Nikita Popugaev – McKeen's Hockey

State of the CHL: The Western Hockey League

Vince Gibbons — Fri, 02 Feb 2018 16:45:59 +0000

The ebbs and flows of Junior hockey is part of what makes each season so interesting and entertaining. Powerhouse programs must reset every couple of years and out of those ashes new teams move to take over the league and dominate the game. This year in the WHL is no different with a couple of teams really taking steps forward with a good shot at becoming the WHL Champions and Memorial Cup Contenders. With the trade deadline recently passing (and what a wild ride that was this season), the rosters have stabilized and these will be the teams going forward.

Moose Jaw and Swift Current have taken the league by storm this year as they battle for home ice advantage throughout the playoffs. Their division also boasts a Brandon Wheat Kings team that has been in and out of the CHL top 10 standing all year as well as the 100^th Memorial Cup hosts Regina Pats so game in and game out there has been highly competitive hockey, for critical points in the standings. Out in the West things are as competitive as ever with Everett, Portland, Kelowna and Victoria all within 4 points of each other at the top of the Western Conference. Everett continues to impress league-wide, with a sound defensive game and high end goaltending and solid team game. The other top teams of the East are sporting high end offensive talents like Cody Glass (Por), Skyler McKenzie (Por), Matthew Phillips (Vic), Kole Lind (Kel), and Dillion Dube (Kel) who are all having excellent seasons having been previously drafted into the NHL.

The Eastern Conference:

East Division GP-W-L-OTL-SOL-PTS

Moose Jaw Warriors 48-38-7-1-2-79

Jayden Halbgewachs. Photo by Marc Smith

Moose Jaw has been an offensive dynamo all season and at the trade deadline were able to add pieces that will help stabilize the back end and the defensive game. The scoring is being led by two 20 year olds in Brayden Burke (Unsigned) and Jayden Halbgewach (signed SJS) who are sitting one and two in the WHL in scoring. These two might not even be the most offensive players on the team as Brett Howden missed 24 games and has only lately seemed to be hitting his stride. At the deadline Moose Jaw addressed their biggest needs by grabbing a big stay out home defenseman in Brandon Schuldhaus from Red Deer as well as top scoring defenseman and recent World Juniors Gold Medalist Kale Clague (LAK 2016) from Brandon. His dynamic puck moving skills should only enhance this team’s offensive prowess. The largest contribution from a draft eligible player has to have come from Jett Woo. He has been a consistent defender in all situations showing a strong competitive fire in his own zone. He isn’t a dynamic player but more of a jack of all trades defender who can chip in offensively while playing steady responsible minutes. This team has set themselves up to come out of the East as they have the top offensive numbers averaging nearly 0.75 of a goal per game more than anyone else in the league. That coupled with the roughly 3.00 overall goals against average is a strong indicator of future success for this win-now franchise.

Swift Current Bronco’s 49-33-12-3-1-70

Tyler Steembergen, Swift Current Broncos. Photo courtesy of Swift Current Broncos,

Swift Current possess the most dynamic duo in the league this year and it really hasn’t even been that close. Tyler Steenbergen (Ari) is averaging over one goal per game with 36 in 34 games while averaging an assist per game at 35 assists in 34 games. Even more impressive is Aleksi Heponiemi (Fla) who has 89 points in just 37 games (2.41ppg). Throw in an amazing overage year for Glenn Gawdin (Cgy) and they were a one line team who were impressing night after night. Over the course of the season a number of key additions have been made to balance out the scoring and ensure the team kept rolling with a few key members at the WJC. Matteo Gennaro, Beck Malenstyn, and Giorgio Estephan now lead a more than capable supporting cast of forwards who will help the offense. On the defensive side Colby Sissons (NJ) has taken a big step offensively while maintaining his strong defensive play. Finally the addition of Stuart Skinner (Edm) as a true #1 has been a great add as they push for a seemingly inevitable clash with Moose Jaw in the Eastern Final. Riley Stotts (2018) had been their best draft eligible prospect but was moved out to add Gennaro and Malenstyn so they look pretty thin for 2000’s on the roster.

Brandon Wheat Kings 48-28-15-3-2-61

Stelios Matheos, Photo by Tim Smith, courtesy of the WHL

You can assess what Brandon thought of their chances of coming out of the East this year by what they did at the deadline. After being in and out of the CHL top 10 most of the season Brandon traded away their MVP and perhaps the top defenseman in the league this year to a divisional rival in Moose Jaw. Brandon had been paced by Ty Lewis and Stelio Mattheos up front both on pace for 40 goals seasons but that didn’t look to be enough to get past one let alone both of Moose Jaw and Swift Current. Brandon has a lot of young talent to build around going forward with Chase Hartje (2018) and Luka Burzan (2018) coming over in the deal for Clague, as well as the home grown Cole Reinhardt (2018). The nicest future piece could be the speedy play in Jonny Hooker (2020) who has not looked out of place in a his 31 games.

Regina Pats 49-24-20-5-0-53

As the Host of this year’s Memorial Cup Regina has a spot already booked in the tournament but has been adding veteran players throughout the season to ensure a strong showing. The team has been built around an impressive top pairing for Josh Mahura and Cale Fleury. Both log big minutes in all situations creating offense while shutting the door on some of the top forwards in the WHL. Mahura has taken another step this year and his offensive production has been amongst the league leaders from the back end. Cameron Hebig has adjusted quickly to add some 20 year old offense after a slow offensive starts to the season for Nick Henry (Col) and Jake Leschyshyn (VGK). Sam Steel (Ana) is really the straw that stirs the drink for this team offensively as he averages over 1.3 ppg heading into the last 20 games of the season. This team is poised to be the top wild card which is a pretty favorable outcome heading out of the division and avoiding the top three teams in the conference. Despite trading away a lot of youth to keep the team strong for a host season the club have managed to keep Emil Oksanen (2018) on the roster through the deadline. He is a fast, offensive minded right shot winger who is averaging just under a point per game while looking to be drafted in his second year of eligibility.

Saskatoon Blades 48-23-22-2-1-49

Saskatoon will likely make the playoffs as the Central Division is really struggling to produce anything that resembles a challenge for the Wild card. Saskatoon has to be pleased with the development of Eric Florchuk (2018) and Chase Wouters (2018) who have both been solid contributors. While neither looks to be a high end offensive talent at the pro level both have shown themselves to be effective secondary producers in junior. Throw in the development of Kirby Dach (2019) and Saskatoon looks ready to take over the division as some of these teams start to age out of their current rosters.

Prince Albert Raiders 47-18-20-7-2-45

As the division basement dwellers standing suggests they are weaker than all the previously mentioned teams. That said they likely would make the playoffs as a 2 or 3 seed in the Central division. The team plays a structured game and while there aren’t big name drafted players Vojtech Budik (Buf) has acquitted himself well on the back end. The real jewel of Prince Albert’s roster is Cole Fonstand (2018) who leads all WHL draft eligible players in primary points with 34 in 47 games. Overall he averages .98 points per game and is able to drive offense despite being undersized on a team that doesn’t have a ton of high end support for him.

Central Division GP-W-L-OTL-SOL-PTS

Medicine Hat Tigers 48-24-19-5-0-53

The Tigers lead the Central division by a pretty wide margin in what could be the worst division in the CHL this season. The team is led in all respects by David Quenneville (NYI) who drives play with his excellent transition game and is leading the WHL in defensive scoring this year with 53 points. Medicine Hat has a pretty young team that is gaining confidence with each victory this year. That youth is led by 2018 draft eligible Ryan Chyzowski, who has good size and can play in all three zones. He has earned power play time in the second half of the season which should help improve his production (15G, 17A) as we close out the season.

Lethbridge Hurricanes 47-22-21-4-0-48

Lethbridge has been a team in flux. Earlier in the season they seemed to be making a push acquiring Lane Zablocki (Det) from Red Deer but then at the deadline shipped him to Victoria to help them make a push. Once the decision to move out some veterans had been made they moved major assets in Stuart Skinner (Edm) and Giorgio Estephan to bring back some youth and draft picks. In a division where a win one lose one record pulls you ahead for a playoff spot the team is not a serious contender to oust any of the power house teams in the Eastern division. Through all this transition one thing has been a constant; undersized defender Calen Addison (2018) has been driving offensive chances and using his great vision and playmaking to produce points at a very high level (G-7-A-33-PTS-40).

Kooteney ICE 47-21-23-3-0-45

Kooteney has been in the basement of this division since the departure of Sam Reinhart (Buf) to the NHL. This current incarnation’s place in the standings is more the rest of the division getting worse than it is of team gaining legitimacy as a force in the Central. The most impressive piece on this roster is 16 year old Peyton Krebs (2019) who looks every bit the part of a first overall pick from the 2016 Bantam Draft. He is near a point per game playing in all situations and is second on the team scoring in his Draft -1 year, very impressive.

Calgary Hitmen 47-15-26-5-1-36

The Calgary Hitman had a fire sale this season and while most of the assets collected came back in draft picks a good number of draft eligible players remain part of the roster. With Jake Bean (Car) moved out Vladislav Yeryomenko (2018) has become the number one defender for this team. He is aggressive and skates very well with and without the puck and is starting to show better playmaking skills. In addition a rookie in Jackson Van De Leest (2019) has shown he is capable of helping shoulder more minutes on the back end. Those kids coupled with the a nice collection of 17 year olds in Riley Stotts (2018), Carson Focht (2018), Tristen Nielsen (2018), and Egor Zamula (2018) are all getting valuable minutes for the remainder of the season.

Red Deer Rebels 47-11-25-8-3-33

The Rebels have under achieved throughout the early part of the season forcing management’s hand to start rebuilding. Two key pieces in the rebuild look to be Kristian Reichel (2018) and Alex Alexeyev (2018). While playing in the Czech league Reichel was overlooked but this year in Red Deer coupled with a strong showing at the WJC have him moving up draft boards. His skating is very strong which has helped him establish himself as a 200 foot player capable of producing and defending. Alexeyev has been impressive this year and he has dynamic skating and excellent vision and passing skills. He needs to work on his game in his own zone and can have mental lapses in his own zone but he has a ton of potential. They have also been running a 2019 eligible goalie as a starter for most of this season. Ethan Anders‘ (2019) numbers have been respectable despite a number of breakdowns defensively in front of him.

Edmonton Oil Kings 46-13-27-4-2-32

Edmonton’s Memorial Cup victory seems a long time ago as the organization has had another tough season after building back to back Memorial Cup teams just a few years ago. The offense comes from the stick of Trey Fix-Wolansky (Unsigned) who is a very dangerous undersized player. Brett Kemp (2018) may be a late round pick this year despite the team’s struggles overall. The real developmental progression for the Oil Kings is in the 2001’s where Matthew Robertson and Liam Keeler both have shown some real promise.

The Western Conference:

U.S. Division GP-W-L-OTL-SOL-PTS

Everett Silvertips 48-30-16-1-1-62

Everett seems to be built for playoff hockey. Carter Hart (Phi), after being afflicted with mono to start the season, has rebounded to put up some ridiculous numbers. His sparkling 1.51 GAA in 24 games is leaps and bounds better than anyone else in the league. By comparison only three other goalies have a GAA under 3.00 (at least 20 games played) and the best of them is at a 2.77. His save % of .953 is 40 points higher than the next goalie who has played at least 20 games. The scoring is well distributed on this team but the real punch comes from two overage players that have produced while still buying into the defense first system of head coach Dennis Williams. Both Matt Fonteyne and Patrick Bajkov have really shown something this year as they both average well over 1.00 ppg. 2018 draft eligible Riley Sutter has shown that he too can generate offense while playing a sound defensive game. He has good size and speed that sets him apart from other draft eligible forwards in this year’s draft.

Portland Winterhawks 47-28-15-1-3-60

Portland boasts some of the most offensively gifted players in the league. Undersized Skyler McKenzie (Wpg) has a shot at eclipsing 100pts this year and is still targeting a 50 goal season. He likely is the third best forward on his line as he skates with Cody Glass (VGK) and Kieffer Bellows (NYI) on a nightly basis. On the back end they are led by Henri Jokiharju (Chi) and the recently added Dennis Cholowski (Det). Both of these defenders can carry the puck and distribute it at a high level. John Ludvig is the most likely 2018 prospect for this team. He is a pretty effective defensive defenseman capable of making a good first pass while playing a strong physical game.

Seattle Thunderbirds 47-25-16-4-2-56

After losing Matt Barzal (NYI), Ryan Gropp (NYR), and Ethan Bear (Edm) a by-committee approach has led to solid season in the US Division for Seattle. The team sports five players in Nolan Volcan (Unsigned), Donovan Neuls (Unsigned), Zack Andrusiak (Unsigned), Austin Strand (LAK) and Sami Moilanen (Unsigned) who all average right around 1.00 ppg. Seattle has been looking for a stabilizing force in net as three goalies have played over ten games each already this season. The duo of Dorrin Luding (Unsigned) and Liam Hughes (Unsigned) will be asked to deliver solid performances down the stretch if they have any hopes of catching either Portland or Everett.

Tri-City Americans 46-23-16-7-0-53

Juuso Valimaki of the Tri-City Americans.

A highly competitive team that relies on the strength of their back end and strong overage goaltending to compete in a challenging division. The deadline acquisition of Jake Bean (Car) from the Calgary Hitmen really sets the expectations for the group heading into the last 20 games. Dylan Coghlan (Vgk) , Bean and Juuso Valimaki (Cgy) all put up excellent offensive numbers. Up front Morgan Geekie (Car) has been very consistent this year averaging the 1.25 ppg he did in his draft season. Isaac Johnson leads the charge for 2018 potential draft picks as he has a big frame and some decent offensive skills for an overage player. Highly touted Michael Rasmussen (Det) has continued to show his goal scoring prowess this season dispute struggling to stay in the lineup.

Spokane Chiefs 47-25-19-1-2-53

Jaret Anderson-Dolan, photo by Larry Brunt/Spokane Chiefs

The optics of being last in the division do not reflect the strength of this team and their potential to win a round as a wild card in the playoffs. Jaret Anderson-Dolan (LAK) has been a consistent and steady force for this team as it started without one of the most dynamic players in the league in Kailer Yamomoto (Edm). Now 20 games in Yamamoto has rounded back into form and is averaging 1.48 PPG. Add in the early season trade the brought in Zach Fischer (Cgy) the team has a nice balanced group of forwards. On the back end they boast Ty Smith (2018) who has a real shot at going in the top 10 of this year’s NHL entry draft. Despite his stature he projects to be a dynamic playmaker that can carry the puck with speed, while displaying excellent vision and playmaking ability.

B.C. Division GP-W-L-OTL-SOL-PTS

Kelowna Rockets 46-29-14-2-1-61

Cal Foote of Kelowna Rockets

Kelowna’s roster is loaded to bear and despite a lot of injury trouble with key players have been able to battle to the top of the B.C. Division. Kelowna was able to provide the captain for team Canada in Dillon Dube (Cgy), while also providing minute munching defender Cal Foote (TBL). Foote brings the gritty toughness you love in a top pairing defenseman while still being a good playmaker and shooter. Kole Lind (Van) has been pacing the offense this year along with Carsen Twarynski (Phi) as both are on pace to hit 40 goals this season. While being loaded with current draft picks the team still has a number of pieces NHL teams will covet over the next few drafts, Kyle Topping (2018), Libor Zabransky (2018), and Nolan Foote (2019) have all been large contributors to the team’s success this year which bodes well over the next few seasons.

Victoria Royals 48-27-17-3-1-58

Matthew Phillips (Cgy) has been one of the top goal scorers in the entire WHL over the past three seasons and with him signing his ELC in December will very likely be gone after this year. With a goal scoring talent like that leaving town Victoria has a gone all in this year adding Tanner Kaspick (StL), Noah Gregor (SJS), Lane Zablocki (Det), Andrei Grishakov, and Jeff De Wit, showing a real commitment to making their way out of the Western Conference. Tyler Soy (Ana) who early in the season was recognized as the CHL player of the week has had points in 13 of his last 15 games while the new players have since established some chemistry with their new team. In net Griffen Outhouse leads the league in shots faced and saves giving him a very respectable .912 Sv% this season which puts him 3^rd in the league for goalies who have played in over 20 games. If he can stay hot into the playoffs Victoria has a real chance at making the Western Final.

Vancouver Giants 47-25-15-4-3-57

Ty Ronning (NYR) paces Vancouver’s offense with his impressive 42 goals in just 49 games this season. This is even more impressive given that Tyler Benson (Edm) has continued to be plagued by injury problems, missing 13 games already this year after having missed 39 in 2017 and 42 in 2016. Milos Roman (2018) has taken advantage of this and has been providing a playmaking presence on the team with his 21 assists with many projecting him to be a top 60 pick this year.

Kamloops Blazers 47-21-23-1-2-45

Kamloops shipped out a number of their top guys at the deadline with key personnel Garrett Pilon and Ondrej Vala both leaving for Everett. The strength of the U.S. division means that a team stuck in neutral in the B.C. division is a long shot to make the playoffs and Kamloops would have to play lights out down the stretch to even catch a Wild Card spot.

Prince George Cougars 48-18-23-4-3

With Dennis Cholowski (Det) joining the Cougars this summer rather than continue along the college route there was a heightened expectation that was never reached this year. He was impressive scoring 13 goals and 26 assists prior to the trade deadline but could not carry the team. A major hole in the team this season has been scoring with just one player (Josh Maser) with over 20 goals. Nikita Popugaev (NJD), a promising Russian import was expected to lead the line offensively however his commitment to a total team game was lacking, as was his commitment to play in North America as he jumped ship back to Russian after only 13 games. There are a couple of promising youngsters that could hear their names called at the 2018 NHL Entry draft this year including Ilijah Colina, and Jackson Leppard. Leppard is a power forward with a big body and frame that can really shoot the puck, while Colina is a small speedy winger who was in the bottom six in Portland until heading north of the border. Since joining Prince George he has scored 6pts in 9 games in an expanded role with his new team.

***

This season the WHL has two highly competitive divisions and five elite teams in Moose Jaw, Swift Current, Everett, Portland and Kelowna all with a real shot at making the Championship series. The wildcard format is very practical this year, as without it a quality team would be left out of the playoff picture in each Conference. While it is a much debated structure in hockey this season in particular shows the practicality of having potential divisional cross over teams as it ensures that the best 16 teams in the WHL get a shot to go for the Ed Chynoweth Cup, which would not have been the case in a pure divisional playoff structure.

WHL: Brandon Hagel (Red Deer – Buffalo), Nikita Popugaev (Prince George/Zvezda Chekhov (VHL) – New Jersey)

Vince Gibbons — Mon, 20 Nov 2017 21:20:05 +0000

Towering New Jersey prospect 6'6" Nikita Popugaev looked like a potential first round pick at one point in the last couple of years. Falling to the Devils at 98, Vince Gibbons looks at how his game is progressing, or not, below. He has left the Prince George Cougars for personal reason returning to Russia. Brandon Hagel was a later round pick at 159th by Buffalo, one of 10 picks in 2016. Despite that he appeared at #14 on our ranking of Sabres prospects and continues to impress demonstrating a good hockey IQ as explained by Gibbons.

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

Nikita Popugaev	2017 Draft (98th - New Jersey Devils)
Position: RW/LW, Shoots R	H/W: 6-6", 220 lbs
Stats to date (GP-G-A-PTS-PIMS)	Prince George Cougars, WHL (13-2-5-7-4)
	Zvezda Chekhov, VHL (4-0-2-2-0)

Nikita Popugaev of the Prince George Cougars. Photo by James Doyle/Prince George Cougars

Skating: Popugaev has a good skating stride for a man of his size. He has good top speed and agility, and is able to use both when he has the puck. He can move down the wing very effectively when he wants to as he is a powerful skater when he is engaged. Transitions poorly as play changes direction and is often caught out of position by taking wide, sweeping turns as the action goes the other way. Grade: 50

Shot: There is some definite offensive potential in the big man as he is able to shoot the puck with force. Being a right hand shot often on his off wing he is able to lean into a one-timer. He has great velocity on it although his accuracy needs to improve as too many shots got up over the net. He is effective shooting from the perimeter but does not shorten his release as he gets closer to the net. In those situations his shot is all too often blocked or the puck poked away as his shot is very readable. His size may play a role in not having the quickest release. He seems more gun-shy than ever before and seems to have lost his confidence. Grade 50

Skills: Popugaev is a different player from a year ago. He no longer pushes defencemen back as he attacks with the puck, he had shown some ability to beat guys wide and carry the puck effectively however this season he has been a chip and chase player. He missed a number of clean breakout passes that caused turnovers and his passing was not crisp through the neutral zone. With his size he should be very effective around the net, but he did not put himself in those positions. He was good along the wall and if he was able to get on the cycle in the offensive zone was good at holding off defenders and keeping the puck alive along the wall. He did not show much in terms of making anything happen with that possession however. Grade:45

Smarts: Throughout the game he was looking to jump into the offense early as his team was still scrabbling to get possession and a few times was able to anticipate odd man opportunities. That said he was caught out of position more than often than not. Popugaev struggles with decision making and is consistently caught flat-footed or in possession. Playing the point on the power-play enabled him more space to get off a good one-timer but he was also caught winding up for a shot rather than moving the puck quickly to keep the pressure on. Grade: 45

Physicality: Popugaev is an impressively sized forward that can effectively cycle the puck and maintain possession along the wall. He can hold off defenders well and can use his long reach to keep pucks alive along the wall. He does not really engage on the forecheck and does not generally finish his checks. You are constantly left wanting more as he stick checks too frequently and does not use his body in the defensive zone to end plays. There is a noticeable lack of intensity in his game that improves briefly if in possession of the puck. He should be a guy that defensemen fear and turn pucks over to but since he does not force the physical play they get off easy. Grade: 45

Summary: From his time in Moose Jaw to today Nikita Popugaev is a completely different player. He has all the natural abilities that give him a chance and early in his time in the WHL he showed that. This season however he has regressed even further and is not showing the commitment to the things he is capable of. Confidence is surely lacking but effort seems to be the largest problem. He has since returned to Russia which might explain the disinterest and overall lack of effort in his WHL performances this season. A year ago he was a pretty dynamic player on the rush that drove the net and put teams under pressure. Hopefully a return home brings out that side of his game again.

Overall Future Projection (OFP): 48.75

Brandon Hagel	2016 Draft (159th - Buffalo Sabres)
Position: LW, Shoots L	H/W: 6-1", 165 lbs
Stats to date (GP-G-A-PTS-PIMS)	Red Deer Rebels, WHL (20-6-15-21-18)

Brandon Hagel. Photo by Rob Wallator/Red Deer Rebels.

Skating: Hagel possesses great quickness and agility with and without the puck. His top speed is not elite but his ability to get up to pace is impressive. He can maintain his speed through all three zones and skates hard back towards his own net. He has the ability to turn in tight spaces maintaining good speed throughout. He skates with a low center of gravity that helps him maintain possession of the puck and creates a good burst as he starts to get his legs moving. His edge work is effective for gaining space off the boards and pushing towards the front of the goal. Grade: 55

Shot: Hagel has an effective wrist shot that has good accuracy but he does miss high quite a bit. He is able to release it quickly in tight that creates lots of rebounds when shooting low but he does not have the velocity bury his shot. He is more of a playmaker than a shooter but his shot is a weapon in that it gets through frequently and creates rebounds. His one timer needs work as he seems to whiff or fan on it as frequently as he gets it off. Grade: 50

Skills: Able to create offense on the rush, off the half wall, and on the forecheck. Hagel is a great passer and pass receiver and is able to skate with the puck at top speed. He drives the net constantly and is able to make plays in and around the goal. He can stretch the ice with his legs or with a lead pass. Defensively he is aggressive and can read the play well. He can use his stick to break up passes and can stop cycles by anticipating where the puck is going next. He is great at winger wins on the draw where he can pick up the puck in traffic and make effective plays to break the puck out or create offensive chances. His passing skill enables him to set up one-timers well for his teammates either cross ice or to the point. He has good hands and makes heady plays in all three zones. He is very effective at pressuring the puck carrier and this season is taking fewer penalties while doing so which shows growth and development. Grade:55

Smarts: Hagel has a great ability to read the play and react with speed. He turns pucks over very well with his anticipation and active stick. He cuts off passing lanes and is able to recover quickly when caught out of position. He is getting smarter with his physical play as well and seems to have toned his game down enough to limit the calls 200 feet from his own net. He can see open ice developing and can put pucks into open places. He is effective on the penalty kill and is able to create offensive chance with his puck pressure. He is still capable of losing his temper which can put his game off for stretches but has that more under control than in prior years. Grade: 55

Physicality: Hagel is undersized but does not shy away from the game. He plays with an edge and will take the body when the chance presents itself. He is very effective on the forecheck dislodging pucks and forcing defensemen into poor decisions. He is tenacious in his pursuit of the puck carrier and is effective at stripping pucks. Hagel will throw his body in front of shooters, or bigger forwards along the wall. Despite his size he can pinch off cycles by putting his body between the puck and the opposition. Does all of this with a slight frame so if he is able to add more weight it would help him keep that side of his game at the next level. Grade: 50

Summary: Players like Hagel seem to find a way to make it to the next level. He can play the game a number of ways and has the skill to produce if he is given any time and space. Often he can create space for himself by forcing turnovers and creating odd man rushes. He is a quick and versatile player who is used on the first unit of both special teams. He has very good vision and is able to make smart plays in all zones of the ice. He is rarely on the wrong side of the puck which is rare for an offensive minded junior winger but he creates his offense with his dogged pursuit of the puck so it really drives his game. His anticipation is his most noticeable skill and it comes from his high hockey IQ and focus on the details of the game.

Overall Future Projection (OFP): 53.25

New Jersey – System Overview

Ryan Wagman — Fri, 15 Sep 2017 20:15:27 +0000

Two short years ago, the New Jersey Devils had one of the weaker system in the game. John Quenneville was a decent prospect, and Steve Santini seemed like a sure-fire NHLer, if not a top tier one. All in all, there was very little there before Ray Shero took over as GM on May 4, 2015, blessed with a top ten pick in the upcoming draft.

Although the Devils only had five choices in the 2015 draft, they made the most of them, with Pavel Zacha emerging as their new top prospect and supplementing the system with talented youth such as netminder MacKenzie Blackwood, versatile forward Blake Speers and two-way defenseman Colton White. But a five man draft class can only do so much for any organization.

Shero had more time to implement his plan of beefing up the system in 2016 and with nine more draft picks, did just that. Among those nine players, five rank among their top twenty today and a few more were contenders to sneak on to the list as well. Even with those nine players, though, the Devils system was still middling. After so many years of focusing on the here and now, to diminishing results, left a correspondingly diminished system with few players projecting as top half of roster talents and a paucity of players who could even be expected to contribute in a bottom half manner.

The best talents, other than the aforementioned Zacha and Miles Wood, were still a few years away, and even with the acquisition of former first overall pick Taylor Hall from Edmonton, the Devils were still in a poor place. Sometimes, however, with short term pain, comes long term gain. Some of that pain was literal. Hall missed ten games to injury. Mike Cammalleri missed 20 due to various causes. Star netminder Corey Schneider battled leg injuries in the second half. Without exaggeration, Kyle Palmieri, Travis Zajac, and Adam Henrique were the only regulars not to miss significant action on the season. After March began, the Devils could only pick up seven points in the standings in 20 games.

As for the gain, their late tumble down the standings dropped them to 27th in the league standings. And wouldn’t you know it, but that slot lined up perfectly with the bouncing balls of the draft lottery. For the first time ever, the Devils would have the first overall pick. As much as some pundits moaned about the lack of top end talent in this year’s class, there was still talent a-plenty and the Devils would have their way with it.

After selecting the dynamic Nico Hischier first overall, the Devils had ten more opportunities to man their man. In addition to quantity, the Devils got a ton of quality. In the top twenty list to follow, fully seven players were products of their most recent draft class, a class that should mark the transition of this team from tear down, to re-build.

Nico Hischier

1 Nico Hischier – Although we ranked him second among draft prospects this year, we still expected the Devils to draft Hischier, a dynamic player who fits the Ray Shero approach of extreme talent. On any given night, he can display near elite skating, shooting ability or puck-handling skills. Sometimes all three. What cements his place in the Devils lineup right away is his unflagging commitment to the play away from the puck as well. He can be trusted in all zones, in all situations. A superstar to build around.

Michael McLeod of the Mississauga Steelheads. Photo by Terry Wilson/OHL Images.

2 Michael McLeod – McLeod got off to an unexplained slow start this year in Mississauga, after threatening to go straight to the NHL as the 12th overall pick in 2016. As the year moved on, he picked things up, although his inclusion in Canada’s WJC entry may have been based on reputation and tools over production. He has tremendous speed, decent hands and plays a high IQ game. By the OHL playoffs, McLeod was back to being the dominant player the Devils drafted.

3 John Quenneville - A somewhat unexpected first rounder, Quenneville started his professional career as the best player for AHL Albany, leading the team in scoring by seven points despite only playing in 58 games. He is very effective on the cycle, and loves shooting the puck. While not usually flashy, he has some highlight reel tricks up his sleeve. A versatile forward who can play both center or on the wing, he might be ready for a full time NHL job after a briefer debut last year.

4 Jesper Boqvist – The Devils second round pick this year, Boqvist split his year fairly evenly between Swedish junior and the top two men’s leagues. He was effective at all three. He has standout quickness, with matching agility and demonstrates excellent puck movement abilities even at high speed. A creative play driver, he needs more time to develop in a consistent system before reaching his potential. Should be a front-runner to make the Swedish WJC squad.

5 Will Butcher – The 2017 Hobey Baker Award winner, Butcher opted not to sign with Colorado, which drafted him in 2013. Short, but stocky, he has very advanced puck moving skills. A good skater with soft hands, he is a clear danger from the point, able to both whip in a strong wrist shot, or walk the line until a better passing option opens up. Positioning and anticipation make up for his relative dearth of a physical game. Likely to step right into the NHL on the third pairing.

6 Blake Speers – Although the Devils have a few prospects in the system with higher offensive upside, Speers has a high end combination of speed and hockey IQ that ensure he will not be overlooked. A strong performance with the Silver medal winning Team Canada WJC team gave a preview of how Speers’ career should play out. A versatile bottom six forward who can handle tough shifts and shorthanded situations.

Mackenzie Blackwood of the Barrie Colts. Photo by Terry Wilson/OHL Images.

7 MacKenzie Blackwood – Although his professional career did not get off to the same dominant start with which he began his OHL career, there is still an awful lot to like about Blackwood’s future projections. He has a huge frame that covers a lot of net, with he combines with above-average athleticism, and play-reading ability. With Schneider in complete control with the Devils, there is no rush but Blackwood needs to improve his game-to-game consistency before taking the next step.

8 Nikita Popugaev – In many ways the inverse of the above-listed forwards, Popugaev has incredible size and a pretty full toolbox, but he has never put it all together over a full season. His production fell off the map after a mid-season trade from mid-market Moose Jaw to prime Prince George. He may have been a first rounder without the nearly half-season long slump. He has a high end shot, but plays largely a perimeter game, which largely negates his size advantages.

9 Joey Anderson – USNTDP alumnus Anderson has always excelled as a support player for more talented teammates, a trait that followed him from the hothouse program, through a stint with the American WJC championship team and through his freshman season with Minnesota-Duluth, where he came one game away from a second title. A stocky player who plays a power, puck digger game, he has solid puck skills, but knows his role as a supporting mule and plays it well.

10 Reilly Walsh – A dynamic blueliner who fell a bit under the radar in his draft year flitting back and forth between Chicago in the USHL and Proctor Academy in the New England prep ranks. A Harvard commit, he missed all of Chicago’s championship run in order to graduate. Somewhat undersized, Walsh makes up for it with plus speed, and aggressive defending, particularly with how he uses his stick to break up plays. Similarly aggressive with the puck on his stick, he is one to follow with the Crimson.

11 Aarne Talvitie – The Devils drafting Talvitie in the sixth round this year qualifies as one of the best value picks in the entire 2017 draft class. The captain of Finland’s Silver medal winning WU18 entry, his best features are his big, hard wrist shot, his competitive style and his ability to read the play in all situations. Looking to attend Penn State, he is expected to come to North America this year to play for Sioux Falls in the USHL.

12 Yegor Rykov – Although his first full season in the KHL was at times underwhelming, Rykov’s performance against his peers in the WJC for Team Russia should have the Devils pleased with the development of their 2016 5th round pick. He has a booming slapshot and impressive puck moving ability. He could be more mobile and he will need to show more consistent league play in a return engagement with SKA St. Petersburg, but with two more years on his KHL contract, he has time.

13 Nathan Bastian – Like Nikita Popugaev, but with fewer and duller tools. Bastian is very big, has a strong understanding of the game, and has an understated skill set. His lack of production, even while playing often on a line with Michael McLeod, raises questions, as does his subpar skating. Expected to move up to the AHL this year, he will need to prove that he can produce on his own to avoid being consigned to a bottom line projection.

14 Brandon Gignac – A moderate offensive threat, Gignac likewise carries with him a moderate skill set, featuring above average skating ability, puck skills and an impressive hockey IQ. He can reach an extra gear and looks dangerous shooting from the half-wall. He is undersized and generally not a very aggressive player, but he generally earns strong reviews for his play in his own zone.

15 Marian Studenic – A projection pick in the fifth round this year, Studenic was inconsistent, but promising in his first season in North America with Hamilton of the OHL. He has a strong shot and should be able to increase his goal scoring output with additional experience, but his play away from the puck was disappointing and he was practically a non-entity for Slovakia at the WU18 tournament.

16 Fabian Zetterlund – A solid scorer for Farjestad’s junior team and one of Sweden’s top contributor’s for their WU18 squad, Zetterlund is a creative offensive driver, but suffers due to a skating deficiency. With a little more zip to his stride, he could project as a solid middle six winger down the line, but this is something he will need to see improve to get there. To his credit, he has some agility at least, and plays a ragged style, willing to take a hit to make a play.

17 Colton White – A solid mid-round pick, White has been a steady contributor for four season with Sault Ste. Marie. He combines above average skating and puck moving ability with impressive play defending his own zone. His OHL play seems to have plateaued over his last two seasons, leading to fears that he may have regressed. He will be tested in the AHL, but it is too early to assume he cannot be a solid #5 down the road.

18 Michael Kapla – A second team All-American as a senior at UMass-Lowell, Kapla, who captained the squad for each of his final two seasons is an intelligent defender with plus acceleration. He is willing to take a hit to make a play, although he is not a physical force. He specializes in pushing forward the transition. Although he is in contention for one of the final blueline spots in New Jersey this year, a year or so developing in Binghamton is the wiser play.

19 Yaroslav Dyblenko – Never a big offensive producer over four plus seasons in the KHL, the Devils signed Dyblenko to a two-year entry level contract this offseason with the expectation that he will compete for a spot on the NHL blueline. He is roughly average with or without the puck, but should be able to bring plus physicality to the ice, as he had a reputation as a big hitter in Russia.

20 Viktor Loov – Loov is a similar style player to Dyblenko. His skating is flawed, without being slow, his puck play is fairly basic and he has never been a big producer at any level. On the other hand, he hits people and hits people and hits people. And the hits are very hard. His near-elite physical game can cross the line too often, though and he needs to do a better job of recognizing the limitations to avoid being a liability.

The rise from a bottom feeding system to a top quartile one has been fairly quick for New Jersey, a welcome change after years of neglect to drafting and prospect development. The system is now very forward heavy, as most of the better defenders have lower ceilings and/or are further away from contributing. With a few of the above listed players expected to challenge for NHL jobs right away – improving the team’s on-ice success, the team will have to be more judicious going forward with their draft plans.

2017 NHL Draft Grades: Metropolitan Division – New Jersey Devils

Ryan Wagman — Sun, 02 Jul 2017 12:29:28 +0000

Shortly after 1:00pm CST, on Saturday, June 24, 2017, the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins selected William Reilly, a defenseman from RPI as the 217^th player selected, bringing the 2017 Entry Draft to an end. With a few days of hindsight between me and the bowels of the United Center, the urge to spew out hot takes flushed away, it is time to analyze the strategies and selections employed by the league’s 31 teams.

The analysis will focus on the first five rounds, as it is clear to most long-time observers that the final two rounds are often taken up with long-shots, favours to regional scouts, among other reasons. I will, of course, call out some astute late picks, but will not judge a team for the names called in the final hour. The apocryphal story of Pekka Rinne, drafted as an eighth round after-thought in 2004 based mostly on his play in game warm-ups. Few other scouts would have seen him at all, and he has had a very good career, which is not yet over. For the most part, though, those picks have little statistical likelihood of having NHL careers and teams should not be judged there.

Each draft class will be graded using the 20-80 scale that we use in our player specific scouting reports throughout the site. In this context, a 50 is essentially an average grade in light of the picks the team had on draft day. A 20 would mean the draft is an unmitigated disaster while an 80 would be the best draft class of all time. As those things can only be truly seen in retrospect, most classes will trend towards 50 at this point, so pay attention to those we see as outliers.

Finally, all grades are incomplete. Actual winners and losers in this draft class will not be known until 2023 at the earliest, after those who will have “made it” will have played out their entry-level contracts. What I am looking at here is whether, knowing what we know now, the drafting team got good value.

RD	#	CS	MCK	PLAYER	P	AGE	HT/WT	TEAM	PIM (Sv%)
1	1	2-N	2	Nico HISCHIER	C	18	6-1/175	Halifax (QMJHL)	69
2	36	10-E	35	Jesper BOQVIST	C	18	6-0/180	Timra (Swe 2)
2	61	24-N	36	Grant MISMASH	LW	18	6-0/185	USA (NTDP-18)	46
3	63	40-E	hm	Fabian ZETTERLUND	LW	18	5-11/195	Farjestads (Swe Jr)	16
3	81	60-N	78	Reilly WALSH	D	18	5-11/180	Proctor Academy (USHS-NH)	14
4	98	28-N	43	Nikita POPUGAEV	LW	18	6-6/220	MJ-PG (WHL)
5	129	NR		Gilles SENN	G	21	6-5/195	Davos (Sui)
5	143	101-N	104	Marian STUDENIC	RW	18	6-0/165	Hamilton (OHL)
6	160	58-E	77	Aarne TALVITIE	C	18	5-10/200	Espoo Blues (Fin Jr)
7	191	126-N	hm	Jocktan CHAINEY	D	18	6-0/200	Halifax (QMJHL)
7	205	NR		Yegor ZAITSEV	D	19	6-0/180	Dynamo Bsh Balashikha (Rus 2)
7	214	NR		Matt HELLICKSON	D	19	6-0/190	Sioux City (USHL)

RD	#	PLAYER	P	TEAM	GP (W)	G (L)	A (T)	PTS (GA)	PIM (Sv%)
1	1	Nico HISCHIER	C	Halifax (QMJHL)	57	38	48	86	24
2	36	Jesper BOQVIST	C	Timra (Swe 2)	19	3	9	12	0
2	36			Brynas (Swe)	16	0	6	6	2
2	36			Brynas (Swe Jr)	15	10	5	15	6
2	61	Grant MISMASH	LW	USA (NTDP-18)	65	26	35	61	104
3	63	Fabian ZETTERLUND	LW	Farjestads (Swe Jr)	40	16	20	36	18
3	63			Farjestads (Swe)	14	0	0	0	2
3	81	Reilly WALSH	D	Proctor Academy (USHS-NH)	30	30	39	69
3	81			Chicago (USHL)	24	2	8	10	12
4	98	Nikita POPUGAEV	LW	MJ-PG (WHL)	71	29	40	69	29
5	129	Gilles SENN	G	Davos (Sui)	34GP			2.64	0.911
5	143	Marian STUDENIC	RW	Hamilton (OHL)	58	18	12	30	23
6	160	Aarne TALVITIE	C	Espoo Blues (Fin Jr)	46	13	24	37	36
7	191	Jocktan CHAINEY	D	Halifax (QMJHL)	55	4	20	24	44
7	205	Yegor ZAITSEV	D	Dynamo Bsh Balashikha (Rus 2)	24	2	4	6	44
7	205			Dynamo Moscow (KHL)	19	0	1	1	10
7	205			HC MVD (MHL)	2	0	1	1	4
7	214	Matt HELLICKSON	D	Sioux City (USHL)	52	6	22	28	30

New Jersey Devils – Draft Grade: 65

MONTREAL, CANADA - DECEMBER 27: Switzerland's Nico Hischier #18 leans in for the face-off during preliminary round action against the Czech Republic at the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/HHOF-IIHF Images)

We have seen drafts with quantity and drafts with quality, but few with both. The New Jersey Devils draft class of 2017 featured the best of both worlds. Of course, anytime you own the first overall pick, you should be assured of receiving quality. As that pick was only the first of 11 players drafted by the Devils last weekend, the quantity is also in the bag. Also, the quality did not stop with Swiss dynamo Nico Hischier, the first Swiss born (although not the first Swiss trained) prospect to lead off the draft. Although we ranked Hischier second in the overall draft rankings, the gap between him and Patrick was small and we had long thought that Hischier is the most likely first overall pick, considering his extremely dynamic set of skills. His puck skills are sublime, he is a plus skater, has superb offensive instincts and does not neglect the defensive side of the game. He is everything you want in a top prospect and the ride to taking over the Devils first line center job should be relatively short.

161029 Brynäs Jesper Boqvist under ishockeymatchen i SHL mellan HV71 och Leksand den 29 oktober 2016 i Jönköping.
Foto: Stefan Persson / BILDBYRÅN / Cop 107

Second rounder Jesper Boqvist was another player who some had marked as a potential first round pick, with plus speed and intriguing puck skills. Fourth round pick Nikita Popugaev could be a steal if his late season swoon after being traded from Moose Jaw to Prince George proves to be a one-time thing. He has ideal size and promising offensive skills. Reilly Walsh is another favorite of mine. He split his year between Chicago of the USHL and Proctor Academy, a New Hampshire prep school. The Harvard commit has a very dynamic element to his game and a high-rev motor. He is a joy to watch.

POPRAD, SLOVAKIA - APRIL 15: Finland's Aarne Talvitie #25 races Switzerland's Davyd Barandun #2 for the puck during preliminary round action at the 2017 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship. (Photo by Andrea Cardin/HHOF-IIHF Images)

Best value: Aarne Talvitie, C, Blues U20 (6/160): A strong two-way player with a plus shot, Talvitie turned heads with a strong performance as the captain of this year’s Finland entry at the WU18 tournament. Like Panthers’ 2016 first rounder Henrik Borgstrom, Talvitie has stuck with the Junior ranks in Finland so as to maintain NCAA eligibility. He will be moving to the US next year to play with Sioux Falls of the USHL before moving on to Penn State.

Biggest head-scratcher: Fabian Zetterlund, C/RW, Farjestad J20 (3/63): Although his numbers at the U20 level in Sweden were respectable, Zetterlund’s subpar skating may prevent his above average shot and puck skills from fully emerging. Not a bad player by any stretch, but from a value perspective, the riskiest made by the Devils.

McKeen’s 2017 NHL Draft Rankings (Subscribers) – Top 125 – May 31st, 2017

Iain Morrell — Wed, 31 May 2017 14:16:51 +0000

MCKEEN'S 2017 NHL DRAFT GUIDE - Learn more here!

Nico Hischier will make National Hockey League history as the first name called in Chicago at the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.

The New Jersey Devils hold the first overall selection having won the draft lottery, and will be looking at three prospects in particular who have risen to the top of the 2017 draft class.

Switzerland's Nico Hischier #18 leans in for the face-off during preliminary round action against the Czech Republic at the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/HHOF-IIHF Images)

Hischier is a very attractive choice having 'checked all the boxes' during an outstanding North American debut with the Halifax Mooseheads. The native of Naters, Switzerland led all rookie scorers in the QMJHL and finished 10th in league scoring, while delivering strong performances for his country at both the U20 and U18 World Junior Championships (WJC).

A fast and dynamic skater with high-end puck skills, Hischier distinguished himself for his two-way diligence and his ability to contribute in every area of the ice and - by extension - the game. He possesses a high hockey IQ and is a very creative player combining both structure and innovation.

It will be an agonizing decision if New Jersey opts to pass on Hischier in favour of the other prime attraction - Nolan Patrick of the Brandon Wheat Kings.

The Winnipeg native entered the 2016-17 season as the consensus top choice after a standout season in which he tied for the league playoff scoring lead with 30 points in 21 games (13-17-30) and earned WHL Playoff MVP honours.

Nolan Patrick of the Brandon Wheat Kings. Photo by Tim Smith/Brandon Sun

Patrick was injured during that playoff run however and underwent sports hernia surgery last July. His groin/abdominal problems would re-surface after playing in Brandon's opening five games, and sideline him for 34 games and force him to miss the U20 WJC.

Returning in January, Patrick still managed to finish fifth on the Wheat Kings in scoring with 20 goals and 46 points despite playing in just 33 games.

However he suffered another health setback late in the regular season - an unspecified upper-body injury - and missed the WHL playoffs.

Nolan Patrick would be the first Manitoban selected first overall in the NHL draft - with Nico Hischier set to become the first-ever Swiss-born player.

A third option emerged for New Jersey this spring at the U18 WJC where defenceman Miro Heiskanen turned in a commanding performance for Finland and effectively threw his hat into the ring.

Finland's Miro Heiskanen #2 lets a shot go during relegation round action against Latvia at the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/HHOF-IIHF Images)

It makes some sense for the Devils to consider adding a potential building block on the blueline given the loss of Adam Larsson in last summer's Taylor Hall deal.

Heiskanen would be the first Finnish-born player to go first overall.

CENTRE STAGE

Gabriel Vilardi of the Windsor Spitfires sits at No. 4 on the McKeen's Top 125 - ranking the best prospects available for the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.

Gabriel Vilardi of the Windsor Spitfires. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

The 6-foot-3, 200-pound forward led Windsor with 29 goals and 61 points - in just 49 games - and then played a central role in helping the Spitfires win the Memorial Cup, highlighted by a four-assist performance in a win over the top-ranked Erie Otters.

Big, highly-skilled, and ultra competitive, Vilardi brings plenty of meat to the plate - but the skating has raised concerns about how impactful an NHLer he can be. Described as a 'knock kneed' skater, he will have to continue upgrading his quickness and explosiveness.

The Kingston, Ontario native can play on the wing but showcased at the Top Prospects Game in January that he is very effective playing in the middle.

The fifth-ranked prospect is Casey Mittelstadt, the top American-born player.

Mittelstadt ripped apart the high school circuit averaging 2.56 points per game (64 points in 25 games) and earning Minnesota’s distinguished Mr. Hockey award as the state’s top senior skater. He fell short though of leading his hometown Eden Prairie to a state championship, falling in the semi-finals.

Mittelstadt was questioned about returning for his senior year amid concerns that his development could be stunted. However, he helped allay some of those concerns with impressive stints in the USHL, wrapped around his high school season, recording 30 points in 24 games - for a 1.25 points-per-game average which was tops in the league.

Sharp-shooting winger Owen Tippett of the Mississauga Steelheads is next at No. 6.

The Peterborough, Ontario native infuriated with his inconsistent (and incomplete) defensive work habits but, at the end of the day, may be the best goal-scoring prospect in this draft class.

He finished fifth in the OHL with 44 goals and added another 10 goals in 20 playoff games.

Slick-skating defenceman Cale Makar of the Brooks Bandits is ranked seventh.

The Calgary, Alberta native was among this season's biggest risers - shooting up the draft chart and dazzling with his skating and skills while leading Brooks to the RBC Cup final.

Makar still has plenty of growing to do in terms of learning how to harness and deploy his exceptional talents. His education will be in good hands for his upcoming freshman season at the University of Massachusetts. Makar may benefit most by staying on the NCAA collegiate route for at least two years, though the lure of the NHL is all powerful.

Sorting out the rest of the top 10 has been a convoluted journey since the initial rankings were published last fall. That's not unusual - but this season the rankings seemed to be in a larger state of flux. There's not much to separate the next dozen or so players - all of whom could conceivably land a top 10 spot.

Cody Glass of the Portland Winterhawks

Cody Glass of the Portland Winterhawks was another big riser, moving up from 24th - in the preliminary ranking - to grab the No. 8 position.

A cerebral two-way pivot with good size and skill, the Winnipeg native led Portland and tied for seventh in WHL scoring during a spectacular breakout season - in which he more than tripled his rookie numbers from 2015-16.

Glass begins a run of centremen with seven of the next ten players being pivots; Michael Rasmussen (10th), Elias Pettersson (11th), Martin Necas (12th), Robert Thomas (15th), Nick Suzuki (16th), and Lias Andersson (17th).

KLIM PICKINGS

The wildcards for this year's draft will begin with swift-skating Swedish defenceman Timothy Liljegren

The native of Kristianstad, Sweden has been a prime name for 2017 since he was 16 years old - and was ranked No. 4 on our preliminary list. However, he was sidelined early by a bout of mononucleosis and struggled to find his game after returning.

There's no denying the physical gifts as he is a strong, fast skater with a good skill set featuring a heavy wristshot.

Klim Kostin

However, his hockey sense and overall decision making have continually come into question as the scrutiny on his game intensified. He doesn't seem to possess an innate feel for pressure and can be prone to stickchecks and turning pucks over on outlets. Can this part of his make-up develop and mature? Perhaps. It's a risk NHL teams must weigh before considering him as a top selection.

Another 'hot potato' pick will be Dynamo Moscow forward Klim Kostin who began the season at No. 5 in the rankings following a solid showing at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial. The Penza native captained Russia and led his team in scoring (5-4-3-7) while flashing an intriguing mix of size, skill and creativity.

He also put in a decent showing at the Canada-Russia series in November, albeit not enough for World Junior team coach Valeri Bragin to include him on the U20 roster. However, Kostin underwent season-ending shoulder surgery in January and missed an opportunity to further convince NHL scouts at the U18 WJC in April.

Strong and skilled with the puck, Kostin can create openings with his stickhandling and 1-on-1 abilities, but must work on his skating and consistency.

Eeli Tolvanen

Eeli Tolvanen also watched his stock soften as the season progressed after beginning as a top 10 pick (8th).

The native of Vihti, Finland tied for third in the USHL with 30 goals and then helped Sioux City reach the Clark Cup Finals. Tolvanen possesses sharp offensive instincts and a lethal shot, yet there are concerns about how his slight frame and dimensional game will translate to higher levels.

No player fell further in the rankings this season than towering Russian winger Nikita Popugaev.

The Moscow native fired 19 goals in his first 25 games with Moose Jaw, however his play tailed off in December and he was dealt a month later to Prince George where he continued to sputter.

Popugaev brings great size at 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds as well as a strong shooting arsenal. His skating needs to come along though, particularly his footwork and overall agility.

But the bigger concern is how badly he wants it - as his work ethic and defensive play regressed to alarming levels over the second half.

PLENTY OF FINNISH

Finland gave advance warning that they would be a big factor at the 2017 NHL Draft when they captured gold at the 2016 U18 WJC.

It was Finland's first gold medal at the event since winning the first two tournaments in 1999 and 2000 - and was accomplished with a predominantly underage blueline.

They followed up this year at the U18's with a silver medal, led by the splendid duo of Miro Heiskanen and Urho Vaakanainen.

Heiskanen's exploits were well chronicled, however Vaakanainen's play may have turned just as many NHL heads. His smooth skating, subtle skills, and innate feel for the game were on full display throughout.

Vaakanainen could turn out to be one of the best players from this draft.

Expect the Finns to be high profile at this draft - as they could place up to seven players in the opening round plus another half dozen in the second.

In all, there are 16 Finnish-born players in the McKeen's Top 125 including a number of potential sleepers such as Joni Ikonen (59th), Aleksi Heponiemi (65th), Emil Oksanen (76th) and U18 WJC captain Aarne Talvitie (77th).

Finland's Santeri Virtanen #22 carries the puck during semifinal round action at the 2017 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship. (Photo by Andrea Cardin/HHOF-IIHF Images)

Gritty two-way centre Santeri Virtanen threw his name into the ring with an impressive showing at the U18 WJC after missing most of the season to injury.

His late rise wasn't a total surprise as he had initially been slotted as a potential 50-70 pick after a good showing at the Ivan Hlinka last fall.

RANK	PLAYER	POS	TEAM	HT/WT	DOB	Nation
1	Nolan Patrick	C	Brandon (WHL)	6-2/200	19-Sep-98	Canada
2	Nico Hischier	C	Halifax (QMJHL)	6-1/175	4-Jan-99	Switzerland
3	Miro Heiskanen	D	HIFK Helsinki (Fin)	6-0/170	18-Jul-99	Finland
4	Gabriel Vilardi	C	Windsor (OHL)	6-3/200	16-Aug-99	Canada
5	Casey Mittelstadt	C	Eden Prairie (USHS-MN)	6-1/200	22-Nov-98	USA
6	Owen Tippett	RW	Mississauga (OHL)	6-1/200	16-Feb-99	Canada
7	Cale Makar	D	Brooks (AJHL)	5-11/180	30-Oct-98	Canada
8	Cody Glass	C	Portland (WHL)	6-2/180	1-Apr-99	Canada
9	Kristian Vesalainen	LW	Frolunda (Swe)	6-3/205	1-Jun-99	Finland
10	Michael Rasmussen	C	Tri-City (WHL)	6-6/215	17-Apr-99	Canada
11	Elias Pettersson	C	Timra (Swe 2)	6-2/165	12-Nov-98	Sweden
12	Martin Necas	C	Kometa Brno (Cze)	6-0/170	15-Jan-99	Czech
13	Urho Vaakanainen	D	JyP Jyvaskyla (Fin)	6-0/185	1-Jan-99	Finland
14	Juuso Valimaki	D	Tri-City (WHL)	6-2/205	6-Oct-98	Finland
15	Robert Thomas	C	London (OHL)	6-0/190	2-Jul-99	Canada
16	Nick Suzuki	C	Owen Sound (OHL)	5-11/185	10-Sep-99	Canada
17	Lias Andersson	C	HV 71 (Swe)	5-11/200	13-Oct-98	Sweden
18	Isaac Ratcliffe	LW	Guelph (OHL)	6-5/200	15-Feb-99	Canada
19	Erik Brannstrom	D	HV 71 (Swe)	5-10/175	2-Sep-99	Sweden
20	Timothy Liljegren	D	Rogle (Swe)	6-0/190	30-Apr-99	Sweden
21	Klim Kostin	C	Dynamo Moscow (Rus)	6-3/195	5-May-99	Russia
22	Eeli Tolvanen	RW	Sioux City (USHL)	5-10/175	22-Apr-99	Finland
23	Conor Timmins	D	Sault Ste Marie (OHL)	6-1/185	18-Sep-98	Canada
24	Kailer Yamamoto	RW	Spokane (WHL)	5-8/160	29-Sep-98	Canada
25	Jason Robertson	LW	Kingston (OHL)	6-2/195	22-Jul-99	USA
26	Ryan Poehling	C	St. Cloud State (NCHC)	6-2/195	3-Jan-99	USA
27	Nicolas Hague	D	Mississauga (OHL)	6-6/215	5-Dec-98	Canada
28	Josh Norris	C	NTDP (USA)	6-1/195	5-May-99	USA
29	Shane Bowers	C	Waterloo (USHL)	6-1/185	30-Jul-99	Canada
30	Cal Foote	D	Kelowna (WHL)	6-4/215	13-Dec-98	USA
31	Henri Jokiharju	D	Portland (WHL)	6-0/180	17-Jun-99	Finland
32	Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen	G	HPK (Fin)	6-4/195	9-Mar-99	Finland
33	Jaret Anderson-Dolan	C	Spokane (WHL)	5-11/190	12-Sep-99	Canada
34	Kole Lind	RW	Kelowna (WHL)	6-1/180	16-Oct-98	Canada
35	Jesper Boqvist	C	Brynas (Swe)	6-0/180	30-Oct-98	Sweden
36	Grant Mismash	LW	NTDP (USA)	6-0/185	19-Feb-99	USA
37	Keith Petruzzelli	G	Muskegon (USHL)	6-5/180	9-Feb-99	USA
38	Pierre-Olivier Joseph	D	Charlottetown (QMJHL)	6-2/165	1-Jul-99	Canada
39	Maxime Comtois	C	Victoriaville (QMJHL)	6-2/200	8-Jan-99	Canada
40	Adam Ruzicka	C	Sarnia (OHL)	6-4/205	11-May-99	Slovakia
41	Morgan Frost	C	Sault Ste Marie (OHL)	5-11/170	14-May-99	Canada
42	Filip Chytil	C	Zlin (Cze)	6-0/180	5-Sep-99	Czech
43	Nikita Popugaev	LW	Prince George (WHL)	6-6/220	20-Nov-98	Russia
44	Jake Oettinger	G	Boston University (HE)	6-4/210	18-Dec-98	USA
45	Josh Brook	D	Moose Jaw (WHL)	6-1/185	15-Jun-99	Canada
46	Santeri Virtanen	C	TPS Turku (Fin Jr)	6-2/195	11-May-99	Finland
47	Kyle Olson	C	Tri-City (WHL)	5-11/165	22-Mar-99	Canada
48	Evan Barratt	C	NTDP (USA)	6-0/190	18-Feb-99	USA
49	Max Gildon	D	NTDP (USA)	6-3/190	17-May-99	USA
50	MacKenzie Entwistle	RW	Hamilton (OHL)	6-3/180	14-Jul-99	Canada
51	Stelio Mattheos	RW	Brandon (WHL)	6-1/195	14-Jun-99	Canada
52	Marcus Davidsson	C	Djurgardens (Swe)	6-0/190	18-Nov-98	Sweden
53	Michael DiPietro	G	Windsor (OHL)	6-0/195	9-Jun-99	Canada
54	David Farrance	D	NTDP (USA)	5-11/190	23-Jun-99	USA
55	Stuart Skinner	G	Lethbridge (WHL)	6-3/210	1-Nov-98	Canada
56	Matthew Strome	LW	Hamilton (OHL)	6-4/210	6-Jan-99	Canada
57	Alex Formenton	LW	London (OHL)	6-2/165	13-Sep-99	Canada
58	Eemeli Rasanen	D	Kingston (OHL)	6-7/215	6-Mar-99	Finland
59	Joni Ikonen	C	Frolunda (Swe Jr)	5-10/170	14-Apr-99	Finland
60	Scott Reedy	C	NTDP (USA)	6-1/205	4-Apr-99	USA
61	Sasha Chmelevski	C	Ottawa (OHL)	5-11/190	9-Jun-99	USA
62	Filip Westerlund	D	Frolunda (Swe)	5-11/180	17-Apr-99	Sweden
63	Ian Mitchell	D	Spruce Grove (AJHL)	5-11/175	18-Jan-99	Canada
64	Maxim Zhukov	G	Green Bay (USHL)	6-3/190	22-Jul-99	Russia
65	Aleksi Heponiemi	C	Swift Current (WHL)	5-10/150	9-Jan-99	Finland
66	Ostap Safin	LW	Sparta Praha (Cze Jr)	6-4/200	11-Feb-99	Czech
67	Jack Studnicka	C	Oshawa (OHL)	6-1/170	18-Feb-99	Canada
68	Nick Henry	RW	Regina (WHL)	5-11/190	4-Jul-99	Canada
69	Markus Phillips	D	Owen Sound (OHL)	6-0/200	21-Mar-99	Canada
70	Jarret Tyszka	D	Seattle (WHL)	6-2/190	15-Mar-99	Canada
71	Kirill Maksimov	RW	Niagara (OHL)	6-2/195	1-Jun-99	Russia
72	Jake Leschyshyn	C	Regina (WHL)	5-11/185	10-Mar-99	Canada
73	Alexei Toropchenko	RW	MVD Balashikha (Rus Jr)	6-3/190	25-Jun-99	Russia
74	Kirill Slepets	LW	Loko Yaroslavl (Rus Jr)	5-10/165	6-Apr-99	Russia
75	Olle Eriksson Ek	G	Farjestads (Swe Jr)	6-2/185	22-Jun-99	Sweden
76	Emil Oksanen	LW	Espoo United (Fin 2)	6-1/190	25-Sep-98	Finland
77	Aarne Talvitie	C	Espoo Blues (Fin Jr)	5-10/200	11-Feb-99	Finland
78	Reilly Walsh	D	Proctor Academy (USHS-NH)	5-11/180	21-Apr-99	USA
79	Ivan Lodnia	RW	Erie (OHL)	5-10/180	31-Aug-99	USA
80	Jonah Gadjovich	LW	Owen Sound (OHL)	6-2/210	12-Oct-98	Canada
81	Ben Mirageas	D	Chicago (USHL)	6-1/180	8-May-99	USA
82	Dylan Samberg	D	Hermantown (USHS-MN)	6-3/190	24-Jan-99	USA
83	Antoine Morand	C	Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL)	5-10/180	18-Feb-99	Canada
84	Morgan Geekie	C	Tri-City (WHL)	6-2/180	20-Jul-98	Canada
85	Alexei Lipanov	C	MVD Balashikha (Rus 2)	6-0/165	17-Aug-99	Russia
86	Jack Badini	C	Chicago (USHL)	6-0/200	19-Jan-98	USA
87	Brady Lyle	D	North Bay (OHL)	6-1/205	6-Jun-99	Canada
88	Lucas Elvenes	C	Rogle (Swe Jr)	6-0/175	18-Aug-99	Sweden
89	Zach Gallant	C	Peterborough (OHL)	6-2/190	6-Mar-99	Canada
90	Lane Zablocki	RW	Red Deer (WHL)	5-11/190	27-Dec-98	Canada
91	Kevin Hancock	C	Owen Sound (OHL)	5-11/185	2-Mar-98	Canada
92	Alexandre Texier	C	Grenoble (Fra)	6-0/190	13-Sep-99	France
93	Noel Hoefenmayer	D	Ottawa (OHL)	6-0/190	6-Jan-99	Canada
94	Nate Schnarr	C	Guelph (OHL)	6-3/180	15-Jun-99	Canada
95	Jonas Rondbjerg	RW	Vaxjo Lakers (Swe Jr)	6-0/175	31-Mar-99	Denmark
96	Ivan Chekhovich	LW	Baie-Comeau (QMJHL)	5-10/180	14-Jan-99	Russia
97	Robin Salo	D	Sport (Fin)	6-1/190	13-Oct-98	Finland
98	Luke Martin	D	Michigan (B1G)	6-4/215	20-Sep-98	USA
99	Cale Fleury	D	Kootenay (WHL)	6-1/205	19-Nov-98	Canada
100	Mikey Anderson	D	Waterloo (USHL)	6-0/195	25-May-99	USA
101	Mason Shaw	C	Medicine Hat (WHL)	5-9/180	3-Nov-98	Canada
102	Linus Nyman	RW	Kingston (OHL)	5-9/160	11-Jul-99	Finland
103	Gustav Lindstrom	D	Almtuna (Swe 2)	6-2/190	20-Oct-98	Sweden
104	Marian Studenic	RW	Hamilton (OHL)	6-0/165	28-Oct-98	Slovakia
105	Jack Rathbone	D	Dexter (USHS-MA)	5-10/175	20-May-99	USA
106	Artyom Minulin	D	Swift Current (WHL)	6-2/200	1-Oct-98	Russia
107	Kalle Miketinac	C	Frolunda (Swe Jr)	5-11/190	2-Apr-99	Sweden
108	Dmitri Samorukov	D	Guelph (OHL)	6-2/180	16-Jun-99	Russia
109	Ian Scott	G	Prince Albert (WHL)	6-3/175	11-Jan-99	Canada
110	Austen Keating	C	Ottawa (OHL)	6-0/170	7-May-99	Canada
111	Maksim Sushko	RW	Owen Sound (OHL)	6-0/185	10-Feb-99	Belarus
112	Tyler Inamoto	D	NTDP (USA)	6-2/195	6-May-99	USA
113	Ty Lewis	LW	Brandon (WHL)	5-11/180	5-Mar-98	Canada
114	Drake Batherson	C	Cape Breton (QMJHL)	6-1/190	27-Apr-98	Canada
115	Rickard Hugg	C	Leksands (Swe Jr)	5-10/185	18-Jan-99	Sweden
116	Scott Walford	D	Victoria (WHL)	6-1/195	12-Jan-99	Canada
117	Jordy Bellerive	C	Lethbridge (WHL)	5-10/195	2-May-99	Canada
118	Matthew Kellenberger	D	Oakville (OJHL)	6-0/175	11-Jan-99	Canada
119	Johnathan Kovacevic	D	Merrimack (HE)	6-4/215	2-Jul-97	Canada
120	Nick Campoli	C	North York (OJHL)	5-11/190	16-Feb-99	Canada
121	Mario Ferraro	D	Des Moines (USHL)	5-11/185	17-Sep-98	Canada
122	Michael Pastujov	LW	NTDP (USA)	6-0/195	23-Aug-99	USA
123	Tyler Steenbergen	C	Swift Current (WHL)	5-10/190	7-Jan-98	Canada
124	Mark Rubinchik	D	Saskatoon (WHL)	6-0/180	21-Mar-99	Russia
125	Kasper Kotkansalo	D	Sioux Falls (USHL)	6-2/200	16-Nov-98	Finland

Scouting Reports: WHL – Nikita Popugaev, Jarret Tyszka, Jayden Halbgewachs, Mathew Barzal, Carter Hart.

Kevin Olexson — Tue, 28 Mar 2017 18:25:50 +0000

Two of our current top 62, Nikita Popugayev and Jarret Tyszka are profiled, along with fellow draft eligible Jayden Halbgewachs.

Nikita Popugaev	2017 Draft Eligible
Position: RW, Shoots R	H/W: 6-5", 205 lbs
Stats to date (GP-G-A-PTS-PIMS)	Moose Jaw Warriors, WHL (40-22-29-51-14)
	Prince George Cougars, WHL (31-7-11-18-15)

Nikita Popugaev. Photo provided by Brett Cullen

Skating: Popugayev is an exceptionally smooth skater with good speed for his size. His first steps are slow, but he takes big strides and is hard to catch when he gets going. In fact, his speed is deceptive as he makes it look effortless while taking powerfully long strides which take him to top speed. His acceleration is average, he has good agility and edge work, and is able to beat opponents regularly as he is at his best coming in off the rush. Grade: 50

Shot: Popugayev likes to shoot, and has a great shot, one that is ready for the pro level. He uses a variety of shots, all of them showing good velocity and accuracy. He is a right handed shot, who frequently plays on his weak side, giving a different look to his shooting angles. He has a great release on his shots, very quick and powerful, and he finds shooting lanes as he gets them to the net. He has a heavy release on both his snap shot and wrist shot, as the puck just rockets off his stick quickly with meaning. He also a great one timer that he really leans in to and lets fly. Grade: 60

Skills: Popuguyev is a very skilled who has the ability to dominate every time he hits the ice. He has good hand eye coordination, excellent hands, and outstanding stick and puck handling abilities. His ability to control the puck is impressive, and he has excellent vision and passing skills. He is a strong puck possession player, who will carry the puck, anticipate plays and will create plays to keep possession and hang on to it. He has good vision when entering the zone, can make great tape to tape passes, and shows good creativity with the puck. He has quick hands, and can dangle, drag and tuck the puck away from defenders to take it around them or to the net. He uses his size and hands to create space, uses his reach really well and can make nice plays in close. All that keeps him from a higher grade is improved consistency. Grade: 55

Smarts: Most of Popugayev’s strengths are in the offensive realm. He has great offensive IQ and skills, positions himself well in the offensive zone, and is able to get open to receive passes. He does not quite display the same skills in his own zone though, as his defensive play would be one of his deficiencies. Although he does get back to help out, he does not show the same type of urgency in his own zone. Grade: 50

Physicality: This is one area that Popugayev should excel at given his size, but the only thing intimidating about him is his size, as he does not play with physicality. He dominates the perimeter play while protecting the puck as well as down low, and can win one on one battles. He can withstand physical contact as most opponents just bounce off him. Grade: 50

Summary: Popugayev has an abundance of offensive skills and abilities, and an excellent pro shot to go along with them. He has the size and hands that every team covets, and when he uses his size and speed he is hard to match up with and contain. He is, however, a perimeter player, who excels with open ice, and does not like to go to the dirty areas. He has the skills and abilities to become a top six player, but he really needs to round out his game first. He needs to use his size and strength to dominate physically and become more of a power forward. He must also be able to be consistent, and bring his A-game every shift. He will have to be able to improve his defensive game as well, and show that he can play in all situations rather than just being a power play specialist or one dimensional.

Jarret Tyszka	2017 Draft Eligible
Position: D, Shoots L	H/W: 6-2", 190 lbs
Stats to date (GP-G-A-PTS-PIMS)	Seattle Thunderbirds, WHL (54-6-19-25-28)

Jarret Tyszka. Photo provided by Brian Liesse.

Skating: Tyszka is a good confident skater who is mobile and gets up the ice really well. He is not afraid to carry the puck, and is solid on his skates. He keeps a wide stance, has strong push offs to get in to stride with average speed. Grade: 50

Shot: Tyszka has been working on his shot and improving it. He is finding the net more on shots as he can get it through lanes, has a good slap shot, and a decent wrist shot that he feathers through defenders towards the net. Grade: 50

Skills: Tyszka has good puck skills, and moves the puck around the ice nicely. He makes strong first passes out of the zone, but is not afraid to carry it up the ice either. Grade: 50

Smarts: Tyszka plays a sound defensive game, playing with poise, making smart decisions, and taking care of business in his own end first and foremost. He sports good positioning and rarely ever gets caught of position in his own zone. He likes to pinch and head to the net, and he recognizes his opportunities for doing that rather well. He has an active stick that he constantly uses to badger opponents, break up plays or deflect pucks. He clears his net area very well, and is able to stay with his man to thwart him away. Grade: 50

Physicality: Tyszka has a good sized frame, and although he does not play the strongest or most assertive of physical games, he does take the body well and can separate his opponents from the puck. He is able to use his size to get the better of his opponents. He does have a bit of mean streak to him, and is able to clear his net area and crease with relative ease. Grade: 55

Summary: Jarret Tyszka is a strong and mobile defender with good size and skating ability. He is a solid defense-first player with some offensive upside. He works well as a shutdown defender, who is not afraid of taking care of things in his own end on the ice. He has a lot of potential and a nice assortment of skills, and has a decent chance to play a top four role in the pros. He needs to bring out more of a physical nature to his game, and give himself more space in the process. Adding more offense and further improving his shot are two things that will help develop his game and mold it to the higher level standards.

Jayden Halbgewachs	2017 Draft Eligible
Position: C, Shoots L	H/W: 5-8", 160 lbs
Stats to date (GP-G-A-PTS-PIMS)	Moose Jaw Warriors, WHL (71-50-51-101-27)

Jayden Halbgewachs. Photo by Marc Smith

Skating: Halbgewachs is a good skater who plays a fast paced game with lots of speed. He is really smooth on his skates, and keeps a wide stance, accelerating quickly on his edges and has some jump of his toes. He takes strong strides and can elude defenders with his speed and agility. He maneuvers well through traffic and explodes down the ice when given space. Grade: 55

Shot: Halbgewachs is a player who is not afraid to shoot and put the puck on the net. He has a good range of shots, with a quick release on his wrist shot and can get off good shots without holding on to the puck for very long. He has a quick release on his wrist shot, especially in the slot, as well as a hard one-timer and snap shot. His shots are hard and accurate, and he is good at using defenders to change the angle of his shots and deceive goalies. Grade: 55

Skills: Halbgewachs is a highly skilled player with great hands who is really good with the puck. He is a good stick handler who is patient with the puck, holds on to it well and limits turnovers. He maneuvers the puck with ease in close quarters and high traffic areas, has good hand eye coordination and is able to dangle the puck and lead defenders to him as he moves the puck to proper areas for open teammates. Grade: 55

Smarts: Halbgewachs is a smart player who has developed and tailored his game to his benefit. He prepares himself well, concentrates hard, and does all of the little things properly on the ice. He has worked hard to improve his defensive game, and is able to play in all situations. He has good vision and sees the ice very well, has good anticipation and can read the play and react quickly to most situations. He uses good positioning to put himself in good spots, is able to read and disrupt plays by taking pucks off his opponents sticks in his own end. He follows plays to the net benefitting from rebounds and being in good spots, and is usually involved around the net. Grade: 50

Physicality: Halbgewachs is a very small player who has worked hard to improve his strength and speed over the past few years. He has a strong lower body, is very hard to knock off the puck, and is able to hold off larger opponents. He battles hard in front of the net, and is willing to go to the difficult areas to score goals. He does not play a strong physical game, and lacks the size to dominate in this area. Grade: 45

Summary: Jayden Halbgewachs is a small center with a definite scoring touch who is a constant threat to score every time he takes the ice. He is a good overall player who plays with confidence, is dedicated and always working to improve his game. He can play in any situation, whether it would be at even strength in an offensive role, defensively by shutting down and playing against the opposing team's top lines, or special teams playing both power play or penalty killing. He has a strong skill set, works hard every shift and plays with lots of energy. He has learned from playing with some good players, with the likes of Brayden Point and Brett Howden guiding and helping him to improve his game and further develop. While there is no questioning his good skill set, size and strength both need to increase to help him be more successful at the higher levels. But with smaller, faster players starting to break through - including the aforementioned Point, now with Tampa Bay, he could follow in their footsteps, and achieve success given the right opportunity. At this stage a bottom six role would not be a stretch, as he would provide some energy and scoring touch if he can withstand the physical play at the higher levels.

Mathew Barzal	2015 Draft (16th - New York Islanders)
Position: C, Shoots R	H/W: 6-0", 185 lbs
Stats to date (GP-G-A-PTS-PIMS)	Seattle Thunderbirds, WHL (41-10-69-79-20)
	Canada U20, WJC (7-3-5-8-4)
	New York Islanders, NHL (2-0-0-0-6)

Skating: Barzal is a great skater. He is smooth on his feet, and has tremendous speed. He takes strong, quick strides, has good acceleration, and gets going in a hurry. He uses his speed well, and takes advantage of defenders if given too much space. He moves around the ice with ease and can cover a lot of space. He is also good on his edges, and can change direction and turn on a dime. Grade: 65

Shot: Barzal is primarily a playmaker looking for the open man, but he does have a good shot overall. He has a quick hard wrist shot that comes off his stick with velocity. His shot is accurate and he can place it where he wants, but does not fool most defenders as he is not often a threat to shoot. Grade: 55

Skills: The Islanders’ first rounder is a highly skilled player who demonstrates his skills on a nightly basis. He has a great set of hands, and very good hand eye co-ordination. He is a good stick handler that seems to have the puck on his stick a lot. He can distribute the puck accurately while in stride or accelerating, as well as when moving at top speed. He can receive passes on the fly rather easily, either by forehand or backhand. He is a great passer and can move the puck with ease, whether it is feathering a pass up ice, or across the slot to an open team mate with very little space. He keeps his head up at all times, looking around whether he is still or mobile, at full speed heading up the ice. Barzal can lead his players with motions, looks or passes and he can develop scoring opportunities with little or no room to work with. He protects the puck very well in tight quarters, and in general is very poised with the puck. Grade: 70

Smarts: Barzal has great vision, he reads the plays very well and can adapt on the fly. He keeps his head up and sees the ice very well. He has high end hockey sense and IQ, and excels with his offensive instincts. He understands the game very well, and plays a very formidable two-way game. He is good at getting back into position, getting into lanes, breaking up plays and causing turnovers. He is focused on the puck and is able to jump on passes and intercept pucks. Grade: 70

Physicality: Barzal does not take a lot of hits or physical contact as he plays more of a finesse game. He has a decent frame, and it would be good for him to fill out more and add more strength. He can battle along the boards and protect the puck. He does not really play a physical game. Grade: 50

Summary: Mathew Barzal is a top end prospect who is a complete player with all of the tools. He has exceptional vision and puck skills, and high end offensive abilities and IQ. He is an elite skater with outstanding speed, and his game is poised and brimming with confident. He is very tricky and can beat defenders by taking advantage of the space and gaps that they give or him, or he can blow by them wide if they back off of him. The knock on Barzal is his size, and he still has some growing to do, and will add weight and strength to help him fill out his frame. Although Barzal plays with poise, at times he tries to do too much and forces pucks to teammates instead of letting things develop more organically. Barzal is a player that loves to have the puck on his stick, and given the chance, creates opportunities and makes things happen. After excelling in junior hockey, he now needs to adjust his game to the pro level before he will be able to crack the Islanders lineup. He should be able to do that, as he is too smart and skilled not to, and will produce at the NHL level in a top-six role, and has a great shot to play with the Islanders next season, in spite of the aforementioned size concerns.

Carter Hart	2016 Draft (48th - Philadelphia Flyers)
Position: G, Catches L	H/W: 6-0", 180 lbs
Stats to date (GP-GAA-Save %)	Everett Silvertips, WHL (54-1.99-.927)
	Canada U20, WJC (4-2.38-.906)

Carter Hart at the 2016 NHL Draft in Buffalo, NY on Saturday June 25, 2016. Photo by Aaron Bell/CHL Images

Athleticism/Quickness/Speed: Hart is an athletic goaltender who plays a butterfly style and is very flexible. He has great lateral ability, is very athletic with the way he moves through his crease nicely, and reacts quickly to shooters and rebounds. He plays deep in his net, has great reflexes, gets his legs out quickly moving post to post, and is able to recover when he gets beat. The Flyers prospect has good speed as he moves in the crease very well, using quick feet to get across and cover post to post, taking away the lower part of the net with his rapid movements. He uses quick legs and fast reflexes, and gets in and out of the butterfly quickly. Aside from his strong movements through the crease, he flaunts an exceptionally fast glove hand, as he aggressively snags pucks out of the air. He actively gets up and down in a hurry, and although he is not one of the bigger goalies, he definitely uses his speed to his advantage. Grade: 60

Compete/Temperament: Hart is an intelligent goalie with a strong mental component to his game who competes hard every night and wants to play every night. He bounces back after a bad goal or game and plays better and competes harder. He has been training to be mentally strong and always wants to get better and improve his game. Hart makes timely and critical saves for his team, and is able to change momentum at any time during a game. Grade: 60

Vision/Play Reading: Hart is a student of the game and is constantly trying to find ways to improve his play. He has been training hard on and off the ice to develop his game, specifically training his eyes to better track pucks. He has trained with experts that specialize in the field and has been very successful at it and has become one of the better puck trackers at the CHL level. He is very smart and focused, and thinks the game at a very high level. He anticipates the play very well, does a great job following the play and reacting to pucks and plays as they happen. He has a purpose in his movements around his crease, and is able to stay on top of pucks with all of his movements. He has good positioning and does not overcommit to pucks. He catches the puck well, usually absorbing and smothering it, or otherwise directing the pucks towards corners, thereby limiting rebounds and second chances. Grade: 65

Technique/Style: Hart is an excellent butterfly style goaltender who sports a good blocking style as well. He is very agile with very good positioning and technical skills, and stays square to shooters taking away the angles and net from them that allows him to transform from each shot and reacts quickly to get out of his butterfly. Hart also plays a conservative style game, staying back in his crease, staying low and taking away the bottom of the net. He keeps his pads straight against the ice closing openings and reducing space. He keeps his upper body vertical, and uses his quick glove to take away the upper part of the net and corners. Hart is a good skater who moves around the crease with ease, shows great side to side movement, and always shows up square to the player who possesses the puck. He has very good positioning, is patient, and does not get caught reaching or overcommitting to pucks. Grade: 55

Rebound Control: Hart has excellent rebound control, and this is considered a strongpoint in his game. He usually smothers or covers pucks quickly to prevent second chances. He stays square to the shooter and tracks the puck extremely well. Grade: 60

Puck Handling: Hart does not handle the puck all that well, and needs to improve in his puck handling to help complete his skill set. He does not always make a simple play with the puck and what seems simple is actually a lot more difficult - at least for him. He gets caught trying to move the puck up ice to teammates to help transition their game to offence and make things happen, but it generally does not pan out, instead leading to turnovers and missed chances. Grade: 45

Summary: Carter Hart has all of the tools and abilities necessary to become a starting goalie in the NHL. He is a very intelligent player who is constantly trying to improve his game and follows alternate training and development methods to do just that. His mental preparation is top notch as he can stay calm and focused throughout an entire game, and he has a strong mental makeup being able to recover from a bad goal or night without a question. He is extremely consistent night to night, and blends good athleticism with a sound technical game, superb rebound control, and excellent positioning to round out his already impressive skill set. Hart makes things look easy and effortless most nights because of his style of play, always being in the right spot and square to the shooter. He tends to play low and back in his net and drops to his knees quickly, and as he progresses will have to be more aggressive towards and challenge shooters. One thing that has helped Hart has been the chance to develop and grow under the defensive style of Kevin Constantine and the Everett Silvertips. The team has bought in to a defense first mentality and system that they play really well, and Hart is the backbone of it. Another one of the knocks against Hart has been his size. He is not considered a large goalie by any means, but he does have decent size and should fill out more yet as he grows. Hart projects to be a number one goalie in the NHL, and as he matures and develops, it should happen, but not for the next three to four years.

McKeen’s 2017 Top 31 NHL Draft Rankings (Feb-2017)

McKeen's Hockey — Sun, 26 Feb 2017 13:50:45 +0000

A return to health ensure a pair of top forwards of maintaining a top five ranking.

After missing much of the early portion of the season, Nolan Patrick with an abdominal injury and Gabriel Vilardi with a knee injury, both have returned to good health and to producing on the ice for the respective teams. Nolan's well-rounded game is well suited for a quick transition to the NHL and his overall skillset is allowing him to live up to the pre-season hype. With four points in his first game back from a three month layoff, he has been catching up on his teammates. Since then, he has filed to score in only three games, while producing at least two points eight times.

Vilardi’s situation was not quite as extreme. He missed just over one month, leading up to Christmas, but also returned to action with a four point game. Although he falls slightly short of Patrick in his overall giftedness, he plays a smart, pro-style game and is one of the most NHL-ready players in this draft class. The Spitfires star is thus the most significant early riser since our last ranking, jumping up from 13^th overall to a spot in the top five.

Another player making a leap of note into the top ten is Martin Necas, the highest profile player to come out of Czechia since Tomas Hertl five years ago. We project Necas to go higher than Hertl was in 2012, although this is perhaps less a reflection of their relative standings as prospects than a comment on the strength of this year’s class. The 2012 draft class was a notoriously weak one (Nail Yakupov says “Hi!”) but Hertl would have gone substantially higher had the draft been re-run today. Ranked 14^th last time, Necas now comes in at #10.

The biggest drop has been seen by Tri-City’s Finnish defenseman Juuso Valimaki, slotted in at #6 last time, and now down at #16. Then again, we had mentioned that his previous ranking was a big rise for him, so perhaps this is just a case of a young man returning, like water, to his level.

The strength of the 2017 draft seems to be in European players. In addition to the North American-based quartet of Europeans in the top 17 (Hischier - #2, Tolvanen - #9, Valimaki - #16, Popygaev - #17), we have listed another nine European players still developing across the ocean, including three in the top ten.

Players moving up into the first round (we only included 30 in our last release - corrected here) include USNTDP forward Josh Norris (#31), Owen Sound dynamo Nick Suzuki (#28), Spokane mighty mite Kailer Yamamoto (#29) who is two inches and 20 pounds away from going 20 spots higher, and Guelph power forward Isaac Ratcliffe (#30).

As junior leagues around the world are entering their stretch drives, we have taken the rankings now through two full rounds, 62 players in total - the full list is available to subscribers only found here . In our second round, we see an influx of promising netminders, some of whom would have been likely first rounders as recently as three years ago, before the industry as a whole began to eschew the idea of the first round goalie. We begin with Finnish talent Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen at #32, and included five more by the end of the top 62.

With a draft this close, there is still plenty of room for changes in rankings over the next three months, but here is where the future is slotted today.

RANK	PLAYER	POS	TEAM	HT/WT	DOB	GP-G-A-PTS
1	Nolan Patrick	C	Brandon (WHL)	6-3/200	19-Sep-98	24-16-21-37
2	Nico Hischier	C	Halifax (QMJHL)	6-1/175	4-Jan-99	48-37-42-79
3	Michael Rasmussen	C	Tri-City (WHL)	6-6/215	17-Apr-99	50-32-23-55
4	Casey Mittelstadt	C	Eden Prairie (USHS-MN)	6-1/200	22-Nov-98	25-21-43-64
5	Gabriel Vilardi	C	Windsor (OHL)	6-3/200	16-Aug-99	39-24-26-50
6	Owen Tippett	RW	Mississauga (OHL)	6-1/200	16-Feb-99	52-39-29-68
7	Elias Pettersson	C	Timra (Swe 2)	6-1/160	12-Nov-98	40-16-21-37
8	Timothy Liljegren	D	Rogle (Swe)	6-0/190	30-Apr-99	19-1-4-5
9	Eeli Tolvanen	RW	Sioux City (USHL)	5-10/175	22-Apr-99	39-23-17-40
10	Martin Necas	C	Kometa Brno (Cze)	6-0/170	15-Jan-99	38-7-7-14
11	Miro Heiskanen	D	HIFK Helsinki (Fin)	6-0/170	18-Jul-99	37-5-5-10
12	Cale Makar	D	Brooks (AJHL)	5-11/180	30-Oct-98	50-19-44-63
13	Cody Glass	C	Portland (WHL)	6-2/180	1-Apr-99	60-26-56-82
14	Ryan Poehling	C	St. Cloud State (NCHC)	6-2/185	3-Jan-99	31-7-6-13
15	Lias Andersson	C	HV 71 (Swe)	5-11/200	13-Oct-98	37-7-10-17
16	Juuso Valimaki	D	Tri-City (WHL)	6-2/205	6-Oct-98	52-18-37-55
17	Nikita Popugaev	LW	Prince George (WHL)	6-5/205	20-Nov-98	63-26-36-62
18	Robert Thomas	C	London (OHL)	5-11/185	2-Jul-99	56-15-38-53
19	Conor Timmins	D	Sault Ste Marie (OHL)	6-1/185	18-Sep-98	57-6-46-52
20	Kole Lind	RW	Kelowna (WHL)	6-1/175	16-Oct-98	60-28-49-77
21	Erik Brannstrom	D	HV 71 (Swe)	5-10/175	2-Sep-99	32-1-5-6
22	Klim Kostin	C	Dynamo Moscow (Rus)	6-3/195	5-May-99	8-0-0-0
23	Cal Foote	D	Kelowna (WHL)	6-4/215	13-Dec-98	61-5-41-46
24	Maxime Comtois	LW	Victoriaville (QMJHL)	6-2/200	8-Jan-99	55-19-23-42
25	Kristian Vesalainen	LW	Frolunda (Swe)	6-3/205	1-Jun-99	24-1-5-6
26	Urho Vaakanainen	D	JyP Jyvaskyla (Fin)	6-0/185	1-Jan-99	37-2-1-3
27	Shane Bowers	C	Waterloo (USHL)	6-1/185	30-Jul-99	47-18-21-39
28	Nick Suzuki	C	Owen Sound (OHL)	5-11/185	10-Sep-99	55-34-44-78
29	Kailer Yamamoto	RW	Spokane (WHL)	5-8/160	29-Sep-98	53-35-41-76
30	Isaac Ratcliffe	LW	Guelph (OHL)	6-5/200	15-Feb-99	56-23-21-44
31	Josh Norris	C	NTDP (USA)	6-1/195	5-May-99	44-18-23-41

McKeen’s 2017 NHL Draft Rankings (Subscribers) – Top 62 – Feb 26th, 2017

McKeen's Hockey — Sun, 26 Feb 2017 13:00:20 +0000

A return to health ensure a pair of top forwards of maintaining a top five ranking.

With a draft this close, there is still plenty of room for changes in rankings over the next three months, but here is where the future is slotted today.

RANK	PLAYER	POS	TEAM	HT/WT	DOB	GP-G-A-PTS
1	Nolan Patrick	C	Brandon (WHL)	6-3/200	19-Sep-98	24-16-21-37
2	Nico Hischier	C	Halifax (QMJHL)	6-1/175	4-Jan-99	48-37-42-79
3	Michael Rasmussen	C	Tri-City (WHL)	6-6/215	17-Apr-99	50-32-23-55
4	Casey Mittelstadt	C	Eden Prairie (USHS-MN)	6-1/200	22-Nov-98	25-21-43-64
5	Gabriel Vilardi	C	Windsor (OHL)	6-3/200	16-Aug-99	39-24-26-50
6	Owen Tippett	RW	Mississauga (OHL)	6-1/200	16-Feb-99	52-39-29-68
7	Elias Pettersson	C	Timra (Swe 2)	6-1/160	12-Nov-98	40-16-21-37
8	Timothy Liljegren	D	Rogle (Swe)	6-0/190	30-Apr-99	19-1-4-5
9	Eeli Tolvanen	RW	Sioux City (USHL)	5-10/175	22-Apr-99	39-23-17-40
10	Martin Necas	C	Kometa Brno (Cze)	6-0/170	15-Jan-99	38-7-7-14
11	Miro Heiskanen	D	HIFK Helsinki (Fin)	6-0/170	18-Jul-99	37-5-5-10
12	Cale Makar	D	Brooks (AJHL)	5-11/180	30-Oct-98	50-19-44-63
13	Cody Glass	C	Portland (WHL)	6-2/180	1-Apr-99	60-26-56-82
14	Ryan Poehling	C	St. Cloud State (NCHC)	6-2/185	3-Jan-99	31-7-6-13
15	Lias Andersson	C	HV 71 (Swe)	5-11/200	13-Oct-98	37-7-10-17
16	Juuso Valimaki	D	Tri-City (WHL)	6-2/205	6-Oct-98	52-18-37-55
17	Nikita Popugaev	LW	Prince George (WHL)	6-5/205	20-Nov-98	63-26-36-62
18	Robert Thomas	C	London (OHL)	5-11/185	2-Jul-99	56-15-38-53
19	Conor Timmins	D	Sault Ste Marie (OHL)	6-1/185	18-Sep-98	57-6-46-52
20	Kole Lind	RW	Kelowna (WHL)	6-1/175	16-Oct-98	60-28-49-77
21	Erik Brannstrom	D	HV 71 (Swe)	5-10/175	2-Sep-99	32-1-5-6
22	Klim Kostin	C	Dynamo Moscow (Rus)	6-3/195	5-May-99	8-0-0-0
23	Cal Foote	D	Kelowna (WHL)	6-4/215	13-Dec-98	61-5-41-46
24	Maxime Comtois	LW	Victoriaville (QMJHL)	6-2/200	8-Jan-99	55-19-23-42
25	Kristian Vesalainen	LW	Frolunda (Swe)	6-3/205	1-Jun-99	24-1-5-6
26	Urho Vaakanainen	D	JyP Jyvaskyla (Fin)	6-0/185	1-Jan-99	37-2-1-3
27	Shane Bowers	C	Waterloo (USHL)	6-1/185	30-Jul-99	47-18-21-39
28	Nick Suzuki	C	Owen Sound (OHL)	5-11/185	10-Sep-99	55-34-44-78
29	Kailer Yamamoto	RW	Spokane (WHL)	5-8/160	29-Sep-98	53-35-41-76
30	Isaac Ratcliffe	LW	Guelph (OHL)	6-5/200	15-Feb-99	56-23-21-44
31	Josh Norris	C	NTDP (USA)	6-1/195	5-May-99	44-18-23-41
32	Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen	G	HPK (Fin Jr)	6-4/195	9-Mar-99	31 GP, .919
33	Jesper Boqvist	C	Brynas (Swe)	6-0/180	30-Oct-98	13-0-6-6
34	Grant Mismash	LW	NTDP (USA)	6-0/185	19-Feb-99	47-21-17-38
35	Keith Petruzzelli	G	Muskegon (USHL)	6-5/180	9-Feb-99	16-9, 2.61, .908
36	Nicolas Hague	D	Mississauga (OHL)	6-5/205	5-Dec-98	56-16-24-40
37	Matthew Strome	LW	Hamilton (OHL)	6-3/205	6-Jan-99	56-32-23-55
38	Henri Jokiharju	D	Portland (WHL)	6-0/175	17-Jun-99	61-8-33-41
39	Jason Robertson	LW	Kingston (OHL)	6-2/195	22-Jul-99	58-33-27-60
40	Stelio Mattheos	RW	Brandon (WHL)	6-1/195	14-Jun-99	58-23-27-50
41	Ostap Safin	LW	Sparta Praha (Cze Jr)	6-4/200	11-Feb-99	23-6-12-18
42	Olle Eriksson Ek	G	Farjestads (Swe Jr)	6-2/185	22-Jun-99	26G, 2.24, .923
43	Alex Formenton	LW	London (OHL)	6-1/165	13-Sep-99	55-15-17-32
44	Marcus Davidsson	C	Djurgardens (Swe)	6-0/190	18-Nov-98	40-5-4-9
45	Maxim Zhukov	G	Green Bay (USHL)	6-3/190	22-Jul-99	13-8, 2.54, .902
46	Morgan Frost	C	Sault Ste Marie (OHL)	5-11/170	14-May-99	57-16-35-51
47	Pierre-Olivier Joseph	D	Charlottetown (QMJHL)	6-2/160	1-Jul-99	52-6-29-35
48	Jake Leschyshyn	C	Regina (WHL)	5-11/185	10-Mar-99	47-17-23-40
49	Jake Oettinger	G	Boston University (HE)	6-4/210	18-Dec-98	18-9, 2.07, .927
50	Adam Ruzicka	C	Sarnia (OHL)	6-3/205	11-May-99	53-23-17-40
51	Stuart Skinner	G	Lethbridge (WHL)	6-3/210	1-Nov-98	30-15, 3.24, .905
52	MacKenzie Entwistle	RW	Hamilton (OHL)	6-3/180	14-Jul-99	45-11-13-24
53	Filip Westerlund	D	Frolunda (Swe)	5-11/180	17-Apr-99	29-0-4-4
54	Michael DiPietro	G	Windsor (OHL)	6-0/195	9-Jun-99	28-9, 2.17, .924
55	Ian Mitchell	D	Spruce Grove (AJHL)	5-11/175	18-Jan-99	51-7-25-32
56	Scott Reedy	C	NTDP (USA)	6-1/205	4-Apr-99	45-17-19-36
57	Joni Ikonen	C	Frolunda (Swe Jr)	5-10/170	14-Apr-99	36-20-16-36
58	Ben Mirageas	D	Bloomington (USHL)	6-1/180	8-May-99	44-1-9-10
59	Sasha Chmelevski	C	Ottawa (OHL)	5-11/190	9-Jun-99	48-18-19-37
60	Jonas Rondbjerg	RW	Vaxjo (Swe Jr)	6-0/175	31-Mar-99	38-9-21-30
61	Evan Barratt	C	NTDP (USA)	5-11/190	18-Feb-99	45-13-25-38
62	Jarret Tyszka	D	Seattle (WHL)	6-2/190	15-Mar-99	52-6-18-24

McKeen’s 2017 Top 30 NHL Draft Rankings (Dec-2016) – Makar breaks

McKeen's Hockey — Wed, 14 Dec 2016 19:43:50 +0000

Two forwards and two defencemen were the big risers in this month's draft rankings.

Brooks Bandits' defenceman Cale Makar not only made his debut in the top 30 rankings, he rocketed up the charts to crack McKeen's top 20 and be rated as the top Canadian defenceman in the draft. As the leading scorer among all AJHL defencemen this season we were seriously considering him for our top 30 going into the competition, but were waiting to see how he performed at the WJAC before anointing him first-round status.

Quite simply, he exceeded all expectations from the moment they dropped the puck for the tournament, notching two goals and three assists in his opening game versus the Swiss in the most dominating performance we have ever seen at the World Hockey Challenge.

Tri-City defenceman Juuso Valimaki is the other blueliner to rise significantly in the past month as he started to light up opposing WHL goaltenders at a rate rarely seen at the CHL level. The 6-2 Finn scored nine goals over a ten-game span in the past month, and racked up 16 points in his last 11 games before leaving to join Finland for the World Junior tournament. Add to that his improved play defensively, and it wasn't hard to move him up into the top ten in the rankings as others such as Klim Kostin slid down the rankings.

The big Russian winger was still being given the benefit of the doubt up until mid November after his sterling play at the U-18's last spring, but Kostin's spotty effort and lack of production at the recent Canada-Russia Super Series only helped confirm what was first suspected at the Ivan Hlinka in August - he's an inconsistent winger with concerns about his hockey sense, work ethic and puck support, beckoning some comparisons to Julien Gauthier in that he possesses lots of tools but perhaps not the tool box.

Kostin went into the WJAC tournament with a wonky shoulder so we won't be overly harsh on his lacklustre play to date...but the first period of his game against Canada West offered a glimpse of the yin and yang with this prospect. He scored a goal on the power play to stake Russia to a 1-0 lead, then was caught way up ice on two goals against when he failed to stay deep enough to support his defencemen, choosing instead to look for an impossible 100-foot pass through two opponents. He has lot of time to right the ship before the draft much like Valeri Nichushkin did in his draft year, and it will take a similar improvement in his work ethic and team game for that to happen.

Nikita Popugaev is another Russian whose bloom has wilted somewhat in the past few weeks after tearing up WHL opponents in the first couple of months of the season. When he's not moving his feet he's not nearly as effective, especially in his own zone, and the 6-5 winger has seen a drop in his energy level in the past month on some nights, which is now also affecting him on the scoresheet as he's gone without a goal in his last five games.

Questions are popping up about his skating, and some scouts have even suggested that he's a risky player to select in the first round because of it, but it's likely more a case of him hitting a wall in terms of his energy level than real skating concerns as he moves pretty well when he's motivated, and his technique seems fine. He has the skill level to move back up in the rankings if he rediscovers his work ethic, which in fairness his last game against Saskatoon didn't look all that bad. He's moved down some in the rankings also because some players have jumped ahead of him based on improved performances from the likes of Pettersson and Valimaki.

Elias Pettersson is the other skater that moved up into the top ten following his scintillating performance at a U-20 event in Sweden last month and continued strong play in the Allsvenskan. The 18-year-old center is one point back of the scoring leaders in Sweden's second-best league, uncharted territory for a draft-eligible player. Pettersson is a speedy pivot with excellent puck skills and hockey sense whose main need is to get stronger. Once he develops more lower-body strength, he'll will be a formidable force on the ice. He has the tools to be a top-two center in the NHL.

London center Robert Thomas was the other forward that climbed up the rankings as it became clearer that he was one of the most skilled all-around forwards in this draft class. Thomas never has a poor game thanks to his smarts, work ethic and elite skating skills. If he's not putting up points it doesn't mean he's not playing effectively, and when he does...such as that notable game in early December when he had five points against Flint that included a highlight-reel shorthanded goal where his team was down two skaters...he is a dominant junior player at the tender age of 17. It looks like the London prospect factory has manufactured another gem.

RANK	PLAYER	POS	TEAM	HT/WT	DOB	GP-G-A-PTS
1	Nolan Patrick	C	Brandon (WHL)	6-3/200	19-Sep-98	6-4-5-9
2	Casey Mittelstadt	C	Green Bay (USHL)	6-1/200	22-Nov-98	16-8-13-21
3	Nico Hischier	C	Halifax (QMJHL)	6-1/175	4-Jan-99	31-23-25-48
4	Michael Rasmussen	C	Tri-City (WHL)	6-6/215	17-Apr-99	34-22-16-38
5	Elias Pettersson	C	Timra (Swe 2)	6-1/160	12-Nov-98	26-11-15-26
6	Juuso Valimaki	D	Tri-City (WHL)	6-2/205	6-Oct-98	32-12-23-35
7	Timothy Liljegren	D	Rogle (Swe)	6-0/190	30-Apr-99	9-0-3-3
8	Owen Tippett	RW	Mississauga (OHL)	6-1/200	16-Feb-99	30-23-14-37
9	Eeli Tolvanen	RW	Sioux City (USHL)	5-10/175	22-Apr-99	23-16-11-27
10	Kristian Vesalainen	LW	HPK (Fin)	6-3/205	1-Jun-99	9-1-0-1
11	Miro Heiskanen	D	HIFK Helsinki (Fin)	6-0/170	18-Jul-99	25-3-4-7
12	Nikita Popugaev	LW	Moose Jaw (WHL)	6-5/205	20-Nov-98	31-20-22-42
13	Gabriel Vilardi	C	Windsor (OHL)	6-3/200	16-Aug-99	16-9-13-22
14	Martin Necas	C	Kometa Brno (Cze)	6-0/170	15-Jan-99	29-6-7-13
15	Ryan Poehling	C	St. Cloud State (NCHC)	6-2/185	3-Jan-99	15-4-2-6
16	Lias Andersson	C	HV 71 (Swe)	5-11/200	13-Oct-98	24-5-4-9
17	Cale Makar	D	Brooks (AJHL)	5-10/175	30-Oct-98	28-11-27-38
18	Robert Thomas	C	London (OHL)	5-11/185	2-Jul-99	30-11-20-31
19	Urho Vaakanainen	D	JyP Jyvaskyla (Fin)	6-2/185	1-Jan-99	23-2-1-3
20	Cody Glass	C	Portland (WHL)	6-2/180	1-Apr-99	33-16-29-45
21	Maxime Comtois	LW	Victoriaville (QMJHL)	6-2/200	8-Jan-99	33-8-14-22
22	Klim Kostin	LW	Dynamo Moscow (Rus)	6-3/195	5-May-99	8-0-0-0
23	Matthew Strome	LW	Hamilton (OHL)	6-3/205	6-Jan-99	30-16-14-30
24	Cal Foote	D	Kelowna (WHL)	6-3/215	13-Dec-98	33-3-26-29
25	Jesper Boqvist	LW	Brynas (Swe Jr)	5-11/175	30-Oct-98	14-10-5-15
26	Conor Timmins	D	Sault Ste Marie (OHL)	6-1/185	18-Sep-98	31-4-23-27
27	Shane Bowers	C	Waterloo (USHL)	6-1/180	30-Jul-99	23-9-9-18
28	Grant Mismash	LW	NTDP (USA)	6-0/185	19-Feb-99	29-8-11-19
29	Kole Lind	RW	Kelowna (WHL)	6-1/175	16-Oct-98	32-18-23-41
30	Erik Brannstrom	D	HV 71 (Swe Jr)	5-10/175	2-Sep-99	18-8-13-21

2017 NHL Draft: Nolan Patrick, Michael Rasmussen top bumper WHL crop

Grant McCagg — Sat, 26 Nov 2016 19:25:37 +0000

The WHL is shaping up to be the must-see league for NHL amateur scouts, with at least 15 prospects in the running to be top 50 picks in the 2017 NHL draft, including five viable candidates for the top 15.

Last year only one WHL player went in the top dozen picks, one WHLer was picked in the top 26 and a grand total of seven were selected in the top 50. This season may see five go in the top 15 alone, and it's not a stretch to project that at least 15 are in the mix for the top 50.

One must be cautious with such assertions as players from other leagues always step up and some of the WHLers who look good now may prove to have more warts than what's seen as this time, but without question the crop out west has more quality and depth than last season, starting right at the very top.

Two centers have captured scouts' attention above all others - Brandon's Nolan Patrick and Tri City's Michael Rasmussen are both legitimate contenders to be selected first overall next June. While Patrick remains sidelined recovering from hernia surgery he remains the top-rated prospect on many lists after collecting 102-points last season as a WHL sophomore. What perhaps was even more impressive was his 30 points in the playoffs in leading Brandon to a Memorial Cup berth, strong evidence that when the competition steps up he's a big-time player. He's a complete center who boasts size, strength, smarts vision, competitiveness, soft hands and a great shot. His skating may be the only thing not considered to be above average but isn't seen as a negative either.

Rasmussen was another youngster that caught scouts' attention last season with his smarts and skills, but he has taken his game to a whole new level, leading all WHL players with 20 goals one-third of the way into the season. The 6-6 center possesses a strong skating stride, smooth hands and a pro release and shot that will allow him to score plenty of goals at the next level. There are now whispers that he may end up being the first player chosen in the draft. A 6-6 center with his goal-scoring abilities are a rare breed indeed. On top of that, he plays a solid two-way game and has superior vision and passing skills as well. Comparisons to Keith Primeau are far from overblown.

Two defenceman and a winger are the other three WHL prospects with a legitimate shot at being top 15 picks, and for us the 6-5 winger in Moose Jaw, Nikita Popugaev, has taken his game to new heights, and will not only likely be the third WHLer chosen, but quite possibly will work himself into the discussion as a top five pick. While he's no Patrik Laine, there are certainly some similarities in their games, including an excellent shot and release that few players in this draft can match. Concerns with his consistency were legitimate last season, but he's been dangerous every game this season for Moose Jaw and in November he has been in on more than 48 per cent of the Moose Jaw offence. A 6-5 forward with his offensive talents cannot be ignored even if some scouts are taking their time in warming up to him.

Kelowna's Cal Foote, son of former NHLer Adam Foote, is just now starting to display the offensive production most expected after his eight goals and 37-point WHL rookie season. Foote has goals in two of his last four games after starting the season without scoring in his first 19 matches. He has seven points in his last six games, and is playing with the confidence that had most thinking he would be a top-end blueliner in the WHL this season. Similar in size to his father, who enjoyed a terrific 20-year NHL career, he will never be compared to him in terms of his aggressive physical play but he brings puck-moving elements to his game that may see him surpass his decorated father in offensive production even if he doesn't project as an elite point-getter at the NHL level. Foote should be a smart, two-way defender with size who can play on a second pairing.

The other defenceman garnering top 15 consideration is 6-2 Finnish blueliner Juuso Valimaki, Rassmussen's roommate in Tri City, who is following up last year's impressive WHL debut with even more offensive dominance after a slow start to the draft year with a subpar performance at the Ivan Hlinka tournament. Valimaki has 26 points in his first 24 games, and even more importantly, has been a solid defender in recent weeks who is not afraid to use his size and strength to curtail opposing forwards. Early in the season Valimaki was gambling too much and getting caught up ice because of it...now he is displaying more patience and caution, yet still picking up his points.

Nikita Popugaev – McKeen's Hockey

State of the CHL: The Western Hockey League

The Eastern Conference:

East Division GP-W-L-OTL-SOL-PTS

Moose Jaw Warriors 48-38-7-1-2-79

Swift Current Bronco’s 49-33-12-3-1-70

Brandon Wheat Kings 48-28-15-3-2-61

Regina Pats 49-24-20-5-0-53

Saskatoon Blades 48-23-22-2-1-49

Prince Albert Raiders 47-18-20-7-2-45

Central Division GP-W-L-OTL-SOL-PTS

Medicine Hat Tigers 48-24-19-5-0-53

Lethbridge Hurricanes 47-22-21-4-0-48

Kooteney ICE 47-21-23-3-0-45

Calgary Hitmen 47-15-26-5-1-36

Red Deer Rebels 47-11-25-8-3-33

Edmonton Oil Kings 46-13-27-4-2-32

The Western Conference:

U.S. Division GP-W-L-OTL-SOL-PTS

Everett Silvertips 48-30-16-1-1-62

Portland Winterhawks 47-28-15-1-3-60

Seattle Thunderbirds 47-25-16-4-2-56

Tri-City Americans 46-23-16-7-0-53

Spokane Chiefs 47-25-19-1-2-53

B.C. Division GP-W-L-OTL-SOL-PTS

Kelowna Rockets 46-29-14-2-1-61

Victoria Royals 48-27-17-3-1-58

Vancouver Giants 47-25-15-4-3-57

Kamloops Blazers 47-21-23-1-2-45

Prince George Cougars 48-18-23-4-3