Canada	Windsor (OHL)	63-22-45-67
HM	Chris Pelosi	C	6-1/180	6-Mar-05	USA	Sioux Falls (USHL)	43-13-6-19
HM	Matthew Perkins	LW	5-11/175	21-Jan-04	Canada	Youngstown (USHL)	60-15-29-44
HM	Nico Pertuch	G	6-2/200	29-Jul-05	Germany	EV Landshut (DNL U20)	15GP, 3.57
HM	Dominik Petr	C	6-2/165	30-Apr-05	Czech	Lukko (Fin-U20)	18-1-0-1
HM	Chase Pietila	D	6-1/180	3-Mar-04	USA	Youngstown (USHL)	60-7-29-36
HM	Chase Pirtle	RW	6-2/185	8-Mar-05	USA	Mount St. Charles 18U AAA (USHS-RI)	47-20-24-44
HM	Benjamin Poitras	C	5-10/175	18-Jul-05	Canada	Sioux City (USHL)	61-14-24-38
HM	Connor Punnett	D	6-1/200	16-Jun-03	Canada	Barrie (OHL)	66-14-34-48
HM	Ivan Remezovsky	D	6-1/165	8-Feb-05	Russia	SKA-1946 St. Petersburg (MHL)	45-0-13-13
HM	Charlie Robertson	G	6-3/165	2-Apr-05	Canada	North Bay (OHL)	12-6, 3.17, 0.892
HM	Pier-Olivier Roy	D	5-9/175	5-Mar-04	Canada	Victoriaville (QMJHL)	68-6-62-68
HM	Rainers Rullers	C	6-4/195	11-Dec-04	Latvia	Zemgale (Fin-Mestis)	46-4-6-10
HM	Bennett Schimek	RW	5-11/180	15-Apr-03	USA	Providence (HE)	37-11-9-20
HM	Zach Schulz	D	6-1/195	14-Jun-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	51-1-9-10
HM	Magomed Sharakanov	D	6-1/200	11-Oct-04	Russia	MHK Dynamo Moskva (MHL)	44-7-25-32
HM	Cam Squires	RW	5-11/165	11-Apr-05	Canada	Cape Breton (QMJHL)	67-30-34-64
HM	Julius Sumpf	C	6-1/175	11-Jan-05	Germany	RB Hockey Juniors (AlpsHL)	23-9-9-18
HM	Alexander Suvorov	RW	5-9/160	30-Nov-02	Belarus	Severstal Cherepovets (KHL)	47-13-11-24
HM	Gabriel Szturc	C	5-11/185	24-Sep-03	Czech	Kelowna (WHL)	56-24-55-79
HM	Nikita Telegin	C	6-1/155	21-Jun-05	Russia	Belye Medvedi Chelyabinsk (MHL)	22-6-4-10
HM	Patrick Thomas	C	5-11/160	21-Aug-04	Canada	Hamilton (OHL)	66-17-39-56
HM	Hudson Thornton	D	5-11/180	4-Nov-03	Canada	Prince George (WHL)	68-23-51-74
HM	Jiri Tichacek	D	5-9/170	30-Jan-03	Czech	Rytiri Kladno (Czechia)	39-0-6-6
HM	Djibril Toure	D	6-6/200	5-Jun-03	Canada	Sudbury (OHL)	57-5-11-16
HM	Tuomas Uronen	RW	5-11/180	19-Mar-05	Finland	HIFK (Fin-U20)	39-20-23-43
HM	Noa Vali	G	6-0/160	19-Apr-05	Finland	TPS (Fin-U20)	17-8, 2.38, 0.912
HM	Nicholas Vantassell	RW	6-4/195	18-Apr-04	USA	Green Bay (USHL)	62-19-18-37
HM	Visa Vedenpaa	G	6-2/170	11-May-05	Finland	Karpat (Fin-U20)	31GP, 0.886
HM	Evgeny Volokhin	G	6-3/170	6-Apr-05	Russia	Mamonty Yugry (MHL)	20-6, 2.12, 0.927
HM	Declan Waddick	C	5-10/170	24-Jan-05	Canada	Niagara (OHL)	64-28-21-49
HM	Saige Weinstein	D	6-0/180	30-May-05	Canada	Spokane (WHL)	57-4-14-18
HM	Ethan Whitcomb	LW	6-4/190	13-May-04	Canada	Muskegon (USHL)	53-24-24-48
HM	Raul Yakupov	RW	6-1/180	21-Jun-04	Russia	Reaktor Nizhnekamsk (MHL)	49-32-29-61

2023 NHL DRAFT: SECOND CHANCES PART THREE – EUROPE – 2nd and 3rd year NHL draft re-entry candidates

Brock Otten, Chapin Landvogt, Matej Deraj, Viktor Fomich, Chase Rochon — Tue, 14 Mar 2023 20:07:13 +0000

In a normal year, scouting hockey is marred by imperfection. Every year high end players get skipped over at the NHL draft for various reasons. Maybe they suffered through injuries. Maybe their team struggled, and it prevented scouts from getting a good read on them. Maybe their team was too good, forcing them down the depth chart with limited minutes and exposure opportunities. Or...maybe they just were not good enough. But thankfully human development is nonlinear and therefore unpredictable. Teenage hockey players are far from a finished product on the ice as their games mature just as the rest of their body and mind does. That is why it is critical to track players as they move through their second and third years of draft eligibility (or fourth years of eligibility for some European players).

The million-dollar question is…are we still playing catch-up as a scouting community following the resumption of play post pandemic? Last year, this was definitely the case as leagues returned to full seasons. But are certain players still growing exponentially as they try to recover lost development time? This is particularly true of players in the CHL and in Europe, where most junior leagues halted.

For those unfamiliar, North American players with birth dates from January 1st to September 15th, will be eligible for three NHL drafts. Players with birth dates from September 16th to December 31st, will be eligible for two NHL drafts. And for European players (in European leagues), extend that eligibility by one year in both cases. Recently, NHL scouts have increased the rate with which they are selecting “re-entry” candidates, or players previously passed over. Contract limits have made it critical for teams to spread out where they select players from, in addition to their age. This has made second- and third-year eligible U.S. and European based players especially attractive. However, these players have had a lot of success in recent years too. Look around the league and you see these players everywhere. For example, Calgary Flames standout defender Mackenzie Weegar was one. Ottawa Senators standout forward Drake Batherson was one. So too was Winnipeg Jets starter Connor Hellebuyck. Standout Tampa Bay Lightning rookie defender Nick Perbix was one.

Last year, four “re-entry” candidates went in the Top 100; Dmitri Buchelnikov, Lucas Edmonds, Mikey Milne, and Aidan Thompson. In our “second chances” article last year (Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3) we wrote about three of those four. In total there were 42 taken, right around the trend of other recent drafts (roughly about 20% of all players selected). Additionally, of those 42, we identified and wrote about 25 (over half of them) in our aforementioned second chances series. Just like in previous editions of this annual report, we aim to identify more.

In 2023, we have some very interesting candidates. Adam Gajan stole the show at this year’s WJC’s for Slovakia and has been a standout in the NAHL and USHL this year. Eric Pohlkamp was one of the MVPs of the WJAC and has been at the top of the USHL defenseman scoring race all year. Austin Roest has been top ten in WHL scoring all year long and has taken huge strides forward. This article intends to highlight them and many other candidates who could be part of that 20% this year.

Sweden

230203Västerås goalkeeper Ian Blomquist during the ice hockey match in the Hockeyallsvenskan between AIK and Västerås on February 3, 2023 in Stockholm.
Photo: Andreas L Eriksson / BILDBYRÅN

Ian Blomquist - Goaltender - Västerås IK (Hockey Allsvenskan)

We actually listed Blomquist last year in this piece and ranked him #193 in our draft guide after his breakout campaign in the J20 league. A 6 '2 netminder with a rare right handed catching glove, Blomquist ended up going undrafted (for a second time), but has returned this year even stronger. Playing with Vasteras IK in the Swedish second league, he has been the team’s best netminder this year and this earned him a spot as the third goalie on team Sweden at the WJC’s. Blomquist is athletic and aggressive in the crease and has worked hard to improve his body control, positioning, and rebound control this season now that he is playing pro. Consistency and mental focus will be the key moving forward. (Brock Otten)

Alexander Hellnemo - Goaltender - Skellefteå AIK (SHL)

A classic late bloomer, Hellnemo has emerged as one of the top young goaltenders in Sweden a year after being passed over at the draft following a disappointing year at the J20 and J18 levels. He has won five games in the SHL as a U19 player and has been arguably one of the best goalies at the J20 level when he has played there. Hellnemo is a pure stopper. His movements are very refined for a young netminder and he’s got a great glove hand that helps him protect the upper portion of the net. Rebound control is a bit of an issue at this current time, but with his play tracking ability, he has the potential to be a netminder across the pond. (Brock Otten)

Sebastian Hagen Aarsund - Goaltender - Frölunda HC J20 (J20 Nationell)

A Norwegian netminder, Hagen Aarsund has emerged as the starter for the Frolunda program’s J20 team this season. As of writing this, he sits third in the league in wins and even earned a call-up to be Fredrik Dichow’s back-up for a game in the SHL. Hagen Aarsund is an ultra-aggressive, hyper athletic butterfly netminder who really covers his crease well. He’s not huge at 6’1, but he combats that by playing far out of the blue paint, tracking the play well. The second half of his season hasn’t been as strong and he’s had some trouble with consistency, but his progression this season could put him on the scouting radar. (Brock Otten)

Måns Forsfjäll - Defense - Skellefteå AIK (SHL)

Måns Forsfjäll has an effective two-way game, but his defensive game is where he succeeds. In the 2021-22 and 22-23 seasons, he leaped to the SHL, and Fjorsfäll didn’t look out of place while defending the higher competition. Strength and skating are two areas where Forsfjäll excels. His effort and positioning on defence make him an excellent penalty killer with the speed and smooth skating required to drive offence off the rush. Forsfjäll has the potential to be a shutdown defender who plays a depth role as the sixth or seventh defender on an NHL team who can be counted on in important moments as well as on the penalty kill. I don’t expect him to put up many points in the NHL, but he has the skills to succeed as a defensive defenseman. Forsfjäll will be ready to take a step next season if he can find a role in the AHL. (Chase Rochon)

Victor Sjöholm - Defense - Luleå HF (SHL)

Sjöholm is a smooth skater with good acceleration and top-end speed. He can pivot and change directions quickly, making him effective in transition and in his defensive zone. Sjöholm is a reliable defender who uses his body and sticks well to separate opponents from the puck. He has good positioning and can anticipate plays, making him effective in both man-to-man coverage and zone defence. Sjöholm is not a particularly physical player, but he is willing to engage in battles along the boards and in front of the net. He has a hard and accurate shot from the point and can contribute to the power play. Sjöholm is an intelligent player who reads the game well and makes good decisions with the puck. Sjöholm is a reliable, two-way defenseman with good skating and defensive abilities. While he may not be a significant offensive contributor, he can play a valuable role on any team and should be a solid addition to any team's prospect pool. (Chase Rochon)

Oskar Asplund - Forward - Färjestad BK (SHL)

Asplund is an excellent skater with great speed, agility, and balance. He has a quick first step and can accelerate well, which allows him to beat defenders and create scoring chances. His ability to change directions and maneuver in tight spaces is also impressive. Asplund has a good wrist shot and can score from various areas on the ice. He has a quick release and can get his shot off in tight spaces. Asplund is a skilled puck-handler who can stickhandle through traffic and make creative plays with the puck. He has good hands and can make saucer passes and dekes to create scoring opportunities. His ability to protect the puck and win battles along the boards is also noteworthy. Asplund is not a particularly physical player but is fearless in engaging in battles along the boards or in front of the net. He has good balance and can hold his own against bigger opponents. However, he could benefit from adding more strength to his frame. Asplund is also a skilled forward with excellent skating ability and puck skills. He has the potential to be a dynamic offensive player at the next level and has shown an ability to play a responsible two-way game. He could become a valuable player in any team's lineup with continued development and added strength. (Chase Rochon)

Erik Påhlsson - Defence - HV71 (SHL)

Erik Påhlsson is a skilled and versatile defenseman with excellent skating ability and a high hockey IQ. He has a powerful stride that allows him to cover a lot of ground quickly, and he can change direction on a dime. He has excellent agility and balance, enabling him to evade forecheckers and promptly move the puck up the ice. Påhlsson has a fantastic offensive game, thanks to his incredible vision and ability to move the puck effectively. He also possesses good offensive instincts and is unafraid to join the rush to create scoring opportunities. Påhlsson is a reliable and responsible defender who uses his mobility and positioning to defend effectively. He is not a physical player, but he makes up for it by playing smart. He is also a solid penalty killer, demonstrating his ability to shut down opponents' power plays. Erik Påhlsson is a talented defenseman who has the potential to become a valuable asset to any team. His excellent skating ability, offensive skills, and responsible defensive play make him a well-rounded player who can contribute in all situations. (Chase Rochon)

Hannes Hellberg - Forward - Leksands IF J20 (J20 Nationell)

Hellberg's skating is one of his biggest strengths. He has excellent acceleration and top-end speed, which allows him to create separation from defenders and generate scoring opportunities. He also has good agility and balance, enabling him to change direction quickly and maintain control of the puck. Hellberg is an offensive-minded player who excels at creating scoring chances for himself and his teammates. He has good hands and can handle the puck in tight spaces, which makes him difficult to defend. He has a quick release and a hard, accurate shot, which he can use to beat goaltenders from any angle. He is also an influential playmaker who can set up his teammates with well-timed passes. Hellberg is a responsible two-way player who understands the importance of solid defence. He is unafraid to backcheck and uses his size and reach to disrupt opponents' offensive plays. He is also an effective penalty killer, using his speed to pressure the puck carrier and block passing lanes. His size, speed, and skill make him a dynamic offensive threat, while his defensive awareness and work ethic make him a well-rounded player. (Chase Rochon)

Adrian Carnebo - Defense - Djurgårdens IF J20 (J20 Nationell)

Carnebo has excellent skating abilities and can maneuver around the ice with great speed and agility. Carnebo has a natural ability to find the back of the net. He has a quick release on his shot and can pick his spots well. He also has a good sense of where his teammates are on the ice, which allows him to create scoring chances for them. Despite being a smaller player, Carnebo is fearless in getting physical on the ice. He is willing to battle in the corners and in front of the net and is not afraid to throw his body around to make a play. While Carnebo's offensive abilities are impressive, his defensive play could improve. He tends to focus more on the offensive side of the game, which can lead to him being caught out of position defensively. As mentioned earlier, Carnebo is a smaller player and could benefit from adding strength to his frame. This would help him better battle against larger and more physical players. (Chase Rochon)

Hampus Malm - Defense - Leksands IF J20 (J20 Nationell)

Malm is a smooth skater who can quickly move around the ice. He has good speed and agility, which helps him keep up with opposing forwards and make plays in transition. Malm is an intelligent player who understands his defensive responsibilities well. He is able to read the space well and make quick decisions to shut down opposing forwards despite not being the biggest player on the ice. Like many young players, Malm can be inconsistent at times. He needs to bring his best game every night and avoid lapses in his play. Hampus Malm is a reliable defenseman who can shut down opposing forwards and play a physical game. While he may provide little offence at this point in his career, he has the potential to improve in that area with more experience and development. If he can work on his puck skills and consistency, he could become a valuable asset for his team at the next level. (Chase Rochon)

Finland

Jani Lampinen - Goaltender - Kiekko-Espoo (Mestis)

Interestingly enough, Lampinen was better in Mestis (the Finnish second league) last year, but it was his performance at this year’s World Junior Championship that really caught the eye of scouts. Lampinen outplayed Canucks draft pick Aku Koskenvuo by a significant margin and finished the tournament with a .933 save percentage. He’s not huge (at pushing 6’2), but he has plus athleticism and is an excellent play tracker. This gives him great upside as he fine tunes some of the technical components of his game. (Brock Otten)

Juha Jatkola - Goaltender - KalPa (Liiga)

In his final year of draft eligibility, the last calendar year has been a whirlwind for Jatkola. It started this summer at the make-up WJC’s, where he stole the Finnish starter’s role from Ottawa prospect Leevi Merilainen. It has since carried over to Liiga, where Jatkola has become a dependable starter at the age of 20 (he turns 21 later this September). Much like Lampinen, Jatkola relies on his quickness and athleticism because he doesn’t have a massive frame (listed at 6 '1). His improvement over the last few years has been phenomenal and as long as he continues to be aggressive in the crease, he could have a bright future. (Brock Otten)

Nestor Noiva - Wing - Jokerit U20 (U20 SM-sarja)

Last season Nestor Noiva did not hear his name called in Montreal, despite a great season in U18 SM-sarja, where he scored 32 goals and 60 points in 35 games. He played a very aggressive game with his high motor, physicality and strength, making it very hard for defenders to take the puck as he evaded pressure with the combination of his puck protection skills and his acceleration. He often cuts at the top of the circle to create high-danger chances. I felt last season, Nestor's shot was holding him back from his true potential. This season has changed, and Noiva has a cannon. He still sticks to lots of slap shots and one-timers from the top of the circle like last season but now has grown with adding accuracy to his power and adapted to diversify his shot by taking more wrist and snapshots. Overall, Noiva has strong enough smarts to advance to the next level and has above-average puck skills and passing ability. Skating is the main area that will need to be progressed for Nestor to make an impact at the next level with below-average mobility and edges that force him to play a very north/south style. I think many scouts will value Novias physicality and shooting, which will translate much better in North America with his capability in tight. Teams should take a chance on him in the later rounds in hopes of eventually adding an energy-depth player into their system. (Chase Rochon)

Elmeri Laakso - Defense - Saipa (Liiga)

Elmeri Laakso is not a player that will blow anyone away with flashy plays or big hits. You probably wouldn't notice him just watching a full game. This is not meant as a criticism about Laakso’s game but actually a positive component. Laakso makes minimal to no mistakes, which makes him a very reliable defenseman. The reason he wasn't chosen last year, I think, came down to his lack of aggressiveness defensively as he missed coverage in the slot from time to time, as well as his inefficiency in puck battles. These issues have been cleaned up this season, and if anything, they have become staples to Laakso’s game, showing how much he has grown and is driven by self-improvement. He plays a game that is super team-friendly, making safe, poised plays and taking the ice his opponents give. What makes Laakso really stand out for me is his shot. He can shoot from any location, at any range, and manages to always get the puck through traffic and on the net. A quick release that holds lots of power that always manages to find the net like a magnet is very impressive. Putting this all together with strong mobility, built around quick feet and tight edges, Laakso makes a great case to be selected this year. He has experience on both the PK and PP and has shown he is effective at both. Again, Elmeri Laakso will not blow anyone away with elite talent, but when he has the puck on his stick, his efficiency is impressive. (Chase Rochon)

Oiva Keskinen - Center - Tappara U20 (U20 SM-sarja)

Oiva Keskinen is a defence-first center who plays a very passive game with minimal risk. Keskinen has the most important skill a hockey player can possess, that is his smarts and awareness, which benefit him greatly. Most of Oiva’s points come from the right place, right time situations, as he always puts himself in the best position to be an option. Keskinen is most valuable in his own zone by playing as the third defenseman by taking away passing lanes and tying up attackers in the slot. You rarely catch him out of position, which shows his defence-first style of play, making him a trusted player on the ice in most situations by his coaches. Oiva is an above-average skater that I think he could use more to his advantage on the attack and when pressuring attackers. Due to his passive playstyle, the speed he is capable of isn't used to its highest potential. For Keskinen to take the next step to pro, he will need to work on his overall physical hockey skills. Hockey is a mental game but very hard to play at the next level if you do not have any elite skill level. It comes down to matter if his smarts and development continues to grow over the next few seasons. I can see Keskinen being on NHL scout’s radar this year, but I'm not sure I see him being selected. (Chase Rochon)

Russia

Yaroslav Tsulygin - Defense - Salavat Yulaev Ufa (KHL)

Yaroslav Tsulygin is a right-handed defenseman, who is mobile, competent in terms of puck skills, has a solid 6’2” frame and isn’t afraid to put it to use even though he still needs to properly fill it out. Last season, even though he showed some flashes of what he can do in the MHL, he still was a bit in a process of putting these tools into a proper toolbox, so that, combined with the COVID-limited exposure and reemergence of the Russian factor, resulted in him getting undrafted on draft day even though those raw talents likely were noticed by scouts in some way. This season he is getting regular time at the KHL level (should be mentioned that it helps that his father is the assistant coach on the team) and looks competent there at the age of just 18, which isn’t a frequent thing to see. Although some injuries slightly spoiled his season and even taking into account that there’s still a lot of progress to be made, I think this year it will be hard to ignore him, as he is clearly just getting started and his development is expected to continue. (Viktor Fomich)

Bogdan Konyushkov - Defense - Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)

This KHL season is a bit unusual as due to all the recent political events the number of KHL foreigners was basically cut to half of the usual amount. This resulted in some roster spot openings and a lot of KHL managers rightly decided those should be used as a chance for younger players to succeed in these roles. Probably the brightest example of that kind of case is right-handed defenseman Bogdan Konyushkov, as coming into his second year of draft eligibility he had yet to play in the KHL nor in the MHL, so had as little exposure as possible. That didn’t stop the new Torpedo head coach Igor Larionov from noticing him and making him a top pairing defenseman on his KHL team. Even though he isn’t extremely flashy or athletic, Konyushkov’s main asset is his hockey sense, as he is very competent at defensive positioning and puck battles. This also makes him creative in the attacking zone and it should be mentioned that he has got great hands, which allows him to be an extremely precise passer as well as an effective powerplay orchestrator. Obviously, I can’t tell you about the NHL managers and scouts, but to me this sounds like the case of a potential solid mid-to-late round investment. (Viktor Fomich)

Stanislav Yarovoi - Wing - Vityaz Moscow Region (KHL)

In some ways Stanislav Yarovoi’s name was likely already familiar, after a shootout goal in the MHL earned almost two million views on youtube. However, aside from that, his performance on the junior level wasn’t remarkable to say it mildly, as the consistency just wasn’t there and he failed to convince the coaches that he deserved a proper role even at that level. Things just somehow turned around this offseason, as Yarovoi came to his KHL team’s camp much stronger and more confident than before and when he was given an opportunity in the preseason games, he just held onto it. He has taken off and is currently sitting among the top U20 scorers in the KHL. In terms of the assets aside from the aforementioned fascinating puck skills, Yarovoi is dynamic, possesses a strong and precise right-handed shot and looks to be at least not useless in terms of the two-way game. That said, there is still some inherent risk in selecting players like him who suddenly come out of nowhere to break out, but the upside here is likely significant. (Viktor Fomich)

German Tochilkin - Wing - Kunlun Red Star (KHL)

Observations show that when a skilled young player looks comfortable playing in Russian pro leagues it is a sign that there are enough reasons to consider him a legit NHL draft candidate. However, despite looking good in the VHL in his initial draft season, winger German Tochilkin wasn’t selected in the last draft – might be because of the lack of exposure or due to the Russian factor, although him being relatively raw in terms of the all-around game also certainly contributed to that. This year he made progress in that way and not only has he looked like an offensive leader at the VHL level, but also has translated some of it to the KHL level too, as he has been loaned to Kunlun team (coached by a former AHL coach Greg Ireland) and is using his opportunities (limited, but still) there well. Tochilkin is a smooth skater with advanced puck skills, definitely knows how to put the puck into the net and also doesn’t look like a liability on his own end. A lot of progress still needs to be made, as he definitely needs to become much stronger, but his skill set looks really intriguing enough to me. (Viktor Fomich)

Czechia

Jiri Tichacek.

Jiří Ticháček – Defense – Rytíři Kladno (Czechia)

Passed on twice mainly due to his size (5´9”), Ticháček is a smaller and mobile defenseman whose numbers don´t scream of great potential, but his play does. He is an exceptionally smart two-way defenseman who likes to join the attack, yet doesn't forget about defense. He has shown his abilities at the last World Juniors, playing on the first pair alongside David Jiříček as one of the crucial players of the silver Czech squad. Ticháček´s best quality is probably his skating; he´s shifty, agile and has a terrific top speed. He uses his stick well and excels at both ends of the ice. However, he's not having a great season in the Czech Extraliga with Rytíři Kladno, the team Jaromír Jágr still plays on. There are still not many NHL defensemen of the said size, but Ticháček could be worth a gamble in the later rounds.

Slovakia

Maroš Jedlička – Wing/Center – HKM Zvolen (Slovakia)

Jedlička had an impressive last year with Zvolen, finishing the season as the leading scorer on a pretty stacked team in Slovak top tier league. An injury stripped him of representing Slovakia at the Men´s World Championship and possibly improving his draft stock. The 20-year-old forward is now in his final year of eligibility. Although he had a slower start to the season, he’s now playing his best hockey. Jedlička has decent size (6´2”, 200 lbs), plays hard, physical and creates a lot of offense. He has a dangerous wrist shot and likes to shoot from various different areas around the ice. Furthermore, he´s a capable penalty killer and brings a lot of energy and grit. It's very hard not to see Jedlička moving to North America after the season. He has the potential to be an effective bottom-six, or even a middle-six winger, if he continues on the same path. (Matej Deraj)

Germany

Florian Bugl - Goaltender - Straubing Tigers (DEL)

In the past, we’ve talked about Bugl’s feats at the WJC, where he had a 4-2 record and 2.99 GAA over two tournaments. We’ve also mentioned his feats as the starter for the RB Junior’s pro team in the AlpsHL over the past two years, sporting records of 12-12 and then 13-7. None of that got him drafted, so he’s simply grabbed every opportunity he’s gotten this season as one of two back-ups for the DEL’s Straubing Tigers. And the results have been mighty impressive. After initially seeing action in six games with Straubing’s DEL2 affiliate Landshut, where he shined with a 4-2 record, 2.35 GAA, and .921 save percentage, he was then forced into DEL action when American starter Hunter Miska went down with an injury. What then ensued, Bugl has taken the whole league by storm. Hel has racked up a 15-7 record to date, often baffling opponents with a 2.36 GAA and .907 save percentage. Now we’ll have to see if one of those teams with a healthy supply of late-round picks is ready to bet on him as much as he’s continued betting on himself. Straubing quickly re-upped him for next season this past month. (Chapin Landvogt)

Arno Tiefensee - Goaltender - Mannheim Adler (DEL)

As opposed to Bugl, Tiefensee didn’t have anything to write home about after several hapless WJC appearances, which likely affected what was a good reputation coming out of juniors, where he unfortunately already didn’t get as many outings as you’d like to see from a market’s premiere goaltender aged 16 and 17. By the time he was 18, he was a regular back-up goalie for Heilbronn in the DEL2 (while junior leagues were shut down due to the pandemic), which exposed him to strong competition, but also a lot of time on the bench. Fast forward to the 22-23 season, where he too found himself in goal for powerhouse Mannheim while the first string goaltender was out injured. Simply put, the numbers have been fantastic. The 6’4”, 190-pound behemoth has gone 10-5 in 15 contests, sporting a top-flight 2.17 GAA (third in the DEL) and a .919 SV%. Included among his losses were scores of 1-0, 3-2, and 3-0, a game in which the opponent scored two empty-netters. He’s pitched two shutouts as well. The long and short of it is that Tiefensee is showing very good schooling and strong athleticism for a young man his size. His outings have consistently come with poise and confidence. Like Bugl, it’s difficult to imagine that he’s not garnering NHL attention just now. (Chapin Landvogt)

Danjo Leonhardt - Center - Nuremberg Ice Tigers (DEL)

In recent years, we’ve been a bit of fan about Leonhardt’s often fluid game and the wherewithal he’s shown in a number of situations and scenarios. This past summer, he got into his first WJC action and promptly contributed three assists. That came on the heels of a minimal lower line role for ICEHL champs Salzburg, for whom he scored the championship-deciding goal in the playoffs. On the whole, his 17 points in 52 games were very yeomen-like, but in a situation where established veterans dominated the top 9 forward corps. The season before, he had led the RB Juniors in scoring with 35 points in 32 games in what was his initial draft year. This season, he’s moved up the totem pole again and is taking a regular shift on an all-kid line for a low-budget Nuremberg club and has five goals and 12 points in 44 games, several of those points coming in a highlight reel manner. For those who watch the league intensely, he’s noticeably had little in the way of adjustment issues and looks to be taking the same steps many of the league’s top-scoring German players took when they were his age. If by any chance selected next summer, he’d be a pick the team could likely plant in the AHL right off the bat. (Chapin Landvogt)

Bennet Rossmy - Center/Wing - Eisbären Berlin (DEL)

While leading Germany in scoring with four goals and five points at the summer WJC, TSN analysts did not hold back in praising Rossmy’s combination of size, leadership, and net-front presence, coming just short of guaranteeing he’d be drafted in 2023, but the regular season for the former U18 outfit captain hasn’t been nearly what was expected of him. He’s been mired in a 4th-line role - sometimes not even suiting up - for a very disappointing returning DEL champion in Berlin, a team that has spent the bulk of the winter fighting to stay clear of a relegation spot. Rossmy’s one goal this season was scored on November 1st, and it’s been very quiet for him all season, only having accumulated four points. The team has a DEL2 affiliate, but he’s played all of one game there, so they’re keeping him around for a reason. There are surely more than a few pundits of this scene who feel he’s been in the wrong situation for his development all season, but his performance when he was getting 10-15 minutes a game (6 games long in OCT and NOV) didn’t exactly scream “Give me more opportunity!” An assistant captain at the WJC, he missed the first two games, then only had one assist in three matchups, that coming in the nation’s one do-or-die contest against Austria, a game the team came just short of giving away over the final 10 minutes of play. And yet, he’s got all the tools and size to boot. Was his WJC performance last summer combined with mere potential enough to garner the interest necessary to be a late-round draft pick? (Chapin Landvogt)

Philip Krening - Center/Wing - Red Bull Juniors (AlpsHL)

We spent parts of last season trying to figure out who exactly the six-foot Krening really is and if there’s a diamond in the rough here. He was injured quite a bit and ended up with 10 points in 16 AlpsHL games, which is a very decent scoring pace for a first-year draft-eligible player in a pro league. He then finished the season with three assists in four games at the U18 Worlds for a very offensively challenged Team Germany. We suspected he’d be right back in the AlpsHL this season, but RB Munich of the DEL (where Julian Lutz and Maks Szuber play) needed some assistance to start the season and Krening ended up with a goal and assist in the season’s first six games. He then saw minimal ice time in a pointless seven-game debut for affiliate Salzburg in the ICEHL before landing with the Red Bull Juniors again, for whom he once again has 10 points, this time in 12 games thus far. In between, he was part of the WJC outfit, for which he collected a goal and three points over five games. Again, not too shabby all things considered. He won’t turn 19 until April and he’s had some sick leave this season as well, so it’s been hard to get a real read on just what Krening’s possibilities are. Clear is that he seems to find a way onto the scoresheet just about wherever he plays but has been without the calm of a one-team season for several years now. Of the young skipped-over men first eligible last summer, he’s definitely the player with the most potential and intrigue. He’s a lock for next winter’s WJC as well. (Chapin Landvogt)

2022 IIHF World Junior Championship Preview

Zack Szweras — Tue, 09 Aug 2022 13:26:09 +0000

World Juniors’ Preview

Group A:

There is going to be a ton of competition out of this group, between Canada, Finland and Czechia. With this tournament being held in August, there will be omissions of players attending NHL training camp with the hope of making their respective NHL rosters. It will be interesting to see which countries will benefit the most from this.

Czechia

Line Projections

Jiri Kulich – Michal Gut – Jan Mysak

Ivan Ivan – Gabriel Szturc – Petr Hauser

Martin Rysavy – Matyas Sapovaliv – Jaroslav Chmelar

Tomas Urban – Matous Mensik – Jakub Kos

Stanislav Svozil – David Jiricek

Jiri Tichacek – Stepan Nemec

Tomas Hamara – David Spacek

Jan Bednar

Tomas Suchanek

Czechia is entering this tournament with one of the more complete group of defencemen. Highlighted by Columbus Blue Jacket’s prospects David Jiricek and Stanislav Svozil, it will be tough to get around their big-bodied defence. On top of that, Tomas Hamara, David Spacek and Jiri Tichacek can provide offence from the blueline. Currently David Jiricek did not travel with the team as he tested positive for COVID.

To complement their defence, they also have NHL drafted forwards spread through their lineup. The most notable names include Jiri Kulich, who was recently selected 28th in the 2022 entry draft from the Buffalo Sabres, Jan Mysak the Canadiens prospect who produced this year for the Hamilton Bulldogs on their way to win the OHL cup and Matyas Sapovaliv, the playmaking power forward taken in the 2nd round of this year’s draft by the Las Vegas Golden Knights. Everett Silvertips’ center Michal Gut will look to provide his improved playmaking, likely playing alongside goal scorers Kulich and Mysak.

Lastly, they will be looking for solid goaltending from Detroit Red Wings’ prospect Jan Bednar. With all their skill in their top-six forwards and on their blueline, Czechia will have to hope their depth can hold up and keep up with powerhouses like Finland and Canada.

Canada

Josh Roy – Mason McTavish – Connor Bedard

Kent Johnson– Logan Stankoven – Tyson Forester

Brennan Othman – Ridley Greig – William Dufour

Will Cuylle – Elliot Desnoyers – Nathan Gaucher

Donovan Sebrango – Olen Zellweger

Ryan O’Rourke – Lukas Cormier

Ronan Seely – Jack Thompson

Dylan Garand

Brett Brochu

While the Canadian team looks drastically different from the cancelled January World Juniors, they still have a strong chance of going far in this tournament. Offensively, Canada is loaded with the likes of Mason McTavish, Kent Johnson, Logan Stankoven and of course, 2023 projected first overall pick, Connor Bedard. Mason McTavish looked dominant in the January World Juniors. Using his combination of size, speed and skill to bully opponents, he will look to continue his success. The potential pairing of Kent Johnson and Logan Stankoven should be extremely fun to watch, as Johnson has elite skill often undressing defenders and Stankoven dominated the WHL last year, winning not only the WHL but the CHL player of the year award. Lastly, who can forget the name Connor Bedard, the 17-year-old phenom is coming off a season in which he produced 100 points in 61 WHL games and don’t forget he became the second 16-year-old to score a hat trick for Canada in the cancelled January World Juniors since some guy named Wayne Gretzky.

Defensively, Canada took a large blow losing both Kaiden Guhle and Owen Power, however they still have plenty of talent with Olen Zellweger, Ryan O’Rourke and Lukas Cormier. Olen Zellweger took his offensive game to another level last year producing 78 points in 55 games as an 18-year-old. He will see time running Canada’s powerplay. O’Rourke is a strong two-way defenceman who never takes a shift off, always trying to be involved, whether it’s a big hit, transition pass or a poke check to change momentum. O’Rourke will likely be paired with Lukas Cormier as Cormier is an extremely gifted offensive defenceman. While O’Rourke can bring strong defensive presence, Cormier will look for opportunities to transition the puck and join the odd man rush.

The final question for Canada is their goaltending. They are coming into the tournament with three solid options in Dylan Garand, Brett Brochu and Sebastian Cossa. All indications point to Garand and Brochu battling it out for the starting goaltending position. No matter who takes the net, Canada should be comfortable with all options available. Canada will be a team to beat this tournament.

Slovakia

Line Projections

Maros Jedlicka – Jakub Demek – Adam Sykora

Servac Petrovsky – Oleksiy Myklukha – Matej Kaslik

Samuel Honzek – Dalibor Dvorsky – Roman Faith

Oliver Stumpel – Peter Repcik – Lubomir Kupco

Rayen Petrovicky – Viliam Kmec

Adam Stripai – Maxim Strbak

Simon Groch – Boris Zabka

Tomas Bolo

Patrik Andrisik

Slovakia has taken a large hit from the tournament being held in August rather than December as top prospects Juraj Slafkovsky, Simon Nemec and Filip Mesar are not on the roster as they focus on NHL training camps. With that being said, there are still plenty of names worth watching. Looking at the forwards, Slovakia will be leaning on New York Rangers’ forward Adam Sykora to generate offence, who has made a strong impact on all international teams for Slovakia over the past year. Besides Sykora, Slovakia will be looking at Maros Jedlicka, who had a strong season in Slovakia, Minnesota Wild’s prospect Servac Petrovsky and Vegas

Golden Knights’ prospect Jakub Demek to provide support. The biggest name to watch for Slovakia, however, will be 2023 draft eligible Dalibor Dvorsky. Dvorsky as of now is seen as a top 10 talent in the upcoming draft and continues to find success internationally. The blueline is truly taking a toll with 2nd overall pick Simon Nemec opting not to participate in this tournament. Slovakia will look to rely on Rayen Petrovicky to give them top pairing minutes and solid defence from the backend. With the lack of depth, another 2023 draft eligible, Maxim Strbak, will be asked to step up to the plate. Strbak was a large piece of the Slovak team that won silver medal at the 2021 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and looks to make his name known as someone to keep an eye on during his draft year.

Finally, in net Slovakia will most likely look towards 20-year-old Tomas Bolo as the starter for the team. Bolo has consistently played for Slovakia in international play and played well for Slovakia at the start of the cancelled World Juniors this past January. Overall, Slovakia will be an exciting team to watch, but will need to overcome the lack of depth in order to compete in a strong Group A.

Finland

Line Projections

Roni Hirvonen – Aatu Raty – Joakim Kemell

Ville Koivunen – Samuel Helenius – Brad Lambert

Roby Jarventie – Juuso Maenpaa – Kasper Simontaival

Eetu Liukas – Oliver Kapanen – Kalle Vaisanen

Petteri Nurmi – Topi Niemela

Eemil Viro – Ruben Rafkin

Aleksi Heimosalmi – Kasper Puutio

Leevi Merilainen

Jani Lampinen

There is legitimate competition between Finland and Canada for the top team in this Group A. Finland is loaded with a ton of talent up front, with every player in their projected top-six being selected in the 1st or 2nd round in their NHL draft. Both Aatu Raty and Brad Lambert have a chip on their shoulder to score this tournament as they each went into their draft years as projected top three picks and ended up sliding down on draft day. Finland is also lucky to have some strong playmakers on offence as Roni Hirvonen and Ville Koivunen have both proven their ability to set teammates up in Liiga. When Finland is looking for someone to bury the puck, the first option will almost always be Joakim Kemell, the elite goal scorer started last season on an absolute tear and finished with 15 goals in 39 Liiga games while battling through injuries in his draft year.

Transitioning to defence, Finland is lucky to be anchored by the player awarded best defenceman in the 2020 World Juniors in Toronto Maple Leafs’ defenceman Topi Niemela. Niemela is likely to be paired with defensive defenceman and Montreal Canadiens’ prospect Petteri Nurmi in order to give Niemela the comfort to get involved in the offensive game. Another name to watch closely on the blue line is Carolina Hurricanes’ prospect Aleksi Heimosalmi, who is an extremely strong skater that thrives in the transition game. Finland is backing it all up with Ottawa Senators’ prospect Leevi Merilainen as the projected starter. While he struggled in his first year playing for the Kingston Frontenacs, Merilainen has produced during his time with the international squad. It will be extremely exciting to see the skill of this Finnish team.

Latvia

Line Projections

Girts Silkalns – Klavs Veinbergs – Arni Ravinskis

Peteris Purmalis – Dans Locmelis – Sandis Vilmanis

Felikss Gavars – Martins Lavins – Darels Durkurs

Rainers Darzins – Raimonds Vitolins – Danils Andersons

Ralfs Bergmanis – Niks Fenenko

Harijs Brants – Rihards Simanovics

Bogdans Hodass – Gustavs Ozolins

Bruno Bruveris

Patrick Berzins

In a strong Group A, Latvia seems likely to finish in the bottom of the standings. While there are still talented players on this team, it would take a miracle for Latvia to advance to the quarterfinals. Taking a look at the forwards, Latvia will likely pair MHL teammates Girts Silkalns and Klavs Veinbergs together. Continuing the teammate trend, Dans Locmelis and Sandis Vilmanis will likely see a large amount of ice time together for Latvia coming off a strong season together playing in the J20 league producing 34 and 32 points, respectively. Both Locmelis and Vilmanis were recently drafted in the 2022 NHL draft, Locemlis was taken in the 4th round by the Boston Bruins and Vilmanis was selected in the 5th round by the Florida Panthers.

Latvia’s blueline will be anchored by 17-year-old defenceman Niks Fenenko. Fenenko went undrafted in the 2022 NHL draft despite having a fairly solid season playing the QMJHL scoring 40 points in 62 games. Projected to partner with Fenenko is University of Vermont commit, Ralfs Bergmanis. Although he is only 5’10”, Bergmanis is willing to throw his body around and disrupt play. The likely starter in net for Latvia will be 20-year-old Bruno Bruveris, who spent the past year playing with Cedar Rapids of the USHL, posting a 3.02 GAA with a .873 SV%. It would be an upset to see Latvia make the quarterfinals let alone win a game in this tough Group.

Group B:

Group B is expected to be dominated by two powerhouses in the United States and Sweden. It will be exciting to see if any of Germany, Switzerland or Austria can challenge either powerhouse and shake up the group. Even with losing players due to NHL training camps, the United States and Sweden are still positioned to make it far in this tournament.

United States

Line Projections

Matthew Knies – Logan Cooley – Matthew Coronato

Landon Slaggert – Thomas Bordeleau – Carter Mazur

Sasha Pastujov – Hunter Mckown – Brett Berard

Red Savage – Charlie Stramel – Mackie Samoskevich

Wyatt Kaiser – Sean Behrens

Tyler Kleven – Ian Moore

Jacob Truscott – Brock Faber

Remington Keopple

Andrew Oke

The United States are coming into this tournament with an extreme amount of talent on both the offensive and defensive side of the ice. While they may have one of the most talented rosters entering the August World Juniors, they have one major concern, the goaltending. No matter which goaltender starts the tournament for them, it will be an undrafted goaltender. Before we dig deeper, let us take a look at their firepower upfront. It will be extremely exciting to be able to see a line consisting of Matthew Knies, Logan Cooley and Matthew Coronato. All three have played for the USNTDP and each are considered offensive forces.

On top of that, the US finally will be able to have Thomas Bordeleau play for them as he unfortunately missed the last several World Juniors. The depth of the US forwards is something to be amazed at. Players like Sasha Pastujov and Mackie Samozkevich, each have immense skill and will provide scoring depth throughout the lineup. In addition, 2023 draft eligible Charlie Stramel looks to have made a strong impression and has carved out a role on this team. It will be interesting to see how this boosts his draft stock entering his draft year.

Taking a look at the US defence, it may be one of the most talented pools of defenceman in this tournament. There are many reliable names defensively on the backend including captain Brock Faber, Tyler Kleven, Jacob Truscott and Wyatt Kaiser. Offensively, the US will lean on Sean Behrens and Ian Moore to pinch and provide odd man rushes from the blueline. It is extremely important for their defence to play up to the level that many expect them to as they are going to play behind lesser named goaltenders in Remington Keopple and Andrew Oke. Keopple, the older of the two goalies, played this past season with Des Moines of the USHL, putting up a 3.06 GAA and a .896 SV%. Oke, who is only 18, had a worse season playing for a poor Saginaw team in the OHL. He produced a 4.63 GAA with a .848 SV%. If the US can protect their goaltenders they will be in for a long run.

Oskar Olausson – Daniel Ljungman – Fabian Lysell

Isak Rosen – Theodor Neiderbach – Jonathan Lekkerimaki

Linus Sjodin – Ake Stakkestad – Daniel Torgersson

Oskar Magnusson – Victor Stjernborg – Albert Sjoberg

Simon Edvinsson – Helge Grans

Leo Loof – Mans Forsfjall

Emil Andrae – William Wallinder

Jesper Wallstedt

Calle Clang

The other power house in Group B, Sweden has an enormous amount of talent up front and will look to lean on their skill to bring them a medal. The projected first line of Oskar Olausson, Daniel Ljungman and Fabian Lysell will be looked upon to set the offensive tone for Sweden. Olausson and Lysell both have a combination of speed and skill, which they use to transition the puck and attack the offensive zone. Ljungman has proven to be a good two-way centre who will provide support on both sides of the ice. Sweden still has options down the line including a pair of first round picks in Buffalo Sabres’ prospect Isak Rosen and Vancouver Canucks’ prospect Jonathan Lekkerimaki. Both these players spent a large chunk of the previous season in the SHL in limited roles and were still able to produce.

The backend is where Sweden will excel, anchoring it will be none other than 6’6” Detroit Red Wings’ prospect Simon Edvinsson who has a unique combination of size, physicality and speed. Opposite of Edvinsson should be Helge Grans, the two-way defender uses his speed and long reach to close gaps and attack forwards turning over possession. To show the depth on this defence, the projected bottom pairing, Emil Andrae and William Wallinder, should make a large impact for Sweden. Andrae is an extremely skilled offensive defenceman who put up 33 points in 41 games in the Hockey Allsvenkan league. His partner Wallinder is a big bruising 6’4” defenceman who will crush any player in his way.

In net is where Sweden has the largest advantage though, with Minnesota Wild’s prospect Jesper Wallstedt. Wallstedt improved on his draft year season playing 22 games in the SHL and putting up ridiculous numbers with a 1.98 GAA and a .918 SV%. It is going to be extremely difficult to score on Sweden in this tournament.

WJ Predicitons

Group A

Canada

Finland

Czechia

Slovakia

Latvia

Group B

Sweden

USA

Germany

Switzerland

Austria

Quarterfinals

Canada over Switzerland

Finland over Germany

Czechia over USA

Sweden over Slovakia

Semifinals

Canada over Finland

Sweden over Czechia

Medals

Sweden – Gold

Canada – Silver

Finland – Bronze

Tournament MVP – Connor Bedard

Best Forward – Mason McTavish

Best Defenceman – Simon Edvinsson

Best Goaltender – Jesper Wallsted

All-Tournament team

F – Connor Bedard

F – Mason McTavish

F – Logan Cooley

D – Simon Edvinsson

D – Topi Niemela

McKeen’s Hockey Rank for 2022: 110

Scouting report:

Nguyen stood out this year on a strong Portland team, while playing in a depth role. He is another high energy winger who excels using his combination of speed and tenacity. Nquyen is one of the fastest draft eligible players out of the WHL this year, as he is able to generate power with his first few strides, be active in the forecheck and push pace in transition. On top of his speed, Nguyen is not afraid to attack the dirty areas of the ice, often engaging in physical battles even as someone who is 5’10. Finally, his goal scoring ability is a plus-attribute of his, he has a strong shot, good shot selection and the offensive instincts to be in dangerous shooting lanes.

What’s next?

Nguyen has been invited to the Toronto Maple Leafs’ development camp and looks to showcase his talent. He will be playing another season with Portland Winterhawks, this time hopefully in a larger role to display his speed and goal scoring ability. Nguyen has an August birthday, meaning he was one of the youngest prospects in this draft. A larger sample size and another year of development could be enough for a team to take a flyer on Nguyen in next year’s entry draft.

Beau Jelsma of the Barrie Colts. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Beau Jelsma, F

McKeen's Hockey Rank for 2022: 112

Scouting Report:

Jelsma is a high energy forward who is always on the attack. He uses his strong skating ability to apply pressure on the forecheck and the backcheck, in addition to pushing the pace with the puck on his stick in transition. He has a good shot and profiles as a solid, pesky, complementary goal scorer. A lack of size and strength prevented him from being more consistent this year for an underwhelming Barrie Colts team.

What's Next?

Jelsma will attend the Toronto Maple Leafs’ development camp as a camp invitee. He will then return to Barrie of the OHL next season and will receive top six ice time. This should give him a shot to seriously improve his production and put himself back on the draft radar.

Brayden Schuurman, F

McKeen's Hockey Rank for 2022: 115

Scouting Report:

Schuurman is another undersized scoring forward, who finished with 54 points in 68 games for a struggling Victoria Royals team. Schuurman’s game is reliant on his ability to anticipate play in the offensive zone and use his offensive awareness to find the soft area of the ice. He is a strong shooting threat in high-danger areas both in the slot and around the crease. His hockey intelligence allows him to compete in all three zones, projecting him as a middle-six scorer if he can overcome his lack of size.

What’s next?

Schuurman was invited to join the Edmonton Oilers’ development camp. The hope is for Schuurman to continue to lead a young Royals team and aim for a playoff spot this year. Schuurman will have a large role cut out for him and should help his draft stock next year.

Ilya Kvochko, F

McKeen's Hockey Rank for 2022: 118

Scouting Report:

Kvochko, while undersized, is an energetic, creative and smart two-way centre. Kvochko has a good motor and never takes a shift off. His edgework is refined and he has good linear speed to help push the pace of play. His intelligence allows him to read the ice well and position himself to alter momentum in his team’s favour. Like almost every undersized forward, Kvochko could use some growth in his strength.

What’s next?

The Russian factor this year has really harmed Russian players’ chances of being selected in the NHL entry draft. It does not help that Russians are currently banned from being selected in the CHL Import draft as it would have been beneficial for Kvochko to come over to North America and develop. The Russian factor brings an uncertainty as to whether Kvochko will be selected, however if he is not selected in the following years, he could be an interesting UDFA down the line.

Maxim Arefyev, G

McKeen's Hockey Rank for 2022: 121

McKeen's Hockey — Wed, 22 Jun 2022 23:50:36 +0000

Director of Scouting - Brock Otten

George Fegeras

George Fegaras – D - North York Rangers, OJHL (52GP-13G-35A-48PTS)

Rank: 100

I remember watching Fegaras in his OHL draft year with Richmond Hill of the GTHL and thinking he had some terrific potential as a two-way blueliner once his athleticism improved to match his size. Two years later he was one of the best defenders in the OJHL as a U18 player. The four-way mobility has improved a lot. He is way less stiff now. He can quarterback a powerplay with a heavy point shot. He applies himself physically in the defensive end. The decision making and skill application are still raw, but the upside is pretty high. Like any player drafted out of the OJHL, patience will be required. He is going to play in the USHL next year and then head to Cornell the year after. But, I think he has a really unique skill set and profile.

Jake Richard – RW - Muskegon, USHL (56GP-18G-29A-47PTS)

Rank: 111

The fact that NHL Central Scouting chose not to rank him is mind boggling to me. He was one of the most improved players in the USHL from start to finish. The hands and skill down low are really high-end. He is terrific at creating time and space for himself. He was invisible in the first half but was one of the most productive draft eligible players from the USHL down the stretch. A lot of that has to do with how much his skating has already improved. It still has a way to go, but what he can do offensively is innate. The upside is there as the physical profile matures.

Brady Stonehouse – RW – Ottawa 67’s, OHL (68GP-18G-17A-35PTS)

Rank: 139

There are a lot of undersized, but high energy forwards available this year and Stonehouse is my favourite of them. He fits the exact mould of a Cal Clutterbuck type who can carve out a long NHL career. He skates well. He is a real pest who loves engaging physically and playing through the middle. He has a good shot and scoring instincts. He also has more individual skill than people give him credit for; he can create scoring chances in transition. As the Ottawa 67’s become a dominant force over the next few years, he’ll be right in the thick of that success. Stonehouse just screams longtime pro to me.

Grayson Badger – RW – Dexter Southfield School, USHS-Prep (24GP-9G-23A-32PTS), Southshore Kings 18U AAA (23GP-7G-9A-16PTS)

Rank: 158

He might be one of the better skating forwards available this year. Problem is, he plays in the prep loop and not a lot of people have seen him or read about him. How he applies his quickness gives him the profile of a strong bottom six forward at the NHL level. However, he can dazzle with skill at times too. The hands need to catch up to his feet. If they do, he could play way higher in the lineup. The upside here is tremendous if the right development team can unlock his athletic tools.

LANDSHUT, GERMANY - MAY 1: Czech Republic's Ondrej Becher #21 celebrates after scoring a first period goal against Finland during bronze medal game action at the 2022 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship at Fanatec Arena on May 1, 2022 in Landshut, Germany. (Photo by Chris Tanouye/HHOF-IIHF Images)

Ondrej Becher – C – AZ Havirov U20, Czechia U20 (45GP-22G-14A-36PTS)

Rank: 192

Becher was terrific at this year’s U18’s for Czechia and it made me go back and watch some of his games from back in the Czech leagues. What I see is a player with a real projectable frame and skill set. He has a real attacking mentality with the puck and his skating/quickness has the potential to be a standout quality. Consistency is an issue, but in terms of “diamonds in the rough” from Europe this year, Becher would be my favourite. He would really benefit from coming to play in the CHL next year. His game would translate really well, and I believe it would have a real positive affect on his development.

Central Europe Regional Scout - Chapin Landvogt

EDMONTON, ALBERTA - DECEMBER 27: Germany vs Czech Republic preliminary round action at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship at Rogers Place on December 27, 2021 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Andrea Cardin/HHOF-IIHF Images)

Alexander Blank – C – Krefield Pinguine, DEL (48GP-5G-11A-16PTS)

Rank: Honorable Mention

Yes, the 5'11", 180-pounder is definitely an overager. Yes, he's relatively unknown to even the most studious prospect followers in North America. And yes, he's not been a big scorer since he was underwhelmed as a 17-year-old while tearing apart a B-level junior league simply to stick with the program his former national team father was coaching in. But the well-rounded Blank spent the 20-21 season putting his name on the map as one of the most effective U19 players in Germany's DEL. He then saw his role increase this season and made his way onto the WJC team, where he had three points in Germany's two games before the tourney was canceled. He's been with the men's national team along the way, even if he's rarely made the final cut. Now it's time to see if a team is ready to roll the dice on a kid who already has a ton of pro and international experience, while getting better and better every season, already a capable 3-zone player. No need to draw a blank if your favorite team takes this one with a later round pick. Just look forward to what he might bring to your organization's table.

Russian Regional Scout - Viktor Fomich

Ilya Rogovskiy

Ilya Rogovskiy – C – Loko Yaroslav, MHL (47GP-13G-14A-27PTS)

Rank: 151

Back in August 2021, during the Hlinka-Gretzky tournament, a slightly undersized center named Ilya Rogovskiy was among the top guys on the U18 Team Russia and certainly wasn’t under the radar, but as the MHL season started he has found himself buried in the depths of his team’s forward roster, which lead to people not talking too much about him. I’d say it shouldn’t be a reason to overlook his talents: to start, he is pretty mobile and has no issues with separating himself from a defenseman and pretty often he will use that space to fire a precise right-handed wrister. With that being said I would call Rogovskiy more of a pass-first player, as he possesses good vision, quick hands and overall understands the attacking game well enough to be a competent playmaker, not to mention that he is always willing to go to the dirty areas. There are things to work on though, such as defensive game, face-offs and, of course, getting stronger, but the offensive package here is something I see as totally worth the risk.

Slovak Regional Scout - Matej Deraj

Maroš Jedlička – C – HKM Zvolen, Slovakia (44GP-17G-21A-38PTS)

Rank: 124

If it wasn't for a knee injury, he would probably have made his presence known at the Men's World Championship in Finland, alongside three top prospects from his country. Juraj Slafkovský, Šimon Nemec, and Adam Sykora. Slafkovsky and Nemec are likely top five picks, but Maroš Jedlička aims to be selected in the middle rounds. As a first year overager, he had a great season in the Slovak top tier league. He's become the leading scorer among all U20 players in the league (including 1st round prospects Nemec and Filip Mešár) and his PPG is the 6th highest in history among junior players. Jedlička is a versatile forward able to play all three positions; he's a fast skater with great work ethic and plays rough. He is able to kill penalties and play in the bottom-six, but he can also create dangerous plays and be a threat in the offensive zone. His all-around abilities and mature game should be a good reason for him to be selected somewhere in the mid rounds. Jedlička projects as a middle-six physical winger who might be really useful for his team in various situations.

Quebec Regional Scout - Éloi Biondo

Samuel Savoie

Samuel Savoie – LW _ Gatineau Olympiques, QMJHL (64GP-18G-15A-33PTS)

Rank: 133

My sleeper pick for this year’s class would be Samuel Savoie. The 5’10”, 190lbs centerman didn’t ink his name a ton on the scoresheet this year (33 points in 64 games), but he makes up for it with the smaller details of his game. The small forward is everywhere on the ice; he goes into traffic, battles hard in the corners, forechecks well, and complements these attributes with tremendous speed. The energy he brings to a team is precious, as he always seems to always have a smile on his face when he’s on the ice and constantly communicates and looks to motivate his teammates in more challenging moments. Sam also plays like a wrecking ball, as he won’t hesitate to lay out opponents on open ice despite his smaller frame. With the efforts and combativity that he displays night in and night out, I could see Savoie grind himself a spot into an NHL team’s bottom six in the future.

Video Scout - Sam Happi

Tyler Duke – D – U.S. National U18 Team, USDP (54GP-3G-15A-18PTS), USNTDP Juniors, USHL (24GP-2G-9A-11PTS)

Rank: 132

Duke is fighting an uphill battle as a 5’9” defenceman without spectacular offensive results, but he plays a surprisingly well-rounded game and can really make some plays in transition. He reads the forecheck very well, effectively diagnosing pressure and moving the puck away from it, allowing Duke to transport the puck forwards in an efficient and controlled manner. The defenceman isn’t an easy target on defence either, packing an impressive physical punch for his size. His physicality and aggressive defensive play is actually one of the highlights to his game. Duke doesn’t skate well enough or possess enough puck skill to strike anyone as a future top-pair defenceman, but there is room now for these efficient two-way puckmovers in the bottom half of a team’s blueline, even if they are small. That outcome would be a strong value for where Duke is projected to land at the draft.

Ontario Regional Scout - Dylan Krill

Owen Van Steensel of the North Bay Battalion. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Owen Van Steensel – LW – North Bay Battalion, OHL (66GP-10G-24A-34PTS)

Rank: 130

Owen Van Steensel has been my favourite late-riser in the OHL. He started in the bottom six, bringing energy and playing a defensive role well, but he gained his coaches trust by taking advantage of offensive opportunities and became a regular in the top six, playing heavy minutes and in key situations, both on the power play and penalty kill. Despite his slow start, he was able to finish strong. In the new calendar year, he produced eight goals and 20 assists in the remaining 35 games of the season. Van Steensel plays with a bite and gets under the skin of opponents, but he’s very disciplined, only taking six penalties in 66 games. There’s a real possibility that he slips into the late rounds due to his lower point totals and the fact that he wasn’t listed on the final NHL Central Scouting Rankings. However, a team could come away with a steal if he drops too far.

Western Canada Regional Scout - Adam Girard

Bowden Singleton - Oktoks Oilers

Bowden Singleton – RW – Okotoks Oilers, AJHL (60GP-20G-39A-59PTS)

Rank: Honorable Mentions

Reiger Lorenz tends to get most of the attention among NHL draft-eligible prospects in the AJHL, and rightfully so with the way he was able to be a dominant force in the league as a 2004-born forward. However, when watching Lorenz, it’s hard not to notice his Okotoks Oilers teammate and fellow draft-class member Bowden Singleton. Singleton kept pace with the offensive production of Lorenz for parts of the season, even though by the end of the year, the top ranked AJHL prospect was able to build more of a gap between the two.

Singleton's elusive skating and high-end playmaking abilities grab the attention of any spectator's eyes from the moment he hits the ice. He has continued to build on these abilities throughout his tenure in the AJHL, which allowed him to be among the top scorers in the league at just 17 years old. His top-end speed and strength may keep him out of going in the first three rounds, but a player with his instinct to find open ice and natural offensive abilities make him worth keeping on the radar for the later rounds of the NHL draft. While he may not be as NHL ready as other players available in this class, Singleton boasts great value in this range due to his NCAA eligibility and commitment to the University of North Dakota. This will allow him to continue to hone his skills toward building a pro-level style of game while playing for one of the top development programs in the NCAA. By the time Singleton comes out of university, he could be ready to make an impact for the organization that decides to target him on draft day this July.

Video Scout - Zack Szweras

Devin Kaplan – RW - U.S. National U18 Team, USDP (53GP-13G-35A-38PTS), USNTDP Juniors, USHL (22GP-8G-10A-18PTS)

Rank: 69

For my sleeper pick, I decided to go with USNTDP winger Devin Kaplan. The major hindrance on Kaplan’s game is his still raw skating ability and slow pace. However, what Kaplan lacks in quickness, he more than makes up for in his hockey sense, puck skills and physicality. He has played the role of a complementary two-way winger this season and has provided much needed defensive pressure and awareness to a team with loads of talented offensive-minded forwards. As an offensive player, Kaplan can bring a strong net-front presence, while helping out with puck battles down low using his large frame. On top of net-front, he also excels in the cycle, drawing pressure from oppositions before cycling the puck to his teammates. Any team, with the mindset of helping Kaplan improve his skating stride, should be eager to take a flier on this impactful two-way player in hopes of getting a middle-six winger who can play a large role on both special teams.

Head of Video Scouting - Will Scouch

Kenta Isogai – F – Youngstown Phantoms, USHL (59GP-10-12-22)

Rank: Honorable Mention

I absolutely adore this guy. He’s slender and can be soft under pressure at times, but I’m convinced if he were just a bit stronger and more built, he’d be highly regarded in the draft this year. He has been stuck with the Youngstown Phantoms battling for ice time, but Isogai brings speed, skill and confidence to the centre position that you just can’t ignore. He’s one of the more defensively involved and reliable forwards I’ve tracked, constantly hunting down puck carriers, applying pressure, and using skill and vision to turn play around. The production wasn’t there in the first part of the season, but I constantly feel like he’s “almost a thing” every time I see him play. He isn’t huge, but he’ll drop a shoulder and attack the net, and in full stride, he has the skill to embarrass USHL defenders. A player I’d love to nurture and let develop for years, Isogai is a pure skill/speed combo that may need to get stronger, but past a certain point in the draft becomes one of the more exciting names you could take a swing on, especially considering his relative youth with a late-August birthday.

Western Canada Regional Scout - Arlo Schulz

Hudson Thornton – D – Prince George Cougars, WHL (65GP-14G-31A-45PTS)

Rank: 182

Thornton quietly had a great season, posting 14 goals and 45 points in just 65 games from the blueline. Although undersized, Thornton is your prototypical new-era defenseman who skates and moves the puck well. He is a weapon in transition and loves to jump up into the play. He is adept at running the powerplay and is equally comfortable scoring or distributing the puck. As is usually the case with these kinds of prospects, Thornton's game in his own zone is rife with questionable decision making and a lack of strength. Unfortunately, Prince George has a poor track record of prospect development so it remains to be seen if Thornton can round out his game in the next couple of seasons, but there's no denying the talent is there. An exciting boom/bust prospect that represents plus value at the draft table for NHL teams in the middle rounds.

2022 NHL DRAFT: SECOND CHANCES, PART 2 – NHL Draft Re-Entry Candidates from Europe

Wed, 25 May 2022 13:59:09 +0000

This year, it feels like we are playing catch-up because of how disjointed last year was in the scouting community. The OHL did not play. Other leagues played only partially. How much was development stunted? Better yet, how many players have surprised this year with their progression given that they were not able to show said progression last year (such as the OHL players). Will we see an extraordinary number of “re-entry” players selected this year as NHL scouting teams gobble up all of these players who slipped through the cracks of the pandemic scouting year?

North American players with birth dates from January 1st to September 15th, will be eligible for three NHL drafts. Players with birth dates from September 16th to December 31st, will be eligible for two NHL drafts. And for European players (in European leagues), extend that eligibility by one year in both cases. Recently, NHL scouts have increased the rate with which they are selecting “re-entry” candidates, or players previously passed over. Contract limits have made it critical for teams to spread out where they select players from, in addition to their age. This has made second- and third-year eligible U.S. and European based players especially attractive. However, these players have had a lot of success in recent years too. Look around the league and you see these players everywhere. For example, Florida Panthers standout defender Mackenzie Weegar was one. So too was Winnipeg Jets starter Connor Hellebuyck. Standout Arizona Coyotes rookie Janis Moser was one last year.

Speaking of last year, ten “re-entry” candidates went in the Top 100; Ryker Evans, Josh Doan, Janis Moser, Carter Mazur, Alexei Kolosov, Taige Harding, Andrei Buyalsky, Josh Lopina, Ville Ottavainen, and Jakub Malek In our “second chances” article last year (Part 1:) (Part 2: )( Part 3) we wrote about eight of these ten. In total there were 34 taken, actually below the trend of over 40 being selected in other recent drafts (roughly about 20% of all players selected). Additionally, of those 34, we identified and wrote about 17 (half of them) in our aforementioned second chances series. Just like in previous editions of this annual report, we aim to identify more.

In 2022, we have some very interesting candidates. Lucas Edmonds of the Kingston Frontenacs was near the top of OHL scoring all season. Stephen Halliday of Dubuque had one of the best statistical seasons in the history of the USHL. Dmitri Buchelnikov completely obliterated the MHL, a year after being passed over as one of the youngest eligible players in 2021. This article intends to highlight them and many other candidates who could be part of that 20% (if the average is restored) this year.

Finland

Jimi Suomi - Defense - TPS (Liiga)

Ranked #201 by us for last year’s draft, Suomi has had a solid rookie year in Liiga, breaking through as a near everyday player for TPS. The undersized, but fleet of foot defender is a standout with the puck and had a strong performance for TPS in Champions League play this season.

“I was absolutely not a fan of Jimi Suomi last season, and I certainly see the same issues I was seeing last season this year. There’s no doubt that Suomi’s defensive rush play is far from ideal, and his defensive play to close out cycles is still a major work in progress, but the guy can simply fly with the puck. An excellent puck transporter, and skilled offensive creator, Suomi is a player that has glaring weaknesses, but gifts that help him overcome those weaknesses unlocked with his feet. He’s on my watchlist and may not be a player I think about until later in the draft, but you can always bet on and develop skating, and Suomi is a great example of how mobility and raw agility can help defenders push play in the right direction.” - Will Scouch

Petteri Nurmi - Defense - HPK (Liiga)

Not only did Nurmi establish himself as a Liiga regular this year, but he also made team Finland for the abruptly ended World Junior Championships. Destined for a second pairing role, it would have been a great showcase for Nurmi to prove that he should be selected this year. The numbers in Liiga this season certainly don’t stand out, but that’s not really Nurmi’s game. He did play over 20 minutes per game on many occasions this year and his steady puck management skills and two-way acumen could be attractive to NHL teams this July.

“Two years ago, Nurmi was still playing Finnish U18 hockey. Now, after just a single year of U20 in between, he’s a full time Liiga defenceman at twenty. He doesn’t pack much offensive punch, and didn’t even in his junior career, but Nurmi’s smart, efficient passes in transition seem to have endeared him to HPK’s coaching staff as he averages over sixteen minutes a game as a rookie defender. Nurmi is well-suited to Liiga hockey, preferring a slow build-up in the transition game. He is poised, happy to take all the time he is given, and has very good vision up into the neutral zone. His outlet pass is a good one; he can connect with moving forwards in the neutral zone with long passes from around the net on a consistent basis.

Of course, the NHL is a much quicker and more aggressive league than the Liiga, and Nurmi’s ability to make plays under tough forechecking pressure is difficult to discern in a Liiga environment. He’s not the quickest nor the most skilled defenceman, so his distribution skills could falter in the North American game, where teams are less content to sit back in a neutral zone trap. Regardless, his intelligence and successful season as a Liiga rookie should warrant some attention from NHL clubs.” - Sam Happi

Ruben Rafkin - Defense - TPS (Liiga)

This is not Rafkin’s first appearance on this list, but he deserves to repeat after another strong season in Liiga. The highly competitive former Windsor Spitfire defender is one of the most aggressive physical defenders in Europe, and his play in the defensive end really took a positive step forward this season. Fun fact, Rafkin was one of only three players in Liiga to garner over 100 penalty minutes on the year.

“Rafkin is a highly physical defenceman who might be best known to some as the player who got a game misconduct for kneeing Brett Berard in Finland’s WJC pre-tournament game against the United States. It is rather surprising that no team has yet drafted Rafkin, who flashed some impressive puck-moving ability for Windsor of the OHL in his first year of eligibility and then followed that up with a solid rookie season in the professional-level Liiga. He successfully employs an aggressive style of neutral zone defence, looking to force attackers wide and then put them into the boards. Often, this results in uncontrolled or failed entries.

Rafkin is also very effective in physical confrontations along the boards, using his strength to easily push most forwards off the puck. He also skates quite well, able to evade most forecheckers who attempt to chase him around the net. On occasion, he’ll bring the puck all the way forwards into the offensive zone but doesn’t boast much offensive skill with which to continue his attack effectively. His outlet pass is decent, but not great: he can make basic plays, but will often revert to banking the puck out or playing it to a teammate in pressure when a forechecker successfully pressures him. Still, his mobility and very effective physical game may make him one of the stronger bets to carve out an NHL role of this draft’s overage prospects.” - Sam Happi

Nick Malik - Goaltender - KooKoo (Liiga)

The road back to relevance for Malik has been long and winding. The son of former NHL defender Marek Malik, Nick was once a highly thought of prospect. However, he struggled mightily in his NHL draft year, including a stop with the Soo Greyhounds of the OHL. Fighting through injuries and inconsistency, Malik had a remarkable season in Liiga with KooKoo (including a terrific playoffs) and it has him back on the map as a draft prospect. Not only did he finish top five in save percentage, but his performance as a U20 player compares favorably with the likes of other top goaltending prospects in recent years like Juuse Saros, Ville Husso, and Lukas Dostal.

“What Malik has accomplished this year in Liiga is extremely impressive. I saw a lot of him when he played for the Greyhounds in his half OHL season, and his game has improved remarkably. Always a terrific athlete, Malik has worked hard to improve the technical components of his game. His pushes are more controlled, and he is covering his angles more consistently. There are still some scrambling tendencies to his game, but he is doing a better job of tracking pucks through traffic and staying up when he needs to. Historically, his season compares well with other top young netminders who have played in Liiga in recent years. Given how weak this year’s goaltending crop is for the draft, Malik has to be a slam dunk to be selected this time around. At least, you would have to think so.” - Brock Otten

Sweden

Elias Ekstrom - Wing - Orebro (SHL)

Ekstrom, an undersized winger, finally broke through as an SHL regular this season, his sixth in the Orebro organization. Among U21 players in the SHL, Ekstrom’s 11 assists put him sixth. And of the forwards ranked in the top ten of scoring at his age, only Ekstrom remains undrafted.

“Ekstrom has demonstrated consistent year-after-year growth, culminating in a full-time role in the Swedish Hockey League at age 20. He seems to have found a niche in Orebro’s lineup, playing a limited role at even-strength but making up for it with a steady diet of powerplay time. The little bit of extra time that Ekstrom has on the man advantage seems to unlock his offensive games as he’s made some terrific plays in a variety of roles. He most often mans the half-wall on his off wing, where he isn’t a major one-time threat but rather prefers to receive the puck, take a few steps towards the net, and then shoot out of a toe drag. His shot is strong and accurate, and he can beat goaltenders from that area. More impressive is Ekstrom’s distribution from that spot: he’ll draw penalty killers to him, then feed down low where his teammates can take advantage of the now-exaggerated numerical advantage. Ekstrom’s well-rounded offensive skill set shrinks a little at even-strength, where he largely reverts to simple passes and tries to pop open in the slot for quick shots. Considering Ekstrom’s unspectacular skating and puck skills, that is to be expected; he thrives when he has time to make plays on the powerplay but doesn’t have the skills to navigate traffic effectively at even-strength. To eventually find a niche in the NHL, Ekstrom will want to embrace a well-rounded bottom-six role at evens and continue to refine his offensive flashes on the powerplay.” - Sam Happi

Södertälje's Leon Wallner during the ice hockey match in the Hockeyallsvenskan between Almtuna and Södertälje on December 8, 2021. In Uppsala. Photo: Emma Wallskog / BILDBYRÅN

Leon Wallner - Wing - Södertälje SK (SHL)

An Austrian playing out of Sweden (Wallner left top Austrian program Red Bull Academy at 16 years of age), Wallner was one of the highest scoring players in the Swedish J20 league this past season. Among those who played over 25 games, Wallner’s 1.32 points per game was eight in the league. This helped him earn a promotion to Södertälje’s parent club in the Allsvenskan.

“Wallner received a well-earned promotion to Sodertalje’s professional team in Sweden’s second division after an excellent U20 season. His clever offensive game proved too effective for junior competition, as Wallner piled up both goals and assists. He is adept at drawing pressure before moving the puck to space and shows impressive composition under pressure, able to find open teammates in the offensive zone even with a defender draped around him. Wallner was a very capable scorer too, which is interesting because he doesn’t have a whole lot of power on his shot. He compensates with accuracy, often shooting low and looking to tuck the puck just above the goaltender’s pad.

With the professional team, Wallner’s skills are less evident. His skating, good but not great, is no longer enough to pose a significant rush threat, and Wallner has yet to score a professional goal with his strategy of accuracy over power. However, the Austrian’s intelligence remains a feature of his game. Several of his assists have resulted from some apt plays: a beautiful one-touch pass in the neutral zone after a stretch pass, a spinning backhand pass into the slot, and cleverly shooting to create a rebound off the pad, to name a few. Wallner’s intelligence and playmaking are his greatest strengths, and we may see the rest of his offensive toolkit emerge with increased pro experience and skill development.” - Sam Happi

Ian Blomquist - Goaltender - Vasteras IK J20 (J20 Nationell)

One of the top goaltenders in the Swedish J20 circuit this year, Blomquist has put himself in contention to be drafted this year after going unselected last year (as a 2003 born). He also posted very respectable numbers in a limited sample with the Vasteras IK men’s club in the Allsvenskan. Given Hugo Havelid’s lack of size, there’s a very real chance that Blomquist is Sweden’s first goaltender drafted this year.

“Blomquist has emerged as one of the top goaltenders in Sweden’s top U20 circuit after playing U18 hockey last year, which was his first opportunity to be drafted. He’s 6’2” and takes away a lot of the net, making him a difficult goalie to beat cleanly from distance. As you might expect from a player in his first season of top-level junior hockey, he does seem to be fairly raw as a prospect at this point: his rebound control can be hit or miss, and his positioning can fail against opposing attacks that move the puck around effectively. When forced to move side-to-side, his first move is powerful and effective, getting him across the net quickly enough to deny most one-timer opportunities, but his movement isn’t particularly well-controlled and so he has little ability to recover quickly if a second push off is required. His puck-tracking also seems to be in need of some refinement: Blomquist experiences more than his fair share of awkward-looking goals against where the puck eventually sneaks right past him after bouncing around a bit in the slot, simply because he’s lost awareness of where the puck is. There’s work to be done, but Blomquist doesn’t have a lot of experience at high levels yet and his size and first-save ability could signal some potential to be uncovered here. He has a real chance to be drafted this time around.” - Sam Happi

Marcus Limpar Lantz - Center - Orebro HK J20 (J20 Nationell)

Limpar Lantz didn’t play last season, his initial draft year, due to injuries and the covid shutdown of the J20 and J18 leagues in Sweden. The former highly touted Swedish center was once a fixture on the Swedish national team for his age and was considered a likely selection at a younger age. However, he returned to action this year and looked good in J20 action. No doubt, scouts will have taken notice of this.

“Limpar Lantz put together an impressive season for himself largely on the back of a newfound scoring ability. He doesn’t have a great shot but found a niche playing the slot on Orebro’s powerplay, where he was able to find soft pockets of space in the prime scoring area. You don’t need a great shot to beat goaltenders from that area. He has a solid finesse scoring game, able to elevate pucks past goaltenders from in tight and effectively collecting rebounds around the net. He’s also a pretty good skater, which allowed him to occasionally beat defenders with speed and go in at the net, where his finishing took over.

His playmaking doesn’t seem to be as much of an asset for him as his scoring. He put up good assist numbers, but largely due to the fact that his slot presence meant he was often involved in promising offensive plays by simple location. His teammates would score off his rebounds, or he would make bumper passes out of the slot which eventually became second assists. He did demonstrate the ability to make some good passes out of pressure when swarmed, but his passing does not appear to be consistently strong enough to be something that could be impactful for him at the NHL level one day.” - Sam Happi

Milton Oscarson - Center/Wing - Orebro (SHL)

A gigantic, but versatile forward, Oscarson was a standout at the J20 level this year, earning a split season with the men’s club in the SHL with Orebro. He also earned himself a look on a few Swedish national team entries. At 6’6, NHL scouts are likely to be very intrigued by the massive offensive improvement that Oscarson showed this season compared to last.

“Oscarson is 6’6” and over 200 pounds, making him an absolute giant of a forward. That size is presumably the reason why last season, as a first-time draft eligible in his first season of U20 hockey, Oscarson got into a few SHL games for Orebro’s pro club. He wasn’t particularly impactful at any level last season, but Oscarson has leapt forward with his play in both leagues this season: not only did he record more than a point per game at the junior level, but he also became a fairly regular SHL player with more than twenty games under his belt. Oscarson is a decent skater. His skating doesn’t create opportunities for him, but he doesn’t look slow against SHL competition and doesn’t fall behind the play. He’s a little lighter on his skates than you’d expect considering his size, a product of his lankiness.

As a hitter, Oscarson certainly has the physical capabilities to pack quite a punch but doesn’t have the body control or hitting technique to lay heavy hits on a consistent basis. Offensively, Oscarson tends to hang around the slot, where he’ll use his size and reach to screen goaltenders, collect rebounds or passes, and throw shots on net. He’s not a particularly advanced offensive player but could potentially find a net front niche at higher levels like he did with his junior team this past season. Oscarson’s size and decent toolkit could eventually make him an option for a bottom-six role in the NHL.” - Sam Happi

Linus Sjodin - Center/Wing - Rogle (SHL)

Sjodin is a 2002 born forward who played a decent role in helping Rogle capture a Champion’s League title this year. His overall performance in the SHL this year was strong too. Among U20 players, his 11 points were sixth best, ahead of many NHL drafted forwards. On a Rogle team with some quality drafted and draft eligible forwards, there’s no doubt NHL scouts would have seen Sjodin’s progression this season.

“Sjodin’s junior record doesn’t seem like that of a player who might become a high-level offensive contributor at the pro level, but his 11 points in 49 games in his first full season of SHL hockey is a solid mark. He flashed some impressive skills this season, making a number of sweet plays that led to goals or excellent chances. The headliner was a beauty of a goal in which Sjodin dangled into a defender’s skates, pulled the puck out, then roofed it on his backhand just before falling.

In addition to his puck skills, Sjodin is a pretty good passer, able to find teammates slicing into the slot from the wall. Sjodin doesn’t have a strong shot, struggling to beat goaltenders cleanly from anywhere outside of the immediate slot, but scored five SHL goals this season due to his ability to pounce on rebounds around the crease. His skating isn’t much of an asset either– he isn’t slow but isn’t a threat to beat any defenders. Sjodin has some real offensive skill, particularly as a puckhandler and as a passer, which he used to build a very solid 19-year-old season in a pro league. He’ll look to build upon that next year in Sweden and could possibly make the jump to North American hockey at some point if an NHL team shows interest.” - Sam Happi

Tim Lindfors - Wing - Malmo J20 (J20 Nationell)

A good-sized winger, Lindfors has been a quality scorer at nearly every level he has played at. This includes the J20 this year, where his 0.82 goals per game was among the best in the league, behind top draft prospect Liam Ohgren, who was over a goal per game.

“Lindfors is very much a goalscorer, having potted 23 goals in 28 games in U20 play this past season. He’s quite dominant at the junior level but failed to crack Malmo’s SHL club for any more than a one game audition, which meant he ended up playing part of his season in the HockeyEttan, the third division of Swedish professional hockey. He played fairly well there, continuing to use his instincts to find opportunities around the net and score five goals in 22 games. The interesting thing about Lindfors’ scoring profile is that he doesn’t seem to be much of a sniper: he does well to find space around the net and winds up more than his fair share of grade-A chances but doesn’t have the great shot required to threaten from further out. Lindfors doesn’t have much ability to create for himself– his skating and hands are decent, but not particularly strong, and he’s not much of a playmaker– so his offensive game will be quite dependent on whether or not he can continue to find those opportunities around the net. His scoring success so far could make him worthy of a shot, but it isn’t until he breaks into higher levels of pro hockey that we will see how translatable his skillset really is.” - Sam Happi

Russia

Maxim Arefyev - Goaltender - Sakhalinskiye Akuly (MHL)

A late bloomer playing in his first year in the MHL, Arefyev was a standout on a very poor team. While his team did not win many games, he did his best to keep them in the majority of them. His .916 save percentage was over 20 points higher than the next closest netminder on his team. For that reason, the 6’4, athletic netminder has drawn the intrigue of NHL scouts.

“A bit of a Cinderella story in 19-year-old Maxim Arefyev’s case (even though some might say that it is hard to associate a 6’4'' hockey goalie with such an image), as just last season he was buried at the Russian U18 level and now he is listed among the top goalies of this year’s draft. However, it might be slightly confusing for the people, who look at his stats, as he isn’t among the MHL top goalies stat wise, yet the stats should always be looked at in context: his team is among the weakest in the MHL and Arefyev is one of the rare reasons they are winning any games at all. That makes those stats more than solid for this situation. Arefyev is a big goalie, a bit raw in terms of technique (which makes him more of a longshot), yet with good reflexes and having a solid puck handling skill. With all that being said I’m more impressed with his psychological toughness and by that, I mean his ability to be extremely consistent both short and long-term even though the defense in front of him would frequently let him down, not to mention being pretty much always overloaded with a lot of shots, so that’s why I’d say there can be something good out of this kid.” - Viktor Fomich

Dmitri Buchelnikov - Wing - SKA-1946 St. Petersburg (MHL)

Buchelnikov was barely eligible for the 2021 NHL draft, born at the beginning of September. Immature physically, he was not able to properly showcase his offensive talents. Now a little stronger, and certainly more confident, Buchelnikov exploded in the MHL this season, finishing second in league scoring. He also followed that up with a strong playoff performance, recording a goal per game in the postseason for SKA.

“Every year there are prospects, who are going undrafted because while they have the required skills, something is still missing to get those altogether and convert them into solid and consistent production. A small right-handed winger Dmitry Buchelnikov was exactly one of these cases last year, but he clearly got it all together this year and it resulted in a dominating performance on the MHL level. Buchelnikov is skilled and dynamic, always aimed at the goal and has an excellent shot, which is of particular interest, as it is just great in terms of release and precision, not to mention his almost automatic one-timer from the left circle. Some concerns still remain though in his case, such as being undersized and lacking much of experience outside of the MHL juniors, yet his attacking skill set clearly indicates a notable offensive upside.” - Viktor Fomich

Danil Alalykin - Center/Wing - Salavat Yulaev Ufa (KHL)

In his final year of draft eligibility, Alalykin is a late bloomer who seems to improve every year in the KHL, finally establishing himself as a regular this past season. Playing for a strong Ufa team, Alalykin is utilized as a role player in the bottom six, but when he does finally receive more ice time, he is a serious breakout candidate.

“I. Just. Can’t. Understand. Why. He. Still. Isn’t. Drafted. Ok, let’s put emotions aside, but I really can’t understand that, as Danil Alalykin is an extremely smart and hard-working forward, who sees the ice well and understands where and when he should be for a positional attack to be executed. No issues in the skill or skating departments, although it should be noted that Alalykin is slightly lightweight, yet it is hard to look at that as any kind of a red flag, considering 6’0” height and still having more than enough time to add some muscle. Another issue is exposure, as Alalykin’s KHL team is a strong one (both in terms of team’s strength and physicality of the players there) and he is still in process of earning a big role there. Yet, I think he has been extremely effective in his limited ice time this season, which makes me optimistic about things to come. It is his last year of draft availability and I’m not sure if Alalykin will be drafted. If a team does decide to, it will be an extremely smart pick in many ways, so here I just hope that common sense will prevail, as I think NHL Top 9 forward potential is there.” - Viktor Fomich

Ilya Ivantsov - Center - SKA-Neva St. Petersburg (VHL)

A previously highly touted prospect, Ivantsov went undrafted last year despite a solid performance at the U18’s, where he helped Russia earn a silver medal while wearing an “A.” This year he made his debut in the Russian second men’s league, the VHL, and it was a terrific debut. He led the league in U20 scoring ahead of the likes of Nikita Chibrikov and Fyodor Svechkov, two high NHL draft picks the same age as Ivantsov.

“Ilya Ivantsov being undrafted is quite an understandable case though, as despite all of his renown talent, his skating has always been at least questionable. On the other hand, Ivantsov has natural playmaking talent at the level that is unteachable, because the elite playmaking ability requires a player to have an excellent vision, feel the timing and tempo of the game at the instinctive level, not to mention needing to have a pretty good pair of hands. So quite a borderline case here in terms of the draft potential, but there’s a factor in Ivantsov’s favor: not only he has debuted against pros in the VHL and spent the full season there, but also became his team’s top point producer while being just 19, which seems like a clear sign that at least there’s nothing to worry about in terms of his transition from the juniors.” - Viktor Fomich

Czechia

Jiri Tichacek - Defense - Rytíři Kladno (Czechia)

Our video scouting team loved Tichacek last year and as such we ranked him quite high in 2021 (77th overall). Ultimately, the undersized defender was not selected and now makes an appearance on this list as nominated by…our video scouting team. The reality is that Tichacek’s mobility is NHL caliber, and he is coming off a season that saw him play over 40 games in the Czech men's league. Only potential top five pick David Jiricek (also an ‘03) produced more offensively and took on a larger role.

“I can’t just ignore one of my top re-entry players undrafted in 2021. Jiri Tichacek has stepped right into the Czech Extraliga and helped his team avoid relegation back to the Chance Liga through his strong mobility, excellent stick-first defending, and a great shot from the point. Tichacek may be small, but he fits a role that I certainly think is an unexplored potential area of value. Hypermobile turnover generators that provide more pros than cons, even if the cons can be less than ideal. Tichacek drove great results defensively and while he shows some issues moving pucks up the ice with his passing, he’s a gifted skater that I believe will only improve with time. His World Junior showing was largely positive in my view, and he may be a longshot, but one that I’d still be willing to take.” - Will Scouch

Slovakia

Maros Jedlicka - Wing - HKM Zvolen (Slovakia)

The 19-year-old, 6’1 winger absolutely exploded in his first full year playing against men in the Slovak top league, averaging nearly a point per game. Among U20 players, his 38 points were far and away the best, ahead of draft eligible prospects Simon Nemec, Adam Sykora, and Filip Mesar. Historically, his performance stands up with one of the better players to come from Slovakia, Michal Handzus.

“Jedlička has had a true breakout season in the Slovak top tier league. Having only scored four points in the last season, he was surprisingly promoted to Zvolen's top line this year and earned his minutes well. Jedlička finished the regular season as the team's leader in points (38 PTS in 44 GP) and pointwise, he had the 6th most successful season from a U20 player in the Slovak league's history. Jedlička is basically a jack of all trades. He is able to play at all forward positions, he's a capable bottom-six, penalty killer, but can also generate offense in the top-six and be successful at power plays. He plays a fast, physical kind of hockey; he moves well and has a solid size. He likes to get under the opponents' skin and doesn't shy away from escalating conflicts.

Unfortunately, his season ended with a knee injury, but there is a lot to like about Jedlička. He doesn't have any major weaknesses in his game; maybe the upside is a little lower than one would prefer, but his game is still nicely translatable to the North American ice. Jedlička projects as a future power forward with middle-six upside; he skates well and complements more skilled players who he can create space for. He is not afraid to get his nose dirty and scores from tough areas. All in all, a fast and physical winger who can play well at every position you put him into. He is a first year overager but could make a nice middle-to-late round pick.” - Matej Deraj

Switzerland

EDMONTON, AB CANADA - DECEMBER 25: Switzerland vs Slovakia preliminary round action at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship at Rogers Place on December 25, 2020 in Edmonton, AB Canada. (Photo by Andrea Cardin/HHOF-IIHF Images)

Dario Allenspach - Center/Wing - EV Zug (NL)

We wrote about Allenspach last year in this piece after a breakout season in the SL, Switzerland’s second men’s division. He reappears this year after a strong rookie season in the NL, the top men’s league. A fixture on the international scene, Allenspach would have played at this year’s World Junior Championships and been one of Switzerland’s go to players. We will almost assuredly see him in the summer when the tournament starts again. A strong overall player, Allenspach could be a longshot to be drafted, but is a name to keep in mind moving forward.

“Allenspach has grown a bit in the past year, now measuring in at 6 foot, roughly 170 pounds. Also having grown has been his role in the NL, where he was able to take a regular shift for EV Zug, which finds itself in the playoffs just now. His year may have been even more spectacular had the WJC not been called off, as it was a tournament he was thoroughly intending to use to make a lasting impression on NHL teams after having collected three assists in four games the winter before. First turning 20 less than two months after the draft this summer, it’ll be Allenspach’s third go-around at the draft and the question is whether his body of work to date has led NHL people to feel he’s worth adding now. Busy establishing himself as a two-way player, Allenspach has only put up four goals and nine points in 48 games this season. He’s also dressed nine times in the SL for the club’s farm team, but only to the tune of four points. When you’re this size and still not sticking out in offensive capacity, a team really needs to like something else about your game. Maybe one does?” - Chapin Landvogt

Joshua Fahrni - Center - SC Bern (NL)

Another top rookie in the NL this year, Fahrni has long taken on a leadership role within his age group internationally. He wore an “A” for Switzerland at the abruptly ended World Junior Championships. The energetic, two-way pivot has really blossomed this year after being passed over last year. The late born 2002 was the highest scoring U20 player in the NL this season.

“A player who motors around the ice in a crouched stance, constantly reading the play, Fahrni has come a long way in a short period of time. Basically, a non-topic in his first year of eligibility, Fahrni’s 21-22 season has seen him not only become a regular for SC Bern in the NL, but also contribute 13 points over the course of 49 games in a bottom six role. His team was a veteran-laden club that failed to live up to expectations despite healthy contributions from former NHLers such as Dominik Kahun, Kaspars Daugavins, and Cory Conacher, among others, but Fahrni proved to be one of the bright spots in the line-up, contributing a healthy dose of youthful enthusiasm and quickly becoming a fan favorite.

His fantastic season also saw him wear an “A” on his jersey for Switzerland at the WJC, where he centered the team’s first line, collecting an assist and +1 against Russia. A righty shot with a compact, strong build (194 lbs. at just 5’11”) and strong 3-zone instincts, the question is going to be whether a team can envision him turning out to be a poor man’s JG Pageau, who once seemed to have much of the same attributes and wasn’t a guarantee for the NHL until he worked his way into what has become a successful niche.” - Chapin Landvogt

Noah Meier - Defense - Küsnacht (SL)

Meier is a former highly touted defense prospect who had a chance to be drafted last year, after splitting time between the NL and SL. We ranked him at #202 for 2021. However, the lack of progress in his development the last few years obviously scared off NHL teams. This season he actually played less in the NL, but did perform extremely well in the SL, finishing top five in defenseman scoring. The World Juniors this year would have been a great event for him to showcase possible improvements, but that sadly did not happen.

“The WJC participant has continued to grow and establish himself as a young pro after what was a very solid 1st year of eligibility and a subsequent snub at the draft. That could be different this summer, even if he hasn’t blown last season out of the water. In essence, the smooth all-rounder who still only measures in at 5’11”, 170 lbs., took his game at the SL level to, well, another level, going from 20 points in 35 games to 30 points in 40. He’s suited up for fewer NL games this winter (10 as opposed to the 18 the winter before) and there’s no junior play to look at, but those watching should be able to use his considerable role in the SL as a solid measuring stick of where he’ll be in a few years’ time, albeit it’s unsettling that this offensively oriented defenseman doesn’t have a point in 28 career NL games. He’ll be at the WJC this summer, so one couldn’t be faulted for believing teams may be inclined to perhaps wait on his 3rd year of draft eligibility, when they’ll have a much greater book on his play against his peers at the highest international level. In fact, he may very well just be in line for the Janis Moser treatment on the draft front. Still, he’s clearly one of his nation’s most promising U20 players and continues to build on what’s a cerebral game.” - Chapin Landvogt

Norway

Eskild Bakke Olsen - Wing - Storhamar (Norway)

It seems like Norwegian players are being drafted into the NHL at a great rate of late. Four of the last five years, players from Norway have been selected by NHL teams, including the last two. Can Olsen make it three years straight? He would appear to have the best shot. He continues to improve his production in the Norwegian men’s league and helped Norway to a bronze medal at the Division 1 U20 World Juniors.

“We’ll kick things off by stating that if a Norwegian kid has his sights on an NHL future, he is very likely in North America or Sweden by the time he’s 15, with the latter being the most common destination. Not only is there nary a language barrier, but the top clubs in Sweden are regularly looking to pluck talents from Norway (among others) at a young age, should their talent indicate the necessity. Bakke Olsen has never even been recruited by a Swedish club, much less looked to latch onto one. He’s born and raised in Storhamar and that’s who he sweats and bleeds for. Like his former pro, high scoring father before him. And like his younger brother, who is currently tearing up the U18 D1A tournament with Norway. And oh, the kid brother is draft-eligible for the first time this year.

Interestingly, the recently turned 20-year-old Eskilde has been playing for the pro team for three seasons now, each one better than the prior - statistically. In essence, the husky 6-foot, 185-pounder has an underrated and underused shot. His one-timer is lethal. He has very strong instincts around the net, also with respect to finding open teammates. He can take and give hits and drives the offensive play. He’s an upright, stiff skater, but in the way a Ryan Getzlaf or Jason Spezza are stiff skaters, meaning also strong on his edges. Now, Bakke Olsen has two straight seasons of over a PPG. For fans of the Norwegian scene, Bakke Olsen is considered the country’s top U21 player. Period. But is that enough to entice an NHL team to take a flier on him? One did for the overager Emil Martinsen Lilleberg just last summer.” - Chapin Landvogt

Germany

Maks Szuber - Defense - EHC Munchen (DEL)

A 6’3, left shot defender, Szuber established himself as a DEL regular this season, his first after leaving the storied Red Bull program in Austria. Szuber also wore an ‘A’ for Germany at the abruptly ended World Junior Championships.

“This winter’s WJC was supposed to be Szuber’s coming out party at the international level. Blessed with a 6’3”, 190-pound package, Szuber was a top defender for the Red Bull Academy of the AlpsHL last season and surprisingly stuck with the Red Bull in the DEL this season, initially thought to be simply a result of some heavy waves of COVID-19 leaving the line-up decimated at times. However, he continues to take a regular shift with all bodies on board and was the top scorer of a pre-WJC 4 Nations Tournament in Norway with 6 points in 5 games.

Thought of as power play blueliner number one at the WJC, Szuber actually enjoys a reputation as a very studious and intelligent defenseman who doesn’t sacrifice his duties on the defensive end to get more involved up front. Turning 20 on August 25th, he’s put up 7 points in 32 games and averages roughly 15 minutes of ice time per game, having several times seen over 18 minutes a night. His role and performance in the upcoming playoffs could be decisive in whether a team decides to make use of a late rounder to take a chance on a kid who brings many attributes of an NHL defenseman to the table. If we had to select one overager out of Germany, Szuber would be the guy.” - Chapin Landvogt

Alexander Blank - Center/Wing - Krefeld (DEL)

We wrote about Blank last year in this very article, after he was one of the top rookies in the DEL last year. This year, Blank’s stats were pretty similar, yet his skill set should still make him a potential draft option. He looked very strong at the World Juniors before they were halted, something that might have caught the attention of a few scouts.

“The 5’11”, 180-pound Blank officially arrived on the prospect scene last season by putting up five goals and 27 points (!) in just 16 games in Germany’s 3rd pro circuit, before joining the DEL club for good, contributing six goals and 13 points in 37 games for the league’s worst team. He has gone on to boost that reputation in the DEL this year, taking on a bigger DEL role for a team that has been unsuccessfully fighting to avoid relegation for most of 2022. Points have been hard to come by at times and he’s managed “just” 5-11-16 in 46 total games. More importantly though is that he was used in all situations. Just average in size, Blank has found himself on the ice for every imaginable scenario this season.

What is solidifying him as perhaps Germany’s second most likely draft pick this summer, even as a 3rd year overager, is his three-point, +2 WJC performance, having scored both goals in a thrilling 2-1 overtime upset of the Czech Republic. The scouting community had seen him in the DEL, but now they can gauge his progress a bit in comparison to his peers. He had already looked perfectly comfortable in the team’s first game against Finland. He’s currently in camp with Team Germany in preparation for the men’s WC. Remember his name when the later rounds of the draft swing around.” - Chapin Landvogt

Bennet Rossmy. Photo by Dan Hickling, Hickling Images

Bennet Rossmy - Wing - Eisbaren (DEL)

The captain of last year’s German U18 team, there was some thought that Rossmy could be selected in 2021. We ranked him as an honorable mention in our draft guide. That was obviously not the case. This year, he has cracked the DEL part time and performed even better at the DEL2 level. He also happens to have an August birthday, which made him one of the youngest players eligible last year, when he went unselected. The 6’3 winger possesses some raw athletic tools that do appear to be improving.

“The captain of Germany’s entry at last spring’s U18 Worlds, the 6’3”, 195-pounder was thought to have a solid shot at being drafted last summer after having been a regular with strong numbers in the DEL2 as a 17-year-old. First turning 19 on August 1st, you’d think the draft snubbing would have Rossmy entering this season with a real chip on his shoulder, but things just didn’t want to go his way. Although he ultimately made the WJC squad in a top six capacity, he not only couldn’t make a dent on the scoresheet in the DEL, but also wasn’t putting up nearly the kind of numbers he had the year before in the DEL2. Ultimately, he’d go on to finish the DEL season with two points (both goals) in 27 games and the DEL2 season with seven goals and 14 points in 29 games.

But then something happened in the DEL2 playdowns. His team was busy staving off relegation, and he decided to basically do it all on his own by putting up four goals, 11 points, and a +8 in five games. What will it mean for teams that were just not convinced enough last summer? Unfortunately, the most important factor in his being drafted as an overager was going to be his WJC performance. Hard to see him getting drafted with that tournament having fallen through, but the size/pro experience ratio is very appealing for an overager who’ll be just 18 right on through the draft.” - Chapin Landvogt

Florian Bugl - Goaltender - Red Bull (AlpsHL)

The German starter at the last two WJC’s, Bugl is an average sized, but athletic netminder who has been playing with the Red Bull Academy in Austria for the last six years. He improved upon his stats after repeating the AlpsHL level this season. His .916 save percentage was 12th best in the league.

“The 19-year-old will turn 20 next month and has been out of commission for a good month now after his Red Bull Juniors were eliminated in the pre-playoffs of the AlpsHL. This will be his third year of eligibility. With the exception of one very catastrophic pre-playoff game, which saw Bugl swallow six goals against on just 33 shots against, he had a very strong second season in the AlpsHL going 13-7 with a 2.27 GAA, .916 SV%, and four shutouts along the way. After being Germany’s key to success at the 2021 WJC, standing in goal for both victories and then the 2-1 loss to Russia, he looked like he could be THE difference for Germany at this past WJC. And with a 0.98 GAA and .975 SV% in his one game in Alberta this winter, it sure looked like he was ready to take the bugle, uh, bull by the horns. At 6-foot, 187 pounds, Bugl is below average in size for modern goalies and has precious little experience to offer on the international stage against the best other countries have to offer, although that little bit of experience has been outstanding. He’s a free agent at the moment and it’s felt he’ll be signing with a DEL team for next season. He’s also a certainty to be part of this summer’s WJC team.” - Chapin Landvogt