Martin Hugo Has – McKeen's Hockey

McKeen’s 2020-21 Hockey Yearbook: Washington Capitals Top 20 Prospects

Rachel Howard — Wed, 23 Dec 2020 22:30:38 +0000

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

Connor McMichael, C (25^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 1)

Few 2019 draft selections progressed as well as McMichael did this past season with London, where he went from a strong complimentary piece to the lifeblood through which the offense flowed. A strong skater, he showed much more confidence when carrying the puck, allowing him to dominate touches. He can beat you in transition because of his speed and he can beat you down low because of how well he protects the puck and how sound his decision making is. We also saw a huge improvement in his shot, especially his powerful wrist shot, and he uses different shooting angles to deceive goaltenders. McMichael also showed improved strength away from the puck, and paired with his high-end IQ, is now a strong two-way presence. Originally projecting as a winger in the NHL, he has shown enough to alter this belief. He is a very versatile player. Given the improvements he made last year, it is not impossible to see him playing in the NHL next year with the Capitals. He already skates well enough for the NHL. At this point, his projection is that of a two-way, goal scoring forward who can play inside the first two lines. – BO

Hendrix Lapierre, C (22^nd overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Lapierre battled consistency and injury issues all season, but of his high-end IQ and skill combination make him a potential steal. Originally thought to a concussion victim, it was later found to be a cervical spine issue. He has a very dynamic skill level and can make the spectacular look easy. He is smooth with the puck in transition and is a precise, pass-first center. He is a strong skater, who gets separation through excellent acceleration. He can work well along the wall and behind the net, with crisp turns, making him elusive in coverage. Lapierre is also a terrific two-way player who excels in all three zones because of his high-end hockey IQ. He uses anticipation and a quick stick to force turnovers on the backcheck, which he excels at transitioning the other way. He needs to take a step forward as a goal scorer. His game can be too predictable at times and to keep the opposition on their toes, he could stand to become a more well-rounded offensive player, shooting more often. Even despite a poor year, his potential remains high as a two-way, all situations center who can make his teammates better players. – BO

Alexander Alexeyev, D (31^st overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 2)

Alexeyev brings size (6-4”) and hockey IQ to the Washington organization. Making the jump from the WHL, he managed to make it through his first professional season with no serious injuries despite his shaky health track record. He struggled early in the beginning of the season to adjust to the pace of the AHL, but as the season went along his confidence grew and the skills that got him drafted began to show themselves, particularly in the form of his passing ability and offensive zone positioning. Alexeyev will need to demonstrate better conditioning when the next season gets underway to remain consistent throughout the full 60 minutes and he will need to find another gear to add more speed to his game. Numerous times last season opponents blew past him when driving the net and he will need to improve at keeping them to the outside. As he continues to develop and his game matures, there is little doubt that he has the overall ability to become a top pairing defenseman at the NHL level, it is simply a matter of opportunity and Alexeyev staying healthy, as he cannot sustain another serious injury without suffering major career setbacks. – SC

Martin Fehervary, D (46^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 3)

Tight competition between Fehervary and fellow Hershey Bears roommate and first round pick Alexander Alexeyev has been good for Fehervary’s development, pushing him hard in order to see results. The results of that developmental push have been evident as the lanky Slovakian has managed to impress in his rookie North American professional season, often using his tremendous skating to sail past opponents and earn scoring opportunities. He is the complete package as a future NHL defenseman; he plays a physical and rough game, can skate, carry the puck, and his defensive zone coverage is good. The only downsides come in the form of patience, passing, and decision making with the puck. He is not as well known for his passing abilities as he is for his skating and skill level and at times it was evident this past season with turnovers and missed important passes that oftentimes led to icings or offsides. Fehervary will need to tighten up his passing and work on how he moves the puck as well as when he moves it in order to be able to make the right choices in the NHL. - SC

Aliaksei Protas, C (91^st overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 4)

Protas has a very solid offensive toolkit. His unique size and frame enable him to be an elite puck protector. He can pace the game to his level and allow plays to develop. He is able to shed defenders and maintain control just a half step longer than most which dovetails perfectly with his playmaking and passing. He has excellent vision and can play the half-wall or behind the net equally comfortably. He has a deft touch and can make highlight reel passes due to his soft hands and a great ability to hit teammates in stride. His shot is above average and enables him to always be a dual threat to defend. His willingness to shoot the puck has helped his offensive game blossom. The knock on Protas was always his cumbersome footwork and lack of pace, but he has made some serious strides in that part of his game as well. He still needs to work on his overall defensive commitment and has struggled in the faceoff dot but those have improved with coaching. He is still a long-term project but the potential upside here is much higher than most expected in his draft year. - VG

Garrett Pilon, C (87^th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 5)

Standing out in the NHL will always be hard due to Pilon’s style of play. A hard-working grinder who can skate and who keeps his feet moving at all times, there is nothing particular that stands out about the way that he plays. To get too the next level, he will have to broaden his play, bettering his offensive production and puck possession skills next season. A top penalty killer using speed and determination, Pilon works hard every shift but at the next level it is about putting all of those things together and he will have to have a better, more cohesive and consistent game to earn a bottom six spot on the NHL club. He is a passionate player, and he will also need to keep his temper and frustration in check to avoid spending more time in the box than on the ice. He will be a big-league asset soon enough should he continue to put his overall game together and mature. - SC

Brian Pinho, C (174^th overall, 2013. Previous ranking: 6)

Pinho is the flashy forward with good puckhandling skills that every team has or needs. For a sixth-round selection, he has taken the long route for his development, finally coming into his own this past season, finishing top in prospect points. For his performance with the Hershey Bears, Pinho earned a spot on the Washington Capitals playoff roster and managed to also make his debut suiting up for two playoff games. Throughout the season, he was a clutch player for Hershey, often earning overtime marker and tying goals. He dominates in the offensive zone and often times earns breakaways on turnovers and long passes. That being said, he needs to work on bringing that competitive level to every game and on further developing his defensive play. With the recent call up to the Capitals, Pinho may have earned his chance at next season’s roster as a member of the bottom six. - SC

Kody Clark, RW (47^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 7)

After a decent season with the OHL Ottawa 67’s, Clark swung his talents over to the AHL’s Hershey Bears for his rookie professional season. He quickly realized that the next level would not be as smooth sailing as major junior and he was a scratch for majority of the first half of the season. Following in father Wendel’s footsteps, Clark brings the grit and offensive prowess to a mildly physical Hershey roster, but that is where his talents stop until he finds a way to keep up at the AHL pace. He is a strong skater but his puck possession was simply not there last season and he will have to find a way to get to the net if he wants to even be considered as a top priority call up option. Serving more time in the penalty box than often necessary, Clark will have to prove himself as a skilled player first more than anything in terms of next season and working his way towards a call up. He has the potential and skill to play as a bottom six forward in the NHL, but he still has a lot of learning to go before that will happen. - SC

Brett Leason, RW (56^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 8)

For a player who was passed over two years in a row in the draft, Leason has managed to defeat the odds, becoming a second-round pick for the Capitals. He has the size to play and to stay safe at the next level, proving so during his rookie season with AHL Hershey, however speed and skill is another thing. This is where the Washington offensive prospect structure starts to thin out and with Hershey last season, Leason failed to mark more than five goals, a disappointing drop from the 36 goals he scored in major junior the year before to being a healthy scratch for Hershey towards the season’s end. Leason will have to find another gear and start playing up at a professional level, as right now he is simply not fast enough to cut it and if he cannot find another gear it will be uncertain if he will ever be given a chance with the Washington Capitals as a bottom six. - SC

Lucas Johansen, D (28^th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 9)

With an expired contract and only nine games played this past season, it is unsure as to where Johansen will be playing next season. It is assumed the Capitals will re-sign him; however he has not had the best of progressions in the organization as his play has gotten worse over the course of his three seasons with the Hershey Bears. As a first-round pick, Johansen needs to perform better, he has offered little in the way of point production and the quantity of turnovers he gives up is just bad. Having missed the bulk of the season with a leg injury, Johansen will need to show that he spent the time off well to come back better than ever to prove to Capitals management that he is deserving of a call up at least. As the time goes by, the Capitals are drafting more and more high-quality defensemen and Johansen’s name is getting further and further down their organizational depth list. It is now or never to prove that his passing, hockey IQ, and composure with the puck are good enough for a bottom four spot in Washington’s lineup. - SC

Vitek Vanecek, G (39^th overall, 2014. Previous ranking: 10)

For a Washington Capitals organization which may be missing a goaltender next season with the expiring contract of incumbent starter Braden Holtby, it means that the young prospects in the system are getting their much-awaited shot. Although the current future may be Ilya Samsonov, recent backup and first call up Vitek Vanecek has the talent and hockey IQ to read NHL speed plays and the focus to get him to the next level. With a tight goaltender race, Vanecek will have to show his composure every time he gets a chance to be up with the Capitals. His quick reflexes and athleticism in the net are what set him apart from his counterparts as he is very active and aggressive in his crease, he fights for positioning well, and sees plays with good vision. His rebound control could use a little work and his timing when playing the puck can sometimes be a worrisome issue, however the Capitals look to have a promising goaltender tandem for the future as Vanecek could manage the starting role just as well as Samsonov. - SC

Axel Jonsson-Fjallby, LW (147^th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 11)

Despite starting his North American professional career off a little shaky, including a return trip to Sweden to finish the season, Jonsson-Fjallby has redeemed himself this past season, completing the full season in North America, finishing with 23 points. It is clear to see that the winger has the speed and the offensive hockey ability to make an impact at the next level when it comes to getting to the net and putting forth the necessary individual effort. That being said, he lacks instincts as a two-way player and in the defensive end, and there is little else to be said about his giveaways and ill-advised passes in the neutral zone and on breakouts. Jonsson-Fjallby is a difficult prospect to talk about because he has NHL-level skills, but his hockey sense is poor and hard to overlook. With any luck, he will find himself in a Capitals jersey within the next season as a first choice call up to a bottom six position. - SC

Damien Riat, LW (117^th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 12)

While some in the hockey world have dismissed Switzerland as a nation worth heavily scouting, the Capitals have always been believers. Look at NHLer Jonas Siegenthaler, their second-round pick in 2015, now an established NHLer. Look at Tobias Geisser, their first selection in 2017, albeit in the 4^th round. And look at Riat, taking in between the two blueliners, who signed an entry level deal with the Capitals in March after five successful seasons in the NLA. A speedy winger with intriguing puck skills, he has been the top scorer in his age cohort ever since being overshadowed by a young Auston Matthews in 2015-16, until finally being overtaken again last year. For an organization that rarely drafts out of Europe, Riat has a chance to convince the Capitals to change their scouting direction once more if he adapts well to the North American game this year. - RW

Oskar Magnusson, LW (211^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

A top scorer as a youth, Magnusson took off in his second season in SuperElit, finishing second in the league in scoring among all U18 players, behind only Carolina draft pick Zion Nybeck. Magnusson has a fine collection of offensive tools and can contribute as both a finisher as well as a playmaker. He has good instincts for the game and reads the play well, helping him to maximize his physical tools. On the other hand, he is very physically underdeveloped, and his skating is average at best. He is actually fairly explosive on his feet, but his strides are short, causing him to burn out too much energy too quickly. He earned a four game call up to Malmo’s senior side last year and is expected to have a chance to compete for a regular SHL role this season. Before even thinking of a move to North America, he will have to prove that his offense-first game can succeed against men at home in Sweden. – RW

Bobby Nardella, D (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Apr. 5, 2019. Previous ranking: 14)

At 5-9” Nardella is certainly undersized as defenseman go in professional hockey, however, do not be fooled as this crafty and highly offensive defenseman is a threat no matter where he is on the ice. He finished seventh on the Bears in points and tops for defenseman this past season, his rookie professional campaign. Having been trusted for a role on the Bears’ top powerplay unit, Nardella clearly shows his maturity and that he is focused enough to manage high pressure situations and smart enough to make the right plays. He also has the skill as a top-level skater and puckhandler to get to the net for scoring opportunities which can make him an asset in today’s game. The major downside is size and if the Capitals can get past that, rest assured that Nardella has the potential to be a top four pairing defenseman. The delay in cracking the Washington lineup simply comes from defensive depth and prospect hierarchy politics, because as a player Nardella offers nothing but good things to a team. - SC

Martin Hugo Has, D (153^rd overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 15)

A late arrival to the OHL made Has a bit of a mystery and a difficult player to evaluate. Some may wonder about why he only played a single game for the North Bay Battalion before being moved to Guelph. The answer is because the OHL has a rule that imports cannot be traded until they play at least one game for the drafting team. In Guelph, Has was eased into a top four role for the Storm, playing as a stay at home defender with partner Daniil Chayka (a top 2021 eligible player). At 6-4”, he certainly has good length and exhibits good gap control when containing the transition game of the opposition. As an offensive player, we saw Has struggle at times with his decision making and the pace of play in the OHL. It remains to be seen just how much potential he has as an NHL prospect moving forward. Next year he will return to Guelph and will likely resume his partnership with Chayka. As he becomes more comfortable, we should get a better idea of the type of player he is and can become. – BO

Garin Bjorklund, G (179^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Playing as art of a platoon with Ottawa draft pick Mads Sogaard, Bjorklund didn’t have the kind of year that scouts hoped of him, as consistency issues plagued him in his intermittent starts. Part of that may have come from not playing consistently as part of a routine. He still has the size (6-2”) and quickness to be an NHL netminder and the potential to turn it around given more regular time between the pipes. To his credit, he tracks the play well and seems to have a solid grasp of the technical nuances of the position. A former first round pick in the WHL Bantam Draft, even in his struggles, he showed flashes of pro caliber ability, but was done in too often by juicy rebounds, and seeming to lose his composure after surrendering a bad goal. Reports of his commitment to the game are promising, and, even though he was outperformed last year on the whole by the Danish second round pick, more often than not, there was little to separate the two performance-wise, and there may be a lot of room for growth in this profile. – BO

Mitchell Gibson, G (124^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 17)

If we want to search for rays of hope with Bjorklund (#17), we need look no further than Gibson, who struggled badly in his first post draft season making the adjustment from the NAHL to the USHL. Moving on to Harvard, his performance improved by several grades. Given the chance to play regularly, he took the bulk of a time-share from senior Cameron Gornet and kept the Crimson in pretty much every game, something he could not say for his time with Central Illinois. Gibson is on the smaller side for a modern netminder but moves well and fights for every puck. He did a good job at limiting second chances and has a knack for puck play as well. Where concerns remain are in his ability to track the play through traffic, where his height works against him, as well as his propensity to lose the finer details of his technique in the crease. A second season like the last one with Harvard and he will rise up this list. - RW

Beck Malenstyn, LW (145^th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 18)

Re-read everything written above about Garrett Pilon and just make him a winger instead of a center, and then lower the ceiling a fair bit. Considering how low we stated the ceiling was for Pilon, we are basically stating that Malenstyn projects as a replacement level player. His hands have promise, and he plays a hard and tough style of game, but it is hard to see him as more than an injury replacement callup. The simple fact is that his offensive contributions are meagre. Even in the WHL, he was a secondary scorer. Through two seasons in the AHL, he hasn’t exceeded 16 points, although, to be fair, he could have cracked 20 if last season wasn’t ended early due to the pandemic. He could have been a regular in the 1980s, but it is hard for players of his ilk to establish themselves in the NHL anymore, and we don’t see why Malenstyn will break that mold. - RW

Riley Sutter, RW (93^rd overall, 2018. Previous ranking: UR)

One of the few of the next generation of the Sutter family to still retain NHL hopes, Riley Sutter’s projection was stunted over the previous two injury-plagued seasons. He has always carried the grit and smarts of his father’s generation, but the knock on him, from the time of his draft year, has been his heavy feet. Now, with only 63 combined games played in the last two years, split between the WHL and AHL, his chances have taken a hit with the missed development time. We can give him a mulligan for his poor numbers in his abbreviated rookie pro season, as he has solid puck skills and reads the opposition well, but he can scarcely afford a repeat of the last two seasons. A return to health and improved performance will help Sutter re-ascend this list. Continued injuries can end his NHL hopes. He has the size and strength to play a bottom six role in the future, but he has a ways to go to achieve that goal. - RW

MCKEEN’S 2020 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – WASHINGTON CAPITALS – ORGANIZATIONAL RANK: 20

Ryan Wagman, Profiles by Brock Otten, Shaiyena Cote, Vince Gibbons, Ryan Wagman — Tue, 15 Sep 2020 17:26:50 +0000

Washington Capitals

While most competing teams make a habit out of trading draft picks (we see you, Pittsburgh Penguins!), the Washington Capitals, winners of the Metropolitan Division for five years running (which includes this season, truncated as it was, wherein the Capitals went into the pandemic-pause with a one point lead over Philadelphia in equal games played), have not.

True, they do not always have their full complement of seven draft picks, as they left draft weekend with only four players selected in three of the last five draft classes. But with the exception of the class of 2017, the Capitals have always had their own first rounder. In fact, 2016 and 2017 were also the only years in the previous five drafts that saw the Capitals without a second-round pick.

Spelling out the consequences of this approach, unlike the Penguins (one first rounder in five years), the San Jose Sharks (three first rounders in five years, one of which was traded away before playing a professional game)*, the recent vintage of the New York Rangers, who did not have a first rounder between 2013-16, and others, the Capitals are achieving long-term success without selling the future.

*The Penguins and the Sharks are also both without a first rounder going into the 2020 draft, but that is a topic for another year.

This is not to say that the Capitals haven’t traded some future assets for pieces in the here and now, but those assets are much more likely to take the form of a middle or late-round draft pick. Perhaps we can say that the organization is under the after-effects of the “once bitten, twice shy” mentality. After trading future star Filip Forsberg within ten months of selecting him 11^th overall, the Capitals prefer these days to use a more minor asset, picks from the back half of the draft, or youngish depth players, to make the upgrades they need to remain competitive at the highest level. If absolutely necessary, they will deal away a second-round pick, such as the one they shipped to San Jose for Brendan Dillon at this year’s trade deadline.

If anything, the Capitals feel more secure in trading away a later pick as they also try to add them when dealing away excess talent. Since winning the Stanley Cup in 2018, the Capitals have acquired five draft picks in various trades while shipping out six (two of which were conditional).

All else being equal, you would want your team to have more draft picks to play with than less, but if you have to move some picks for a roster upgrade, it is far better to send away something farther from the top. There have been numerous studies performed over the years, by people far more numerically savvy than myself, noting how the value of a pick at the top of the draft starts very high (on aggregate) and drops off rapidly, flatlining sooner than one might expect. In short, once we get past the first round, the expected value from a third rounder or a seventh rounder is not all that large. We might even say that that value can be replaced through the astute signings of undrafted talent from the collegiate or European ranks, such as Bobby Nardella further down this list, or Joe Snively, who was our first cut.

As of this writing, the Capitals own five picks for the 2020 draft and will sit out the second and seventh rounds.

Connor McMichael of the London Knights. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Iimages.

Connor McMichael, C (25^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 3)

Few 2019 draft selections progressed as well as McMichael did this past season with the London Knights, where he went from a strong complementary piece to the lifeblood through which the Knights’ offense flowed. This has many scouts re-evaluating his potential as an NHL player.

A strong skater, McMichael showed much more confidence when carrying the puck and this allowed him to dominate touches when on the ice. He can beat you in transition because of his speed and he can beat you down low because of how well he protects the puck and how sound his decision making is. He is just a solid all-around offensive player. We also saw a huge improvement in his shot that saw him nearly hit the 50-goal mark. His wrist shot is powerful, and he is great at using different shooting angles to deceive goaltenders.

McMichael also showed improved strength away from the puck, which when paired with his high-end IQ, makes him a strong two-way presence. Originally thought of by many to be an eventual winger at the NHL level, he has shown enough to alter this belief. This is a very versatile player. Given the improvements he made this year, it is not impossible to see McMichael playing in the NHL next year with the Capitals. He already skates well enough to be an NHL player.

His versatility will make him very valuable and he could fill a variety of different roles for Washington if he shows himself worthy at training camp. At this point, McMichael’s projection is that of a two-way, goal scoring forward who can play inside the first two lines. – BO

Alexander Alexeyev, D (31^st overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 1)

When people think of the Washington Capitals they think of their offensive prowess as a system and the big names on the attack which is why for the past few years the Capitals management has not had to bother drafting forwards with their first round picks. From goaltenders to defensemen, the Capitals have decided to build up their back end and defensive structure instead.

Alexeyev, their 2018 first rounder, is no exception to the defensive pattern and he adds size (6-4”) and hockey IQ to the game. Making the jump from the Western Hockey league’s Red Deer Rebels, he managed to make it through his first professional season with no serious injuries despite his shaky health track record. He struggled in the beginning of the season to adjust to the pace, but as the season went along his confidence grew enough for the skills that got him drafted to make themselves present, particularly in the form of his passing ability and offensive zone positioning.

Alexeyev will need to come back to the Bears better conditioned in order to remain consistent throughout all three periods and he will need to find another gear when it comes to skating and speed. Numerous times last season opponents blew past him when driving the net and he will need to get stronger in keeping them to the outside.

Overall as he continues to develop and his game matures, there is little doubt that he has the overall ability to become a top pairing defenseman for Washington, it is simply a matter of the Capitals finding the right time and Alexeyev staying healthy, as he cannot sustain another serious injury without suffering major career setbacks. - SC

ARLINGTON, VA - SEPTEMBER 12: Martin Fehervary of the Washington Capitals (Photo by Patrick McDermott/NHLI via Getty Images)

Martin Fehervary, D (46^th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 5)

Having earned a spot on the Capitals 2020 playoff roster, as well as having suited up for his first playoff game in the NHL, Fehervary is off to a good start to the somewhat long and drawn out COVID-19 season. Tight competition between Fehervary and fellow Hershey Bears roommate and first round pick Alexander Alexeyev has been good for Fehervary’s development in the Washington organization, pushing him hard in order to see results. The results of that developmental push have been evident as the lanky Slovakian has managed to impress Capitals management is his rookie North American professional season, often using his tremendous skating ability to sail past opponents and earn scoring opportunities.

He is the complete package as a future NHL defenseman; he plays a physical and rough game, can skate, carry the puck, and his defensive zone coverage is good. The only downsides come in the form of patience, passing, and knowing when to hold onto the puck or to pass it. He is not as well known for his passing abilities as he is for his skating and skill level and at times it was evident this past season with turnovers and missed important passes that oftentimes led to icings or offsides. Fehervary will simply need to tighten up his passing and work on how he moves the puck as well as when he moves it in order to be able to make the right choices in the NHL when his time comes to suit up as a top four defenseman. - SC

Aliaksei Protas, C (91^st overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 8)

His shot is above average and enables him to always be a dual threat to defend. You have to respect his shot as he has been averaging 3.6 shots/game this season, over double his previous years. His willingness to shoot the puck has helped his overall offensive game blossom into one of the best in the WHL this past season.

The knock on Protas in his draft year was always his cumbersome footwork and lack of pace, but he has made some serious strides in that part of his game as well. He will never be mistaken for a speedster, but his speed has improved enough that it does not hinder his game anymore. He still needs to work on his overall defensive commitment and has struggled in the faceoff dot but those are both things have improved with coaching. He is still a long-term project but the potential upside here is much higher than most expected in his draft year. - VG

Garrett Pilon, C (87^th overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: 17)

For a player like Pilon, making the NHL and standing out will always be hard due to his style of play. Every team is in need of a hard working grinder who can skate and who keeps his feet moving at all times, however there is nothing particular that stands out about the way that Pilon plays and that is the main issue. The Capitals roster currently has its fast skaters and its fourth line grinders in the likes of Carl Hagelin and company, therefore Pilon will have to impress by broadening his play and bettering his offensive production and overall puck possession next season.

He finished fifth in team scoring with the Hershey Bears this past season and managed to establish himself as one of the AHL club’s top penalty killers with his speed and determination, both with and without the puck. It is clear that Pilon takes his hockey seriously and works hard every shift but at the next level it is about putting all of those things together and he will have to have a better, more cohesive and consistent game heading into next season in order to pull away from the pack and lead his way into a bottom six spot on the NHL club.

He is a passionate player and he will also need to keep his temper and frustration in check to avoid spending more time in the box than on the ice. As stated before, if the Capitals cannot find a spot for him, all teams are in need of a hard working grinder to do the dirty work and Pilon will be a big-league asset should he continue to put his overall game together and mature. - SC

Brian Pinho, C (174^th overall, 2013. 2019 Rank: UR)

Throughout the season, he was a clutch player for Hershey, often earning overtime markers and tying goals. He dominates in the offensive zone and often times earns breakaways on turnovers and long passes. That being said, he needs to work on bringing that competitive level to every game and on further developing his defensive play. With the recent call up to the Capitals, Pinho may have earned his chance at next season’s roster as a member of the bottom six. - SC

Kody Clark, RW (47^th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 11)

He is a strong skater but his puck possession was simply not there this season and he will have to find a way to get to the net if he wants to even be considered as a top priority call up option. Serving more time in the penalty box than often necessary, Clark will have to prove himself as a skilled player first more than anything in terms of next season and working his way towards a call up. He has the potential and skill to play as a bottom six forward in the NHL, but he still has a lot of learning to go before that will happen. - SC

Brett Leason, RW (56^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 4)

For a player who was passed over two years in a row in the draft, Leason has managed to defeat the odds, becoming a second-round pick for the Capitals. He has the size to play and to stay safe at the next level, proving so during his rookie season with AHL Hershey, however speed and skill is another thing. This is where the Washington offensive prospect structure starts to thin out and with Hershey this season, Leason failed to mark more than five goals, a disappointing drop from the 36 goals he scored in major junior the year before to being a healthy scratch for Hershey towards the season’s end. Leason will have to find another gear and start playing up at a professional level, as right now he is simply not fast enough to cut it and if he cannot find another gear it will be uncertain if he will ever be given a chance with the Washington Capitals as a bottom six. - SC

Lucas Johansen, D (28^th overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: 7)

As a first round pick, Johansen needs to perform better, he has offered little in the way of point production and the quantity of turnovers he gives up is just bad. Having missed the bulk of the season with a leg injury, Johansen will need to show that he spent the time off well to come back better than ever to prove to Capitals management that he is deserving of a call up at least.

As the time goes by, the Capitals are drafting more and more high-quality defensemen and Johansen’s name is getting further and further down their organizational depth list. It is now or never to prove that his passing, hockey IQ, and composure with the puck are good enough for a bottom four spot in Washington’s lineup. - SC

Vitek Vanecek, G (39^th overall, 2014. 2019 Rank: 14)

With a tight goaltender race, Vanecek will have to show his composure every time he gets a chance to be up with the Capitals. His quick reflexes and athleticism in the net are what set him apart from his counterparts as he is very active and aggressive in his crease, he fights for positioning well, and sees plays with good vision. His rebound control could use a little work and his timing when playing the puck can sometimes be a worrisome issue, however the Capitals look to have a promising goaltender tandem for the future as Vanecek could manage the starting role just as well as Samsonov. - SC

Axel Jonsson-Fjallby, LW (147^th overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: 16)

That being said, he lacks instincts as a two-way player and in the defensive end, and there is little else to be said about his giveaways and ill-advised passes in the neutral zone and on breakouts. Jonsson-Fjallby is a difficult prospect to talk about because he has NHL-level skills, but his hockey sense is poor and hard to overlook. With any luck, he will find himself in a Capitals jersey within the next season as a first choice call up to a bottom six position. - SC

Damien Riat, LW (117^th overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: 18)

A speedy winger with intriguing puck skills, he has been the top scorer in his age cohort ever since being overshadowed by a young Auston Matthews in 2015-16, until finally being overtaken again this year. For an organization that rarely drafts out of Europe, Riat has a chance to convince the Capitals to change their scouting direction once more if he adapts well to the North American game this year. - RW

Tyler Lewington, D (204^th overall, 2013. 2019 Rank: UR)

With his contract expired and the end of his prospect eligibility coming up, Lewington has hopefully proved himself to be enough of an asset on the backend in the Washington organization to be offered a new contract.

He is a big body and has been a physical, mature presence on the ice for the AHL Hershey Bears. He plays a solid defensive game and often times lends his shooting ability in offensive situations which allows him to stand out with his overall in-game effectiveness as a two-way player.

He is a good defenseman with a promising future ahead and the potential to be a bottom four contributor either with the Capitals or another team should they choose not to resign him. There are slight discipline issues but nothing of concern with Lewington’s actual play and for a seventh round pick his development has surpassed anything expected when he was first drafted. - SC

Bobby Nardella, D (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Apr. 5, 2019. 2019 Rank: UR)

Having been trusted for a role on the Bears’ top powerplay unit, Nardella clearly shows his maturity and that he is focused enough to manage high pressure situations and smart enough to make the right plays. He also has the skill as a top-level skater and puckhandler to get to the net for scoring opportunities which can make him an asset in today’s game.

The major downside is size and if the Capitals can get past that, rest assured that Nardella has the potential to be a top four pairing defenseman. The delay in cracking the Washington lineup simply comes from defensive depth and prospect hierarchy politics, because as a player Nardella offers nothing but good things to a team. - SC

Martin Hugo Has, D (153^rd overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 20)

At 6-4”, he certainly has good length and exhibits good gap control when containing the transition game of the opposition. As an offensive player, we saw Has struggle at times with his decision making and the pace of play in the OHL. It remains to be seen just how much potential he has as an NHL prospect moving forward. Next year he will return to Guelph and will likely resume his partnership with Chayka. As he becomes more comfortable, we should get a better idea of the type of player he is and can become. - BO

Washington Capitals 2019-20 Prospect Review: Top 20

Sat, 14 Sep 2019 13:30:48 +0000

Many clubs in the Capitals’ position of always being in the hunt, always being buyers at the trade deadline, see their prospect stock stumble, mostly due to the combined effects of having fewer picks, picking later when they do make picks, and sometimes trading away still developing youth for the more reliable promise of tested veterans.

In many cases, teams supplement their prospect income with free agent signees, and Washington has been no exception, although to a lesser extent than many other teams, with only seven qualified having been brought into the organization – having been brought into professional hockey – as undrafted free agents. That said, the player’s inked by the Capitals off the free prospect market do not have the organizational impact that you see from free agents in other systems. While the two free agent collegians signed by Washington this year (Joe Snively from Yale and Bobby Nardella from Notre Dame) were considered for the top 20 list, none of the free agent signees ultimately featured in the list below.

Also incidentally not appearing anywhere in the top 20 below is a single product from the Capitals’ small draft class of 2017, when they did not select a single player prior to the fourth round.

The above factors would typically lead to a system that is among the bottom end of systems in the game, and while we have not yet scored out all systems as of this writing, and even without Chase Priskie, who would have likely been in the top six here were it not for his stated intentions to explore free agency after Washington’s right on him expire in mid-August as a college graduate, the Capitals have a decent system, buttressed by a top four who all profile to be top half of the NHL roster players.

The system, from the 30,000 foot view lacks for inspiration, but between minute munching, two-way defender Alexander Alexeyev, long-touted netminder Ilya Samsonov, who began to demonstrate the potential that had Capitals’ brass salivating for years in the second half of his season in North America, and their top two picks from the 2019 class, forward Connor McMichael and Brett Leason, there are four players here who could grow into future core pieces for a franchise that should reasonably expect to continue to contend for postseason glory.

What the system lacks, on the other hand, is the breadth and depth of the system that is also needed to ensure that a team can withstand the inevitable injuries that teams accrue over the course of a season. The AHL talent – at least those guys who will not be AHL rookies this year – has very few forwards who could be expected to play NHL roles yet, with the only young potential 2019-20 contributing players coming on the blueline. In fact, two of the following three players listed below after the aforementioned top three, and three of those in the 5-10 range are defensemen with at least one full season of AHL experience under their belts.

The moral here, if there is one, is that the Capitals have a better system than might be expected, but that the system may not be structured to help the NHL team as needed, depending on how those needs shake out. Expect their depth to be tested this year.

-Ryan Wagman

Washington Capitals goaltender Ilya Samsonov (Photo by Jaylynn Nash/Icon Sportswire)

1 Alexander Alexeyev, D (31^st overall, 2018. Last Year: 3) Alexeyev is a great story wrapped in a very good player who has all the tools to be a top four defender in the NHL. He has good size, skates very well, and has more snarl in his game then most give him credit for. Couple all that with a defender who is an excellent passer both in his own zone as well as when quarterbacking a powerplay, and he shows real promise. He has had some injury trouble the past couple of seasons and had a tragic loss as his mother passed away mid-season in his draft year. Despite so many ups and downs he has been one of the top defenders in the WHL since his arrival from Russia. He projects as playing both sides of special teams although maybe on second units and he could be an very solid second pairing defender. - VG

2 Ilya Samsonov, G (22^nd overall, 2015. Last Year: 1) Having had good numbers in the KHL, Samsonov was destined to be a top goaltender in North America, however despite his cool demeanor, depending on the outcome of a play he can get easily frustrated and distracted. His playoff performance with AHL Hershey was less than desirable and he seemed to lack the maturity to keep his focus into the postseason. Samsonov is a very intense, high pressure goaltender and he has all the traits to be a starter in the NHL. It will be a matter of time and perhaps a chance at a better playoff run to build his confidence up before we see him make the leap to starting more than a game or two with Washington. There is no doubt that with his tracking abilities and poise Samsonov will see another call up to the NHL again this season and hopefully for a longer time frame in order to further his NHL experience. - SC

3 Connor McMichael, C (25^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) McMichael was one of the most consistent performers for the London Knights this past season, despite being in his NHL draft year. His hockey IQ is his best asset as he is such an intelligent player in the offensive zone. He is also a great skater, which he uses in combination with his vision and anticipation to find those soft spots in the opposing defense. As a shoot first center, McMichael’s ability to create for his linemates will need to improve should he want to stick down the middle moving forward. A lot of that comes from a need to play with more intensity, especially with the puck on his stick. He needs to attack the middle of the ice with more ferocity. While scouts are unsure as to whether McMichael is a center or wing in the future, he profiles as a strong two-way middle six forward who can provide versatility and goal scoring to the Capitals in the future. - BO

4 Brett Leason, RW (56^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Leason’s skating has improved by leaps and bounds since his first time through the draft. He is now an average skater but it is now enough to enable his many other skills to shine through now that he can keep up with play. He is an underrated passer with good instincts in the offensive zone. He is a monster on the cycle game and below the dots where he can tire out opponents forcing them to chase the game. His shot is lethal and he is an excellent net front presence as he battles and keeps his skill free to tip pucks or reach loose pucks. If the scoring doesn’t translate he can still be an effective energy guy that can tilt the ice and generate offensive zone time. At his best he could be a power forward with 20-25 goal potential. -VG

5 Martin Fehervary, D (46^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 6) An aggressive import from Slovakia, Fehervary played full time in the SHL last season, in his last year qualifying for junior hockey. He finished the season ranked sixth on HV71 in ice time. All told, he had a good, but not great, season. He played in his customary aggressive style, with quick skating, physicality, and good reach. His game was well suited to the SHL level and he had mostly good underlying numbers. The one area where his stats were not as strong was in his on-ice save percentage. While that rate is usually luck-related, with only a single season of data, it is hard to tell for sure. He still has NHL potential, with the look of a third pairing blueliner. His skating, reach and aggressiveness will becoming a strong defensive defender. He should be playing n North America next season, most likely in the AHL, which will go a long way in pushing his development along. - JH

6 Jonas Siegenthaler, D (57^th overall, 2015. Last Year: 12) Siegenthaler really stepped up at the end of last season and managed a good enough performance as a call up to the Capitals to earn a spot as one of their starters for this coming season. He is a strong and smooth skating defenseman who has a very high hockey IQ which makes him an asset to any team. As a bottom pairing defender with the Capitals to start this season, it will be up to Siegenthaler to work his way up the ladder a little more. An added bonus is his playoff experience from last season, having already proved himself in the most high pressure of situations. It should be a relatively easy transition from training camp into NHL mode this season with fewer nerves to worry about. It is safe to say that Siegenthaler’s time in the AHL is done if he can clock his first full season with the Capitals in 2019-20. - SC

7 Lucas Johansen, D (28^th overall, 2016, Last Year: 2) It is debatable whether Johansen is a good skater. His crossovers and edgework are fine but he lacks consistency with his speed in-game. If he can continuously maintain an urgency to his game and avoid being caught standing still then he will be on the right track to earning his first call up to the Capitals next season. For now, he will remain at the AHL level with the Bears until he finds the maturity in his game to take him to the next level. As a first rounder in 2016, Johansen has the skill to play the NHL and the potential to be a second pairing defenseman but he is still only scratching the surface with his development. Johansen will most likely be relegated to another two seasons in the AHL before being in position to gain a full time roster spot with the Capitals. - SC

8 Aliaksei Protas, C (91^stoverall, 2017. Last Year: IE) Protas is a monster on the ice. His presence is as noticeable as his shadow. He needs to work on his feet as he is slow and cumbersome as he moves around the rink. That said, he has pretty good puck skills and is a very deft passer. He is able to create from the halfwall or from behind the net where he can hold on to the puck for longer than most. He uses his size very effectively although his overall game is not especially physical. He gained more scouting notoriety as he upped his offensive game drastically in the WHL playoffs, playing a key role in pushing the Raiders to a WHL championship. If he can improve his skating stride there is some potential there. - VG

9 Riley Sutter, RW (93^rd overall, 2018. Last Year: 9) Riley is the latest chapter in the Sutter family dynasty with the Capitals selecting him in the third round of the 2018 draft. He was on a good pace last year, with 41 points through 38 games, before suffering a severe lower body injury that cost him the remainder of the regular season (although he managed to return for the end of Everett’s postseason run, as well as a cameo with AHL Hershey in their playoffs). Sutter is a solid two way forward with good size and smarts. He is versatile and can play either center or on the wing, has a nose for the net, and an above average shot. He projects to be a bottom six forward at the highest level and will most likely be used in checking roles as he moves up. As he turns 20 in October, he could still return to Everett for another season, but the ods suggest he will spend next season in the AHL. - KO

10 Connor Hobbs, D (143^rd overall, 2015. Last Year: 4) Hobbs is a great team player and a solid passer compiling 15 assists over the course of the season. He is not the smoothest of defensemen and may seem somewhat scrambly but he gets the job done. Although he plays a more gritty and passionate game than other defensemen on this list, his maturity on the ice is what will carry him to the next level. His positioning is good and he is dynamic and capable of playing an offensive role which only adds to his value. Hobbs plays with vibrant energy and his progression with the Capitals organization has been good and will only get better should he stay focused. That being said, expect him to play another full year in the AHL before earning a call up. The unorthodox, late blooming defenseman has the potential to be a Tory Krug type of defender, but will need another full year in the AHL to come into his own. - SC

11 Kody Clark, RW (47^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 13) One would expect the son of former NHL’er Wendell Clark to be quite the physical aggressor and that expectation happens to be a correct one. Kody Clark is an intense competitor who is very active on the forecheck and in puck pursuit. He also has great lower body strength which makes him difficult to separate from the puck as he works the wall and prolongs possession for his more skilled linemates. There are some limitations to Clark’s offensive game and subsequently his offensive ceiling. His puck skill, creativity, goal scoring instincts, hands, and vision would all have to be classified as average. Likely the key to Clark’s development moving forward will be the development of his defensive game. This will determine whether he becomes more than just a fourth line agitator and energy player. -BO

12 Colby Williams, D (173^rd overall, 2015. Last Year: Not ranked) Among defensemen in the Washington system, Williams is on the smaller end but that does not stop him from making smart plays. He plays a physical game, is strong on the boards and does well at keeping the puck on his stick. His shot production and offensive play needs to improve a little more before he can be considered for a call up to the NHL. He is a mature enough player to earn the call and he plays with enough determination and control that he would be a solid addition to the Capitals’ roster. It is hard to estimate at this point whether or not Williams will play another full year with the Hershey Bears or be sent up for a few games. If he checks off every area of development, he could emerge on a third pairing in time. - SC

13 Shane Gersich, C (134^th overall, 2014. Last Year: 5) Gersich is a high energy and entertaining forward to watch and having already won the Stanley Cup with the Capitals in 2018 he has high pressure experience with the big club under his belt already. Unfortunately however, Gersich fell short this season with Hershey as he did not quite live up to expectations. Gersich is a very fast and skilled player with a great set of hands but these skills were lost as he adjusted to the pace of his first professional season while making the jump from NCAA. Gersich had a great development camp and it is without question that he will be better adjusted and prepared this coming season when he starts with Hershey. It is well known that the Capitals have a strong forward lineup but a spot on the Capitals’ roster is not too far away for Gersich as he is certainly dynamic, aggressive and skilled enough to be a bottom six forward once he gets the call. - SC

14 Vitek Vanecek, G (39^th overall, 2014. Last Year: 14) Vanecek is a tricky case with the Washington Capitals in terms of goaltenders in their system as they have a lot of goaltending talent and it is quite a competitive system in terms of skill. On the smaller end of the standard goaltender size spectrum, Vanecek moves well, has good vision and keeps rebounds low which are all things that make him a contender for a spot on the Capitals. Last season, Vanecek and Ilya Samsonov nearly split the starts evenly. Vanecek finished in the top 20 in the AHL for his goals against average which is a testament to his athleticism. His temperament may be stable enough for an NHL club however consistency is an issue and he needs to work on being more stable in net if he wants to earn a spot as a backup goaltender in the future. - SC

15 Eric Florchuk, C (217^th overall, 2018. Last Year: Not ranked) Florchuk has been a mixed bag this past season but he has some offensive skills and good hockey IQ. He is a pass first player who makes smart plays in all three zones. He needs to add some strength to continue to develop into his pro-sized frame. He is a responsible two-way player who back checks hard and gets in on his forecheck well. He projects as a bottom six forward that helps on the penalty kill and contributes to an overall team game. While not the most exciting or high skilled forward in the system, he looks like great value for literally the final pick of the 2018 draft.- VG

16 Axel Jonsson-Fjallby, LW (147^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 7) When he is at his best, Jonsson-Fjallby is a highly energetic and quick player to play with and tough to keep up when paired against. His speed makes him a force to be reckoned with and his hockey IQ has improved drastically in the last year. He has become a smart and reliable two way player, whereas once his defensive game was insubstantial. His backwards skating is weak and his consistency and ability to read the play needs to drastically improve. Jonsson-Fjallby still has the potential to be a bottom six forward but first he needs to complete a full season in North America - last season did not go as planned and he returned back home to play with Djurgardens in the Swedish Hockey League - and prove that he has made a proper adjustment to the ice size and style of North American professional hockey. - SC

17 Garrett Pilon, C (87^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 17) Pilon is a hard working forward capable of winning battles, allowing for good puck possession. He is dynamic and has a good head on his shoulders where playmaking is concerned. He creates offensive opportunities and passing is certainly a strength of his with his goal/assist ratio only proving that fact. He is a clean, but physical player who gets well into the tough spots and adds notable pressure to create turnovers. However, good two way players are a valuable commodity and Pilon needs to find an extra gear and find a way to keep up the tempo in all zones and not just the offensive end to move to the next level. His level of comfort moving from the Everett Silvertips of the WHL to the AHL has been shifted somewhat and it will be up to him to manage his transition better in order to be noticed as a potential bottom six center with Washington. - SC

18 Damien Riat, LW (117^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 11) Last season, Riat left his childhood team of Geneve-Servette for NLA competitor Biel-Bienne, and there was some hope that the fresh start would allow him to take that next step in his development as a prospect. And while he had a decent season with his new team, Riat did not take any such steps. His point production barely budged (from 24 to 25 points in an equal number of games) and according to first-hand accounts, the skilled winger didn’t look any better in producing the way either. He is still an agitating winger whose feet are as quick as his hands, but with his NLA contract expiring this summer, this will be a critical year for him to show that his greasy game would be worth an ELC from the Capitals. - RW

19 Beck Malenstyn, LW (145^th overall, 2016. Last Year: Not ranked) Last season was rough for Malenstyn and presumably not how he expected to start off his professional career. With only a meager 16 points throughout 74 games, the regular season was disappointing. He started to pick up steam as he hit the playoffs only for Hershey to be eliminated, killing his momentum. It is optimistic to say that he will need a confidence boost next season in order for him to be able to showcase his skills better. When on his game, Malenstyn is a natural goal scorer and great at gaining puck possession, but he will have to have a much better showing in order to prove to Washington that he still has NHL upside. With his shot and natural scoring ability, he will have to find the back of the net more than just 7 times next season to reach even ensure that he can remain in the AHL long term. - SC

20 Martin Hugo Has, D (153^rd overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) The Capitals selected the towering Czech defenseman in the fifth round of the 2019 draft. Has spent the past two seasons with Tappara U20 and unless he makes the Liiga team this year, it is reasonable to think that he will stay at the U20 level. His shooting ability stands out, with a wrist shot that is hard and accurate, while his slap shot features a lot of power and a good wind up. He also has a knack for getting shots through on the net. His other attributes project to be more around average and the jury is still out on whether he has enough upside to play a significant role in the NHL at his maturation. His acceleration and overall mobility need work and although he shows promise in his defensive and physical games, there is room for improvement in those areas as well. – MB

The 2019 NHL Draft: Draftee Perspectives on the First Step to the NHL

Shaiyena Cote — Wed, 24 Jul 2019 18:03:08 +0000

The end of June signifies a time of growth and development in the elite hockey world as the National Hockey League’s general managers along with coaching staff, scouts, owners, players, parents/families and fans get to see the fruition of all the hype of a season long observation of eligible prospects get drafted in the most prestigious event in the hockey world, the NHL Entry Draft. This year 31 teams picked 217 players over two days.

I attended last year’s draft in Dallas as a spectator but this year I was fortunate to have the opportunity to attend for the first time with full credentials allowing me an excellent learning experience. Although not a research project, my perspective as a student offered me many different opportunities to observe the draft process first hand.

The draft took place over two days in Vancouver, hosted by the Vancouver Canucks with round one taking place on day one with team staff, players, families, and of course all of the curious fans paying close attention to who would go in the 31 spots of the first round. Day two consisted of rounds two through seven and although day one is stressful, many of the players who will be chosen in the first round have an idea that they will be drafted. The top five picks have been speculated about for months, however this year the one and two spots were undecided for many people until the first overall pick going to New Jersey was announced, which ended all the speculation as to the very top of the draft class.

VANCOUVER, BC - JUNE 21: Kaapo Kakko, Jack Hughes, and Kirby Dach pose for a photo onstage after being selected in the top three in the first round of the 2019 NHL Draft at Rogers Arena on June 21, 2019 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Derek Cain/Icon Sportswire)

Speculation over Kaapo Kakko and Jack Hughes had been raging for months, with both competing in both the World Junior and later the World Men’s Championships, Kakko for Team Finland and Hughes for the US. It so happened that Finland won both events, thereby giving Kakko the distinction of winning world gold at every level of the IIHF world championships all by the age of eighteen (he also won gold at the 2018 WU18 tournament). Jack Hughes meanwhile had impressive numbers with both the U18 and U20 US teams and had a good showing at the IIHF World Championship as well. Debates were ongoing and heated as to which order they would be drafted right up until the New Jersey Devils put an end to all the speculation by picking Hughes first over all, leaving the New York Rangers to select Kakko from TPS of the Liiga as the second overall pick.

This year’s draft was far less diverse than last year’s where the top six of the first round were from six different countries, as this year saw 22 North American players being selected in the first 31 picks. With the high likelihood that Hughes and Kakko will start with their respective big clubs, it should still be noted that the number of players to start in the NHL has slowly been decreasing over the years with many of the draftees moving on to the AHL, returning back to their countries to fulfill contracts, returning to their respective major junior teams, completing a pro year in another league in preparation for the NHL or committing to an NCAA school.

All that being said, I do not want to take anything away from the excitement and energy the draft brings to the hockey world, especially to the prospects with a firmly realistic look at the work that lays in front of them once they are drafted in order to make a successful jump to the NHL. In fact, I want to focus on the positivity and optimism that I encountered with the many prospects that I had the opportunity to interview about their draft experience. Over the course of three days I had the chance to speak with many prospects and draftees about their draft experience, ranging from first rounders to fifth rounders, including four of the top five picks.

I spoke with both Jack Hughes, (1st overall, New Jersey) and Alex Turcotte, (5th overall, LA) the day before the draft, after they participated in an informal instructional skate with local minor hockey players. Hughes came across as laid back but seemed confident that he would go first overall. “Today was a lot of fun (skating with kids), it was like being out on the ice with my brothers when we were younger.” Brother Quinn Hughes, (7th overall 2018, Vancouver), along with Jake Virtanen (6th overall 2014, Vancouver) joined the 2019 top six rated prospects minus Kakko on the ice with the kids.

Most of the attending prospective draftees toured Vancouver with their families and were able to travel freely around the city. Unfortunately for both Hughes and Kakko, being so easily recognized meant traveling with handlers and not being able to explore Vancouver like many of the other draftees did. In fact, other than the top 31 picks many of the draftees are unknown to fans, so they were free to sight see and shop with family or in small groups.

“I look up to Jack which sounds funny, being the older brother and looking up to your younger brother, it’s not usually what older brothers do. I’m excited for him, having been there myself a year ago, I know some of what he’s feeling, except he’s going higher than I did”, stated Quinn when asked about Jack and the possibility of his younger brother going first overall.

“I think it was cool to be drafted in the city where my brother plays,” stated Jack after he was drafted, who seemed to take the whole draft experience in stride. If Jack was nervous it didn’t really show, as he is cool, calm, and collected with the press, laid back with his buddies and fellow draftees and accommodating with people like myself who he just seemed to enjoy engaging in small talk about sharing a birthday one day apart from mine and playing hockey.

I had worked for Alex Turcotte’s grandfather, Rheal, as a coach with his Turcotte Stickhandling North American hockey school for four years, which, when I told Alex, he was excited to hear as he has also worked at his grandfather’s hockey school. Turcotte was engaging and excited the day before the draft but said he was “a little nervous” about being drafted. “Being told you’re going high and actually waiting to see the outcome is nerve wracking”, he concluded.

Dylan Cozens (7th overall, Buffalo) had similar feelings to Turcotte as he was actually slated to go higher than he did. Cozens is from Whitehorse, Yukon Territory and is the first draftee from the Yukon to ever go in the first round, “I didn’t really set too many expectations, just was excited and wanted to enjoy the moment and just take it all in. You know it’s something that I’ve worked towards my whole life, so I just wanted to enjoy it as much as I could.”

When asked about his overall experience in Vancouver, Cozens stated, “it was a great experience, I got to walk around the city lots and you know I was just trying to enjoy it as much as I could. It’s a stressful time but it’s the best day of my life so I’m just enjoying it all.” I joked with Cozens that he had his answers memorized due to doing so many interviews and being asked similar questions. At this writing Cozens is rehabbing a thumb injury sustained in development camp and will be returning to the Lethbridge Hurricanes of the WHL.

VANCOUVER, BC - JUNE 21: Ryan Suzuki shakes hands with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman after being picked twenty-eight overall by the Carolina Hurricanes during the first round of the 2019 NHL Draft at Rogers Arena on June 21, 2019 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Derek Cain/Icon Sportswire)

I interviewed Ryan Suzuki (1st round, 28th overall, Carolina) on day one when he’d finished his press gallery interviews. Suzuki had been ranked at the 22^nd spot going into the draft, “I think I was just hoping to go first round somewhere and I mean the Hurricanes believed in me and they selected me so I’m just super excited to be drafted to them and get started with them.” When asked about his overall experience in Vancouver, Suzuki stated, “Uh, it was a little nerve wracking at the start but um, I think once you’re drafted, it’s a big sigh of relief and I’m just super excited right now.”

I know both the Suzuki brothers and I was fortunate to catch up with both Ryan and older brother, Nick (13th overall, 2017 originally to Vegas, currently with Montreal) on day two of the draft as they watched to see where friends and former teammates would be picked in rounds two through seven. Nick had hoped for Ryan to go to Montreal but overall was happy that his brother was chosen in the first round. “I was hoping that Ryan would go higher but I’m glad Carolina picked him. Now we’re off to our development camps in a couple of days and we’ll see where we end up at the end of camp, I don’t think we’ll be playing each other any time soon.” stated Nick. Following development camp Ryan will be returning to the Barrie Colts of the OHL while Nick is rostered to Laval of the AHL as of this writing, so Nick is right that they won’t be playing each other any time soon.

The last first rounder that I interviewed was Brayden Tracy (29th overall, Anaheim), I asked him about his draft experience and he replied, “Yeah, I kinda knew where I was going, ah a little bit late first so I was just kinda sitting there relaxing and then pick 25, I kinda got a little bit nervous and then luckily I got my name called. It’s words you can’t describe, honestly I think it’s just a bunch of nerves going through your body but other than that (I feel) super excited and I’m very honored to be picked by such a great organization.” As of this writing Tracy will be returning to the Moose Jaw Warriors of the WHL.

I conducted only two interviews with second rounders and they both happened to be goalies. I caught up with Pyotr Kochetkov, (2nd round, 36th, Carolina), as he was shopping for draft souvenirs at the Canucks store. Kochetkov was friendly and all smiles but wanted to keep it short and sweet while speaking through his interpreter so I just asked how he felt about being drafted, “I just wanted to go before the third round” he replied. I practiced my limited Russian by replying, “spasibo” (thank you). Kochetkov is listed on Elite Prospects as returning to SKA-Neva, St. Petersburg of the KHL next season.

(editor’s note – when I caught with Kotchetkov and his agent/interpreter before the start of the second round, he was pretty sure that his name would be called in the second round).

Hunter Jones, (2nd round, 59th, Minnestota), was the second goalie I interviewed. Jones was outgoing and excited to share his draft experience, “I didn’t really have like, a lot of expectations going into it. I was obviously ranked pretty high for the draft, so, um, starting the day off I was pretty eager to get things going but, you know, I kinda knew where teams had me in their depth of drafting so, it was as I hoped, I finished with a second round selection. So, an unbelievable experience so far. It’s been amazing.” When asked about his family experience in Vancouver he replied, “Ah, it was great, I flew in on Thursday morning and I went to go sight see a little bit and you know see the town, go for a little walk and I love it here, it’s great, great city and yeah I’m sure the away games will be a lot of fun.” Jones, at this writing, is returning to the Peterborough Petes of the OHL.

Alex Campbell, (3rd round, 65th, Nashville) is from Chateauguay, Quebec, was drafted out of the Victoria Grizzlies of the BCHL along with teammate and first rounder Alex Newhook (16th, Colorado). I asked Campbell the same question about his draft experience and he replied, “Nah, I mean for the draft, even before the season I realized I wasn’t really on any of the lists so coming to this, it’s kinda, just here for the experience” I asked, “just happy to be here?”. Campbell replied, “Yeah, exactly.” When asked about his Vancouver experience Campbell said, “Yeah well I played in Victoria so it’s not too, too far. I kinda knew the west coast a bit but I just kinda visited around. (I’m from) Montreal.” I speak French so I asked him if he spoke French, “Yup, lots of French actually,” When I mentioned the fact that there’s not a lot of French spoken in Nashville he replied, “Nope, nope, but a lot of country music.” It turns out that Campbell is a country music fan, “Yeah a country boy, so there we go.” Campbell will be playing for the Omaha Lancers of the USHL for the 2019-2020 season prior to starting his commitment to Clarkson University of the NCAA. (Side note: teammate Newhook is committed to Boston College, NCAA)

BROSSARD, QC - JUNE 28: Montreal Canadiens prospect Gianni Fairbrother (59) tracks the play during the Montreal Canadiens Development Camp on June 28, 2019, at Bell Sports Complex in Brossard, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire)

When I asked Gianni Fairbrother, (3rd round, 77th, Montreal) if he’d had any expectations he told me, “No, I didn’t really know what to expect obviously I thought that there’d be a chance or a possibility so uh, I just kinda came with an open mind and thankfully it happened”. I asked Fairbrother how his French was considering he was drafted to Montreal, “(Laughing), I haven’t done it in a couple of years.” Asked about his family experience he replied, “Well I’m actually from here so it’s my home town so it’s definitely cool for it to be here. Ten minute drive (from home).” Fairbrother will be back playing for the Everett Silvertips of the WHL for the upcoming season.

I had the pleasure of conducting my first French interview with Rouyn-Noranda Husky and 2019 Memorial Cup winner Alex Beaucage, (3rd round, 78th, Colorado) who hails from the small Québec town of Trois-Rivières. I asked Beaucage if he had any draft expectations he replied, “Yes, but I knew not to have too many, it doesn’t matter what round and it didn’t bug me too much (going 3rd round) as long as they called my name, (the rest) it wasn’t important.” Asked if his family was with him and what his experience in Vancouver had been like, Beaucage told me that “Yep” his family was with him, “It’s been great, it’s very different from Trois-Rivières, it’s a lot bigger but it’s a super nice place. It’s so much fun (here) and it’s different from where I’m from but it’s been so much fun.”

This interview was fun for me as French is my second language and I speak Ontario French which is different from Quebecois French but I liked challenging myself to interview Beaucage in his native language which seemed to surprise him but also made him comfortable in speaking with me. It’s undeclared at this writing where he’ll be playing next season.

Version française de l’interview:

(Moi) Est ce que tu avais des expectations avec la Draft?
(Alex Beaucage) Uh, oui mais je sais de ne pas mal faire trop uh, c’est peu importe la ronde ça me dérangeait pas trop trop tant qu’ils me faisaient l’appel c’est pas important.
Et est-ce que ça c’est ta famille?
Ouais
Comment est-ce que tu as trouvé Vancouver?
C’est super, c’est différent de chez nous, c’est beaucoup plus gros mais c’est une super belle ville.
Et tu viens d’où?
Trois-Rivières, Québec. Mais ça c’est super de la fun, c’est différent de chez nous mais c’est super de la fun!

I asked Anttoni Honka, (3rd round, 83rd, Carolina) if his draft experience had met his expectations, “Yeah, of course, I talked at the Combine with maybe twenty teams about a contract.” I asked Honka how he had liked Vancouver and his experience in the city, his reply was, “Yeah it is a nice city, it was lots of fun to be here with family and my brothers and mum and dad, so it was fun.” As of this writing Honka will be playing for JYP Liiga in Jyväskylä, Finland.

I caught Aliaksei Protas, (3rd round 91st, Washington) as he was in between phone calls. I asked the Belarus native about his expectations for the draft, “No, I didn’t have nothing, I just was here hoping somebody would draft me.” I then asked him about his experience in Vancouver, “Oh yeah, it’s pretty good city. No, I’m here without family, yeah, they stayed at home, but I was in Vancouver not too long ago, I was in Langley about two months ago. Yeah, it’s a very nice place.” At the time of this writing, Protas is going back to the Prince Albert Raiders of the WHL for the upcoming season.

**
Jordan Spence, (4th round, 95th, LA), was born in Australia, has both Canadian and Japanese citizenships and was drafted into the QMJHL out of the Maritime Junior Hockey League. I asked him if he had any expectations, “Not really, I’m happy to be here. I’m just happy to be drafted.” About his experience in Vancouver, “I’m just happy to be here with family.” Spence seemed a little overwhelmed at being drafted fourth round. Spence is expected to return to the Moncton Wildcats of the QMJHL next season.

The Finns had a solid showing at this years’ draft with Matias Maccelli, (4th round, 98th, Arizona) being one of several selected. I asked Maccelli about his draft expectations, “I wasn’t sure what was going to happen, I was excited and happy to be here.” About his experience in Vancouver he replied, “Yeah we had fun, I think they (family) had fun too,” Maccelli is expected to be playing with Ilves of the Liiga in Tampere, Finland for the upcoming season.

I found Hunter Skinner, (4th round, 112th, Rangers) standing with his family, I asked him about his draft expectations, “I mean I was just hoping to get drafted, I mean it’s a dream come true.” I followed that up with asking him if he had enjoyed his time in Vancouver, “Yes, I got here Friday morning, toured all around, got some food. My mum had a little difficulty getting here but, yeah, we toured around, we came and watched the first round, enjoyed that and now I’m back here today.” I ended with asking him if he was related to Jeff Skinner (7th overall, 2010, Carolina now with Buffalo), “I don’t know, I’ve never looked into whether we’re related. That would be cool though.” Skinner has recently left the USHL and the NCAA track to play for the London Knights of the OHL for the coming season and ironically has been assigned number 53 for the New York Rangers (Jeff Skinner wears number 53).

Leevi Aaltonen, (5th round, 130th, Rangers) was the last Finn that I interviewed. I asked him if he had been disappointed to not be drafted until the fifth round, “Yeah, a little bit, we expect maybe second to fourth round but now fifth round, but it’s all good and I’m very excited.” I asked Aaltonen if he had family there to experience Vancouver with, “No family, just my agent and my Finn friend Mikko. Yeah, this has been an unbelievable trip.” (Mikko is Mikko Kokkonen 3rd round, 84th, Toronto). Aaltonen will be playing for KalPa of the Liiga in Kuopio, Finland this coming season under head coach Sami Kapanen, father of Kasperi Kapanen (22nd overall, 2014, Pittsburgh now Toronto). (Side note: Mikko Kokkonen will be playing for Jukurit of the Liiga in Mikkeli, Finland).

Czech player Martin Hugo Has, (5th round, 153rd , Washington) did not have any expectations about the draft, “No, not really, I just went here and hoped for the best.” I asked Has about his experience in Vancouver, “Yeah, my dad is here with me, yeah. It’s my seventh time in Vancouver, (most recently the) World Juniors. It’s been good, this is a nice city.” Has was drafted by the North Bay Battalion of the OHL in the 2019 import draft but is planning to return to Tappara of the Liiga in Tampere, Finland for the 2019-2020 season.

It’s great to see that many of the draftees are finding the positives in the cities/teams that have drafted them, such as Alex Campbell being excited about being a country music fan drafted to Nashville, known as Music City. Cole Caulfield (15th overall, Montreal) used French in his social media post thanking Montreal for selecting him even though he had stated in a TV documentary that he had had four years of French in school but had not had to use it. As an American, French is not an official language. Seeing Caufield make the effort to reach out to his new fans in their language is heartwarming and shows the effort that these guys are willing to make to connect with their new fanbase in order to make the transition to the NHL easier.

Team development camps started within 2-3 days of the conclusion of the draft and all the new draftees were heading out all over Canada and the United States to their prospective new teams.

They were all excited to attend their first NHL development camps and start the process of making it to the NHL.

For some of these draftees the transition will be way easier than for others. For some there are of course the obvious language barriers, more subtle and less obvious adjustments are things like ice surface size, (Europe has larger ice surfaces compared to NHL size ice pads), training regiments, playing with men, going from being a billeted player and having things done for you to being the youngest player on a professional men’s team and having to do everything on your own. Then there is homesickness and adjusting to so many changes all at once; city, team, living arrangements, coaching style, demands of being in the NHL, and for many a new country and for some a new language (English or French) to learn all while still being a teenager.

In interviewing a selection of players; forwards, defense and goalies from Canada, Russia, Finland, the Czech Republic, Belarus, and the United States, I was really able to see the diversity of players. All the players were excited to learn about the cities they had been drafted to, although some were far more nervous about it than others. It was a little disconcerting speaking with the guys who did not have family with them. That was sad because the draft is the biggest day in their hockey lives up to that point and it must be difficult to not have family there to share it with. I did find all of the guys that I interviewed and all the others that I spoke with, to be accommodating and willing to talk. They all seemed genuinely excited to be drafted although some were a little miffed at not being selected in the round they thought they would be drafted in. Every single player, despite whether they were disappointed in where they went in the selection or not, still shared an overall excitement and happiness to be drafted, many said that although the process was nerve wracking it was still a dream come true no matter what round they were drafted in.

I would be neglectful in ending this article on the success of the draft for so many players without honorable mention about a few prospects that I was surprised to see not get drafted, especially the ones that I wrote prospect reports about and who I had watched play this past season. The first player that comes to mind is Billy Constantinou, a player that I watched play for the whole first half of the season with the Niagara IceDogs of the OHL and who was invited to play in the Sherwin-Williams CHL Top Prospects game held this year in Red Deer in March as well as being invited to the NHL Combine in Buffalo in June.

Pavel Gogolev and Keegan Stevenson were also a pair of OHL Championship winning Guelph Storm forwards that were also possible draftees who were overlooked. Additional mention also goes to a pair of Oshawa Generals (OHL) wingers, Danil Antropov and Nando Eggenberger (note that Nando will be returning to Switzerland to play pro in the NLA for his former club team HC Davos) who were also skipped over. However, to take the disappointment of being passed over in the draft and to turn it into a positive, one only has to look at Brett Leason, (2nd round, 56th, Washington) who had been passed over in the previous two drafts but proved that if you work really hard and persevere you can still end up being drafted even years after you first gain eligibility. I guess the biggest lesson about making the NHL is to remember that everything takes time. Copyright © Shaiyena Cote 2019

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

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

MCKEEN'S RELEASES FINAL 2019 NHL DRAFT RANKINGS

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

American center Jack Hughes or Finnish Winger Kaapo Kakko?

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

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

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

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

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

BROADWAY KAAPO

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

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

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

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

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

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

ALL AMERICAN

Spencer Knight. Photo courtesy of the USNTDP.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SWEDE GOLD - SWEET SEIDER

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

100 HONOURABLE MENTION IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER:

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

Martin Hugo Has – McKeen's Hockey

McKeen’s 2020-21 Hockey Yearbook: Washington Capitals Top 20 Prospects

Connor McMichael, C (25th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 1)

Hendrix Lapierre, C (22nd overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Alexander Alexeyev, D (31st overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 2)

Martin Fehervary, D (46th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 3)

Aliaksei Protas, C (91st overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 4)

Garrett Pilon, C (87th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 5)

Brian Pinho, C (174th overall, 2013. Previous ranking: 6)

Kody Clark, RW (47th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 7)

Brett Leason, RW (56th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 8)

Lucas Johansen, D (28th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 9)

Vitek Vanecek, G (39th overall, 2014. Previous ranking: 10)

Axel Jonsson-Fjallby, LW (147th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 11)

Damien Riat, LW (117th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 12)

Oskar Magnusson, LW (211th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Bobby Nardella, D (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Apr. 5, 2019. Previous ranking: 14)

Martin Hugo Has, D (153rd overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 15)

Garin Bjorklund, G (179th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Mitchell Gibson, G (124th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 17)

Beck Malenstyn, LW (145th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 18)

Riley Sutter, RW (93rd overall, 2018. Previous ranking: UR)

MCKEEN’S 2020 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – WASHINGTON CAPITALS – ORGANIZATIONAL RANK: 20

Washington Capitals

Connor McMichael, C (25th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 3)

Alexander Alexeyev, D (31st overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 1)

Martin Fehervary, D (46th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 5)

Aliaksei Protas, C (91st overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 8)

Garrett Pilon, C (87th overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: 17)

Brian Pinho, C (174th overall, 2013. 2019 Rank: UR)

Kody Clark, RW (47th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 11)

Brett Leason, RW (56th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 4)

Lucas Johansen, D (28th overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: 7)

Vitek Vanecek, G (39th overall, 2014. 2019 Rank: 14)

Axel Jonsson-Fjallby, LW (147th overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: 16)

Damien Riat, LW (117th overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: 18)

Tyler Lewington, D (204th overall, 2013. 2019 Rank: UR)

Bobby Nardella, D (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Apr. 5, 2019. 2019 Rank: UR)

Martin Hugo Has, D (153rd overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 20)

Washington Capitals 2019-20 Prospect Review: Top 20

The 2019 NHL Draft: Draftee Perspectives on the First Step to the NHL

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

MCKEEN'S RELEASES FINAL 2019 NHL DRAFT RANKINGS

Connor McMichael, C (25^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 1)

Hendrix Lapierre, C (22^nd overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Alexander Alexeyev, D (31^st overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 2)

Martin Fehervary, D (46^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 3)

Aliaksei Protas, C (91^st overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 4)

Garrett Pilon, C (87^th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 5)

Brian Pinho, C (174^th overall, 2013. Previous ranking: 6)

Kody Clark, RW (47^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 7)

Brett Leason, RW (56^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 8)

Lucas Johansen, D (28^th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 9)

Vitek Vanecek, G (39^th overall, 2014. Previous ranking: 10)

Axel Jonsson-Fjallby, LW (147^th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 11)

Damien Riat, LW (117^th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 12)

Oskar Magnusson, LW (211^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Martin Hugo Has, D (153^rd overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 15)

Garin Bjorklund, G (179^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Mitchell Gibson, G (124^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 17)

Beck Malenstyn, LW (145^th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 18)

Riley Sutter, RW (93^rd overall, 2018. Previous ranking: UR)

Connor McMichael, C (25^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 3)

Alexander Alexeyev, D (31^st overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 1)

Martin Fehervary, D (46^th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 5)

Aliaksei Protas, C (91^st overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 8)

Garrett Pilon, C (87^th overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: 17)

Brian Pinho, C (174^th overall, 2013. 2019 Rank: UR)

Kody Clark, RW (47^th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 11)

Brett Leason, RW (56^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 4)

Lucas Johansen, D (28^th overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: 7)

Vitek Vanecek, G (39^th overall, 2014. 2019 Rank: 14)

Axel Jonsson-Fjallby, LW (147^th overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: 16)

Damien Riat, LW (117^th overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: 18)

Tyler Lewington, D (204^th overall, 2013. 2019 Rank: UR)

Martin Hugo Has, D (153^rd overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 20)