Michael Vukojevic – McKeen's Hockey

MCKEEN’S 2024 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – #26 New Jersey Devils – Organization Overview – Top 15 Prospects

Josh Bell — Fri, 31 May 2024 12:54:57 +0000

NEWARK, NJ - JULY 14: New Jersey Devils defenseman Seamus Casey (72) skates during New Jersey Devils Development Camp on July 14, 2023, at RWJBarnabas Health Hockey House at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Andrew Mordzynski/Icon Sportswire)

What a difference a year makes. After coming in with the No. 1 prospect pool in McKeen’s 2023 Prospect Guide, the New Jersey Devils have slid to the bottom of the pack. The biggest reason for this is the graduating class, with top prospects Luke Hughes, Simon Nemec, and Alexander Holtz making the jump to the big club this year. They add to arguably the best young core in the league, with Nico Hischier, Jack Hughes, Dougie Hamilton (who missed most of the season), Jesper Bratt and Timo Meier all under contract. This offseason will be interesting to see what happens with RFA Dawson Mercer, who’s more than earned a sizable raise throughout the start of his young career. The decision on Nolan Foote will be interesting as well, another RFA who hasn’t yet broken out.

General manager Tom Fitzgerald is approaching four years at the helm of this group, and the team is looking up. There’s a lot of faith in the group that’s here now though, as outside 2022 draftee Seamus Casey, the prospect cupboard has been quite depleted. There are some promising depth pieces such as Arseniy Gritsyuk and Lenni Hameenaho, but the system doesn’t look as it used to. However, the Devils have done well in keeping the majority of their high picks in the upcoming drafts, maintaining their first rounders for the next three years. Expect this to be an active team this offseason as they look to push for a playoff spot in 2024-25, faltering last season after showing so much promise in 2021-22. Fitzgerald will not hesitate to move picks and prospects if he can resolve his goaltending situation. Seeing what new hire Sheldon Keefe can do with this group will be interesting to keep an eye on.

RNK	PLAYER	POS	AGE	HT/WT	TM	Acquired	GP	G(W)	A(L)	PTS(GAA)	PIM(SPCT)
1	Seamus Casey	D	20	5-9/165	Michigan (B1G)	`22(46th)	40	7	38	45	14
2	Arseni Gritsyuk	RW	23	5-10/170	SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)	`19(129th)	50	19	19	38	8
3	Lenni Hameenaho	RW	19	6-0/175	Assat (Fin-Liiga)	`23(58th)	46	14	17	31	10
4	Topias Vilen	D	21	6-1/195	Utica (AHL)	`21(129th)	54	2	27	29	16
5	Graeme Clarke	RW	23	5-11/175	Utica (AHL)	`19(80th)	67	25	24	49	30
6	Josh Filmon	LW	20	6-2/160	Swift Current (WHL)	`22(166th)	64	27	40	67	30
7	Nolan Foote	LW	23	6-3/190	Utica (AHL)	T(TB-2/20)	4	3	1	4	2
					New Jersey (NHL)	T(TB-2/20)	4	1	0	1	0
8	Chase Stillman	RW	21	6-1/185	Utica (AHL)	`21(29th)	54	14	10	24	72
9	Jakub Malek	G	22	6-4/170	Ilves (Fin-Liiga)	`21(100th)	27	16	4	2.32	0.915
10	Samu Salminen	C	21	6-2/185	Connecticut (HE)	`21(68th)	35	7	10	17	35
11	Tyler Brennan	G	20	6-4/185	Adirondack (ECHL)	`22(102nd)	13	5	5	3.16	0.896
12	Ethan Edwards	D	21	5-10/165	Michigan (B1G)	`20(120th)	21	3	7	10	20
13	Cam Squires	RW	19	5-11/165	Cape Breton (QMJHL)	`23(122nd)	66	33	39	72	53
14	Charlie Leddy	D	20	6-1/185	Boston College (HE)	`22(126th)	39	0	8	8	12
15	Michael Vukojevic	D	22	6-3/210	Utica (AHL)	`19(82nd)	49	3	7	10	32

1. Seamus Casey, D, University of Michigan (NCAA)

Drafted 46th overall by the New Jersey Devils in 2022, Seamus Casey didn't grab headlines in his sophomore year at Michigan, but quietly put together a strong season. The undersized defenseman (5’ 9”, 161 lbs) chipped in offensively with seven goals and 38 assists for 45 points in 40 games. His skating and puck-moving ability remain his biggest strengths, allowing him to contribute in transition and spark the offense. However, questions linger about his defensive play. While he boasts good positioning, his size can be a disadvantage in board battles and against bigger forwards. Improving his physicality will be crucial as he progresses to the pro game. Overall, his sophomore season was a step in the right direction. He showcased his offensive potential while continuing to develop defensively. Casey could develop into a reliable two-way defenseman at the NHL level.

2. Arseni Gritsyuk, RW, SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)

Arseni Gritsyuk's 2023-24 campaign was a coming-of-age party in the KHL. The young winger carved out a niche on SKA St. Petersburg's roster, notching 38 points (19 goals, 19 assists) in 50 regular-season games. While the scoring totals are respectable, it was his playoff performance that truly turned heads. He emerged as a postseason difference-maker, tallying six points in 10 games and helping SKA reach the Gagarin Cup quarterfinals. The knock on his game used to be his inconsistency. Flashes of brilliance were often overshadowed by stretches of disappearing acts. However, this season showcased a newfound maturity in his game. He remained a threat offensively, but his defensive awareness and overall work ethic took a noticeable leap. Gritsyuk's stock is undoubtedly on the rise. While another year in the KHL could be beneficial, whispers of a potential NHL jump are starting to surface. His blend of offensive skill and improving two-way play makes him an intriguing prospect for NHL teams searching for young wingers with high ceilings.

3. Lenni Hameenaho, RW, Assat (Liiga)

Drafted 58th overall by the Devils in 2023, Lenni Hämeenaho's Liiga season started with a bang. The Finnish winger led Porin Ässät in scoring early on, showcasing the offensive flair that led to the Devils drafting him. He finished the year with a respectable 14 goals and 31 points in 46 games, but whispers of a potential breakout faded as the season progressed. While displaying flashes of brilliance – slick dekes, pinpoint passes – consistency remained a concern. There were stretches where he disappeared offensively, raising questions about his overall impact. However, at 19 years old, there's plenty of time to refine his game. The Devils have a decision to make. He could benefit from another year in Liiga to solidify his production. But a taste of North American hockey in the AHL could also be an option. One thing is clear: Hämeenaho's development is worth watching. He has the tools to be a future contributor for the Devils, but consistency will be key.

4. Topias Vilen, D, Utica Comets (AHL)

Topias Vilen's first taste of pro hockey was a mixed bag. Splitting time between the AHL's Utica Comets (54 games) and the ECHL's Adirondack Thunder (six games), Vilen showcased his physical tools (6’ 1”, 194 lbs) and strong skating. He chipped in offensively with 39 points (five goals, 34 assists) across both leagues. However, consistency, once again, remains a sticking point. Vilen would impress delivering a pinpoint breakout pass, or orchestrating a shutdown defensive play – but these moments were interspersed with stretches of invisibility. Decision-making can be suspect at times, leading to turnovers and missed opportunities. The Devils' prospect remains a boom-or-bust proposition. Refining his decision-making and maintaining a higher level of engagement will be crucial. If he can do so, his upside as a reliable two-way defenseman with offensive upside remains tantalizing.

5. Graeme Clarke, RW, Utica Comets (AHL)

Graeme Clarke's 2023-24 was a season of steady improvement, but with lingering doubts. The Devils' 2019 third round pick enjoyed a strong AHL campaign with the Utica Comets, registering 49 points (25 goals, 24 assists) in 67 games. This marked a slight dip from his previous season's point total, but his overall impact remained positive. However, his NHL audition was a brief one. A three-game stint with the Devils produced no points, highlighting the gap between the AHL and the NHL. While he possesses a scorer's touch and good size (6’, 175 lbs), his defensive awareness needs refinement. The upcoming season will be crucial. Can he translate his AHL success to the NHL level? He'll need to show more consistency and improve his defensive play to earn a permanent role with the big club. Clarke's offensive talent is undeniable, but his NHL future hinges on becoming a more well-rounded player.

6. Josh Filmon, LW, Swift Current Broncos (WHL)

Josh Filmon enjoyed a productive season statistically, but questions linger about his overall development. The 6’ 3” winger notched a respectable 27 goals and 67 points in 64 WHL games for the Swift Current Broncos. However, that production came after a scorching 47-goal campaign the year prior. While Filmon continues to show a knack for finding the net, there are concerns about his consistency and playmaking ability. The Devils would like to see him elevate his game beyond pure goal-scoring and become a more well-rounded offensive threat. There's also a desire for him to demonstrate a stronger understanding of the defensive side of the puck. Despite these concerns, the scoring prowess remains intriguing. The team might be content to see him return to the WHL for another year to develop his overall game. However, a pro debut in the AHL isn't entirely out of the question, especially if he can rediscover his scoring touch from the previous season.

7. Nolan Foote, LW, Utica Comets (AHL)

Nolan Foote's 2023-24 season was a masterclass in "what could have been." Drafted 27th overall in 2019, the winger battled injuries all year. He appeared in a mere four games for New Jersey, registering a single point. A conditioning stint with their AHL affiliate, the Utica Comets, showed flashes of his potential (three goals, one assist in four games), but ultimately wasn't enough of a sample size to crack the NHL lineup consistently. This stop-start development is a recurring theme for Foote. His blend of size (6’ 3”) and skill is undeniable, but staying healthy remains a major obstacle. The question for Devils fans – and fantasy hockey enthusiasts alike – is whether Foote can overcome his injury woes and finally translate his potential into NHL production. The 2024-25 season will be a critical year for the young forward.

8. Chase Stillman, RW, Utica Comets (AHL)

Chase Stillman's first pro season in the AHL wasn't a headline grabber, but it offered valuable development minutes for the Devils' 2021 first-rounder. He notched 24 points (14 goals, 10 assists) in 54 games for the Utica Comets, a decent showing for a rookie. The knock on him coming out of juniors was inconsistency. While flashes of his hard-nosed play and scoring touch were evident, there were stretches where he could not find the scoresheet. This pattern continued in the AHL, raising questions about his offensive consistency at the pro level. However, there were bright spots. There was a willingness to play a physical game, racking up 72 penalty minutes. His skating remains a strength, allowing him to create space and pressure defenders. The team will likely want to see more consistent offensive production next season, but Stillman's rookie campaign offered a glimpse of his potential as a future bottom-six forward who can contribute on both ends of the ice.

9. Jakub Malek, G, Ilves (Liiga)

Fourth-round pick Jakub Malek turned heads in Finland's Liiga this season. The 6’ 4” netminder posted a respectable .914 save percentage across 27 games with Ilves, solidifying his reputation as a strong prospect. He showcased good positioning and a calm demeanor in the crease. While not overly athletic, his size allows him to cover a lot of net. However, consistency remains a question mark. There were stretches where he looked like a future NHL starter, followed by games where rebounds control became an issue. Development in puck-handling and communication could also benefit him. Overall, 2023-24 was a positive step. The Devils might be tempted to bring him to North America next season, likely starting in the AHL. A strong showing there could put him on the fast track to the NHL.

10. Samu Salminen, C, University of Denver (NCAA)

Samu Salminen has taken an interesting path thus far, coming from the U20 SM-sarja to the NCAA’s University of Connecticut. He’s been consistent in his first two seasons, with 17 points each season, albeit in eight more games this year. He wasn't the focal point of offense on these teams, but his well-rounded skillset remained on display. His hockey IQ and ability to find open teammates were assets, particularly on the power play. However, questions about his skating – a concern coming out of the draft – linger. While not a liability, it doesn't quite match his offensive creativity. Further development in Connecticut will be interesting to watch. Can he refine his skating and become a more consistent contributor? The answer will determine if he reaches his full potential as a complementary top-six forward at the NHL level.

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

MCKEEN’S 2022-23 NHL YEARBOOK – NEW JERSEY DEVILS – Top 20 Prospects

Sun, 18 Sep 2022 19:31:17 +0000

NEWARK, NJ - OCTOBER 04: New Jersey Devils right wing Alexander Holtz (10) skates during the first period of the pre-season National Hockey League game between the New Jersey Devils and the Washington Capitals on October 4, 2021 at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire)

1 - Luke Hughes D

While the NHL at large may be more familiar with the two Hughes brothers currently playing in the NHL, Jack, and Quinn, there’s another Hughes brother on the horizon, and he’s got a strong chance to be just as much of a star as his brothers are. Luke Hughes, the fourth-overall pick of the 2021 draft, is among the most gifted defensive prospects in hockey. Hughes’ last season was his freshman year at the University of Michigan, and he led all blueliners in the entire NCAA in scoring. Again, he did that not only as a freshman but also as one of the youngest players in college hockey. Hughes, next to 2022 second-overall pick Simon Nemec, is the face of a next generation of Devils blueliners that looks more and more promising with each passing year. The core of Hughes’ on-ice profile is his skating. Hughes is as close to a mechanically perfect skater as one can be, with a stride that’s as smooth as butter. There’s an efficiency to the way he moves that also forms the foundation to his offensive game. The manipulation of his own speed, timing, and stop-and-start ability lets him create space on the ice. He’s active offensively both with the puck on his stick and without it. With the puck on his stick, he aggressively looks to make plays for his teammates, and he’s extremely good at getting pucks to the net and finding ways to score goals from the blueline. Without the puck on his stick, Hughes has shown an ability and willingness to leverage his mobility to clear room on the ice for his teammates. His overall offensive toolbox is so refined that it makes for an easy projection to the NHL level. His defense, while more of a work-in-progress, has made great strides since his days at the National Team Development Program. He may not end up a shutdown force at the NHL level, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility that he finds his way onto an NHL penalty kill. In total, Hughes is an extremely promising defenseman who matches both raw talent and careful polish. He has a real chance to become a number-one defenseman in the NHL. - EH

2 - Simon Nemec D

Nemec broke all sorts of records for U20 defensemen in the Slovak men’s league and then led all defensemen in postseason points. After a successful season, he became the 2^nd overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft and the highest-drafted defenseman in his draft class. The young Slovak has played among men for the past three seasons and represented his country internationally at two World Championships and one Olympics. He is an extremely mature player for his age. Whether he gets a shot with the New Jersey Devils at the start of the season should be within his grasp, however it is more likely he will spend the majority of the year in the AHL, due to the full right-side of the Devils´ defense. Nemec is a two-way defenseman who likes to join the attack and play offensively. He is a capable powerplay option, an extremely smart player with great vision and passing game. He is not overly physical but is quite strong and can stand his own. A notable weakness is his shot, especially given the lack of strength he puts to it. Nemec has really good hands for a defenseman and enjoys having the puck on his stick. He is not as flashy as some of other top choices in the recent draft, but his floor is among the highest in his entire draft class. He projects as a top-pairing defenseman who should contribute offensively and run the PP. - MD

3 - Alexander Holtz RW

If you are the New Jersey Devils, do you make room on the roster this year for one of the best prospects in the NHL after his encouraging performance in the AHL last year? After bringing in Ondrej Palat and Erik Haula this offseason, their forward ranks are extremely crowded. Yet Holtz (and a few other prospects) proved that they are ready for the NHL with their performance in Utica last year. Holtz’s game is built to be a top six, complementary offensive weapon at the NHL level. Not only does he possess an excellent shot, but he also has great scoring instincts. The puck seems magnetically drawn to him within ten feet of the crease and he rarely whiffs on his opportunities. Holtz supports play in the offensive zone well too, with a game predicated on quick touches meant to keep plays alive deep in the zone. As he continues to upgrade his speed and his strength on the puck, he should develop into a consistent 30 goal scorer at the NHL level. So, what do the Devils do with him this season? If he plays in the NHL, it will likely be on a scoring line, and he will have a very real shot at putting up the kind of numbers required of a Calder Trophy winner. Otherwise, New Jersey probably sends him to the AHL for another year (until an injury dictates his call-up) or negotiates a loan to Sweden for a year until a few contracts come off the books (like Haula, Tatar, Johnsson, and Wood). - BO

4 - Arseni Gritsyuk RW

It would be fair to say that Arseny Gritsyuk has established himself as a top KHL prospect over the last season, even though he really had to earn the trust of coach Bob Hartley and has also received a few trophies to back up that claim, including the KHL rookie of the year award and the Olympics silver medal. Furthermore, Gritsyuk played a major role in making that silver medal happen for the Russian team, scoring the winner in the nerve-wrecking semifinal shootout. Looking at the coming season it should be a near lock for him to take on a top six role for his KHL team and even though a sophomore slump is a possibility, it doesn’t feel likely in this case, as Gritsyuk has the smarts and creativity in addition to a rich skillset. It should also be mentioned that he is in the final year of his contract and if everything goes well there is a good chance that he will be able to crack the NHL roster short thereafter. There are plenty of reasons for Devils fans to be excited and follow Gritsyuk closely this season, not to mention the parallels in his development with that of another recent Russian 5th round pick in Kirill Kaprizov. Not that we expect Grisyuk to be another Kaprizov, but this is a fun prospect to be excited about and the hype train is picking up speed. - VF

5 - Shakir Mukhamadullin D

A surprise first round pick by the Devils in 2020, Mukhamadullin has already signed with New Jersey. After finishing last year in the AHL with Utica, he returned to Salavat Yulayev of KHL this season under loan. He's a huge defender who is confident in his mobility and readiness to join the rushing game. He is someone who is extremely confident on the ice; he knows his role and plays it. Mukhamadullin is aggressive physically as a defensive player and will step up to make plays. He also knows how to keep his man in front of him by exhibiting good gap control and positioning. Offensively, his biggest weapon is a strong shot from the point. As a puck mover, he is not extremely dynamic, and his decision making will need to improve for him to be a point producer at the NHL level. Mukhumadullin is spending the upcoming season at Salavat Yulaev (as mentioned on loan), after which he will probably move on to the NHL. More should be known about his upside after this current season, as the Devils will be looking for him to take on a larger role as a puck carrier in the KHL. If he can continue to make adjustments, he has the physical tools to be a strong two-way, second pairing defender. - DB

6 - Fabian Zetterlund LW

It might shock people, but Zetterlund is more likely to earn a permanent roster spot with the Devils this year than is top prospect Alexander Holtz. The reason is two-fold. Firstly, Zetterlund has progressed extremely well at the pro level, improving each of his three seasons in the AHL, and even scoring 8 points in 14 games with New Jersey last year. Secondly, he is no longer exempt from waivers, which forces the hand of the Devils unless they want to lose him for nothing. The reality is that Zetterlund is also built to play a checking line role (at least to start) more effectively than Holtz. Zetterlund has a game built to excel in a high energy, bottom six role. He consistently chases down and battles for pucks, using his strong lower body to keep plays alive. He brings it physically and is an excellent forechecker. He plays with pace and crashes the net, excelling in high traffic areas, rather than steering clear of them. His offensive upside is higher than that of your basic fourth line grinder, but it might be a role that he has to start at this coming season. The former third round pick (back in 2017) has emerged as a quality pro prospect and one of the best in a strong and deep New Jersey system. - BO

7 -Reilly Walsh D

A former standout with Harvard, Walsh has positioned himself well to challenge for a roster spot this coming season. The Devils’ blueline group largely struggled to contribute offensively last year and Walsh would go a long way to helping with that. An offensive standout, he can have a profound impact on the transition game. He can skate the puck out of trouble with his quick feet and he is a natural at quarterbacking the powerplay. Coming out of college, there were some concerns about his ability to defend at even strength, but his positioning, engagement, and overall effectiveness in his own end has improved considerably. Interestingly enough, the Devils acquired John Marino this offseason, who was one of Walsh’s defensive partners at Harvard. Is it possible that New Jersey sees the two of them pairing up this coming year in a third pairing role (with Walsh QB’ing the second powerplay unit behind Dougie Hamilton)? Walsh does have minor league options remaining, though, and that means he may be a numbers casualty due to the terrific blueline depth New Jersey has accrued. The smooth skating, offensive rearguard is definitely trending in the right direction and looks like a future top four defender for the Devils…at least at some point in the near future. - BO

8 - Nolan Foote LW

The son of former NHL defender Adam Foote, Nolan is coming off of his second pro season in the Devils’ system after being acquired for Blake Coleman. The big power forward has performed well at the AHL level and even in two cups of coffee with New Jersey. This is especially true of last season, where he scored three goals in seven games with the Devils. Foote will never be confused with a speedster, but he has worked hard to become a little quicker so that he can keep pace at the NHL level. He understands his role as a complementary piece and plays it to a tee. He drives the net with his stick on the ice and can be a fearsome net front presence. He is physical in pursuit of the puck and can dominate shifts down low, below the goal line. Foote is more than just a grinder, however, as he possesses great finishing ability because of his quick release and smooth hands. It is easy to see him becoming a long time middle six option at the NHL level, so long as he continues to improve his skating. The issue, much like was stated with Alexander Holtz, is that New Jersey’s forward group is currently crowded and that probably means Foote gets caught in a numbers game again this season. Another year in the AHL wouldn’t hurt his development as he can hopefully become one of Utica’s top scoring options and get closer to the point per game mark there before fully taking that next step. - BO

9 - Nico Daws G

It is not too often that you see a first year pro netminder thrust into NHL action, but injuries thrust Daws into significant time with the Devils last year. He handled it pretty well too, given the state of New Jersey’s defense and rebuild. The former OHL late bloomer has given New Jersey fans a lot of hope for the future with his strong rookie pro performance, however he should be given more time to develop at the AHL level this year. The Devils traded for Vitek Vanecek to pair with Mackenzie Blackwood, allowing Daws to split time with Akira Schmid at Utica. Of course, Daws could be recalled again as an injury fill-in, but at least the Devils now know that he can handle it. The 6’4 netminder can be a brick wall at times because of his positioning and play reading ability. He tracks the play extremely well and has worked hard over the last few seasons to improve his quickness, allowing him to challenge shooters more consistently. He has also worked hard to improve his ability to cleanly corral rebounds, transforming from more of a pure stopper into a true goaltender. With another strong performance at the AHL level this year, Daws could put himself into serious consideration as one of the best goaltending prospects in the NHL and push Mackenzie Blackwood as the team’s netminder of the future. - BO

10 - Seamus Casey D

Seamus Casey’s fall to 46th overall at the 2022 NHL draft was a bit of a surprise, as multiple outlets had placed late first-round or early second-round grades on the talented blueliner, who was among the best defenders at the U.S. National Team Development Program last season. But it made sense based on the defenders who went before him, as for all the attention the changing expectations of NHL defensemen get many NHL teams still prefer their blueliners to come with a bit of size. Standing at five feet and ten inches tall, Casey doesn’t have that. But he makes up for his lack of size with a few standout tools. First and foremost, Casey’s skating sets him apart. He weaves his way through the neutral zone with the puck on his stick, and his upside as a puck-moving defenseman at the NHL level is clear. Casey also can work as a power play quarterback, with the vision and hockey IQ to be a strong facilitator of play in the offensive zone. Casey’s defensive game has some holes, but that’s not due to a lack of effort. Casey is a diligent defender in his own zone, and his skating gives him value there as he can make it easier for his team to exit the zone, something that carries real defensive value. That being said, it’s simply too easy for more talented forwards to create chances with him on the ice, and Casey’s issues in the size and strength department are evident when he’s tasked with disrupting a bigger forward looking to create a scoring chance. Casey might need to be placed in a more sheltered role as a pro, but his offensive tools are definitely good enough to give him NHL upside. As a power play threat and puck mover, Casey could fashion a nice NHL career for himself after a few years of development in college. - EH

11 - Tyce Thompson

The first full season at the pro level for the former Providence star was a grind. A shoulder injury limited him, but he finished the year strong with Utica. Thompson is a power center who excels down low and near the crease. He could be a full time NHL’er by season’s end.

12 - Kevin Bahl

The hulking blueliner continues to develop nicely in the Devils’ system and has positioned himself to be in contention for an NHL role this year. He continues to work on his four way mobility.

13 - Michael Vukojevic

A potential stay at home defender for the Devils, Vukojevic just finished his second pro season with Utica. His skating and confidence with the puck continue to improve and with it, so does his projection as a future #4-6 defender.

14 - Nikita Okhotyuk

Another strong defensively oriented blueliner with Utica and former OHL’er, Okhotyuk hits like a truck and is fairly mobile for the game he plays. His upside is limited, but his strong defensive acumen makes him a potential NHL player in some regard.

15 --Chase Stillman

Thus far, Stillman’s development has not gone according to plan. His offensive game took a step back and not forward last OHL season. This season the Petes will be counting on the former first rounder to step up and be a consistent scoring threat.

16 - Graeme Clarke

The older brother of Kings’ top prospect Brandt Clarke, Graeme is a scoring winger with similar skating concerns. Adapting to the pace of play in the AHL has been a challenge, but Clarke is talented enough to eventually figure it out.

17 - Daniil Misyul

After three full years at the KHL level, Misyul’s offensive game is still non-existent. However, his combination of length and mobility does give him intriguing defensive potential. The 21 year old blueliner will spend another year in the KHL this season.

18 - Jakub Malek

A big Czech netminder Malek will be moving to Finland this season to play in Liiga with Ilves. This will be a great test for the former fourth round selection.

19 - Aarne Talvitie

Talvitie, a former Penn State product and Word Juniors standout, played well for Utica last year in his first full pro season. His NHL upside might be limited, but the competitive forward is a strong two-way presence and should carve out a career as a penalty killer and depth player.

20 - Akira Schmid

The Swiss netminder was a surprise standout for Utica this past season and has pushed his way into New Jersey’s plans. A strong athlete at 6’5, Schmid’s development has given New Jersey great depth at the goaltending position moving forward.

McKeen’s 2020-21 Hockey Yearbook: New Jersey Devils Top 20 Prospects

Sat, 05 Dec 2020 15:37:00 +0000

McKeen's Top 20 New Jersey Devils 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.

Alexander Holtz, RW (7^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

The prized tool in Holtz’ scouting report is his shot. His wrist shot is incredibly powerful and accurate and comes with a quick trigger. He can additionally make you play with a slap shot, or a tip. He also has high end puck skills and can pull off daring maneuvers at his best. He can make skilled zone entries using speed and quick touches. He doesn’t force plays but utilizes his linemates to drive scoring chances. Holtz is well-built, with a mature, muscular frame. He gives a good effort across all three zones and can play angry, using his strength and aggression to keep defenders at bay while he works the puck. Holtz has very good top speed, without overly exerting himself to get to full throttle, as he seems to glide. He is agile with four-directional mobility and good balance. It should also be noted that Holtz is able to tie all of those physical skills and characteristics together with through a refined hockey brain and doesn’t take his skills for granted. He is very close to being NHL ready and he has the makings of a high-end first line winger who can pot 35-40 goals a season regularly. – RW

Ty Smith, D (17^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 1)

Smith has all the intangibles that you want in a player beyond his talent. His skating stride is high end, and he is incredibly comfortable with the puck on his stick. He drives the play a lot for a defender and is a constant threat to jump into the rush. He is able to generate so much offense because of how quick he makes reads and moves the puck. His movement without the puck make him difficult to track and he can quarterback from the blue line very efficiently. His passing from the top of the blue line is lethal, with excellent vision to see plays and gaps as they develop. He finds open ice very well and makes himself available to receive the puck. He is a boss on zone exits where his puck carrying and vision enable him to keep teams guessing. In his own zone, Smith is improving and his strength is becoming less of an issue as he matures physically. He engages and uses his quickness and elusiveness to strip pucks and avoid forecheckers. With a little work on his defensive game, he will be an effective player on the Devils’ blue line for many years. – VG

Dawson Mercer, RW (18^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

While his game is polished and mature, Mercer’s physical tools are still raw and improving as he has only recently begun to focus on conditioning and strength. He is such a versatile player because of his high IQ. He excels in any role asked of him, wing or center, offensive driver, or shutdown backchecker. He brings energy and tenaciousness in puck pursuit, always in the right place at the right time. He excels physically, especially on the forecheck and in retrievals. He has the lower-body strength to win puck battles consistently and knows how to maintain possession. Offensively, Mercer plays a simple game, making quick decisions, with the hands to go through defenders. His shot is also an asset, with a quick release. Mercer’s skating still needs work before he reaches the NHL. His lateral mobility and edges are fine, but he lacks explosiveness. A quality two-way workhorse whose offensive game still has more room for growth as his physical tools mature, Mercer’s ceiling is lower than some other first rounders, but his floor is higher, making him an ideal complementary player on a scoring line. – BO

Nolan Foote, D (27^th overall, 2019 [Tampa Bay]. Previous ranking: 2)

Foote’s shot has long been elite in terms of power, accuracy and quickness of release. Since being drafted, he has added multiple levels to his game. His playmaking isn’t ever going his main strength, but he is becoming a very effective passer, helping him make better decisions when his shot is taken away. His foot speed remains a knock, but he is fine for the type of game he plays. Foote is a big body that can get in on the forecheck and disrupt opponents leaving the zone. He can be a net front guy but really excels cycling the puck and coming off the wall, shooting from around the circle. He also has a good one timer. Foote is a complementary player, and when matched with the right center, (which the Devils have a nice collection of these days) should be a top six winger with 25-30 goal potential. – VG

Shakir Mukhamadullin, D (20^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Mukhamadullin was chosen to represent his country as an underager at last year’s WU18 and again this year at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup as well as the WJAC. Playing against his peers, he flashed first rounder tools and ability. His time in the Russian junior league (MHL) was even more impressive, making up for his scant ice time in the KHL. He can display agile, four-way skating, with plus acceleration for a player of his size. Playing with the puck, he shows a good set of hands and the ability to set up teammates for chances in the offensive zone. Even his shot is strong, if unrefined. The challenge to scouting Mukhamadullin was that in the KHL, anything that could be linked to confidence was gone. He played a very passive, tentative game, and that absence of fluidity led to more mistakes than one can easily excuse due to youth. He has the raw ingredients to be cooked up into a tasty player down the road, and his early play this season is a hint of that, but patience will be required. – RW

Janne Kuokkanen, LW (43^rd overall, 2016 [Carolina]. Previous ranking: 3)

Kuokkanen is a rare fully adaptable players, gifted with a simple playing style as both a grinder and power forward, driven enough to carry the top powerplay unit, and reliable enough to kill penalties as well. A master of simplicity, he finds space by either staying high or carrying the puck deep. His skill set is strong and his hands and individual play help to distinguish him from other forwards. Not that he is a selfish player, but he is a skilled one at doing the individual things he needs to do to get the job done. Kuokkanen will have to improve his consistency at the next level regarding the amount of effort he puts in throughout the entirety of a game as there are periods where he seems unnoticeable, in addition to question about his ability to win board battles. He is a highly skilled player capable of executing under pressure, and with top six upside. - SC

Kevin Bahl, D (55^th overall, 2018 [Arizona]. Previous ranking: 4)

Acquired in the Taylor Hall trade Bahl is a mountainous presence in the defensive end. Throughout his OHL career, he has improved his mobility, decision making, and offensive confidence considerably. He has also learned to manage the puck better in his own end, improving his breakout pass and his confidence in handling the puck in the face of forecheckers. Of course, his bread and butter is his ability to shut down the opposition’s best by smothering them with his size, reach, and physicality. He hits to hurt and is an intimidating presence who makes skilled players wary of bringing the fight to the middle of the ice. He is also very intelligent in his own end. He does a good job using his long reach to break up passes, anticipating the play around him. He will not quarterback a powerplay or be a high point producer who leads the rush; however his puck skills are good enough to play top four minutes. I would expect him to move quickly through New Jersey’s system, after adjusting to the processing speed required of him at the pro level. - BO

Reilly Walsh, D (81^st overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 6)

Walsh was drafted in the third round after spending four years in prep school at Proctor Academy in New Hampshire. As a senior, he was an alternate captain and averaged over two points per game. He also spent time during his senior year with Chicago of the USHL, where his dynamic elements convinced scouts that he wasn’t simply beating up on high schoolers. Upon concluding his career at Proctor, he went straight to Harvard as a true freshman, where he was named to the ECAC All-Rookie team thanks to his immediate impact. Walsh is a high-scoring offensive defenseman who netted 31 points and 12 goals as a sophomore. He plays on the power play, puts power behind his passes and moves skillfully in the offensive zone. Defensively, Walsh still has to improve. He has soft hands to cleanly take the puck from opponents and he uses his long reach well. He is patient but sometimes too patient in the defensive zone, which allows opponents to beat him. Walsh projects as a middle-pairing defender at maturity. - JS

Arseni Gritsyuk, LW (129^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 7)

A smallish winger with a lot of quickness in his game. Gritsyuk moves both his hands and feet quickly. He is electrifying to watch and scores beautiful goals. He has explosive speed and can separate himself impressively from opponents. He is also very slick with the puck in the offensive zone. He has a quick released wrist shot as a weapon to use as well. Most of his goals come from near range, though. He is effective on breakaways and it is dangerous to leave him any room in the offensive zone. That said, he will also battle to lose pucks in front of the net. Gritsyuk is offensively smart and is a strong zone entry player with his speed. I would say he is more of a transition player that needs to play at high speed to be successful rather than a playmaker that controls the play at varying pace. His defensive awareness is good, and he works hard without the puck. He has top six forward potential but will play at least one more year in Russia. - JH

Tyce Thompson, RW (96^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 8)

After playing prep hockey at Salisbury School in Connecticut, Thompson spent a season in the USHL. He netted a modest number of points, but it wasn’t until college that Thompson broke out as a prospect of note. Specifically, not until his sophomore season, when he was tied for third in scoring nationally and ranked second on the team behind only Jack Dugan, who led the country. Thompson isn’t exactly small at 6-0”, but he is only 165 pounds. He uses his size to his advantage with a long reach, but he lacks physicality in his game. He may be lean, but he can outskate his opponents. He excels as a two-way forward with his calm demeanor. Thompson, who played on both the penalty kill and the power play for Providence, also skates well employing sharp turns. As a fourth-round draft pick, Thompson is turning out to be a steal and projects as a potential second-line forward if his recent gains can be maintained. - JS

Michael McLeod, C (12^th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 9)

Time is getting tight for McLeod, whose first-round status may not be enough to save him from slipping through the cracks of New Jersey’s system. He still has the skill, size and talent to play at the NHL level, but it is just up in the air as to whether or not he will be playing for the Devils in the future or for another club. To start, McLeod is a strong forechecker and good at keeping the puck on his stick. He makes plays, passes and gets it deep. A downside however comes when he holds onto the puck too long or fails to finish which causes turnovers, especially in the neutral zone, which then leads to him taking a few too many penalties. It will be McLeod’s last chance at staying up as a call up this season with hopes of ending his time in the AHL, but he will have to prove to New Jersey that he really wants to be there, and will do what it takes as a bottom six forward to start. - SC

Michael Vukojevic, D (82^nd overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 10)

An assistant captain with the Kitchener Rangers, Vukojevic is a hard-nosed stay at home defender with great size at 6-3”, 215lbs. He is one of the more difficult defenders to match up against in the OHL because not only is he highly intelligent, but he is aggressive and assertive when it comes to taking away space. His lateral and backwards mobility are also good for a player of his ilk. As Vukojevic returns to the OHL next year, the expectation is that he can round out his game by becoming a more confident offensive player. As is, he probably projects as a quality third pairing defender who can help anchor a team’s penalty kill. However, if he can improve his play with the puck and his forward skating stride, it is possible that he could play higher up in the lineup. - BO

Nikita Okhotyuk, D (61^st overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 11)

If there is one market that the New Jersey Devils have cornered, it is elite stay-at-home defenders from the OHL. Okhotyuk may not have the elite size that Bahl and Vukojevic possess, but he is the best skater of the bunch, while being just as physically assertive. He had a tough year battling a gruesome finger injury but was extremely effective for the first place 67’s playing as Kevin Bahl’s usual defensive partner later in the year. While the underlying offensive numbers are not eye popping, Okhotyuk is actually a confident player with the puck who will jump up in the play occasionally. He will turn pro this year and could also move quickly as long as he can stay healthy (something he had had a difficult time doing in his three years in the OHL). He projects as a third pairing shutdown defender, similar to Vukojevic. – BO

Nico Daws, G (84^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

In his third year of draft eligibility, Daws’ improvements could not be ignored. He got in better shape and his results were astounding. From start to finish, Daws was the best goaltender in the OHL, with a .924 save percentage was tops in the league. He has the size that NHL scouts covet in the position, and with the weight loss, his movement in the crease had greatly improved, allowing him to be more aggressive in challenging shooters. His ability to read the play is also a major asset, as he shows good anticipation and play tracking, especially noteworthy on the penalty kill. His ability to cover his posts and find point shots through traffic is very impressive. He also excels as a puckhandler, acting as a third defenseman at times. While projecting goaltenders can be a difficult endeavor, Daws’ progression and development is encouraging and suggests that he has the ability to be an NHL netminder. – BO

Jaromir Pytlik, C (99^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Pytlik is a mature two-way forward who plays a very heavy, pro-style game. He excels playing through traffic, prolonging possession along the wall, and finishing off plays tight to the crease. He competes hard at both ends and shows high end anticipation as a defensive forward and penalty killer. He has also proven to be versatile with the ability to play center and wing for the Soo Greyhounds. Although he had been seen as a potential first rounder heading into last season, his game has unfortunately proven to lack dynamic qualities, lowering his projection. His offensive skill set is average in almost every way and that likely limits his upside at the NHL level. Additionally concerning is that he plays a rather perimeter-centric game, despite carrying a bigger frame than most in his age group, to the extent that he was called on to play against men in his native Czech Republic as a 17 year old. With an additional gear to his stride and more assertiveness, he might have a higher ceiling than he has yet let on. – BO

Nikola Pasic, RW (189^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 12)

Pasic is a strong skater who plays a good two-way game and can play both center and wing. He is a strong puck carrier, has nice hands and works intensely. Last season he stepped up from junior hockey to the senior level in Allsvenskan as an 18-going-on-19-year-old. He scored an impressive 35 points in 45 games in his first senior season. That said, he played on a high scoring team and had six players ahead of him in team scoring, but he showed that his game translated well from junior to senior hockey. He almost exclusively played wing and could have created more shots and goals. He scored only seven goals but didn’t have that many shots on goals either. He has a good wrist shot and should use it more. He is a decent middle six prospect and will play in the SHL next season. - JH

Daniil Misyul, D (70^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 13)

A tall and strong defensive defenseman. Misyul is a good skater who gets to the corners fast and is strong in winning puck battles, even at the KHL level as a junior-aged defenseman. He plays physical and is strong one-on-one in the defensive zone and is a strong defenseman in front of his own net. His skating is not perfect though and with better lower body balance he would be able to use more of his reach. His offensive game is limited, and he rarely gets involved in the offensive zone. He is a good puck mover, though, and has good puck control and a solid first pass. He plays a smart and simplistic game and is effective defensively. He did not get a ton of ice time with Yaroslav but played a third pairing role well and was effective for his team when called upon. His NHL projection is probably in that same role and I would say he is ready to step over soon and compete for a spot, but he has three more years left on his contract with Yaroslav. - JH

Eetu Pakkila, LW (203^rd overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 14)

Pakkila split the 2019-20 season between the Liiga and Mestis, Finland's second-highest league. He played a very good two-way game in Mestis. He also played well for Ilves in the Liiga and showed that he can hold his own against tougher competition. He is a hard-working, purposeful winger with great skating ability. He has a quick first few strides and can reach top speed in a hurry. He was a proficient point producer in the junior level. With his good scoring touch, potent shot and skating speed, he has the potential to score goals at the pro level, too. His versatility is another asset. He can play up and down the lineup and in a number of roles. His checking game is effective, and he does many things that do not show on the scoresheet. He has progressed well and become a more complete player since being drafted two years ago. He could break out in the upcoming Liiga season. - MB

Patrick Moynihan, RW/C (158^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 15)

Moynihan lately a teammate of fellow Devils’ prospect Tyce Thompson, was drafted in the same season, albeit two rounds later than his older teammate. Unlike Thompson, Moynihan spent his pre-Providence College time with the USNTDP. Moynihan also won gold at the U17 World Hockey Championship. That said, the program was stacked in his class, and he didn’t get the ice time his skills may have otherwise deserved. Last year he was part of a solid group of underclassmen who propelled Providence’s offense while Moynihan netted his own fair share of goals as well. He is a good skater with speed. Moynihan isn’t physical or big – he is only 5-11” - but he carries more weight on his frame than it looks. He also makes up for his lack of size with his speed, shot, skills, and smarts. He has power on his shot and quick hands. Moynihan also has good hockey sense. He is a skill forward, but time will tell whether the skill set is dynamic enough to play top six minutes at the highest level. – JS

Graeme Clarke, RW (80^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 16)

Although injuries cut into his draft year, and almost ended his post draft season before it had really begun, Clarke returned late and produced like he never had in the OHL before. One would like to see him actuate all of his occasionally stellar offensive tools at once, and for a more prolonged period, but what he has flashed makes him a hidden gem in this system. He is still physically immature, which may be part of the cause for his lack of staying power, but at his best he shows a high-end sniper’s shot and scintillating puck skills. His reads and vision are even more scattershot, although it is fairer to attribute that to the injuries that have kept him off the ice for so long. More than most, Clarke needs a full season of health to find his true level and ensure that the Devils extend an ELC before they lose his rights. - RW

McKeen’s 2020-21 Hockey Yearbook: Top 300 Prospect Rankings

McKeen's Hockey — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 17:09:56 +0000

These are our final prospect ranking prior to the start of the season. As a subscriber you can download the list in an excel chart and can link to the player pages in the chart found here. As always, the rankings you see below are based on our 20-80 scouting system looking at five categories for skaters (Skating, Shot, Puck Skills, Hockey Smarts, Physicality) and six for netminders (Athleticism/Quickness/Speed, Compete/Temperament, Vision/Play Reading, Technique/Style, Rebound Control, Puck Handling). Our prospect team spent large portions of their last few months pre-COVID in the rinks, watching the players below and many others, and further work on video (Instat Hockey has been a terrific resource in recent days) before passing judgement on their future projections.

The 20-80 scouting system is meant to allow players from different leagues in different parts of the world to be compared to one another, such that grades on a player in the OHL can be directly compared to grades from an AHL player, and to grades of someone playing in the MHL.

PROSPECT CRITERIA

Players under 26 years of age as of the September 15th prior (Sep. 15, 1994) to the season in question who have appeared in less than 60 NHL games (30 for goalies) and less than 35 in any one season – or 25 last year (20 for goalies, 15 last season) are considered prospects

RANK	PLAYER	NHL	POS	AGE	HT/WT	ACQUIRED
1	Alexis Lafreniere	NYR	LW	19	6-1/195	`20(1st)
2	Tim Stutzle	Ott	C	18	6-1/185	`20(3rd)
3	Quinton Byfield	LA	C	18	6-4/215	`20(2nd)
4	Trevor Zegras	Ana	C	19	6-0/170	`19(9th)
5	Kirill Kaprizov	Min	LW	23	5-10/200	`15(135th)
6	Lucas Raymond	Det	LW	18	5-11/170	`20(4th)
7	Dylan Cozens	Buf	C	19	6-3/185	`19(7th)
8	Bowen Byram	Col	D	19	6-0/195	`19(4th)
9	Peyton Krebs	VGK	C	19	5-11/180	`19(17th)
10	Jake Sanderson	Ott	D	18	6-1/185	`20(5th)
11	Moritz Seider	Det	D	19	6-3/185	`19(6th)
12	Jamie Drysdale	Ana	D	18	5-11/175	`20(6th)
13	Igor Shesterkin	NYR	G	25	6-1/190	`14(118th)
14	Alexander Holtz	NJ	RW	18	6-0/190	`20(7th)
15	Cole Perfetti	Wpg	LW	19	5-10/180	`20(10th)
16	Marco Rossi	Min	C	19	5-9/185	`20(9th)
17	Vasili Podkolzin	Van	RW	19	6-1/190	`19(10th)
18	Victor Soderstrom	Ari	D	19	5-11/180	`19(11th)
19	Nick Robertson	Tor	LW	19	5-9/160	`19(53rd)
20	Cole Caufield	Mtl	RW	19	5-7/165	`19(15th)
21	Yaroslav Askarov	Nsh	G	18	6-3/175	`20(11th)
22	Spencer Knight	Fla	G	19	6-3/195	`19(13th)
23	Philip Broberg	Edm	D	19	6-3/200	`19(8th)
24	Jack Quinn	Buf	RW	19	6-0/180	`20(8th)
25	Matthew Boldy	Min	LW	19	6-1/190	`19(12th)
26	Nils Lundkvist	NYR	D	20	5-11/180	`18(28th)
27	Seth Jarvis	Car	RW	18	5-10/175	`20(13th)
28	Ty Smith	NJ	D	20	5-10/180	`18(17th)
29	Grigori Denisenko	Fla	LW	20	5-11/185	`18(15th)
30	Barrett Hayton	Ari	C	20	6-1/190	`18(5th)
31	Alex Newhook	Col	C	19	5-10/195	`19(16th)
32	Thomas Harley	Dal	D	19	6-3/190	`19(18th)
33	Alex Turcotte	LA	C	19	5-11/185	`19(5th)
34	Vitali Kravtsov	NYR	RW	21	6-3/185	`18(9th)
35	Philip Tomasino	Nsh	C	19	5-11/180	`19(24th)
36	Connor McMichael	Wsh	C	19	5-11/175	`19(25th)
37	Dawson Mercer	NJ	C	19	6-0/180	`20(18th)
38	Ilya Sorokin	NYI	G	25	6-2/180	`14(78th)
39	Gabriel Vilardi	LA	RW	21	6-3/200	`17(11th)
40	Ryan Merkley	SJ	D	20	5-11/170	`18(21st)
41	Alexander Romanov	Mtl	D	20	5-11/185	`18(38th)
42	Kaiden Guhle	Mtl	D	18	6-2/190	`20(16th)
43	Samuel Poulin	Pit	LW	19	6-1/205	`19(21st)
44	K'Andre Miller	NYR	D	20	6-3/205	`18(22nd)
45	Scott Perunovich	StL	D	22	5-10/175	`18(45th)
46	Evan Bouchard	Edm	D	21	6-2/195	`18(10th)
47	Braden Schneider	NYR	D	19	6-2/200	`20(19th)
48	Juuso Valimaki	Cgy	D	22	6-2/205	`17(16th)
49	Cam York	Phi	D	19	5-11/175	`19(14th)
50	Anton Lundell	Fla	C	19	6-1/185	`20(12th)
51	Morgan Frost	Phi	C	21	5-11/180	`17(27th)
52	Owen Tippett	Fla	RW	21	6-1/200	`17(10th)
53	Albert Johansson	Det	D	19	5-11/165	`19(60th)
54	Liam Foudy	CBJ	C	20	6-0/175	`18(18th)
55	Kieffer Bellows	NYI	LW	22	6-0/200	`16(19th)
56	Arthur Kaliyev	LA	RW	19	6-2/190	`19(33rd)
57	Oliver Wahlstrom	NYI	RW	20	6-1/205	`18(11th)
58	Nils Hoglander	Van	RW	20	5-9/185	`19(40th)
59	Matias Maccelli	Ari	LW	20	5-11/170	`19(98th)
60	Tobias Bjornfot	LA	D	19	6-0/200	`19(22nd)
61	Jacob Bernard-Docker	Ott	D	20	6-0/180	`18(26th)
62	Connor Zary	Cgy	C	19	6-0/180	`20(24th)
63	Dominik Bokk	Car	RW	20	6-1/180	T(StL-9/19)
64	Ryan Suzuki	Car	C	19	6-0/180	`19(28th)
65	Dylan Samberg	Wpg	D	21	6-3/190	`17(43rd)
66	Jake Bean	Car	D	22	6-1/175	`16(13th)
67	Josh Norris	Ott	C	21	6-1/195	T(SJ-9/18)
68	Rasmus Kupari	LA	C	20	6-1/185	`18(20th)
69	Jakob Pelletier	Cgy	LW	19	5-9/165	`19(26th)
70	Drake Batherson	Ott	RW	22	6-1/190	`17(121st)
71	Jan Jenik	Ari	RW	20	6-1/180	`18(65th)
72	John-Jason Peterka	Buf	LW	18	5-11/190	`20(34th)
73	Kirill Marchenko	CBJ	LW	20	6-3/190	`18(49th)
74	Bode Wilde	NYI	D	20	6-2/195	`18(41st)
75	John Beecher	Bos	C	19	6-3/210	`19(30th)
76	Tyler Madden	LA	C	21	5-10/155	T(Van-2/20)
77	Jack Studnicka	Bos	C	21	6-1/170	`17(53rd)
78	Jake Oettinger	Dal	G	22	6-4/210	`17(26th)
79	Alex Formenton	Ott	LW	21	6-2/165	`17(47th)
80	Matthew Robertson	NYR	D	19	6-3/200	`19(49th)
81	Calen Addison	Min	D	20	5-10/180	T(Pit-2/20)
82	Ty Dellandrea	Dal	C	20	6-0/185	`18(13th)
83	Akil Thomas	LA	C	20	5-11/170	`18(51st)
84	Mavrik Bourque	Dal	C	18	5-10/180	`20(30th)
85	Ian Mitchell	Chi	D	21	5-11/175	`17(57th)
86	Jason Robertson	Dal	LW	21	6-2/195	`17(39th)
87	Hendrix Lapierre	Wsh	C	18	5-11/180	`20(22nd)
88	Brendan Brisson	VGK	C	19	5-11/180	`20(29th)
89	Theodor Niederbach	Det	C	18	5-11/175	`20(51st)
90	Zac Jones	NYR	D	20	5-10/175	`19(68th)
91	Robert Mastrosimone	Det	LW	19	5-10/160	`19(54th)
92	Joe Veleno	Det	C	20	6-1/195	`18(30th)
93	Rodion Amirov	Tor	LW	19	6-0/170	`20(15th)
94	Jake Neighbours	StL	LW	18	5-11/195	`20(26th)
95	Julien Gauthier	NYR	RW	23	6-4/225	T(Car-2/20)
96	Justus Annunen	Col	G	20	6-4/215	`18(64th)
97	Egor Zamula	Phi	D	20	6-4/175	FA(9/18)
98	Shane Pinto	Ott	C	20	6-2/190	`19(32nd)
99	Noel Gunler	Car	RW	19	6-2/175	`20(41st)
100	Ridly Greig	Ott	C	18	5-11/165	`20(28th)
101	Jesse Ylonen	Mtl	RW	21	6-1/185	`18(35th)
102	Samuel Fagemo	LA	RW	20	6-0/195	`19(50th)
103	Mattias Norlinder	Mtl	D	20	5-11/180	`19(64th)
104	Olli Juolevi	Van	D	22	6-3/200	`16(5th)
105	Kristian Vesalainen	Wpg	LW	21	6-3/205	`17(24th)
106	Raphael Lavoie	Edm	RW	20	6-4/195	`19(38th)
107	Jan Mysak	Mtl	C	18	5-11/180	`20(49th)
108	Cayden Primeau	Mtl	G	21	6-3/180	`17(199th)
109	Pavel Dorofeyev	VGK	LW	20	6-1/170	`19(79th)
110	Morgan Barron	NYR	C	22	6-2/200	`17(174th)
111	Ville Heinola	Wpg	D	19	5-11/180	`19(20th)
112	Dylan Holloway	Edm	C	19	6-0/205	`20(14th)
113	Jack Dugan	VGK	RW	22	6-2/185	`17(142nd)
114	Alexander Khovanov	Min	C	20	5-11/195	`18(86th)
115	Jacob Perreault	Ana	RW	18	5-11/195	`20(27th)
116	Jake Evans	Mtl	C	24	6-0/185	`14(207th)
117	Adam Beckman	Min	LW	19	6-1/170	`19(75th)
118	Jett Woo	Van	D	20	6-0/205	`18(37th)
119	Nolan Foote	NJ	LW	20	6-3/190	T(TB-2/20)
120	Logan Brown	Ott	C	22	6-6/220	`16(11th)
121	Martin Kaut	Col	RW	21	6-1/175	`18(16th)
122	Jack Rathbone	Van	D	21	5-10/175	`17(95th)
123	Ozzy Wiesblatt	SJ	RW	18	5-10/185	`20(31st)
124	Ryan O'Rourke	Min	D	18	6-0/180	`20(39th)
125	Lukas Reichel	Chi	LW	18	6-0/170	`20(17th)
126	Jordan Harris	Mtl	D	20	5-11/180	`18(71st)
127	Lukas Dostal	Ana	G	20	6-1/170	`18(85th)
128	Egor Afanasyev	Nsh	RW	19	6-3/205	`19(45th)
129	Conor Timmins	Col	D	22	6-1/185	`17(32nd)
130	Lassi Thomson	Ott	D	20	6-0/190	`19(19th)
131	Eeli Tolvanen	Nsh	RW	21	5-10/175	`17(30th)
132	Kasper Simontaival	LA	RW	18	5-9/180	`20(66th)
133	Roni Hirvonen	Tor	C	18	5-9/165	`20(59th)
134	Thomas Bordeleau	SJ	C	18	5-9/180	`20(38th)
135	Benoit-Olivier Groulx	Ana	C	20	6-1/195	`18(54th)
136	Tyler Kleven	Ott	D	18	6-4/200	`20(44th)
137	Tyson Foerster	Phi	C	18	6-1/195	`20(23rd)
138	Helge Grans	LA	D	18	6-2/205	`20(35th)
139	Jonathan Dahlen	SJ	LW	23	5-11/185	T(Van-2/19)
140	Marat Khusnutdinov	Min	C	18	5-11/175	`20(37th)
141	Alexander Alexeyev	Wsh	D	21	6-3/200	`18(31st)
142	Pierre-Olivier Joseph	Pit	D	21	6-2/170	`17(23rd)
143	Topi Niemela	Tor	D	18	5-10/160	`20(64th)
144	Oskari Laaksonen	Buf	D	21	6-2/165	`17(89th)
145	Filip Hallander	Tor	LW	20	6-1/185	T(Pit-8/20)
146	Serron Noel	Fla	RW	20	6-5/205	`18(34th)
147	Martin Chromiak	LA	LW	18	6-0/185	`20(128th)
148	Shakir Mukhamadullin	NJ	D	18	6-3/180	`20(20th)
149	Mattias Samuelsson	Buf	D	20	6-3/215	`18(32nd)
150	Janne Kuokkanen	NJ	LW	22	6-1/190	T(Car-2/20)
151	Ryan Johnson	Buf	D	19	6-0/175	`19(31st)
152	Sean Farrell	Mtl	C	19	5-8/175	`20(124th)
153	Martin Fehervary	Wsh	D	21	6-1/190	`18(46th)
154	Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen	Buf	G	21	6-4/195	`17(54th)
155	Will Lockwood	Van	RW	22	5-11/175	`16(64th)
156	Isac Lundestrom	Ana	C	21	6-0/185	`18(23rd)
157	Michael DiPietro	Van	G	21	6-0/195	`17(64th)
158	Jonatan Berggren	Det	RW	20	5-10/185	`18(33rd)
159	Kevin Bahl	NJ	D	20	6-6/230	T(Ari-12/19)
160	Aliaksei Protas	Wsh	C	19	6-5/205	`19(91st)
161	Reilly Walsh	NJ	D	21	5-11/180	`17(81st)
162	Nick Abruzzese	Tor	C	21	5-9/160	`19(124th)
163	Tyler Tucker	StL	D	20	6-1/205	`18(200th)
164	Arseni Gritsyuk	NJ	RW	19	5-10/170	`19(129th)
165	Klim Kostin	StL	C	21	6-3/195	`17(31st)
166	Brayden Tracey	Ana	LW	19	6-0/175	`19(29th)
167	Joel Hofer	StL	G	20	6-3/160	`18(107th)
168	Joey Anderson	Tor	RW	22	6-0/195	T(NJ-10/20)
169	Yegor Spiridonov	SJ	C	19	6-2/195	`19(108th)
170	Sam Colangelo	Ana	RW	19	6-1/205	`20(36th)
171	Joey Keane	Car	D	21	6-0/185	T(NYR-2/20)
172	Jared McIsaac	Det	D	20	6-1/195	`18(36th)
173	Jamieson Rees	Car	C	19	5-10/175	`19(44th)
174	Ivan Morozov	VGK	C	20	6-1/180	`18(61st)
175	Rem Pitlick	Nsh	C	23	5-11/200	`16(76th)
176	Tyce Thompson	NJ	RW	21	6-0/170	`19(96th)
177	Michael McLeod	NJ	C	22	6-2/195	`16(12th)
178	Jaret Anderson-Dolan	LA	C	21	5-11/190	`17(41st)
179	Dustin Wolf	Cgy	G	19	6-0/165	`19(214th)
180	Antti Tuomisto	Det	D	19	6-4/190	`19(35th)
181	Brett Berard	NYR	LW	18	5-9/155	`20(134th)
182	Luke Evangelista	Nsh	RW	18	5-11/170	`20(42nd)
183	Joel Blomqvist	Pit	G	18	6-1/180	`20(52nd)
184	Joni Ikonen	Mtl	C	21	5-10/170	`17(58th)
185	Olivier Rodrigue	Edm	G	20	6-1/165	`18(62nd)
186	Lucas Elvenes	VGK	RW	21	6-0/175	`17(127th)
187	Anthony Angello	Pit	RW	24	6-5/205	`14(145th)
188	Tuukka Tieksola	Car	RW	19	5-10/160	`19(121st)
189	Declan Chisholm	Wpg	D	20	6-1/190	`18(150th)
190	Cole Koepke	TB	LW	22	6-1/195	`18(183rd)
191	Valtteri Puustinen	Pit	RW	21	5-9/185	`19(203rd)
192	Ty Smilanic	Fla	C	18	6-1/175	`20(74th)
193	Patrik Puistola	Car	LW	19	6-0/175	`19(73rd)
194	Justin Barron	Col	D	19	6-2/190	`20(25th)
195	Andrew Peeke	CBJ	D	22	6-3/210	`16(34th)
196	Michael Vukojevic	NJ	D	19	6-3/210	`19(82nd)
197	Alec Regula	Chi	D	20	6-3/200	T(Det-10/19)
198	Connor Corcoran	VGK	D	20	6-1/185	`18(154th)
199	Jeremy Swayman	Bos	G	22	6-1/190	`17(111th)
200	Pyotr Kochetkov	Car	G	21	6-1/175	`19(36th)
201	Mikey Anderson	LA	D	21	6-0/195	`17(103rd)
202	Carter Savoie	Edm	LW	18	5-9/190	`20(100th)
203	Samuel Walker	TB	C	21	5-11/160	`17(200th)
204	William Wallinder	Det	D	18	6-4/190	`20(32nd)
205	Jack Drury	Car	C	20	5-11/180	`18(42nd)
206	Emil Andrae	Phi	D	18	5-9/185	`20(54th)
207	Cal Petersen	LA	G	26	6-3/190	FA(7/17)
208	Jeremie Poirier	Cgy	D	18	6-0/200	`20(72nd)
209	Tarmo Reunanen	NYR	D	22	6-0/180	`16(98th)
210	Simon Holmstrom	NYI	RW	19	6-1/185	`19(23rd)
211	Aleksi Saarela	Fla	RW	23	5-11/200	T(Chi-10/19)
212	Anton Johannesson	Wpg	D	18	5-9/155	`20(133rd)
213	Lauri Pajuniemi	NYR	RW	21	6-0/185	`18(132nd)
214	Morgan Geekie	Car	C	22	6-2/180	`17(67th)
215	Shane Bowers	Col	C	21	6-2/190	T(Ott-11/17)
216	Sasha Chmelevski	SJ	C	21	5-11/190	`17(185th)
217	Ruslan Iskhakov	NYI	C	20	5-8/155	`18(43rd)
218	Cole Schwindt	Fla	RW	19	6-2/185	`19(81st)
219	Hugo Alnefelt	TB	G	19	6-3/195	`19(71st)
220	Nikita Okhotyuk	NJ	D	20	6-1/195	`19(61st)
221	Sampo Ranta	Col	LW	20	6-2/205	`18(78th)
222	Alexander Volkov	TB	LW	23	6-1/190	`17(48th)
223	Alexander True	SJ	C	23	6-5/205	FA(7/18)
224	John Leonard	SJ	C	22	5-11/190	`18(182nd)
225	Carl Grundstrom	LA	LW	23	6-0/195	T(Tor-1/19)
226	Dmitri Semykin	TB	D	20	6-3/200	`18(90th)
227	Cal Foote	TB	D	22	6-4/215	`17(14th)
228	Jean-Luc Foudy	Col	C	18	5-11/175	`20(75th)
229	Alex Barre-Boulet	TB	C	23	5-10/165	FA(3/18)
230	Tristen Robins	SJ	RW	19	5-10/175	`20(56th)
231	Max Gildon	Fla	D	21	6-3/190	`17(66th)
232	Nikita Alexandrov	StL	C	20	6-0/180	`19(62nd)
233	Michael Benning	Fla	D	18	5-9/180	`20(95th)
234	Justin Sourdif	Fla	RW	18	5-11/175	`20(87th)
235	Tanner Laczynski	Phi	C	23	6-1/200	`16(169th)
236	Eamon Powell	TB	D	18	5-11/165	`20(116th)
237	Kaedan Korczak	VGK	D	19	6-3/190	`19(41st)
238	Drew Commesso	Chi	G	18	6-1/180	`20(47th)
239	Nikolai Kovalenko	Col	RW	21	5-10/175	`18(171st)
240	Pius Suter	Chi	C	24	5-11/170	FA(7/20)
241	Wade Allison	Phi	RW	23	6-2/205	`16(52nd)
242	Bobby Brink	Phi	RW	19	5-10/165	`19(34th)
243	Lukas Cormier	VGK	D	18	5-10/180	`20(68th)
244	David Farrance	Nsh	D	21	5-11/190	`17(92nd)
245	Roby Jarventie	Ott	RW	18	6-2/185	`20(33rd)
246	Dmitri Voronkov	CBJ	LW	20	6-4/190	`19(114th)
247	German Rubtsov	Phi	C	22	6-2/190	`16(22nd)
248	Vitaly Abramov	Ott	RW	22	5-9/175	T(CBJ-2/19)
249	Alex Laferriere	LA	RW	19	6-0/175	`20(83rd)
250	Trey Fix-Wolansky	CBJ	RW	21	5-8/185	`18(204th)
251	Isaac Ratcliffe	Phi	LW	21	6-5/200	`17(35th)
252	Kale Clague	LA	D	22	6-0/180	`16(51st)
253	Landon Slaggert	Chi	LW	18	5-11/180	`20(79th)
254	Wyatt Kalynuk	Chi	D	23	6-1/180	FA(7/20)
255	Mikko Kokkonen	Tor	D	19	5-11/200	`19(84th)
256	Kevin Mandolese	Ott	G	20	6-4/180	`18(157th)
257	Daniil Tarasov	CBJ	G	21	6-5/185	`17(86th)
258	Evan Barratt	Chi	C	21	6-0/190	`17(90th)
259	Tyler Benson	Edm	LW	22	6-0/200	`16(32nd)
260	Yegor Korshkov	Tor	RW	24	6-4/215	`16(31st)
261	Hunter Skinner	NYR	D	19	6-2/175	`19(112th)
262	Riley Damiani	Dal	C	20	5-9/165	`18(137th)
263	Ryan McLeod	Edm	C	21	6-2/205	`18(40th)
264	Ilya Konovalov	Edm	G	22	6-0/195	`19(85th)
265	Will Cuylle	NYR	LW	18	6-3/205	`20(60th)
266	Evan Vierling	NYR	C	18	6-0/165	`20(127th)
267	Emil Heineman	Fla	LW	19	6-0/180	`20(43rd)
268	Zayde Wisdom	Phi	RW	18	5-10/195	`20(94th)
269	Hunter Jones	Min	G	20	6-4/195	`19(59th)
270	Ty Tullio	Edm	RW	18	5-10/165	`20(126th)
271	Jordan Spence	LA	D	19	5-10/165	`19(95th)
272	Dmitri Zavgorodny	Cgy	LW	20	5-9/175	`18(198th)
273	Alex Beaucage	Col	RW	19	6-1/195	`19(78th)
274	Matiss Kivlenieks	CBJ	G	24	6-2/190	FA(5/17)
275	Artyom Zub	Ott	D	25	6-2/200	FA(5/20)
276	Urho Vaakanainen	Bos	D	22	6-0/185	`17(18th)
277	Dmitri Samorukov	Edm	D	21	6-2/180	`17(84th)
278	Michal Teply	Chi	LW	19	6-3/185	`19(105th)
279	Colby Ambrosio	Col	C	18	5-8/170	`20(118th)
280	Mads Sogaard	Ott	G	20	6-7/195	`19(37th)
281	Jeremy Lauzon	Bos	D	23	6-3/205	`15(52nd)
282	Dennis Gilbert	Col	D	24	6-2/200	T(Chi-10/20)
283	Trent Frederic	Bos	C	22	6-4/215	`16(29th)
284	Lucas Carlsson	Chi	D	23	6-0/190	`16(110th)
285	Zack Macewen	Van	RW	24	6-3/205	FA(3/17)
286	Brandon Hagel	Chi	LW	22	6-1/175	FA(10/18)
287	Vasily Ponomarev	Car	C	18	5-10/180	`20(53rd)
288	Jakub Zboril	Bos	D	23	6-1/200	`15(13th)
289	Garrett Pilon	Wsh	RW	22	5-11/190	`16(87th)
290	Jeremy Bracco	Car	RW	23	5-9/180	FA(10/20)
291	Dylan Sikura	VGK	RW	25	6-0/170	T(Chi-9/20)
292	Kyle Capobianco	Ari	D	23	6-1/180	`15(63rd)
293	Sami Niku	Wpg	D	24	6-0/175	`15(198th)
294	John Farinacci	Ari	C	19	5-11/185	`19(76th)
295	Jackson Lacombe	Ana	D	19	6-1/170	`19(39th)
296	David Cotton	Car	LW	23	6-3/205	`15(169th)
297	Erik Portillo	Buf	G	20	6-6/210	`19(67th)
298	Jacob Truscott	Van	D	18	6-1/170	`20(144th)
299	Mikhail Berdin	Wpg	G	22	6-2/165	`16(157th)
300	Cam Hillis	Mtl	C	20	5-10/170	`18(66th)

MCKEEN’S 2020 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – NEW JERSEY DEVILS – ORGANIZATIONAL RANK: 1

Sat, 03 Oct 2020 11:19:10 +0000

New Jersey Devils

Maybe it is because I am tackling each club one at a time, in a randomized order and have lately had a few very shallow systems to evaluate immediately prior to this one, but the Devils’ system is incredibly deep. So deep that I regretted our choice of 15 prospects only.

So, I wanted to take this opportunity to look at some of the other players who were up for consideration for this list but missed the cut. Some of these players could easily have fit into the top ten for other systems. In fact, this system is so deep that a few of these guys might find themselves out of the organization altogether by the time the 2020-21 season kicks off, whenever that might be.

I’ll start with a pair of 2018 draft picks who were taken out of the CHL and have yet to sign entry level deals with New Jersey and could be set free within a few months. The first of those players is 4^th rounder Xavier Bernard, a big rangy defender who spent this season with split between Charlottetown and Sherbrooke in the QMJHL. He is a solid, if unspectacular skater who demonstrates an advanced understanding of the game and is lauded for his strong passing game. He has a lot of desirable traits to his game, although the mid-season acquisition of Kevin Bahl from Arizona in the Taylor Hall trade may have made him a bit superfluous.

Next, a kind word for Mitchel Hoelscher, one of four New jersey prospects to play with the Ottawa 67s of the OHL. Drafted essentially as a defensive center, Hoelscher actually put up more points last year than any other player in the Devils’ system, with a 76-point season which would have easily doubled his previous career high had the season been allowed to play to its natural conclusion. He already blew past his previous career high in goals, from 10 to 34. We preach conservativism when 20-year-olds have big seasons in junior hockey, but Hoelscher’s hockey IQ was already commended. The fact that he can score a bit at least suggests that he could provide secondary offense from a bottom six role.

The player whose absence most bothered me was Nick Merkley, another part of the Taylor Hall trade. The former first round pick has struggled to stay healthy during his first three pro seasons, with the 58 combined games he played this season representing his high since turning pro. On the small side physically, but playing with permanently high energy, he has dealt with injuries in his knees, shoulders, and even an eye. Even with those maladies, Merkley has been able to produce at a top six level as a young AHLer. He also added two points in the NHL for the Devils after the trade this season. He could easily find himself as a fulltime NHLer next season and, health-permitting, make good on his draft positioning.

Those are just three examples. I could have also mentioned Graeme Clarke, another of the Ottawa 67 quartet, who was limited to 16 games this season. He has a high-end shot. I could have noted Case McCarthy, a teammate of Jack Hughes’ with the USNTDP, who was reliable as a freshman at Boston University. Not much flash in his game, but not many mistakes either. How about Aarne Talvitie? His rate of offensive production was down as a sophomore at Penn State, but he dealt with the loss of a parent and he may not have been fully healthy to start the year. He could be in for big things as a junior.

I could go on, but you get the picture. And anyway, the top 15 guys are just better. So, without further ado: -RW

BOSTON, MA - SEPTEMBER 25: New Jersey Devils defenseman Ty Smith (24) waits for the face off during a preseason game between the Boston Bruins and the New Jersey Devils on September 25, 2019, at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire)

Ty Smith, D (17^th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 2)

Ty Smith has shown immense talent throughout his junior career. He has been the captain for Spokane during the previous two seasons. He has also worn a letter for Canada at the World Juniors and the Hlinka/Gretzky tournament. He has all the intangibles that you want in a player beyond his high level of talent.

His skating stride is one of the best in the ‘Dub’ and he is so comfortable with the puck on his stick. He drives the play a lot for a defender and is a constant threat to jump into the rush. He is able to generate so much offense because of how quick he makes reads and moves the puck.

His movement without the puck make him difficult to track and he can quarterback from the blue line very efficiently. His passing from the top of the blue line is lethal with excellent vision to see plays and gaps as they develop. He finds open ice very well and makes himself available to receive the puck. He is a boss on zone exits where his puck carrying, and vision enable him to keep teams guessing.

In his own zone he is improving, and his strength is becoming less of an issue as he matures physically. He still isn’t overly physical, but he engages and uses his quickness and elusiveness to strip pucks and avoid forecheckers. Give him one AHL season to work on his defensive game and he will be an effective player on the Devils’ blue line for many years. - VG

Nolan Foote, D (27^th overall, 2019 [Tampa Bay]. 2019 Rank: 2 [Tampa Bay)

Nolan Foote has grown from a one-dimensional shooter into a very effective overall player. His shot is elite in terms of power, accuracy and quickness of release. Players who do one thing well tend to stand out more than those that are more balanced which is why he went in the first round.

Since being drafted Foote has added multiple levels to his game. His playmaking isn’t ever going to be as good as his finishing, but he is becoming a very effective passer of the puck. He makes better decisions when his shot is taken away and has improved his passing skills and vision.

The other knock on Foote has always been his foot speed but he is fine for the type of game that he plays. He is a big body that can get in on the forecheck and disrupt opponents leaving the zone. He can be a net front guy, but he really excels cycling the puck and coming off the wall, releasing his shot from around the circle. He also has a good one timer that he can use to finish off plays.

Foote is a complementary player and when matched with the right center (which the Devils have a nice collection of these days) should be a top six winger with 25-30 goal potential. A mysterious nagging lower body injury has kept Foote out of all but two games in 2020 there is a concern but with the COVID-19 break giving everyone a chance for a full reset there is no reason to believe he won’t be 100% ready for camp next season. - VG

Janne Kuokkanen, LW (43^rd overall, 2016 [Carolina]. 2019 Rank: 3 [Carolina])

After a really solid top-level performance with the Charlotte Checkers throughout the first half of the season, proving himself to be top prospect for Carolina, Kuokkanen was traded minutes before the deadline to New Jersey.

Kuokkanen is one of the rare fully adaptable players, gifted with a simple playing style as both a grinder and power forward, driven enough to carry the top powerplay unit, and reliable enough to kill penalties as well. As a master of simplicity, he finds space by either staying high or carrying the puck deep. His skill set is strong, and his hands and individual play are what help to distinguish him from other forwards.

Not that he is a selfish player, but he is a skilled one at doing the individual things he needs to do to get the job done. Kuokkanen will have to improve his consistency at the next level with regard to the amount of effort he puts in throughout the entirety of a game as there are periods where he seems unnoticeable, in addition to question about his ability to win certain board battles.

Overall, there is little more to be said about Kuokkanen as he is a complete package of forward talent. He is a highly skilled player capable of adapting under pressure and certainly ready to play up and join the New Jersey Devils roster as a top six forward. It should hopefully come as no surprise to see him up within the next season and stay up as a permanent fixture with the Devils. - SC

Kevin Bahl, D (55^th overall, 2018 [Arizona]. 2019 Rank: 7 [Arizona])

Anytime you are traded for a player like Taylor Hall, expectations are bound to be quite large. In this instance, the pun was intended as the 6-7”, 240lbs defender is a mountain of a presence in the defensive end. Originally a second-round selection in 2018, Bahl has progressed quite well since then, tracking to be a quality NHL defender.

He had a great year this year, helping Canada to a gold medal at the WJC and improving his offensive production as part of one of the strongest teams in the CHL. Over the course of his OHL career, he has improved his mobility, decision making, and offensive confidence considerably. Bahl’s lateral and backwards mobility have improved to the point where he no longer has difficulty defending off the rush or beating attackers to dump ins. He has also learned to manage the puck better in his own end, improving his breakout pass and his confidence in handling the puck in the face of forecheckers.

Of course, Bahl’s bread and butter is his ability to shut down the opposition’s best by smothering them with his size, reach, and physicality. He hits to hurt and is an intimidating presence who makes skilled players wary of bringing the fight to the middle of the ice.

He is also very intelligent in his own end. He does as good of a job of using his long reach to break up passes, anticipating the play around him, as he does playing physically. His +90 rating the last two years has been no fluke.

There are some limitations to Bahl’s game and the type of impact he will have at the NHL level. He will not quarterback a powerplay or be a high point producer who leads the rush; however his puck skill is better than you would think, good enough to play top four minutes. While the game is changing, there will always be a place for hulking defenders so long as they can skate, and Bahl can. I would expect him to move quickly through New Jersey’s system, after adjusting to the processing speed required of him at the pro level. - BO

Joey Anderson, RW (73^rd overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: 5)

Joey Anderson’s prospect grades have remained fairly stable since he was drafted as he is a good overall player capable of bringing a lot of talent to an NHL squad. Anderson has had his ups and downs where performance is concerned and adjusting properly to the pace of the NHL game. It is not that he is too slow or not experienced enough to keep up, but he is just missing the mark on little things that turn into bigger things at the higher level.

Offensively, he is a gifted forward and he is talented when it comes to getting to the net and finding scoring opportunities. On the other hand, his play on the backend needs to tighten up ever so slightly to be considered as a top six transitional player with New Jersey.

He will also have to find more grit and an extra gear to reach his NHL level ceiling and to keep himself in the running as the forward race continues to intensify with New Jersey’s stacked system. Anderson is great at capitalizing on turnovers and recognizing plays before they happen and if he can keep on adding points to his hockey IQ and play ahead of the game he may be able to do well next season and into the future.

Anderson is ready to play in the NHL on one hand but on the other hand, it may be beneficial to play him in a few AHL games first with Binghamton next season before calling him up, to allow him to gain additional confidence before making a full time jump to the NHL. - SC

Reilly Walsh, D (81^st overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 6)

Upon concluding his career at Proctor, he went straight to Harvard as a true freshman, where he was named to the ECAC All-Rookie team thanks to his immediate impact. Walsh is a high-scoring offensive defenseman who netted 31 points and 12 goals as a sophomore. He plays on the power play, puts power behind his passes and moves skillfully in the offensive zone.

Defensively, Walsh still has to improve. He has soft hands to cleanly take the puck from opponents and he uses his long reach well. He is patient but sometimes too patient in the defensive zone, which allows opponents to beat him. Walsh projects as a middle-pairing defender at maturity. - JS

Arseni Gritsyuk, LW (129^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 7)

He is also very slick with the puck in the offensive zone. He has a quick released wrist shot as a weapon to use as well. Most of his goals come from near range, though. He is effective on breakaways and it is dangerous to leave him any room in the offensive zone. That said, he will also battle to loose pucks in front of the net.

Gritsyuk is offensively smart and is a strong zone entry player with his speed. I would say he is more of a transition player that needs to play at high speed to be successful rather than a playmaker that controls the play at varying pace. His defensive awareness is good, and he works hard without the puck. He has top six forward potential but will play at least one more year in Russia. - JH

Tyce Thompson, RW (96^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 20)

Thompson isn’t exactly small at 6-0”, but he is only 165 pounds. He uses his size to his advantage with a long reach, but he lacks physicality in his game. He may be lean, but he can outskate his opponents. He excels as a two-way forward with his calm demeanor. Thompson, who played on both the penalty kill and the power play for Providence, also skates well employing sharp turns.

As a fourth-round draft pick, Thompson is turning out to be a steal and projects as a potential second-line forward if his recent gains can be maintained. - JS

Michael McLeod, C (12^th overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: 3)

To start, McLeod is a strong forechecker and good at keeping the puck on his stick. He makes plays, passes and gets it deep. A downside however comes when he holds onto the puck too long or fails to finish which causes turnovers, especially in the neutral zone, which then leads to him taking a few too many penalties.

It will be McLeod’s last chance at staying up as a call up this season with hopes of ending his time in the AHL, but he will have to prove to New Jersey that he really wants to be there, and will do what it takes as a bottom six forward to start. - SC

Michael Vukojevic, D (82^nd overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 11)

As Vukojevic returns to the OHL next year, the expectation is that he can round out his game by becoming a more confident offensive player. As is, he probably projects as a quality third pairing defender who can help anchor a team’s penalty kill. However, if he can improve his play with the puck and his forward skating stride, it is possible that he could play higher up in the lineup. - BO

Nikita Okhotyuk, D (61^st overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 18)

He had a tough year battling a gruesome finger injury but was extremely effective for the first place 67’s playing as Kevin Bahl’s usual defensive partner later in the year. While the underlying offensive numbers are not eye popping, Okhotyuk is actually a confident player with the puck who will jump up in the play occasionally.

He will turn pro this year and could also move quickly as long as he can stay healthy (something he had had a difficult time doing in his three years in the OHL). He projects as a third pairing shutdown defender, similar to Vukojevic. - BO

Nikola Pasic, RW (189^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 8)

Pasic is a strong skater who plays a good two-way game and can play both center and wing. He is a strong puck carrier, has nice hands and works intensely.

This season he stepped up from junior hockey to the senior level in Allsvenskan as an 18-going-on-19-year-old. He scored an impressive 35 points in 45 games in his first senior season. That said, he played on a high scoring team and had six players ahead of him in team scoring, but he showed that his game translated well from junior to senior hockey.

He almost exclusively played wing and could have created more shots and goals. He scored only seven goals but didn’t have that many shots on goals either. He has a good wrist shot and should use it more. He is a decent middle six prospect and will play in the SHL next season. - JH

Daniil Misyul, D (70^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 15)

His skating is not perfect though and with better lower body balance he would be able to use more of his reach. His offensive game is limited, and he rarely gets involved in the offensive zone. He is a good puck mover, though, and has good puck control and a solid first pass. He plays a smart and simplistic game and is effective defensively.

He did not get a ton of ice time with Yaroslav but played a third pairing role well and was effective for his team when called upon. His NHL projection is probably in that same role and I would say he is ready to step over soon and compete for a spot, but he has three more years left on his contract with Yaroslav. - JH

Eetu Pakkila, LW (203^rd overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: UR)

He is a hard-working, purposeful winger with great skating ability. He has a quick first few strides and can reach top speed in a hurry. He was a proficient point producer in the junior level. With his good scoring touch, potent shot and skating speed, he has the potential to score goals at the pro level, too.

His versatility is another asset. He can play up and down the lineup and in a number of roles. His checking game is effective, and he does many things that do not show on the scoresheet. He has progressed well and become a more complete player since being drafted two years ago. He could break out in the upcoming Liiga season. - MB

Patrick Moynihan, RW/C (158^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 12)

That said, the program was stacked in his class, and he didn’t get the ice time his skills may have otherwise deserved. This year, he was part of a solid group of underclassmen who propelled Providence’s offense while Moynihan netted his own fair share of goals as well.

He is a good skater with speed. Moynihan isn’t physical or big – he is only 5-11” - but he carries more weight on his frame than it looks. He also makes up for his lack of size with his speed, shot, skills, and smarts. He has power on his shot and quick hands. Moynihan also has good hockey sense. He is a skill forward, but time will tell whether the skill set is dynamic enough to play top six minutes at the highest level. - JS

MCKEENS 2020 NHL PROSPECTS REPORT – TOP 250 PROSPECTS

McKeens Hockey; Article by Ryan Wagman — Tue, 22 Sep 2020 11:50:55 +0000

I write these words less than 24 hours after the Dallas Stars took game one of the Stanley Cup Finals against the heavily favored Tampa Bay Lightning. Unlike most seasons wherein the end of the Stanley Cup marks the beginning of off-season player movement, this year teams have taken an early start to the transactional Ferris wheel as many expect the upcoming offseason (from the awarding of the Cup, through to the draft in the first week of October to the start of the 2020-21 season perhaps as soon as early December, pending COVID trends in North America) to be especially turbulent.

We have seen a few trades of NHL pieces, one deal which impacted this guidebook, as Toronto sent Kasperi Kapanen to Pittsburgh and Swedish winger Filip Hallander was among those coming back to Toronto. Hallander was our selection for the second-best prospect in the Penguins system and now holds that title for the Maple Leafs. That trade knocked the Penguins down a few slots on our organizational rankings and allowed Toronto to go the other way accordingly.

Of course, with the draft roughly 17 days away, and with it a complete re-shuffling of the organizational rankings, this is just a snapshot in time of how every team’s system shakes up. We will re-run this list, incorporating the drafted players, in our pre-season fantasy guide, where we will expand the lists up to 20.

What you are about to dive into is a comprehensive list of all prospect eligible players on all 31 teams. To hold prospect eligibility, a player needs to 25 or younger, as of September 15, 2020. All skaters need to have played less than 60 career games, with no more than 35 of those games coming in a single season (or 25 for this past shortened season). For goalies, the age criteria remain the same, but the games played benchmark drops to 30 career games and 20 in a given season (or 15 last year). Any cutoff that does not hew exactly to the Calder Trophy award criteria is, by nature, arbitrary, but we aim to be inclusive for all players who have not yet cemented NHL jobs and/or have not had a prolonged chance to prove himself capable – or incapable.

We rank 15 per team, as depth is as important as the high end. Our goal is to identify players who could – if they have an advocate for them within the team’s braintrust – play a role in the NHL. These players were identified through our thorough vetting of each prospect across the globe, assigning scores, or grades, to five areas for skaters (skating, shot, puck skills, smarts, physicality) and six for netminders (athleticism/speed/quickness, compete/temperament, vision/play reading, positioning/technique, rebound control, and puck handling). Depending on the position, the grades are run through an algorithm to come up with an overall future projection (OFP).

The OFP, if the scout is being honest, measures the future role we anticipate the prospect being able to hold. A 50 score is the lower threshold to be a regular 4^th line forward, or bottom pairing defender. Grades over 56 are potential top line/pairing skaters. The grades in between, obviously project to the middle of the lineup.

As we are reminded every year, development is not linear. Some players take unexpected sudden leaps forward (see Marino, John), and others stagnate (see Ho-Sang, Josh), and many do exactly what we expect of them when they are given the chance. As much as I trust the analysts in our team, I can also tell you that this exercise is always humbling. There will be at least one player who we rate highly who bombs. There will be at least one player who did not feature on his team’s top 15 who becomes an NHL regular next year. We accept those errors in judgment and promise you, our faithful subscriber, that we will learn from them and refine our work for next year, as we learn just as NHL teams learn.

Until then, please enjoy this snapshot view of the future of the beautiful, frozen game. Putting this together has provided at least some sense of normalcy during this crazy summer.

NHL	RNK	PLAYER	POS	AGE	HT/WT	TM	Acquired
Ana	1	Trevor Zegras	C	19	6-0/170	Boston University (HE)	`19(9th)
Min	2	Kirill Kaprizov	LW	23	5-10/200	CSKA (KHL)	`15(135th)
Col	3	Bowen Byram	D	19	6-0/195	Vancouver (WHL)	`19(4th)
Buf	4	Dylan Cozens	C	19	6-3/185	Lethbridge (WHL)	`19(7th)
Fla	5	Spencer Knight	G	19	6-3/195	Boston College (HE)	`19(13th)
VGK	6	Peyton Krebs	C	19	5-11/180	Winnipeg (WHL)	`19(17th)
Ari	7	Victor Soderstrom	D	19	5-11/180	Brynas (Swe)	`19(11th)
Mtl	8	Cole Caufield	RW	19	5-7/165	Wisconsin (B1G)	`19(15th)
Van	9	Vasili Podkolzin	RW	19	6-1/190	SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)	`19(10th)
Edm	10	Philip Broberg	D	19	6-3/200	Skelleftea AIK (Swe)	`19(8th)
Tor	11	Nick Robertson	LW	19	5-9/160	Peterborough (OHL)	`19(53rd)
Col	12	Alex Newhook	C	19	5-10/195	Boston College (HE)	`19(16th)
Det	13	Moritz Seider	D	19	6-3/185	Grand Rapids (AHL)	`19(6th)
Fla	14	Grigori Denisenko	LW	20	5-11/185	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL)	`18(15th)
Min	15	Matthew Boldy	LW	19	6-1/190	Boston College (HE)	`19(12th)
NJ	16	Ty Smith	D	20	5-10/180	Spokane (WHL)	`18(17th)
LA	17	Alex Turcotte	C	19	5-11/185	Wisconsin (B1G)	`19(5th)
Nsh	18	Philip Tomasino	C	19	5-11/180	Nia-Osh (OHL)	`19(24th)
Pit	19	Samuel Poulin	LW	19	6-1/205	Sherbrooke (QMJHL)	`19(21st)
Wsh	20	Connor McMichael	C	19	5-11/175	London (OHL)	`19(25th)
LA	21	Gabriel Vilardi	RW	21	6-3/200	Ontario (AHL)	`17(11th)
NYR	22	Igor Shesterkin	G	24	6-1/190	Hartford (AHL)	`14(118th)
Dal	23	Thomas Harley	D	19	6-3/190	Mississauga (OHL)	`19(18th)
Ari	24	Barrett Hayton	C	20	6-1/190	Arizona (NHL)	`18(5th)
NYR	25	Nils Lundkvist	D	20	5-11/180	Lulea (Swe)	`18(28th)
LA	26	Arthur Kaliyev	RW	19	6-2/190	Hamilton (OHL)	`19(33rd)
Cgy	27	Juuso Valimaki	D	21	6-2/205	DNP - Injured	`17(16th)
Det	28	Jared McIsaac	D	20	6-1/195	Hal-Mon (QMJHL)	`18(36th)
NYR	29	Vitali Kravtsov	RW	20	6-3/185	Hartford (AHL)	`18(9th)
Edm	30	Evan Bouchard	D	20	6-2/195	Bakersfield (AHL)	`18(10th)
NYR	31	K'Andre Miller	D	20	6-3/205	Wisconsin (B1G)	`18(22nd)
Edm	32	Raphael Lavoie	RW	19	6-4/195	Hal-Chi (QMJHL)	`19(38th)
NYI	33	Ilya Sorokin	G	25	6-2/180	CSKA (KHL)	`14(78th)
Det	34	Albert Johansson	D	19	5-11/165	Farjestads (Swe)	`19(60th)
Ari	35	Matias Maccelli	LW	19	5-11/170	Ilves Tampere (Fin)	`19(98th)
Van	36	Nils Hoglander	RW	19	5-9/185	Rogle (Swe)	`19(40th)
Ari	37	Jan Jenik	RW	20	6-1/180	Hamilton (OHL)	`18(65th)
Phi	38	Cam York	D	19	5-11/175	Michigan (B1G)	`19(14th)
Phi	39	Morgan Frost	C	21	5-11/180	Lehigh Valley (AHL)	`17(27th)
Ana	40	Lukas Dostal	G	20	6-1/170	Ilves Tampere (Fin)	`18(85th)
LA	41	Tobias Bjornfot	D	19	6-0/200	Ontario (AHL)	`19(22nd)
SJ	42	Ryan Merkley	D	20	5-11/170	London (OHL)	`18(21st)
NYI	43	Kieffer Bellows	LW	22	6-0/200	Bridgeport (AHL)	`16(19th)
NYI	44	Oliver Wahlstrom	RW	20	6-1/205	Bridgeport (AHL)	`18(11th)
LA	45	Rasmus Kupari	C	20	6-1/185	Ontario (AHL)	`18(20th)
CBJ	46	Liam Foudy	C	20	6-0/175	London (OHL)	`18(18th)
LA	47	Tyler Madden	C	20	5-10/155	Northeastern (HE)	T(Van-2/20)
Mtl	48	Alexander Romanov	D	20	5-11/185	CSKA (KHL)	`18(38th)
NYI	49	Bode Wilde	D	20	6-2/195	Bridgeport (AHL)	`18(41st)
Ott	50	Jacob Bernard-Docker	D	20	6-0/180	North Dakota (NCHC)	`18(26th)
Cgy	51	Jakob Pelletier	LW	19	5-9/165	Moncton (QMJHL)	`19(26th)
LA	52	Akil Thomas	C	20	5-11/170	Nia-Pbo (OHL)	`18(51st)
Wpg	53	Dylan Samberg	D	21	6-3/190	Minn-Duluth (NCHC)	`17(43rd)
Chi	54	Ian Mitchell	D	21	5-11/175	Denver (NCHC)	`17(57th)
Ott	55	Josh Norris	C	21	6-1/195	Belleville (AHL)	T(SJ-9/18)
NYR	56	Matthew Robertson	D	19	6-3/200	Edmonton (WHL)	`19(49th)
VGK	57	Pavel Dorofeyev	LW	19	6-1/170	Magnitogorsk (KHL)	`19(79th)
Dal	58	Jake Oettinger	G	21	6-4/210	Texas (AHL)	`17(26th)
Ott	59	Drake Batherson	RW	22	6-1/190	Belleville (AHL)	`17(121st)
LA	60	Samuel Fagemo	RW	20	6-0/195	Frolunda (Swe)	`19(50th)
Col	61	Justus Annunen	G	20	6-4/215	Karpat Oulu (Fin)	`18(64th)
Bos	62	John Beecher	C	19	6-3/210	Michigan (B1G)	`19(30th)
Phi	63	Egor Zamula	D	20	6-4/175	Calgary (WHL)	FA(9/18)
NYR	64	Zac Jones	D	19	5-10/175	Massachusetts (HE)	`19(68th)
CBJ	65	Kirill Marchenko	LW	20	6-3/190	SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)	`18(49th)
VGK	66	Jack Dugan	RW	22	6-2/185	Providence (HE)	`17(142nd)
StL	67	Scott Perunovich	D	22	5-10/175	Minn-Duluth (NCHC)	`18(45th)
Bos	68	Jack Studnicka	C	21	6-1/170	Providence (AHL)	`17(53rd)
Dal	69	Ty Dellandrea	C	20	6-0/185	Flint (OHL)	`18(13th)
Min	70	Calen Addison	D	20	5-10/180	Lethbridge (WHL)	T(Pit-2/20)
NYR	71	Julien Gauthier	RW	22	6-4/225	Charlotte (AHL)	T(Car-2/20)
Van	72	Olli Juolevi	D	22	6-3/200	Utica (AHL)	`16(5th)
NJ	73	Nolan Foote	LW	19	6-3/190	Kelowna (WHL)	T(TB-2/20)
NJ	74	Janne Kuokkanen	LW	22	6-1/190	Cha-Bng (AHL)	T(Car-2/20)
Ott	75	Alex Formenton	LW	21	6-2/165	Belleville (AHL)	`17(47th)
Det	76	Robert Mastrosimone	LW	19	5-10/160	Boston University (HE)	`19(54th)
NYR	77	Morgan Barron	C	21	6-2/200	Cornell (ECAC)	`17(174th)
Mtl	78	Jesse Ylonen	RW	20	6-1/185	Pelicans (Fin)	`18(35th)
Car	79	Dominik Bokk	RW	20	6-1/180	Rogle (Swe)	T(StL-9/19)
Nsh	80	Egor Afanasyev	RW	19	6-3/205	Windsor (OHL)	`19(45th)
Ana	81	Benoit-Olivier Groulx	C	20	6-1/195	Hal-Mon (QMJHL)	`18(54th)
Min	82	Alexander Khovanov	C	20	5-11/195	Moncton (QMJHL)	`18(86th)
Det	83	Joe Veleno	C	20	6-1/195	Grand Rapids (AHL)	`18(30th)
NJ	84	Kevin Bahl	D	20	6-6/230	Ottawa (OHL)	T(Ari-12/19)
Car	85	Ryan Suzuki	C	19	6-0/180	Bar-Sag (OHL)	`19(28th)
Van	86	Jett Woo	D	20	6-0/205	Calgary (WHL)	`18(37th)
Mtl	87	Mattias Norlinder	D	20	5-11/180	MODO (Swe 2)	`19(64th)
Min	88	Adam Beckman	LW	19	6-1/170	Spokane (WHL)	`19(75th)
Bos	89	Jeremy Swayman	G	21	6-1/190	Maine (HE)	`17(111th)
Wpg	90	Kristian Vesalainen	LW	21	6-3/205	Manitoba (AHL)	`17(24th)
Tor	91	Filip Hallander	LW	20	6-1/185	Lulea (Swe)	T(Pit-8/20)
Fla	92	Owen Tippett	RW	21	6-1/200	Springfield (AHL)	`17(10th)
Car	93	Jake Bean	D	22	6-1/175	Charlotte (AHL)	`16(13th)
Ott	94	Shane Pinto	C	19	6-2/190	North Dakota (NCHC)	`19(32nd)
Col	95	Martin Kaut	RW	20	6-1/175	Colorado (AHL)	`18(16th)
Van	96	Jack Rathbone	D	21	5-10/175	Harvard (ECAC)	`17(95th)
Tor	97	Nick Abruzzese	C	21	5-9/160	Harvard (ECAC)	`19(124th)
Bos	98	Urho Vaakanainen	D	21	6-0/185	Providence (AHL)	`17(18th)
Wsh	99	Alexander Alexeyev	D	20	6-3/200	Hershey (AHL)	`18(31st)
NYI	100	Simon Holmstrom	RW	19	6-1/185	Bridgeport (AHL)	`19(23rd)
LA	101	Jaret Anderson-Dolan	C	21	5-11/190	Ontario (AHL)	`17(41st)
Car	102	Joey Keane	D	21	6-0/185	Hfd-Cha (AHL)	T(NYR-2/20)
Wsh	103	Martin Fehervary	D	20	6-1/190	Hershey (AHL)	`18(46th)
StL	104	Tyler Tucker	D	20	6-1/205	Bar-Fnt (OHL)	`18(200th)
SJ	105	Yegor Spiridonov	C	19	6-2/195	Stalnye Lisy Magnitogorsk (MHL)	`19(108th)
NJ	106	Joey Anderson	RW	22	6-0/195	Binghamton (AHL)	`16(73rd)
Col	107	Conor Timmins	D	21	6-1/185	Colorado (AHL)	`17(32nd)
StL	108	Klim Kostin	C	21	6-3/195	San Antonio (AHL)	`17(31st)
Mtl	109	Cayden Primeau	G	21	6-3/180	Laval (AHL)	`17(199th)
SJ	110	Jonathan Dahlen	LW	22	5-11/185	Timra IK (Swe 2)	T(Van-2/19)
NJ	111	Reilly Walsh	D	21	5-11/180	Harvard (ECAC)	`17(81st)
Buf	112	Oskari Laaksonen	D	21	6-2/165	Ilves Tampere (Fin)	`17(89th)
NJ	113	Arseni Gritsyuk	RW	19	5-10/170	Omskie Yastreby (MHL)	`19(129th)
Wsh	114	Aliaksei Protas	C	19	6-5/205	Prince Albert (WHL)	`19(91st)
Cgy	115	Dustin Wolf	G	19	6-0/165	Everett (WHL)	`19(214th)
StL	116	Joel Hofer	G	20	6-3/160	Portland (WHL)	`18(107th)
VGK	117	Ivan Morozov	C	20	6-1/180	SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)	`18(61st)
Mtl	118	Jake Evans	C	24	6-0/185	Laval (AHL)	`14(207th)
Nsh	119	Eeli Tolvanen	RW	21	5-10/175	Milwaukee (AHL)	`17(30th)
Wpg	120	Ville Heinola	D	19	5-11/180	Lukko Rauma (Fin)	`19(20th)
VGK	121	Lucas Elvenes	RW	21	6-0/175	Chicago (AHL)	`17(127th)
TB	122	Cole Koepke	LW	22	6-1/195	Minn-Duluth (NCHC)	`18(183rd)
Ana	123	Isac Lundestrom	C	20	6-0/185	San Diego (AHL)	`18(23rd)
NYR	124	Tarmo Reunanen	D	22	6-0/180	Lukko Rauma (Fin)	`16(98th)
Mtl	125	Jordan Harris	D	20	5-11/180	Northeastern (HE)	`18(71st)
Ana	126	Brayden Tracey	LW	19	6-0/175	MJ-Vic (WHL)	`19(29th)
Phi	127	Tanner Laczynski	C	23	6-1/200	Ohio State (B1G)	`16(169th)
Chi	128	Alec Regula	D	20	6-3/200	London (OHL)	T(Det-10/19)
Buf	129	Mattias Samuelsson	D	20	6-3/215	Western Michigan (NCHC)	`18(32nd)
Car	130	Jamieson Rees	C	19	5-10/175	Sarnia (OHL)	`19(44th)
Edm	131	Olivier Rodrigue	G	20	6-1/165	Moncton (QMJHL)	`18(62nd)
Fla	132	Serron Noel	RW	20	6-5/205	Osh-Kit (OHL)	`18(34th)
Det	133	Antti Tuomisto	D	19	6-4/190	Assat Pori (Fin Jr)	`19(35th)
Dal	134	Jason Robertson	LW	21	6-2/195	Texas (AHL)	`17(39th)
Mtl	135	Joni Ikonen	C	21	5-10/170	DNP - Injured	`17(58th)
Nsh	136	Rem Pitlick	C	23	5-11/200	Milwaukee (AHL)	`16(76th)
Ott	137	Logan Brown	C	22	6-6/220	Belleville (AHL)	`16(11th)
TB	138	Samuel Walker	C	21	5-11/160	Minnesota (B1G)	`17(200th)
Phi	139	Wade Allison	RW	22	6-2/205	Western Michigan (NCHC)	`16(52nd)
Wpg	140	Declan Chisholm	D	20	6-1/190	Peterborough (OHL)	`18(150th)
NJ	141	Tyce Thompson	RW	21	6-1/180	Providence (HE)	`19(96th)
VGK	142	Connor Corcoran	D	20	6-1/185	Windsor (OHL)	`18(154th)
Ana	143	Jackson Lacombe	D	19	6-1/170	Minnesota (B1G)	`19(39th)
NYR	144	Lauri Pajuniemi	RW	21	6-0/185	TPS Turku (Fin)	`18(132nd)
Car	145	Tuukka Tieksola	RW	19	5-10/160	Karpat Oulu (Fin Jr)	`19(121st)
CBJ	146	Andrew Peeke	D	22	6-3/210	Cleveland (AHL)	`16(34th)
Ana	147	Axel Andersson	D	20	6-0/180	Moncton (QMJHL)	T(Bos-2/20)
Car	148	Patrik Puistola	LW	19	6-0/175	Tap-Juk-Koo (Fin)	`19(73rd)
NJ	149	Michael McLeod	C	22	6-2/195	Binghamton (AHL)	`16(12th)
Car	150	Pyotr Kochetkov	G	21	6-1/175	SKA-VIT (KHL)	`19(36th)
NJ	151	Michael Vukojevic	D	19	6-3/210	Kitchener (OHL)	`19(82nd)
NYI	152	Ruslan Iskhakov	C	20	5-8/155	UConn (HE)	`18(43rd)
Wpg	153	Sami Niku	D	23	6-0/175	Manitoba (AHL)	`15(198th)
TB	154	Hugo Alnefelt	G	19	6-3/195	HV 71 (Swe)	`19(71st)
NJ	155	Nikita Okhotyuk	D	19	6-1/195	Ottawa (OHL)	`19(61st)
NYR	156	Hunter Skinner	D	19	6-2/175	London (OHL)	`19(112th)
LA	157	Mikey Anderson	D	21	6-0/195	Ontario (AHL)	`17(103rd)
Col	158	Shane Bowers	C	21	6-2/190	Colorado (AHL)	T(Ott-11/17)
NYI	159	Joshua Ho-Sang	RW	24	6-0/175	Bri-SA (AHL)	`14(28th)
LA	160	Cal Petersen	G	25	6-3/190	Ontario (AHL)	FA(7/17)
Col	161	Sampo Ranta	LW	20	6-2/205	Minnesota (B1G)	`18(78th)
Wpg	162	Mikhail Berdin	G	22	6-2/165	Manitoba (AHL)	`16(157th)
Bos	163	Jeremy Lauzon	D	23	6-3/205	Providence (AHL)	`15(52nd)
Nsh	164	David Farrance	D	21	5-11/190	Boston University (HE)	`17(92nd)
Van	165	Will Lockwood	RW	22	5-11/175	Michigan (B1G)	`16(64th)
NYI	166	Sebastian Aho	D	24	5-10/175	Bridgeport (AHL)	`17(139th)
Wpg	167	Logan Stanley	D	22	6-7/225	Manitoba (AHL)	`16(18th)
Buf	168	Ryan Johnson	D	19	6-0/175	Minnesota (B1G)	`19(31st)
Van	169	Michael DiPietro	G	21	6-0/195	Utica (AHL)	`17(64th)
VGK	170	Kaedan Korczak	D	19	6-3/190	Kelowna (WHL)	`19(41st)
Car	171	Jack Drury	C	20	5-11/180	Harvard (ECAC)	`18(42nd)
StL	172	Nikita Alexandrov	C	19	6-0/180	Charlottetown (QMJHL)	`19(62nd)
Col	173	Nikolai Kovalenko	RW	20	5-10/175	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL)	`18(171st)
Nsh	174	Juuso Parssinen	C	19	6-2/205	TPS Turku (Fin)	`19(210th)
Chi	175	Pius Suter	C	24	5-11/170	ZSC Lions (NLA)	FA(7/20)
Fla	176	Aleksi Saarela	RW	23	5-11/200	Rfd-Spr (AHL)	T(Chi-10/19)
Bos	177	Trent Frederic	C	22	6-4/215	Providence (AHL)	`16(29th)
CBJ	178	Dmitri Voronkov	LW	20	6-4/190	Ak Bars Kazan (KHL)	`19(114th)
Ott	179	Lassi Thomson	D	19	6-0/190	Ilves Tampere (Fin)	`19(19th)
Car	180	Morgan Geekie	C	22	6-2/180	Charlotte (AHL)	`17(67th)
CBJ	181	Trey Fix-Wolansky	RW	21	5-8/185	Cleveland (AHL)	`18(204th)
Ott	182	Vitaly Abramov	RW	22	5-9/175	Belleville (AHL)	T(CBJ-2/19)
TB	183	Alexander Volkov	LW	23	6-1/190	Syracuse (AHL)	`17(48th)
Tor	184	Mikko Kokkonen	D	19	5-11/200	Jukurit (Fin)	`19(84th)
Ott	185	Kevin Mandolese	G	20	6-4/180	Cape Breton (QMJHL)	`18(157th)
CBJ	186	Daniil Tarasov	G	21	6-5/185	Assat Pori (Fin)	`17(86th)
LA	187	Carl Grundstrom	LW	22	6-0/195	Ontario (AHL)	T(Tor-1/19)
LA	188	Kale Clague	D	22	6-0/180	Ontario (AHL)	`16(51st)
Ott	189	Artyom Zub	D	24	6-2/200	SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)	FA(5/20)
Edm	190	Tyler Benson	LW	22	6-0/200	Bakersfield (AHL)	`16(32nd)
Det	191	Jonatan Berggren	RW	20	5-10/185	Skelleftea AIK (Swe)	`18(33rd)
Tor	192	Yegor Korshkov	RW	24	6-4/215	Toronto (AHL)	`16(31st)
Dal	193	Riley Damiani	C	20	5-9/165	Kitchener (OHL)	`18(137th)
VGK	194	Zach Whitecloud	D	23	6-2/210	Chicago (AHL)	FA(3/18)
Buf	195	Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen	G	21	6-4/195	Cincinnati (ECHL)	`17(54th)
Car	196	David Cotton	LW	23	6-3/205	Boston College (HE)	`15(169th)
Chi	197	Wyatt Kalynuk	D	23	6-1/180	Wisconsin (B1G)	FA(7/20)
Min	198	Hunter Jones	G	19	6-4/195	Peterborough (OHL)	`19(59th)
LA	199	Jordan Spence	D	19	5-10/165	Moncton (QMJHL)	`19(95th)
Cgy	200	Dmitri Zavgorodny	LW	20	5-9/175	Rimouski (QMJHL)	`18(198th)
Col	201	Alex Beaucage	RW	19	6-1/195	Rouyn-Noranda (QMJHL)	`19(78th)
TB	202	Dmitri Semykin	D	20	6-3/200	SKA-1946 St. Petersburg (MHL)	`18(90th)
CBJ	203	Matiss Kivlenieks	G	24	6-2/190	Cleveland (AHL)	FA(5/17)
StL	204	Ville Husso	G	25	6-3/205	San Antonio (AHL)	`14(94th)
Phi	205	Bobby Brink	RW	19	5-10/165	Denver (NCHC)	`19(34th)
NYI	206	Otto Koivula	C	22	6-4/220	Bridgeport (AHL)	`16(120th)
Car	207	Eetu Makiniemi	G	21	6-2/180	KOOVEE (Fin 2)	`17(104th)
NYI	208	Anatoli Golyshev	RW	25	5-8/180	Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg (KHL)	`16(95th)
Chi	209	Evan Barratt	C	21	6-0/190	Penn State (B1G)	`17(90th)
Buf	210	Erik Portillo	G	20	6-6/210	Dubuque (USHL)	`19(67th)
Fla	211	Cole Schwindt	RW	19	6-2/185	Mississauga (OHL)	`19(81st)
Chi	212	Michal Teply	LW	19	6-3/185	Winnipeg (WHL)	`19(105th)
Ott	213	Mads Sogaard	G	19	6-7/195	Medicine Hat (WHL)	`19(37th)
Buf	214	Jonas Johansson	G	24	6-4/205	Rochester (AHL)	`14(61st)
TB	215	Cal Foote	D	21	6-4/215	Syracuse (AHL)	`17(14th)
StL	216	Niko Mikkola	D	24	6-5/200	San Antonio (AHL)	`15(127th)
NYI	217	Robin Salo	D	21	6-1/190	SaiPa (Fin)	`17(46th)
Bos	218	Jakub Zboril	D	23	6-1/200	Providence (AHL)	`15(13th)
Buf	219	Will Borgen	D	23	6-2/200	Rochester (AHL)	`15(92nd)
Pit	220	Pierre-Olivier Joseph	D	21	6-2/170	Wilkes-Barre (AHL)	`17(23rd)
SJ	221	Sasha Chmelevski	C	21	5-11/190	San Jose (AHL)	`17(185th)
Ari	222	Kyle Capobianco	D	23	6-1/180	Tucson (AHL)	`15(63rd)
Det	223	Keith Petruzzelli	G	21	6-5/180	Quinnipiac (ECAC)	`17(88th)
Wsh	224	Garrett Pilon	RW	22	5-11/190	Hershey (AHL)	`16(87th)
NJ	225	Nikola Pasic	RW	19	5-10/185	Karlskoga (Swe 2)	`19(189th)
TB	226	Alex Barre-Boulet	C	23	5-10/165	Syracuse (AHL)	FA(3/18)
Edm	227	Ryan McLeod	C	20	6-2/205	Bakersfield (AHL)	`18(40th)
NYI	228	Samuel Bolduc	D	19	6-3/210	BLB-She (QMJHL)	`19(57th)
Ott	229	Joey Daccord	G	24	6-2/195	Belleville (AHL)	`15(199th)
StL	230	Hugh McGing	C	22	5-9/180	Western Michigan (NCHC)	`18(138th)
Edm	231	Cooper Marody	C	23	6-0/180	Bakersfield (AHL)	T(Phi-3/18)
Tor	232	Jeremy Bracco	RW	23	5-9/180	Toronto (AHL)	`15(61st)
Phi	233	German Rubtsov	C	22	6-2/190	Lehigh Valley (AHL)	`16(22nd)
Wsh	234	Brian Pinho	C	25	6-1/195	Hershey (AHL)	`13(174th)
Col	235	Logan O'Connor	RW	24	6-0/170	Colorado (AHL)	FA(7/18)
Buf	236	Casey Fitzgerald	D	23	5-11/190	Rochester (AHL)	`16(86th)
NJ	237	Daniil Misyul	D	19	6-3/180	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL)	`19(70th)
Ari	238	John Farinacci	C	19	5-11/185	Harvard (ECAC)	`19(76th)
Edm	239	Aapeli Rasanen	C	22	6-0/195	Boston College (HE)	`16(153rd)
Pit	240	Anthony Angello	RW	24	6-5/205	Wilkes-Barre (AHL)	`14(145th)
Mtl	241	Cam Hillis	C	20	5-10/170	Guelph (OHL)	`18(66th)
Cgy	242	Mathias Emilio Pettersen	RW	20	5-9/170	Denver (NCHC)	`18(167th)
SJ	243	Alexander True	C	23	6-5/205	San Jose (AHL)	FA(7/18)
NYI	244	Reece Newkirk	C	19	5-11/175	Portland (WHL)	`19(147th)
Dal	245	Dawson Barteaux	D	20	6-0/180	RD-Wpg (WHL)	`18(168th)
Bos	246	Jack Ahcan	D	23	5-8/185	St. Cloud State (NCHC)	FA(3/20)
Det	247	Seth Barton	D	21	6-2/175	Mass-Lowell (HE)	`18(81st)
Fla	248	Max Gildon	D	21	6-3/190	New Hampshire (HE)	`17(66th)
Ari	249	Aku Raty	RW	19	6-0/175	Karpat Oulu (Fin)	`19(151st)
Wpg	250	David Gustafsson	C	20	6-1/195	Winnipeg (NHL)	`18(60th)

New Jersey Devils 2019-20 Prospect Review: Top 20

Sat, 14 Sep 2019 12:22:54 +0000

Putting this list together, one of the immediately striking things to my mind was the similarities this year’s New Jersey top 20 bore to last year’s. Five of last year’s top six prospects were still in the top six now, and the one player who is missing from last year’s version is now a member of the Chicago Blackhawks’ organization (John Quenneville).

In fact, most of the players who were there last year and are not now are gone because they no longer qualify. They were either moved to a different organization, or they graduated with honors, losing prospect eligibility. In each case, the missing were replaced by new Devils’ prospects, as 10 of the team’s 11 picks made the top 20, so pour one out for netminder Cole Brady, the sole 2019 draftee who didn’t make the cut.

As interesting to me as those factoids are, you are reading this section for the same reason we are writing it. The Devils won the draft lottery for the second time in three years, and used their good fortune to add USNTDP superstar Jack Hughes to their mix. Barring a catastrophic injury in the next few months, this will be my last time to discuss Hughes as a prospect.

First, a thought on the choice made by Ray Shero and company to go with Hughes over the other heavily hyped and largely qualified prospect at the top of the draft in Kaapo Kakko. This was Shero’s fifth draft at the helm of the Devils. In the four previous drafts, they drafted two players out of Finland, neither before the sixth round. On the other hand, they drafted four players out of the USHL, including two who had passed through the USNTDP program. So they certainly had a lot of comfort with gauging Hughes’ performance against his USHL peers.

Another interesting aspect of the selection had to do with positional value. In a vacuum, a center is always more valuable than a winger. Ergo, if the organization felt that Hughes and Kakko were equals as NHL talents, the fact that Hughes is a natural center while Kakko is a right winger (notwithstanding the fact that he has some experience up the middle) gives Hughes the edge. If we extend that consideration to the talents otherwise populating the system, we see that Jersey has a deep pipeline of young talent coming on the wings, but is relatively barren up the middle. Of the 19 players we have listed after the top prospect in the sport, we have two other natural centers, and three others who are experienced up the middle. In contrast, the list features seven pure wingers. And let’s be honest with ourselves: the three partial centers are all more likely than not to reach their ceilings as wingers than as pivots.

In drafting Hughes, the Devils immediately shoot to the upper echelon of organizational rankings, with the clear expectation that their position is short lived. Hughes can help carry this team back to the postseason, lowering their draft position and, as mentioned above, his own contribution to the team’s organizational ranking will be short-lived.

Finally, a quick look back on Shero’s record of drafting from the USHL/USNTDP versus Finland. In his fifth draft for New Jersey, the Devils did not pick up any Finnish players, but added two additional USNTDP alums after inviting Hughes to the podium.

-Ryan Wagman

New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes (86) (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire)

1 Jack Hughes, C (1^st overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Jack Hughes is a the son of two high level hockey players and the middle brother to two more. But Jack is more talented than the rest. He holds within his slight frame a set of elite level tools in his skating, his puck skills, and his hockey brain. He does not yet have the complete game of a Sidney Crosby, but like Crosby, he is able to internalize criticisms of his game and improve in-season. Take his shot. While he was always more of a playmaker than a goal scorer, he had real trouble putting the puck in the net in his draft year and the whispers had begun. In the second half, he made more of a point of taking the puck to the net and he started to light the lamp more often, too. He is a clear future number one center, although with former #1 Nico Hischier already in tow, the Devils might start him off in more of a sheltered, middle-six role. - RW

2 Ty Smith, D (17^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 1) Smith finished off a strong season by winning the CHL’s Defenseman of the year award. He captained the Spokane Chiefs last season, and put up 7 goals and 62 assists in 57 games. He was close to making the Devils out of camp last season, and after spending another season back in Spokane, has matured and continued to fill out his frame, and should make another push towards making the NHL. Smith is a fabulous skating defender, who is extremely smart, and is able to move the puck with great poise and ease. He plays the type of game that should make his lack of traditional size a non-issue. He projects to be a top pairing defender, a smooth puck mover, and a smart power play quarterback. - KO

3 Michael McLeod, C (12^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 2) For a strong, offensive power forward such as McLeod, last season’s NHL debut was a little shaky. It seemed as though the move up from the AHL to the NHL was a bigger jump then he imagined, especially as his previous season was spent with OHL Mississauga. Although not the smoothest of skaters to watch, he is strong and good both with and without the puck. McLeod’s defensive game has grown a lot this season making him a better two way player. He is a talented and smart playmaker and with a good start in the AHL and given more confidence he will definitely be in the right shape again to be shipped back up to the Devils. This season however, he needs to clean up his game a little and work on being more patient if he wants to get to the next level and fit into a top six role, with fewer scrambles and more tape to tape plays. - SC

4 Jesper Boqvist, C/LW (36^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 3) A stand-out skater with nice hands. You can’t miss Boqvist if you see a game where he plays. As for skating with the puck, you could almost see style similarities with high elite talents like Jack Hughes or Connor McDavid. Boqvist doesn’t have their hockey sense or skillset, though. His senses and skills aren’t bad on the other hand and he is an interesting middle six forward prospect and has strong NHL potential for that role. He put up 35 points in 51 SHL games last year. He is a strong puck carrier and with zone entries. He still needs to work on his decision-making regarding when to carry or when play or dump the puck, which makes him inconsistent. Boqvist wants to create and to make stuff happen and that is a good trait. He will have a chance to make the Devils this season and if he doesn’t, he will be back for another year in SHL. - JH

5 Joey Anderson, RW (73^rd overall, 2016. Last Year: 5) Anderson is an energetic and hard-working forward who plays like he always has something to prove. His grit when on the puck is proof of his passion and his skillset only furthers his value. He is a reliable shooter and may be aggressive enough but he needs to up his strength to get to the next level in order to win more battles. Having played nearly a full season up with the Devils last season, his play has improved but his strength is still a weak spot and for a player of his size, he is already at a disadvantage. When at the peak of his game, Anderson has what it takes to scratch the top six but for now it would be best to aim for a more realistic bottom six spot instead. - SC

6 Reilly Walsh, D (81^st overall, 2018. Last Year: 6) Although he was a late cut in his first chance at making the American WJC squad, Walsh had a successful sophomore campaign with Harvard, coming this close to putting up one point per game and establishing his credentials as Adam Fox’s successor as the driver of the offense for the Crimson. He lacks any singular big time tools, and he is on the smaller side, but Walsh plays a dynamic game, and does everything at an above average level. He is even able to display an aggressive side at times, although he is far from spreading fear into the hearts of opponents. He can be an easy #1 at the college level and is still trending towards a solid #3/4 type at the highest level. - RW

7 Arseni Gritsyuk, LW (129^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Gritsyuk had a good season at home in Russia, also bearing in mind that he represented Russia at many international tournaments, including the Hlinka Gretzky Cup and the WU18, posting good numbers at each. He is a diminutive but fast-skating winger who likes to play the puck. He is a very resilient and patient player, who can beat defensemen one on one with his agility and skills. Gritsyuk is a promising offensive player with a high ceiling in the offensive zone. He is the kind of player who can be a perfect fit for secondary scoring. He can be very useful on the forecheck and works hard, but all things considered, he is better off in a scoring line. The forward needs to start gathering experience at the pro level and he will most likely get some next year. - ASR

8 Nikola Pasic, RW (189^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) A strong late pick in 2019, who we had ranked higher. Pasic is not a "sure-to-make-the-NHL"-player though. This season, in SuperElit, he played center on a line and helped the offensive game for a natural center who was pushed out to the wing. Pasic got the part because of his stronger skating and two-way game. He is a strong puck carrier, has nice hands and works with intensity. His foundation as a player comes from his skating abilities and puck control. He can also play the part of a strong winger with good puck support with others driving the play. A concern comes when he drives the offensive play, as he isn't good enough to effectively use his teammates and tries to do too much on his own. All in all, I see a potential top nice forward in Pasic. He will have his first real taste at senior hockey this season in Allsvenskan. - JH

9 Graeme Clarke, RW (80^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Clarke is an extremely creative offensive player whose hands and deftness with the puck have to be considered among the best in the OHL, even at his young age. He has successfully attempted the Michigan “Mike Legg” goal too many times to count. Clarke is also a great goal scorer who possesses a lightning quick release. His skating has already improved during his two year tenure in the OHL, but it will need to continue to improve to be an impact top six forward at the NHL level. His play away from the puck will also need to develop more consistency. But his potential is quite high and he should be a player who contends for an OHL scoring title before his junior eligibility is up. - BO

10 Aarne Talvitie, C (160^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 7) Talvitie was in the midst of a very impressive freshman season at Penn State and was a surprise ace for the Finnish WJC Gold Medal team, but it was during the latter event that he hurt his knee and was forced to the sidelines for the remainder of the season. Talvitie is the type of player whose whole is significantly greater than the sum of the parts. He has a stocky build and decent puck abilities, highlit by a fine wrist shot and nice playmaking abilities, but his ability to think the game quickly and make good reads helps it all play up. He can be used in a wide variety of roles and always leaves it all on the ice. If he can return from his injury none the worse for the wear, he profiles as a future middle six, all situations forward. - RW

11 Michael Vukojevic, D (82^nd overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) A hard-nosed, stay at home defender, Vukojevic is a very steady influence on the back end. He profiles as a penalty kill anchor and the type you can match up against the opposition’s best. There are not many flaws to his game from a defensive perspective, especially with the improvements that he has made to his skating. His play with the puck can be sporadic and his offensive potential will probably be limited at the pro level, thereby limiting his overall utility. That said, his confidence with the puck grew substantially in the second half of the past OHL season, suggesting the possibility of additional ceiling hiding inside. - BO

12 Patrick Moynihan, RW/C (158^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) On a team with Hughes, Alex Turcotte, Trevor Zegras, and Joh Beecher – first rounders all – up the middle, Moynihan slid to the wing. Even relegated to bottom six minutes, he still managed to impress. He lacks the pace of the fearsome foursome, but the rest of his game holds signs of a top six talent. In fact, when the USNTDP class was being recruited, Moynihan was widely considered to be among the best of the bunch. He packs a punch for his smaller frame and can create offense with quick decision making and opportunism. Despite his lower lineup role with the Program, Moynihan could easily find himself playing higher in the lineup with Providence, and earning his earlier career accolades once more. While bottom six is most likely, he could surprise with newfound ceiling. - RW

13 Xavier Bernard, D (110^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 10) Bernard has great size to go along with very good overall skating. His size makes him a strong option down low in his own zone and in front of the net. His skating makes him a very good defender positionally, as he can match most skaters coming off the rush in a straight line or side-to-side, and can also throw the big hit. His offensive game is solid as well, if unspectacular – he has a very heavy shot, and is an even better passer, but his offensive game is limited in terms of his boxcar stats. He is more effective as an ice general, leading the rush from the back end and joining in as a trailer. He is a very safe, solid, no-nonsense defender with great size who does not make a lot of mistakes, all of which will give him a streamlined path to a top-four spot at the NHL level. - MS

14 Case McCarthy, D (118^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) One of the more purely defensive defensemen in this year’s USNTDP class, McCarthy joins Hughes and Moynihan in the New Jersey draft class. The Boston University commit plays a very low flash game, but has a lot of solid elements to his game that give him the feel of a low risk prospect. He has a solid frame and plays with strength. His stick is well positioned in the neutral zone and he is a high panic threshold when under attack. He can help move the puck in the right direction, but his offensive game is largely a matter of making the safe, simple pass and using his patience to help lanes open up. He projects as a useful third pairing blueliner who can help out on the penalty kill, but will likely need at least three years on campus before turning pro. - RW

15 Daniil Misyul, D (70th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Misyul had a busy season in Russia last year, playing his first full-time season in the KHL with a significant role, playing more than 14 minutes a night and more than 15 in the playoffs. The defenseman is very strong physically and plays bigger than his size. He is gifted with an NHL body and a physical style that makes him an imposing player in his own zone. Offensively, Misyul can contribute with a good shot and a decent eye for offensive plays, but he is first and foremost a shutdown defenseman whose goal is to separate the opposition from the puck. He needs some seasoning at home before crossing the pond, but he is on his way to become a valuable player and a defenseman who can play a top-four role in modern day’s NHL. - ASR

16 Mikhail Maltsev, LW (102^nd overall, 2016. Last Year: 11) A solid prospect who is capable of playing both wings and center, Maltsev had a positive season last year at home, lining up for 17 playoffs games with SKA. His name didn’t appear much on the scoresheet, but he played more than 11 minutes a night and didn’t look out of place. He is a two-way forward with excellent size and good physical abilities, smooth hands and a solid positional game. Maltsev is a great choice for the third or fourth line considering his mass, defensive skills, and great reading of the ice in any situation at both ends of the rink. He was a leader on his junior teams, and once he fully adapts, he can grow into a player who leads by example and hard work. He needs to gather more experience and a couple of years in the AHL under Sergei Brylin can help him become not only a full-time NHL player, but also a valuable one for his two-way abilities. - ASR

17 Fabian Zetterlund, RW/C (63^rd overall, 2017. Last Year: 12) Zetterlund will leave Sweden to play in North America this upcoming season. He comes off a disappointing season which was ruined by injuries. He only played in 16 SHL games (4 points) and had a rough WJC tourney (0 points in 5 games) as well. The biggest concern in his game is whether he can overcome his average skating with skill. He is a strong player with a good shot and puck skills and is a natural scorer. When his skating isn’t at his best, his offensive game struggles. Last season he injured his knee (ACL) twice, so when he played it was fair to say that he wasn’t his best self. Next season, he will most probably play in the AHL and work up his confidence that way and to get his identity as a player on the smaller ice, which could prove to suit him better as it helps him play closer to the net. - JH

18 Nikita Okhotyuk, D (61^st overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) It was interesting to see the Devils draft both Vukojevic and Okhotyuk this year, as both have similar projections as stay at home defenders. Okhotyuk is the better skater and bigger hitter of the pair, on top of flashing a little more skill with the puck. On the other hand, he also plays a higher risk game that can lead to some mistakes. As a late 2000 born, he will play one more year in the OHL and then turn pro. His skill set is fairly pro ready and he could be someone who moves quickly through the system if he improves his decision making and consistency. - BO

19 Marian Studenic, RW (143^rd overall, 2017. Last Year: 16) Studenic had a solid start to his professional career this year with Binghamton and his natural skill and skating ability helped him to stand out amongst fellow rookie forwards. He also made an appearance on the world stage as one of the youngest players with Slovakia at the World Championships, which allowed him to mature his game even more. He is a deadly player when he gets to the net and is quick to capitalize on turnovers. The concerning thing however, is that Studenic still falls behind the play at times and does not fight hard enough to get positioning in offensive situations. His development has been really good and he is naturally skilled with the ability to read the play and while he has few fundamental changes to make, he does have more gears to find. He will have to be more aggressive and fight for his positioning better if he wants to secure a future bottom six spot. - SC

20 Tyce Thompson, RW (96^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) A late bloomer, Thompson underwhelmed in his first two seasons of draft eligibility, first in the New England prep ranks, and second with Dubuque of the USHL. As a 20-year old freshman with Providence, he found a new level. He scored at a top six rate, all the while displaying two-way tendencies that bode well for his future. More a playmaker than a scorer, Thompson actually owns a solid shot to go along with above average puck skills. He needs to add muscle to his thin frame and could stand to add a step to his stride as well, but there are the outlines of a decent bottom six contributor and he may not need more than one more season on campus to get a pro contract. - RW

McKeen’s 2019 NHL Group Mock Draft – Round Three of Three

McKeen's Hockey — Thu, 20 Jun 2019 23:20:29 +0000

If you have read round one found here: McKeen’s 2019 NHL Group Mock Draft – Round One of Three or McKeen’s 2019 NHL Group Mock Draft – Round Two of Three you can skip the intro and dive straight into the picks below.

Mock NHL Drafts are always fun for those immersed in analyzing eligible prospects all season long, but can also always provide some interesting insights ahead of draft day. The exercise of compiling our McKeen's NHL Draft Rankings are not an attempt to predict the order of the NHL draft but to the rank the prospects by their potential in the NHL. Every NHL team will have a different draft list in Vancouver, reflecting not only team need, but also players they are targeting and feel strongly about.

A group mock draft with a dozen participants representing two or three teams will reflect that dynamic better than an individual picking the players they feel a team will want. That list inevitably reflects that individual's list, hunches and preferences. McKeen's utilizes input from our team in rinks around the world in coming up with our season ending ranking and it will be more balanced as a result. In a mock, the scouts and analysts are free to target the players that impressed them this season, while trying to match the player to an organizational need. As in the NHL on draft day there will be surprises, risers and fallers from the rankings.

Have fun. Subscribers can link to the player page for more detail by clicking on the player's name. If you are not a subscriber you can learn more here.

We will be doing three rounds in total. The participants, in no particular order, in the draft were:

Brock Otten - Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers
Ryan Wagman - Carolina Hurricanes, Washington Capitals, Winnipeg Jets
Russ Cohen - New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders
Mike Sanderson - Montreal Canadiens, Buffalo Sabres
Jimmy Hamrin - Philadelphia Flyers, Tampa Bay Lightning,
Tom Dorsa - Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, St. Louis Blues
Iain Morrell - Minnesota Wild, Chicago Blackhawks, Nashville Predators
Shaiyena Cote - Vegas Golden Knights, Anaheim Ducks
Vince Gibbons - Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames, San Jose Sharks
Kevin Olexson - Vancouver Canucks, Arizona Coyotes
Robert Howard - New York Rangers, Columbus Blue Jackets, Pittsburgh Penguins
Gus Katsaros - Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs
Benoit Belanger - Los Angeles Kings, Boston Bruins

Thank you all for an amazing season.

Pick - Team - PLAYER (Rank) - POS - TEAM- HT/WT, DOB - Nation

63. Colorado Avalanche (from Ottawa) - Arseni Gritsyuk (48) - RW - Omskie Yastreby (Rus Jr) - 5-10/170, 15-Mar-01 - Russia - I feel like this is the perfect territory to draft a guy like Gritsyuk. He has potentially dynamic pure skill, but he is a long-term project and his lack of size could be concerning. Home run pick, for sure, but this is a good place to gamble for Colorado. - Tom Dorsa

64. Los Angeles Kings - Jordan Spence (106) - D - Moncton (QMJHL) - 5-10/165, 24-Feb-01 - Canada - I said “Solidify the future at the defense”, so…why not an other D? Spence is a riser in this draft. He is a really good distributor who plays with a lot of poise with the puck. He is a good puck mover and carrier. He possesses excellent mobility and skating abilities. - Benoit Belanger

65. Philadelphia Flyers (from New Jersey via Edmonton) - Kaedan Korczak (68) - D - Kelowna (WHL) - 6-3/190, 29-Jan-01 - Canada - After drafting two forwards, Philly goes for a defenseman. Korczak will need some time, but is an interesting defenseman for a future third pair. A low risk second round pick. - Jimmy Hamrin

66. Detroit Red Wings - Michael Vukojevic (71) - D - Kitchener (OHL) - 6-3/210, 8-Jun-01 -- Canada - Hard nosed, stay at home defender who played key minutes for the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL this year. His mobility has really improved and he has a great head on his shoulders. This is the type of player that Detroit should be targeting with some of these mid rounds picks. They need to be tougher to play against. - Brock Otten

67. Buffalo Sabres - Nathan Legare (83) - RW - Baie-Comeau (QMJHL) - 6-0/205, 11-Jan-01 - Canada - The draft is lean on power forwards, but Légaré is one of them, and his 45 goals this season is nothing to sneeze at, either. Légaré brings a big, imposing physical presence and a strong, pro shot to the Sabres. He battles in front and is solid with tip-ins, and can bang bodies on the forecheck. His biggest weakness is his skating, as it does not allow him to react as he would like to on the rush or to adjust to the play. His forechecking is often effective, but late, and he is a non-factor on the rush in either sense. He impacts the play in the zone when the puck is already there, and will need to improve his skating to have success when all the bodies are his size. Having said that, he is a boom-or-bust who can produce as long as the speed does not overwhelm, or he improves his skating. He also needs someone to get him the puck to be at his most effective. - Mike Sanderson

68. New York Rangers - Pyotr Kochetkov (55) - G - HK Ryazan (Rus 2) - 6-1/175, 25-Jun-99 - Russia - In his third season of draft eligibility Kochetkov burst into the spotligh,t stealing the starting goaltending job for Russia at the WJC, then earning the title of best goaltender in the tournament while winning Bronze. Turning 20 the day after the draft mitigates some concerns of drafting goaltenders early as he is further along in his development and less of a risk. The upside is tantalizing however as the Rangers look to a new era in goal. - Robert Howard

69. Florida Panthers (from Edmonton) - Ilya Konovalov (123) - G - Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL) - 6-0/195, 13-Jul-98 - Russia - Named KHL rookie of the year after an amazing season for Lokomotiv gives the Panthers a close to NHL-ready goalie who could eventually be an NHL starter. This is a guy who should not be flying under the radar as much as he has, even if he’s old for the draft class. - Brock Otten

70. New Jersey Devils (from Anaheim) - Hunter Jones (92) - G - Peterborough (OHL) - 6-4/195, 21-Sep-00 - Canada - Goaltender Hunter Jones is the kind of big goalie NHL teams want in their system. He's a good guy on and off the ice. He stood out at the combine and was picked to play in the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game. - Russ Cohen

71. Vancouver Canucks - Anttoni Honka (80) - D - JyP Jyvaskyla (Fin) - 5-10/180, 5-Oct-00 - Finland - Canucks wanting defensemen select Honka, a right handed offensive minded Finnish defender. He may not have large size, but his abilities to move the puck and quarterback a power play help. The Canucks have had good luck with Finnish players, and like what they see from the younger brother of Dallas Stars defensemen, Julius Honka. - Kevin Olexson

72. Philadelphia Flyers - Semyon Chistyakov (98) - D - Tolpar Ufa (Rus Jr) - 5-10/170, 7-Aug-01 - Russia - Back to skills for Philly. A smallish mobile defenseman with good puck skills. high risk but also a possible high reward here. - Jimmy Hamrin

73. Minnesota Wild - Ryder Donovan (82) - C - Duluth East (USHS-MN) - 6-3/185, 4-Oct-00 - USA - Duluth, Minnesota native brings decent tool set with size, speed, athleticism. Longer-term project will need time to develop at Wisconsin. - Iain Morrell

74. Arizona Coyotes (from Chicago) - Alex Beaucage (138) - RW - Rouyn Noranda (QMJHL) - 6-1/195, 25-Jul-01 - Canada - The Coyotes select another winger who can finish plays and put the puck in the net. Beaucage netted himself 39 goals to go along with his 40 assists. He has decent size, and comes with an abundance of skill and potential. - Kevin Olexson

75. Nashville Predators (from Florida) - Jayden Struble (111) - D - St. Sebastian's (USHS-MA) - 6-0/195, 8-Sep-01 - USA - Athletic defender stood out at the NHL Scouting Combine with top marks in five of 18 tests. Cumberland, R.I., native will attend Northeastern University. - Iain Morrell

76. Arizona Coyotes - Dustin Wolf (143) - G - Everett (WHL) - 6-0/155, 16-Apr-01 - USA - The Coyotes jump in here to select arguably one of the best goalies in junior hockey. Wolf has put up incredible numbers for Everett this season, and after being groomed behind, and learning from Carter Hart, he is now ready to shine in the spotlight. He plays on a team with a dynamic defensive system, but even with that, he still has to make the saves and keep the pucks out of the net. Also notable, is how his stats are considerably better than Harts, and the stats don't lie - this kid is impressive. - Kevin Olexson

77. Montreal Canadiens - Graeme Clarke (63) - RW - Ottawa (OHL) - 5-11/175, 24-Apr-01 - Canada - Opinions on Clarke depend on how you view his shoulder injury in November; either you see it as a blip on the radar and his inconsistency is an issue, or you see him having fought through it all winter to bring together a strong playoff for a great 67’s team. Clarke had 10 of his 23 goals by the time of his shoulder injury, 22 games in, and developed into a bit of a sharpshooter, with his 23 goals complemented by just 11 assists. His stickhandling is very strong, but could be stronger with a little more speed. Despite that, he is finding the right areas to be as a goal scorer and exploiting them. His defensive game needs work, but if his offensive game continues to progress, he will still be a net positive player in the pros. - Mike Sanderson

78. Colorado Avalanche - Henry Thrun (58) - D - NTDP (USA) - 6-2/190, 12-Mar-01 - USA - Insanely smart and disciplined, Thrun projects to be a bottom-four defensive defenseman, but is a surprisingly stellar skater for someone of his size and deployment. To me, the Harvard commit is one of this Draft’s safest picks, as his low-side is still depth shutdown d-man and penalty killer. - Tom Dorsa

79. Vegas Golden Knights - Yegor Chinakhov (49) - RW - Omskie Yastreby (Rus Jr - 6-0/175, 1-Feb-01 - Russia - Although an undersized forward, Chinakhov brings experience playing in the MHL as well as a good shot and good composure on the ice. The Golden Knights are no strangers to strong undersized forwards and with the addition of fellow Russian Nikita Gusev, Chinakhov would be no exception to the offensive roster talent. - Shaiyena Cote

80. New Jersey Devils (from Dallas) - Marcus Kallionkieli (102) - LW - Sioux City (USHL) - 6-2/195, 20-Mar-01 - Finland - Marcus has a blend of goal scoring and toughness. He has a good wrist shot. He’s able to play on the rush and deliver the goods and he’ll play with aggression. - Russ Cohen

81. Columbus Blue Jackets - Jackson Lacombe (78) - D - Shattuck-St. Mary's (USHS-MN) - 6-1/170 9-Jan-01 - USA - Columbus picks for the first time in the latter half of the third round after going all in for the playoffs. They pick what they hope is a home run pick out of the powerhouse Shattuck-St. Mary's program in Jackson Lacombe who has flashed some exciting potential in his game. - Robert Howard

82. Vegas Golden Knights (from Winnipeg) - Ilya Nikolayev (61)- C - Loko Yaroslavl (Rus Jr) - 6-0/190, 26-Jun-01 - Russia - Nikolayev is a nifty centreman whose puck carrying ability and passing make him a good team player. He brings a gritty side to the game and plays with a fearlessness that may see him make the jump over to North America sooner than his fellow third round draft classmates. - Shaiyena Cote

83. Ottawa Senators (from Pittsburgh via Vegas) - Billy Constantinou (84) - D - Kingston (OHL) - 6-0/185, 25-Mar-01 - Canada - A right-handed shot, Constantinou is a gifted skater and talented puck handler. He owns some raw tools that offer some more upside than other picks in this area. He was traded mid-season as the main offensive threat for the mighty IceDogs to bottom dwelling Kingston for the final two-thirds of the season and the Sens hope that kept him under the radar as a result - Gus Katsaros

84. Toronto Maple Leafs - Cole MacKay (96) - RW - Sault Ste Marie (OHL) - 5-10/190, 13-Jun-01 - Canada - The Maple Leafs again bolster the wing with a pick from GM Kyle Dubas's alma mater Sault Ste. Marie. He is a high IQ right wing that can score goals and stickhandle. - Gus Katsaros

85. Edmonton Oilers (from NY Islanders) - Maxim Cajkovic (113) - RW - Saint John (QMJHL) - 5-11/185, 3-Jan-01 - Slovakia - Maxim Cajkovic season was somewhat underwhelming but being here at 85 is a windfall for the Oiler’s. He was the best player on a bad team where he led them in goals, assists and points. He was used in all situations and got plenty of ice time on the PK and the PP. His -33 looks bad but only two players on his team, who played at least 50 games, had a better plus minus than him. His skating is his biggest asset as he can play with pace. At the international level he has shown he can produce against top level competition as well. Much like Krebs there is untapped offensive potential due to the lack of line mates and overall team talent. - Vince Gibbons

86. Vegas Golden Knights (from Nashville) - Valentin Nussbaumer (142) - C - Shawinigan (QMJHL) - 5-11/165, 25-Sep-00 - Switzerland - With a successful year in the QMJHL with Shawinigan, Nussbaumer let his presence be known on the scoresheet and in front of the net. He is a dynamic and hard worker, he would be a good pick for Vegas as an eventual addition to the Chicago Wolves roster with hopes of then moving up to round out Vegas' third line. - Shaiyena Cote

87. Los Angeles Kings (from Washington) - Artemi Knyazev (112)- D - Chicoutimi (QMJHL) - 5-11/180 - 4-Jan-01 - Russia - The more D the Kings choose, the more chance they have to hit a home run. He is a dynamic offensive defenseman who play with a lot of confidence. He likes to join the rush. He can hold up his end in a physical game. Could turn out as a good two-way defenseman and he has loads of upside to his game. - Benoit Belanger

88. Calgary Flames - Jake Lee (216) - D - Seattle (WHL) - 6-1/215, 13-Jul-01 - Canada - Jake Lee is not going to wow you with his offensive game but there is subtle parts to his game that show he can be a solid puck mover. He is a defense first defender with great size and a pretty good skating stride. His offensive production was good in the early part of the season but 20 year old returnees limited his PP time in the second half of the season. He may never be a top powerplay defender but he will certainly be on the other side of special teams. He is physical and uses his size well either to stick check or engage in physically. He competes hard along the wall and in front of his net where he plays with a real edge. Lee isn’t just a slab of meat though, he gets around the ice pretty well for a big man. His gap control and overall defense in his own zone is noticeable on every shift. - Vince Gibbons

89. Tampa Bay Lightning - Antti Saarela (100) - C - Lukko Rauma (Fin) - 5-11/185 - 27-Jun-01 - Finland - Another smart skilled player that Tampa can give time to develop. Unusual for them to pick two nordic players, but sometime they need to break that barrier. - Jimmy Hamrin

90. Carolina Hurricanes - Vojtech Strondala (85) - C - Slavia Trebic (Cze 2) - 5-7/155, 17-Dec-00 - Czech -Martin Necas may have been the only Czech player drafted by the Hurricanes since 2008, but I wouldn’t expect them to wait the better part of a decade to return to the Central European nation. Strondala is tiny, but feisty, and is a creative passer and stick-handler who has already had some success playing against men in the Czech second division. Having selected a few “safer” prospects for Carolina already, and with three second rounders to their credit, the Hurricanes can afford to gamble on a high upside (relatively) high bust potential player in Strondala. - Ryan Wagman

91. San Jose Sharks - Oleg Zaitsev (66) - C - Red Deer (WHL) - 6-1/185, 7-Jan-01 - Russia - If your two picks are 41st and 91st you aren’t in great shape to start rebuilding. Luckily for the Sharks they have a few very good young players in Hertl and Meier who can bridge them to a time when they have first round picks again. Long term, a guy like Oleg Zaitsev, a responsible two-way center that has some pretty solid hands and speed, is a solid pick. He has good size and is very strong on the puck. He may not have the dekes and fakes of some higher skilled players in the draft but he has strength to carry the puck to the net. His vision is good and he is very responsible defensively which make him a solid bet as a bottom six center that kills penalties and can play up in the line up a bit as - Vince Gibbons

92. Boston Bruins - Daniil Gutik (91) - LW - Loko Yaroslavl (Rus Jr) - 6-3/180 31-Aug-01 - Russia - The historic of the Bruins with the Russians is not pretty good but Daniil Gutik would be my pick. He plays a solid power winger game, he is a good puckhandler with good offensive instinct. He possesses good hockey sense - Benoit Belanger

93. St. Louis Blues - John Farinacci (101) - C- Dexter (USHS-MA) - 5-11/185, 14-Feb-01 - USA - A long term project with Harvard on the radar, Farinacci could be a mid-round steal as his skating and shot both grade out as above average tools. A high school product, there are concerns that his immature mental game and lack of physicality will hurt him in higher levels of competition, but he should be a four-year NCAA player and work out his flaws. Perhaps an NHL depth scoring role is his future. - Tom Dorsa

McKeen’s Choice Awards: OHL

Brock Otten — Tue, 11 Jun 2019 13:45:50 +0000

Brock Otten’s OHL Choice Awards

The 2019 NHL Draft is under a month away. What better way to dissect the players available from the OHL than to compare them through a “best of” article. Here are my selections for the top-rated players across several categories.

Connor McMichael of the London Knights. Photo by Luke Durda/OHL Images

Best Hockey Sense - Connor McMichael, London Knights

McMichael is the type of player who succeeds because of his high IQ in the offensive end. He is consistently one step ahead of the competition and is equally as effective without the puck as he is with it. This higher order processing is put to use in all three zones too.

Also Considered: Arthur Kaliyev, Ryan Suzuki, Nick Robertson, Cole Mackay

Most Skilled - Nicholas Robertson, Peterborough Petes

Robertson, despite being less physically mature than some of his fellow draft eligible players, is so difficult to stop in the offensive zone because of the things that he can do with the puck. He drives offensive possession, operating just as well in transition as he does when the game slows down.

Also Considered: Graeme Clarke, Ryan Suzuki, Thomas Harley, Arthur Kaliyev

Hardest to Play Against - Jamieson Rees, Sarnia Sting

Rees’ energy level and tenaciousness knows no bounds. He is constantly looking to use his speed to disrupt the play and can be characterized as a “puck hound.” This was perfectly on display at this year’s U18’s, where he was Canada’s spark plug and a top penalty killer.

Also Considered: Vladislav Kolyachonok, Ethan Keppen, Michael Vukojevic, Keegan Stevenson, Keean Washkurak

Best Playmaker - Ryan Suzuki, Barrie Colts

Suzuki is the type of center who seems to have eyes in the back of his head. His vision on the ice and ability to thread passes through traffic is unrivaled among OHL players in this draft class. With the extra room to operate on the powerplay, he can be especially dangerous.

Also Considered: Thomas Harley, Nick Robertson, Philip Tomasino

Thomas Harley of the Mississauga Steelheads. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Best Skater - Thomas Harley, Mississauga Steelheads

There are some terrific skaters available from the OHL this year, but Harley is the best of the bunch. He generates such power with long explosive strides and as such is able to carve up the neutral zone with relative ease. In my viewings of Harley this year, he seemed to average at least one end to end rush per game.

Also Considered: Jamieson Rees, Philip Tomasino, Billy Constantinou, Connor McMichael, Keean Washkurak, Vladislav Kolyachonok

Best Shot - Arthur Kaliyev, Hamilton Bulldogs

In this year’s OHL coaches’ poll, not only was Kaliyev voted as having the best shot in the OHL’s Eastern Conference, he was voted as having the hardest shot too. He has a variety of weapons in his arsenal. From a quick, but accurate wrist shot, which he uses in transition. To a booming slap shot (that can be effectively one timed), which he utilizes while running the point or half wall on the powerplay. His 50 goals this year were no fluke.

Also Considered: Graeme Clarke, Nick Robertson, Connor McMichael

Best Stickhandler - Nick Robertson, Peterborough Petes

Robertson is such a slick and creative playmaker because of his skill level. His ability to change pace and direction with the puck, makes him incredibly elusive in the offensive end and gives him the ability to make defenders look very, very bad. He dictates tempo as well as any forward in this draft.

Also Considered: Graeme Clarke, Ryan Suzuki, Jamieson Rees, Philip Tomasino

Best Body Checker - Navrin Mutter, Hamilton Bulldogs

Mutter is a human torpedo on the ice; a real throwback player to an era that put more value on physical intimidation. His physicality can be reckless at times, but his hits can do damage for the positive, especially when it comes to forcing turnovers and creating space in the offensive end.

Also Considered: Nikita Okhotyuk, Jamieson Rees, Ethan Keppen, Mike Vukojevic

Jamieson Rees of the Sarnia Sting. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Best Defensive Forward - Jamieson Rees, Sarnia Sting

Strong two-way awareness and effort is not always something that is present in draft eligible forwards. And it can almost always be improved upon. But Jamieson Rees has to be considered the most well-rounded prospect available from the OHL this year. He is good at using his speed to break up plays on the backcheck and will use his physicality to separate his man from the puck in all three zones. These characteristics also make him a terrific penalty killer.

Also Considered: Connor McMichael, Cole Schwindt, Cole Mackay, Petr Cajka

Best Defensive Defender - Nikita Okhotyuk, Ottawa 67’s

The OHL is absolutely loaded with talented defensive stalwarts on the back-end this year, with all six of the players I have listed for this category looking like NHL draft selections. But Okhotyuk should be considered the best one because of his blend of size, physicality, and mobility. He was leaned on heavily by the first place Ottawa 67’s to protect leads late in games, match up against opposing top lines and to kill penalties.

Also Considered: Mike Vukojevic, Jacob LeGuerrier, Vladislav Kolyachonok, Liam Ross, Mitchell Brewer

Best Offensive Defender - Thomas Harley, Mississauga Steelheads

There is a reason why Harley is considered a possible top 20 selection at this year’s draft. His blend of size, mobility, puck skill, and vision have teams envisioning him as a future powerplay QB and point producer at the next level. He is ultra-aggressive in his attacks already, constantly looking to push the pace and drive the play with his speed and skill. As he continues to gain strength and confidence, how high can his game climb? Many compare Harley to current Ottawa Senator Thomas Chabot.

Also Considered: Billy Constantinou, Vladislav Kolyachonok, Jack York

Fastest Skater - Connor McMichael, London Knights

This one is tight between a few different players, but McMichael’s speed is key to his effectiveness as a contributor in all three zones. Sometimes he does not play the game as quick as he should, but that does not mean that his speed is not impressive. When he turns on the jets, few players in this league can catch him. He finished first in the forward skate sprint at the CHL Top Prospect’s Game testing this year.

Also Considered: Jamieson Rees, Philip Tomasino, Vladislav Kolyachonok, Keean Washkurak

Top Goalie - Hunter Jones, Peterborough Petes

At mid-season, Jones was looking like someone who could challenge Spencer Knight for the top goalie available in North America. But his second half performance was not strong, and his ranking has slipped accordingly. That said, his combination of size and athleticism are going to be very attractive to NHL scouts. Consistency is often the last thing top notch goaltending prospects figure out.

Also Considered: Jet Greaves, Mack Guzda

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

Michael Vukojevic – McKeen's Hockey

MCKEEN’S 2024 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – #26 New Jersey Devils – Organization Overview – Top 15 Prospects

1. Seamus Casey, D, University of Michigan (NCAA)

2. Arseni Gritsyuk, RW, SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)

3. Lenni Hameenaho, RW, Assat (Liiga)

4. Topias Vilen, D, Utica Comets (AHL)

5. Graeme Clarke, RW, Utica Comets (AHL)

6. Josh Filmon, LW, Swift Current Broncos (WHL)

7. Nolan Foote, LW, Utica Comets (AHL)

8. Chase Stillman, RW, Utica Comets (AHL)

9. Jakub Malek, G, Ilves (Liiga)

10. Samu Salminen, C, University of Denver (NCAA)

MCKEEN’S 2022-23 NHL YEARBOOK – NEW JERSEY DEVILS – Top 20 Prospects

McKeen’s 2020-21 Hockey Yearbook: New Jersey Devils Top 20 Prospects

Alexander Holtz, RW (7th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Ty Smith, D (17th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 1)

Dawson Mercer, RW (18th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Nolan Foote, D (27th overall, 2019 [Tampa Bay]. Previous ranking: 2)

Shakir Mukhamadullin, D (20th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Janne Kuokkanen, LW (43rd overall, 2016 [Carolina]. Previous ranking: 3)

Kevin Bahl, D (55th overall, 2018 [Arizona]. Previous ranking: 4)

Reilly Walsh, D (81st overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 6)

Arseni Gritsyuk, LW (129th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 7)

Tyce Thompson, RW (96th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 8)

Michael McLeod, C (12th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 9)

Michael Vukojevic, D (82nd overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 10)

Nikita Okhotyuk, D (61st overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 11)

Nico Daws, G (84th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Jaromir Pytlik, C (99th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Nikola Pasic, RW (189th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 12)

Daniil Misyul, D (70th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 13)

Eetu Pakkila, LW (203rd overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 14)

Patrick Moynihan, RW/C (158th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 15)

Graeme Clarke, RW (80th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 16)

McKeen’s 2020-21 Hockey Yearbook: Top 300 Prospect Rankings

MCKEEN’S 2020 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – NEW JERSEY DEVILS – ORGANIZATIONAL RANK: 1

New Jersey Devils

Ty Smith, D (17th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 2)

Nolan Foote, D (27th overall, 2019 [Tampa Bay]. 2019 Rank: 2 [Tampa Bay)

Janne Kuokkanen, LW (43rd overall, 2016 [Carolina]. 2019 Rank: 3 [Carolina])

Kevin Bahl, D (55th overall, 2018 [Arizona]. 2019 Rank: 7 [Arizona])

Joey Anderson, RW (73rd overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: 5)

Reilly Walsh, D (81st overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 6)

Arseni Gritsyuk, LW (129th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 7)

Tyce Thompson, RW (96th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 20)

Michael McLeod, C (12th overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: 3)

Michael Vukojevic, D (82nd overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 11)

Nikita Okhotyuk, D (61st overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 18)

Nikola Pasic, RW (189th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 8)

Daniil Misyul, D (70th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 15)

Eetu Pakkila, LW (203rd overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: UR)

Patrick Moynihan, RW/C (158th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 12)

MCKEENS 2020 NHL PROSPECTS REPORT – TOP 250 PROSPECTS

New Jersey Devils 2019-20 Prospect Review: Top 20

McKeen’s 2019 NHL Group Mock Draft – Round Three of Three

McKeen’s Choice Awards: OHL

Brock Otten’s OHL Choice Awards

Best Hockey Sense - Connor McMichael, London Knights

Also Considered: Arthur Kaliyev, Ryan Suzuki, Nick Robertson, Cole Mackay

Most Skilled - Nicholas Robertson, Peterborough Petes

Also Considered: Graeme Clarke, Ryan Suzuki, Thomas Harley, Arthur Kaliyev

Hardest to Play Against - Jamieson Rees, Sarnia Sting

Also Considered: Vladislav Kolyachonok, Ethan Keppen, Michael Vukojevic, Keegan Stevenson, Keean Washkurak

Best Playmaker - Ryan Suzuki, Barrie Colts

Also Considered: Thomas Harley, Nick Robertson, Philip Tomasino

Best Skater - Thomas Harley, Mississauga Steelheads

Also Considered: Jamieson Rees, Philip Tomasino, Billy Constantinou, Connor McMichael, Keean Washkurak, Vladislav Kolyachonok

Best Shot - Arthur Kaliyev, Hamilton Bulldogs

Also Considered: Graeme Clarke, Nick Robertson, Connor McMichael

Best Stickhandler - Nick Robertson, Peterborough Petes

Best Body Checker - Navrin Mutter, Hamilton Bulldogs

Also Considered: Nikita Okhotyuk, Jamieson Rees, Ethan Keppen, Mike Vukojevic

Best Defensive Forward - Jamieson Rees, Sarnia Sting

Also Considered: Connor McMichael, Cole Schwindt, Cole Mackay, Petr Cajka

Best Defensive Defender - Nikita Okhotyuk, Ottawa 67’s

Also Considered: Mike Vukojevic, Jacob LeGuerrier, Vladislav Kolyachonok, Liam Ross, Mitchell Brewer

Best Offensive Defender - Thomas Harley, Mississauga Steelheads

Also Considered: Billy Constantinou, Vladislav Kolyachonok, Jack York

Fastest Skater - Connor McMichael, London Knights

Also Considered: Jamieson Rees, Philip Tomasino, Vladislav Kolyachonok, Keean Washkurak

Alexander Holtz, RW (7^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Ty Smith, D (17^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 1)

Dawson Mercer, RW (18^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Nolan Foote, D (27^th overall, 2019 [Tampa Bay]. Previous ranking: 2)

Shakir Mukhamadullin, D (20^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Janne Kuokkanen, LW (43^rd overall, 2016 [Carolina]. Previous ranking: 3)

Kevin Bahl, D (55^th overall, 2018 [Arizona]. Previous ranking: 4)

Reilly Walsh, D (81^st overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 6)

Arseni Gritsyuk, LW (129^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 7)

Tyce Thompson, RW (96^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 8)

Michael McLeod, C (12^th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 9)

Michael Vukojevic, D (82^nd overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 10)

Nikita Okhotyuk, D (61^st overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 11)

Nico Daws, G (84^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Jaromir Pytlik, C (99^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Nikola Pasic, RW (189^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 12)

Daniil Misyul, D (70^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 13)

Eetu Pakkila, LW (203^rd overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 14)

Patrick Moynihan, RW/C (158^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 15)

Graeme Clarke, RW (80^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 16)

Ty Smith, D (17^th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 2)

Nolan Foote, D (27^th overall, 2019 [Tampa Bay]. 2019 Rank: 2 [Tampa Bay)

Janne Kuokkanen, LW (43^rd overall, 2016 [Carolina]. 2019 Rank: 3 [Carolina])

Kevin Bahl, D (55^th overall, 2018 [Arizona]. 2019 Rank: 7 [Arizona])

Joey Anderson, RW (73^rd overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: 5)

Reilly Walsh, D (81^st overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 6)

Arseni Gritsyuk, LW (129^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 7)

Tyce Thompson, RW (96^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 20)

Michael McLeod, C (12^th overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: 3)

Michael Vukojevic, D (82^nd overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 11)

Nikita Okhotyuk, D (61^st overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 18)

Nikola Pasic, RW (189^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 8)

Daniil Misyul, D (70^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 15)

Eetu Pakkila, LW (203^rd overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: UR)

Patrick Moynihan, RW/C (158^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 12)