Noah Dower Nilsson – McKeen's Hockey

2024 NHL Prospect Pool Rankings: Detroit Red Wings Take No. 1 Spot – The Yzerplan takes root

Josh Bell — Mon, 03 Jun 2024 11:36:04 +0000

CHICAGO, IL - OCTOBER 03: Detroit Red Wings center Nate Danielson (29) controls the puck during warm-ups before a game between the Detroit Red Wings and the Chicago Blackhawks on October 3, 2023 at the United Center in Chicago, IL. (Photo by Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire)

When Detroit Red Wings legend Steve Yzerman was hired as the general manager for his former team back in 2019, Red Wings’ fans placed their faith in the ‘Yzerplan’. Five years later, the new general manager has the Original Six team on the upswing, and the prospect cupboard is extremely full of future talent. It does seem safe to say that the Yzerplan is coming together.

Yzerman was brought in after the club saw their remarkable 25-year playoff run come to an end, followed by three consecutive seasons of failing to make the playoffs under the previous regime. While Yzerman and company have yet to crack the playoffs themselves, although came close this season, it’s hard not to have hope for this young group.

Before diving into the prospects that carried Detroit to the No. 1 spot on McKeen’s Hockey farm system rankings, let’s consider the two young pieces that have been drafted by Yzerman and have already made the jump and thus don’t even factor into this ranking. In 2019, with his first selection at the helm, Yzerman drafted German defender Moritz Seider - now a Calder Trophy winner and the team’s No. 1 defender. He followed that up in 2020 with Swedish forward Lucas Raymond - already a top-line winger.

From Yzerman’s first five drafts, those are the only two graduates at this point. Patience is a key aspect of the Yzerplan, and that patience looks like it’s about to pay off as a number of these pieces on the outside look poised to make the jump in the very near future.

This farm system is about to take a big hit though as top prospect Simon Edvinsson already looks to have solidified his spot with the big club, suiting up for 16 games this season including playing a big role for the Red Wings down the stretch as they pushed for a playoff spot. The Swedish defender has seen steady growth since Detroit called his name sixth overall in 2021, moving to the SHL and then the AHL. The No. 11-ranked prospect on McKeen’s Hockey’s prospect ranking, Edvinsson’s confidence with the puck on his stick stands out, thanks to his remarkable puck handling ability.

A knock on Edvinsson in the past has been his defensive game and his decision-making, but both have taken significant strides. He can be relied upon in his own end and can be put out in any situation that the coach needs him. He’s figured out how to use his 6-foot-6, 216-pound frame to his advantage, both with his body to rub people off the puck or to create separation, or utilizing his reach to disrupt opposition plays. He’s very much on his way to becoming a top-four, two-way defender for the Wings.

The Red Wings have shown that they have a type in recent years, targeting Swedish defenders. Since 2019, other than Edvinsson, the organization has drafted Albert Johansson (60th overall in 2019 - ranked 15th for the Wings by McKeen’s), Gustav Berglund (177th in 2019 - not ranked), William Wallinder (32nd overall in 2020 - ranked eighth), Anton Johansson (105th in 2022 - not ranked), and Axel Sandin Pellikka (17th in 2023 - ranked fourth).

The highlight of that group is one of the newest additions, Axel Sandin Pellikka. Ranked 33rd overall in McKeen’s prospect ranking, the Swede is an impressive offensive threat, thanks to his ability to read the ice, his strong four-way mobility, and his excellent straight-line speed. He can dictate the pace of play and while he’s on the smaller side based on NHL standards, he’s not afraid to get physical. It’s not hard to imagine him next to Seider or Edvinsson and quarterbacking a power play in Motor City.

The other ‘big’ name to pay attention to is William Wallinder. The 6-foot-4, 190-pound defender just played his first full season in the AHL with the Grand Rapids Griffins, and while it looks like he’ll need at least one more season there to continue his development, there’s a ton of promise to his game. He has the confidence, mobility, playmaking and the processing ability to be an impact player in a bottom-four role. He’s still a bit raw and needs to continue to improve his decision-making, but he’s on his way.

Another to mention is Albert Johansson - yet another Swede who fits the mould. He’s big (6-foot-4, 196 pounds), he’s physical, and he moves well for a d-man of his size. He could be on his way to a bottom-pairing, penalty-killing role with the Wings.

Outside of the Swedes but staying with defenders, Shai Buium is another promising piece that’s working his way up the ranks. After three years and a national title with the University of Denver, Buium has signed with the Red Wings and has already dressed for his first AHL game. The 2021 36th overall pick looks to be a stable, intelligent player who could play up and down the defensive lineup. He moves the puck well, has the skill to make an impact offensively, and defends very well with his gap control and stick work.

The last defenseman worth a call-out is Andrew Gibson. A lesser-known prospect compared to the rest of the names on this list, Gibson was taken 42nd overall in the 2023 NHL Draft from the OHL’s Soo Greyhounds, where he’s spent the past two seasons working his way to becoming one of the most impressive two-way defenders in the league. He uses his 6-foot-3 frame well, plays physically, and could be utilized in a shut-down role if called upon. There’s potential for him to become a No. 6-7 guy.

Detroit Red Wings Goalie Sebastian Cossa (33) (Photo by Jeanine Leech/Icon Sportswire)

While the defence looks extremely promising, the Red Wings future looks even better in the crease. Headlined by one of the best goaltending prospects in the world, Sebastien Cossa, the goaltending crop is extremely enviable. Cossa, drafted 15th overall in 2021, has the makings of a future No. 1. The 6-foot-6 netminder is confident, athletic, and technically sounds. His reflexes are excellent, and the power he commands in the net is clear. He’s looked very comfortable in his AHL rookie season, and the NHL doesn’t seem too far away.

But Cossa’s not the only potential No. 1 in the system. The Red Wings drafted a safety net in 2023, 41st overall, by selecting Trey Augustine from the USNTDP. One of the most patient, poised goalies out there, the young goaltender is a reliable, focused player who tracks well, controls the puck well, and moves quickly. He likely develops into a strong backup, but there’s the possibility he becomes a very strong 1B.

Before moving on to the forward group, keep an eye on Czech netminder Jan Bednar, drafted 107th overall in 2020. He just wrapped up a very strong rookie season in the ECHL and looks poised to continue to rise.

Looking at the Red Wings’ pool, the defence is big and mobile and the goaltenders are confident and athletic. Both are likely the top positional prospect groups of any team in the NHL right now. The forwards in the system may not be ranked at the very top of the league overall right now, but there’s a ton of skill and a variety of player types knocking on the door.

CLEVELAND, OH - FEBRUARY 13: Grand Rapids Griffins center Marco Kasper (92) shoots the puck during the third period of the American Hockey League game between the Grand Rapids Griffins and Cleveland Monsters on February 13, 2024, at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire)

You can really take your pick at the top, with centremen Nate Danielson or Marco Kasper. Danielson, taken ninth overall in 2023 and McKeen’s No. 2 prospect in the Detroit system, brings a highly competitive edge, leadership, and consistency. His game looks like it should translate so easily to the pro level despite lacking a specific high-level trait or dynamic ability. He looks like he should become a very strong 2 or 3C.

While McKeen’s placed Kasper just behind Danielson, it’s definitely not for a lack of skill. The Austrian forward, drafted eighth overall in 2022, looks like he’s on his way to becoming an impact player. He plays a very mature game, is patient with the puck, isn’t afraid to dive into puck battles, and brings strong two-way ability. Any coach should feel confident to throw him on the ice in any situation. Like Danielson, Kasper looks like he’s on his way to a role as a middle-six pivot.

There’s a bit of a drop in skill after these two forwards, but there are a handful of pieces who look like they could fit into bottom-six, role-player types. Just like the defenders, the forwards seem to fit a mould - they are hard-working, competitive, and reliable. Carter Mazur headlines this group, as he continues to outperform his 70th-overall selection in 2021 and could even slide into a middle-six position.

The lone Russian drafted under Yzerman, Dmitri Buchelnikov was selected 52nd overall in 2022 and might just be a sneaky selection soon. He doesn’t fit the typical pick from the Red Wings as he’s undersized at 5-foot-10, 170 pounds, but does he ever have skill. He’s a goal scorer who can put the puck in the net in so many different ways. He’s so good at creating separation and finding the open ice. Don’t be surprised if he comes over in 2025-26 and impresses at the NHL level immediately.

The Red Wings' future is extremely bright. With the team already heading in the right direction, some of these players mentioned, and others including Elmer Soderblom, Noah Dower-Nilsson, Amadeus Lombardi, Dylan James, Red Savage, and Cross Hanas, should continue to build on this momentum as they graduate to the NHL. The Red Wings are very much a team to look out for - and soon.

MCKEEN’S 2023-24 NHL YEARBOOK – DETROIT RED WINGS – Top 20 Prospect Profiles – Organizational Rank #3

Brock Otten, Derek Neumeier, Chapin Landvogt and Josh Bell — Sat, 30 Sep 2023 17:46:58 +0000

Nate Danielson. Photo by Erica Perreaux.

Top 20 Detroit Red Wing Prospects

1. Simon Edvinsson

One of the most promising prospects in the league, the Detroit Red Wings bet big on Edvinsson in the 2021 NHL Draft, calling his name sixth overall. He had a solid draft year bouncing between the SHL, HockeyAllsvenskan, and J20 Nationell but popped in his DY+1 season, fully spent in the SHL, where he was named the top junior player in the league. He then signed his entry-level deal and was playing in the AHL last season as a bright spot on a struggling team. He has the ideal size at 6- 6”, 215 pounds, he has excellent hands, is a very strong skater, with high-end vision, and his confidence seemed to be improving with every game. He has a big reach and greatly improved his defensive game last season. He’s the type of player that will be leading an NHL team from the back end and with his NHL debut already under his belt, he’s not far off.

2. Marco Kasper - C

The Red Wings were back picking in the top 10 in the 2022 NHL Draft, where they plucked Kasper eighth overall. The Austrian centreman spent the past three seasons playing in Sweden, seeing increasing time at the SHL level with Rogle BK. He already plays like a pro, highlighted by his calm demeanour and patience under pressure. He has a strong two-way presence already, playing hard at both ends of the ice even when the puck isn’t on his stick. Kaspar is an intelligent player who plays a highly competitive game, mixed in with some creativity and impressive skill. He looks like a safe bet to be a top six forward at the NHL level, likely slotting in as the second-line centre if not the eventual first liner. There’s so much to like about his game, with very little weakness. He’s already signed to an ELC, and has played in his first NHL game, so don’t expect him to take much longer.

3. Nate Danielson - C

Danielson is able to impact almost every facet of a game, routinely leaving his fingerprints all over his shifts. He is a fantastic skater with long, crisp strides who can cover a ton of ice in a hurry without requiring a lot of energy. It almost looks like he's not even exerting himself at times as he flies past opponents and down the ice, or catches them on the backcheck. The amount of offense he can generate off the rush is absurd, easily getting around defenders to open up passing lanes or winning races to the backdoor to get there first for easy tap-ins. He's constantly sending passes to the net-front or skating there himself looking for chances. Danielson is not necessarily bad when he has to slow things down and play in tight spaces, but he's generally less proficient that way. Overall, his game is a little predictable at the moment. While he might never be someone who scores more than 70 points in a season, it's easy to foresee him nevertheless becoming a top six center who can play on both special teams and match up well defensively against opponents’ top lines.

4. Axel Sandin Pellikka - D

In the minds of some in the business, the Detroit Red Wings picked the draft’s most talented defenseman 17th overall this summer, from their favorite scouting grounds in Sweden. In Sandin-Pellikka, you not only have one of the ‘23 draft’s shiftiest, headiest, and most creative defenseman, but also a player who was found across the globe throughout last season. From the Hlinka Gretzky Cup until the gold medal game at the U18 Worlds (11 points and a +8 in 7 games), Sandin-Pellikka suited up for a whopping 114 games between his SHL club, its junior program, and Sweden's U18 & U20 national teams. Together with the U18, U20, and pro action conducted for his Skelleftea club, his activity also included Champions Hockey League and the 5 Nations Tournament competition. At all levels, we were constantly exposed to what was basically a full portfolio of Sandin-Pellikka’s wares, witnessing his creativity, on-ice intelligence, athleticism, and three-zone headiness. We would be remiss not to point out that he didn’t just play in a lot of games, but received heavy minutes in the biggest ones, including 24:17 minutes of play for Sweden in the WJC semifinal and another 27:27 in the gold medal game. Possessing all the attributes of a classic blueline quarterback, Sandin-Pellikka will continue his march to the NHL this season in a boosted role with both title-hungry Skelleftea and Sweden’s WJC entry.

5. William Wallinder - D

If one towering, Swedish defender in the system wasn’t enough - how about two? At 6- 4”, 190 pounds, Wallinder is a confident, mobile defender that excels in transition. Selected 32nd overall in 2020 out of the J20 SuperElit, he spent the next season in the HockeyAllsvenskan with MoDo Hockey before moving to Rogle, spending the following two seasons in the SHL, taking noticeable steps forward in his game along the way. Some early concerns in his game were his processing and his defensive play, both of which have looked much better lately. He was rewarded for that by signing his entry-level deal with the Red Wings, heading overseas to start his North American career. He’s an all-situations rearguard who, while still a bit raw, has all of the tools to be a strong, top-four NHL defender - and doesn’t seem that far off.

6. Sebastian Cossa - G

Cossa has the potential to be something special. A massive goaltending prospect at 6-6”, he dominated the WHL for three seasons - ultimately winning the league championship in 2021-22 and being named a First Team All-Star. The goaltender made the jump to the pros last season, spending most of his campaign in the ECHL with the Toledo Walleye. It wasn’t a perfect season, but he improved as the season rolled on, ultimately being named as a replacement player in the ECHL All-Star Game. He’s athletic, strong, his reflexes are excellent, and his movement is surprisingly agile for a netminder of his size. He can get himself in trouble by getting lost in heavy traffic and his five-hole is a regular concern, but the upside is real. He’s still very young and has time to work on the gaps in his game. He has the potential to become a clear-cut No. 1 in the NHL.

7. Carter Mazur - LW

The ascension of Mazur has been very real since the Red Wings nabbed him 70th overall back in the 2021 NHL Draft. Plucked out of the USHL as the captain of the Tri-City Storm, the winger was good, but not a top prospect by any means. Now with two years at the University of Denver under his belt, the prospect has already signed his NHL entry-level deal and has made the jump to the AHL. Mazur’s work ethic has been on display throughout his NCAA career and is a big part of the move to the professional game. He’s highly competitive and can be thrown into any role in the lineup and succeed. He has a strong body, great instincts, and knows how to find the twine. He could very easily carve out a middle-six role for himself in the not-too-distant future.

8. Trey Augustine – G

A 2023 second round selection of the Detroit Red Wings, the extremely battle-tested Augustine joins an ever-growing cupboard of solid goaltending prospects in Detroit’s system. Having gained considerable experience in the 2021-22season thanks to time split with the USNTDP’s U17 and U18squads, Augustine eventually found himself pitching a 3-1record for the US in earning silver at the 2022 U18 Worlds. He entered this season primed for plenty of ice time, ultimately collecting an impressive 29-1-2 with the U18 NTDP with a .926 save percentage. A strong bronze medal showing at the WJC paved his path to an outstanding gold medal performance at the 2023 U18 Worlds, putting up a perfect6-0 record accompanied by almost unheard of numbers, namely a 1.61 GAA and .934 save percentage. Of somewhat average size for a modern goaltender, Augustine shines with technically well-schooled movements complemented by extremely strong positional play, solid agility, and a strong reading of the game. He’ll attend Michigan State University this fall, tagging up on a multi-year journey of development with his former USNTDP coach Adam Nightingale.

9. Dmitri Buchelnikov - LW

Buchelnikov is proof that the Red Wings will always bet on skill and upside. The Russian winger may only stand at 5- 9”, 150 pounds, but the offensive game he possesses makes him stand three feet taller. He tore up the MHL in his draft year, collecting 75 points in 56 games. Last season, he took a step forward, spending most of his time in the VHL, continuing with his offensive success against men. He uses his impressive edges and quick hands to gain position, and then boasts a surprising toolbox of shots. He has a fearlessness in his game. The big questions remaining are around his size and how he’ll translate to the NHL, but so far against men, he has put those concerns to bed. Buchelnikov is signed with SKA-1946 St. Petersburg through 2024-25, so he’ll also have a couple more years to develop in Russia before he makes the jump to North America.https://www.mckeenshockey.com/players/shai-buium/

10. Shai Buium - D

Spending the past two seasons with Mazur at the University of Denver, Buium has cemented himself as a strong two-way presence on the backend. He was drafted 36th overall in 2021 from the USHL’s Sioux City Musketeers, his only season with the team before heading to college where he won a national title as a rookie. While he can contribute offensively, he leans more to the defensive side of things, playing a very well-rounded game in his own zone. The defender is an intelligent player, and it shows in his reading and anticipation of the play. He rarely makes a mistake with the puck. Buium has some physicality in his game and has a strong first pass. His skating still needs some fine-tuning to help take him to that next level, at which point he could slide into a bottom-four defensive pairing

11. Amadeus Lombardi - LW

A breakout season in the OHL with Flint has many in the Detroit system and fanbase optimistic about Lombardi’s chances of developing into a quality middle six forward. He is a terrific playmaker and could move surprisingly fast through the system if he adapts to the pro level quickly.

12. Elmer Soderblom - RW

The massive winger had a very promising first year in North America, splitting time between Detroit and AHL Grand Rapids. While his offensive ceiling might be limited, there is some hope that he can be a Tomas Holmstrom type.

13. Albert Johansson - D

A strong skating defender who is a former second round selection of the Wings. While his performance as an AHL rookie last year was not poor, Detroit will be looking for him to step up his game as a sophomore, improving his confidence at both ends.

14. Andrew Gibson - D

Gibson is a real heart and soul kind of defender. He competes physically. He blocks shots. He is a future leader. He might just have some untapped offensive upside that he can tap into over the next two years in the OHL.

15. Noah Dower Nilsson - LW

After drafting his older brother Liam last year, the Wings took Noah in the 2023 draft. Noah is the better athlete and has the higher offensive ceiling thanks to his playmaking chops and creativity. He will look to become an SHL regular this year.

16. Antti Tuomisto - D

Tuomisto left the University of Denver early to play pro in Finland with TPS and that decision appears to have been a good one for his development. The big defender probably doesn’t have significant offensive upside, but his length and mobility give him intriguing defensive upside as he starts his pro journey in North America this year.

17. Cross Hanas - LW

Hanas missed a good chunk of his rookie AHL season with an upper body injury, but he played well upon returning. He is one of the most naturally gifted offensive players in Detroit’s system. His hands and creativity are terrific.

18. Dylan James - LW

A second-round pick in 2022, James is a competitive slot presence who should develop into an excellent complementary offensive piece. His freshman year at UND wasn’t terrific, but he should be better as a sophomore.

19. Theodor Niederbach - C

The Wings are still waiting for Niederbach to take that next step as an offensive force in Sweden. After a tough year in the Rogle system last year, he has switched to MoDo this year, where he can hopefully get his development back on track.

20. Redmond Savage - C

The former captain of the U.S. U18 team, Savage has been great internationally for the U.S. at the last two World Juniors but has had less luck with NCAA Miami (Ohio). That’s why he entered the transfer portal and is headed to Michigan State for 2023-24.

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

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

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

Brock Otten (Director of Scouting)

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

Joey Willis - Center - Saginaw Spirit

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

Larry Keenan - Defense - Culver Academy

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

Eric Pohlkamp - Defense - Cedar Rapids Roughriders

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

Derek Neumeier (Assistant Director of Scouting)

Josh Van Mulligen — Defense — Medicine Hat Tigers

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

Isac Hedqvist — Wing — Luleå

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

Vojtech Port — Defense — Edmonton Oil Kings

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

Adam Tate (Western Region Scout)

Ty Halaburda - Wing - Vancouver Giants

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

Matej Deraj (Central European Scout)

Maroš Jedlička – W/C – HKM Zvolen, Slovakia

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

Chase Rochon (Video Scout)

Aiden Fink - Wing - Brooks Bandits

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

Chapin Landvogt (Central European Scout)

Arno Tiefensee - Goaltender - Mannheim Adler - DEL

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

Joely Stockl (Ontario Regional Scout)

Easton Cowan - Wing - London Knights

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

Mark Dube (U.S. and Video Scout)

Noah Dower Nilsson - Wing/Center - Frölunda HC J20

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

Viktor Fomich (Russian Scout)

Bogdan Konyushkov - Defense - Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)

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

Ethan Hetu (U.S. Regional Scout)

Will Vote - Wing - U.S. NTDP

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

2023 NHL Combine: Part One – Fitness Testing Overview & Results

Chase Rochon and Joely Stockl — Tue, 13 Jun 2023 22:07:17 +0000

Another NHL Combine has come and gone in Buffalo, NY this past week. For the 106 invited players, it was a week full of 1-on-1 interviews with NHL teams, interviews with the media, and a variety of fitness tests. The fitness testing results mean more to some NHL executives than they do to others, but nonetheless it is always fascinating to see who finished atop the leaderboards in the fitness testing categories. The Combine is also the final opportunity for players to submit their height and weight, which is always an intriguing progression to monitor. The NHL Combine is the perfect precursor to the NHL Draft. It is some of these player’s first times meeting their competitors on the draft board, and it allows for these players to meet their future management of the team that drafts them in Nashville in just a few weeks.

Standouts

Nick Lardis of the Hamilton Bulldogs placed 1st in four categories: Vertical Jump, Squat Jump, No Arm Jump, & Pull Ups (15). This standout performance puts more eyes on the late riser, who arrived in Hamilton and tore it up through the second half of the season putting up 46 points in 33 games. Lardis has skyrocketed on many draft boards, including McKeen’s, as he finished 32nd overall and snuck his way into the tail end of the first round. He is a player that has certainly benefited from being the “go-to” player on the Bulldogs, and his success will hopefully lead into next season as the team moves to Brantford.

Another player from the OHL, Brad Gardiner also performed exceptionally well in the fitness tests. The two-way centre from the Ottawa 67’s finished in the top 10 in five of the categories completed on the weekend of the Combine, as well as in the Grip Strength test completed earlier in the week. Gardiner likely drew some more attention with this performance, as he was one of the later ranked players out of the 106 at the Combine (McKeen’s has Brad Gardiner ranked at 163rd).

Leading the results in the consensus “most difficult” category, the VO2 MAX, was Seattle Thunderbirds forward Nico Myatovic. In their media availability, nearly every player stated that the VO2 MAX was the hardest fitness test of them all. The VO2 MAX is a gruelling test of oxygen utilized during maximum effort. By winning in this category, Myatovic has likely gained some respect points from teams and players.

The tallest player at the Combine measured up at 6 '6.75”, and that was Czech goaltender Michael Hrabal. Hrabal is one of the top ranked goaltenders heading into the NHL Draft, and he was one of seven goalies invited to the Combine. Hrabal’s size is definitely a draw for some teams, as we see NHL goaltenders getting taller and taller each year.

Fitness Testing Results (excluding Functional Movement Screen & Grip Strength)

Top 10 from each category;

VO2 Max

Nico Myatovic
Brad Gardiner
Bradly Nadeau
Beckett Hendrickson
Noel Nordh
Easton Cowan
Aram Minnetian
Paul Fischer
Axel Sandin Pellikka
Hunter Brzustewicz

Wingate Test

Noah Dower Nlsson
Danny Nelson
Tom Willander
Hunter Brzustewicz
Cameron Allen
David Edstrom
Brayden Yager
Tanner Molendyk
Samuel Honzek
Jonathan Castagna

Pull Ups

Nick Lardis- 15
Danny Nelson- 14
Bradly Nadeau- 14
Cameron Allen- 14
Connor Bedard- 14
Brad Gardiner- 13
Jaden Lipinski- 13
Nate Danielson- 13
Oliver Moore- 13
Denver Barkey- 12

Pro Agility (Right)

Easton Cowan
Jonathan Castagna
Brady Cleveland
Samuel Honzek
Scott Ratzlaff
Brandon Svoboda
Brad Gardiner
Beau Akey
Andrew Gibson
Hunter Brzustewicz

Pro Agility (Left)

Easton Cowan
Jonathan Castagna
Oliver Moore
Brandon Svoboda
Jayden Perron
Brad Gardiner
Ethan Gauthier
Beau Akey
Andrew Gibson
Bradly Nadeau

Bench Press (50% of Body Weight)

Axel Sandin Pellikka
Charlie Stramel
Mathieu Cataford
Lukas Dragicevic
Ryan Leonard
Cameron Allen
Jonathan Castagna
Bradly Nadeau
Brad Gardiner
Nate Danielson

Standing Long Jump

Charlie Stramel- 118”
Samuel Honzek- 117.5”
Cameron Allen- 117”
Tom Willander- 116.5”
Beau Akey- 116”
Nick Lardis- 114.5”
Maxim Strbak- 112.8”
David Reinbacher- 112”
Nate Danielson- 111.5”
Jayden Perron- 111”

Vertical Jump

Nick Lardis
Cameron Allen
Colby Barlow
Caden Price
Charlie Stramel
Nate Danielson
Jesse Nurmi
Beau Akey
Oliver Moore
Ethan Gauthier

No Arm Jump

Nick Lardis
Oliver Moore
Samuel Honzek
Jesse Nurmi
Colby Barlow
Cameron Allen
Jayden Perron
Jonathan Castagna
Nate Danielson
Charlie Stramel

Squat Jump

Nick Lardis
Jesse Nurmi
Colby Barlow
Nate Danielson
Jonathan Castagna
Cameron Allen
Tanner Molendyk
Noah Dower Nilsson
Oliver Moore
Tom Willander

Heights & Weights

Name Height /Weight

Beau Akey 6’0”/175

Cameron Allen 6’0”/192

Trey Augustine 6’1.25”/190

Denver Barkey 5’8.75”/155

Colby Barlow 6’0.5”/195

Connor Bedard 5’9.75”/185

Zach Benson 5’9.75”/170

Tristan Bertucci 6’1.75”/175

Carson Bjarnason 6’3.25”/190

Oliver Bonk 6’1.5”/180

Gavin Brindley 5’8”/168

Hunter Brzustewicz 5’11.75”/190

Luca Cagnoni 5’9”/182

Jonathan Castagna 6’2.25” /195

Mathieu Cataford 5’11”/190

Alex Ciernik 5’10.25”/174

Brady Cleveland 6’4.75”//210

Easton Cowan 5’10.5”/170

Andrew Cristall 5’9.5”/175

Nate Danielson 6’1.5”/186

Noah Dower Nilsson 5’11.75 “/185

Lukas Dragicevic 6’1”/194

Jakub Dvorak 6’5”/210

Dalibor Dvorsky 6’1”/200

David Edstrom 6’3”/185

Paul Fischer 6’1”/200

Drew Fortescue 6’1”/176

Adam Gajan 6’2.75”/180

Brad Gardiner 6’1”/184

Ethan Gauthier 5’11.5”/183

Andrew Gibson 6’2.75”/202

Terrell Goldsmith 6’4”/220

Kasper Halttunen 6’3.25”/215

Lenni Hameenaho 6’1”/185

Riley Heidt 5’10.5”/180

Beckett Hendrickson 6’1.5”/174

Samuel Honzek 6’3.25”/195

Michael Hrabel 6’6.75”/215

Larry Keenan 6’3.25”/186

Jesse Kiiskinen 6’0.25”/190

Rasmus Kumpulainen 6’2.75”/190

Nick Lardis 5’11”/168

Ryan Leonard 5’11.75 “/190

Kalan Lind 6’0.5”/158

Theo Lindstein 6’0”/185

Jaden Lipinski 6’3.75”/210

Dylan MacKinnon 6’2”/190

Matteo Mann 6’5.5”/230

Gavin McCarthy 6’1.5”/186

Ethan Miedema 6’4”/208

Aram Minnetian 5’11”/195

Martin Misiak 6’1.5”/200

Tanner Molendyk 5’11”/181

Oscar Fisker Molgaard 5’11.75“/166

Oliver Moore 5’11”/195

Etienne Morin 6’0”/180

Carsen Musser 6’4”/212

Quentin Musty 6’1.5”/200

Nico Myatovic 6’2.5”/180

Sawyer Mynio 6’0.5”/163

Bradly Nadeau 5’10.25”/160

Zach Nehring 6’2.75”/182

Danny Nelson 6’3”/212

Felix Nilsson 6’0.5”/187

Noel Nordh 6’1.5”/200

Jesse Nurmi 5’11”/168

Tyler Peddle 6’1”/204

Gabriel Perreault 5’10.75”/163

Jayden Perron 5’9”/166

Alex Pharand 6’2.5”/205

Emil Pieniniemi 6’2.25”/175

Luca Pinelli 5’8.75”/167

Aaron Pionk 6’0.75”/173

Coulson Pitre 6’0.75”/170

Caden Price 6’0.5”/190

Scott Ratzlaff 6’0.5”/175

Carson Rehkopf 6’2.5”/195

David Reinbacher 6’2.25”/194

Eduard Sale 6’1.75”/175

Axel Sandin-Pellikka 5’11”/180

Gracyn Sawchyn 5’10.75”/155

Zachary Schulz 6’1”/197

Jayson Shaugabay 5’9.25”/165

William Smith 5’11.75 “/180

Jakub Stancl 6’3”/202

Otto Stenberg 5’11”/185

Charlie Stramel 6’3”/222

Andrew Strathmann 5’10.75”/185

Maxim Strbak 6’1.25”/198

Aydar Suniev 6’1.5”/192

Brandon Svoboda 6’3.25”/209

Carey Terrance 6’0.25”/178

Jordan Tourigny 5’11.25”/165

Anton Wahlberg 6’3.25”/192

William Whitelaw 5’8.75”/175

Tom Willander 6’1”/180

Matthew Wood 6’4”/197

Brayden Yager 5’11”/170

Koehn Ziemmer 6’0.25”/210

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2023 IIHF U18 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP – McKeen’s Scouting Team Predictions

McKeens Scouting Team — Thu, 20 Apr 2023 22:57:05 +0000

PORRENTRUY, SWITZERLAND - APRIL 20: Canada's Macklin Celebrini #17 clears the puck while Sweden's Gustaf Felix Unger Sorum #18 defends during Preliminary Round - Group A action at the 2023 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship at Raiffeisen Arena on April 20, 2023 in Porrentruy, Switzerland. (Photo by Chris Tanouye/IIHF)

While the IIHF U18’s are already a day into the action, it’s not too late for a little prognostication. The McKeen’s team has come together to offer their predictions for the tournament.

Medal Predictions:

Gold:

Canada (5)

United States (5)

Silver:

United States (5)

Canada (4)

Sweden (1)

Bronze:

Sweden (8)

Canada (1)

Finland (1)

Who Will Win Tournament MVP:

Will Smith (2)

Ryan Leonard (1)

Colby Barlow (1)

Andrew Cristall (1)

Eduard Sale (1)

Gabe Perreault (1)

Kasper Halttunen (1)

Lukas Dragicevic (1)

Who Will Win Best Defenseman:

Axel Sandin Pellikka (6)

Lukas Dragicevic (2)

Aron Kiviharju (1)

Cole Hutson (1)

Who Will Win Best Goaltender:

Trey Augustine (7)

Michael Hrabal (2)

Carson Bjarnason (1)

What will be the surprise of the tournament?

“Slovakia: The Slovaks are back in the elite division after four long years. The current team is not as deep and talented as the squad that won silver at the 2021 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, but it's still definitely an above-average Slovak team that is able to upset some of the favorites. As usual, the overall result will rely heavily on goaltending, but if Samuel Urban finds his 2022 HGC form, Slovakia shouldn't be worried about bad results. D Maxim Štrbák and F Dalibor Dvorský are the two key names on the team, however, they are not the only intriguing players. The offense looks strongl with interesting players such as Juraj Pekarčík, František Dej, Roman Kukumberg or the 2025 NHL Draft prospect Tomáš Pobežal. The Slovaks aim to be a fast and hard-playing team, which is always fun to watch.” (Matej Deraj)

“Team: While the Finnish team is lacking on top-end talent relative to the rest of the medal contenders, there tends to always be one team that just puts it all together and plays greater than the sum of its parts. They could knock someone like Canada or Sweden out if either team comes in overconfident. Player(s): Noel Nordh should be getting a lot of opportunities for Sweden and has the size and skill necessary to really step up against this age group. Caden Price has had an up and down season but always tends to put it on in best-on-best competitions, and I fully expect him to end up the #1 defender for Canada by tournament's end.” (Sam McGilligan)

“I think Trey Augustine might be a surprise here. So many people will pay attention to this tournament focused on the glut of star forwards on Team USA, while there is a very real chance that Augustine ends up stealing the show. Obviously, this is a somewhat volatile pick for surprise of the tournament, but I fully believe that if he puts forth the type of starring performance he is capable of, it will definitely be considered the surprise of the tournament given how focused so many are on other elements of Team USA.” (Ethan Hetu)

“Noah Dower Nilsson - Dower Nilsson is a player that has fallen off the radar, but his game has many attributes that translate well at the next level. He has a motor that is always running and is not afraid to challenge the dirty areas on the ice. If Dower Nilsson can follow up on his J20 Nationell at this WJC, it could bump his draft stock significantly.” (Mark Dube)

“I think that the underagers in this tournament will dominate. Celebrini, Eiserman, Kiviharju, Catton, etc. are all regarded as high picks for the 2024 NHL Draft and are potentially better than a lot of the 2023 class at this tournament. I think this will be the chance for that draft class to show that it is going to be a very high-quality group.” (Joely Stockl)

“Latvia - The quarterfinals is where the always pesky Latvians will exit the tournament, but don't be surprised when they come out on top in their preliminary round match-ups with Switzerland and Norway.” (Chapin Landvogt)

“Carson Bjarnason will be a rock for Canada between the pipes, and put him in wider conversation to be the first goalie taken in the 2023 draft.” (Derek Neumeier)

“Celebrini really impresses and becomes the clear-cut number one pick for next year.” (Jeremi Plourde)

“Martone moves his way up the Canadian lineup after great performances early.” (Chase Rochon)

“The way I see the tournament unfolding, I think we’ll end up with either Slovakia or Czechia playing against Finland in the quarterfinals. I think both of these teams can pull off the upset in that scenario, coming off of an unquestionably more difficult group. They will be battle tested and while I do believe Finland has a strong overall team, in a one game scenario, I see them especially ripe for an upset without elite offensive playmakers.” (Brock Otten)

Which draft prospect will raise his stock the most?

“Calum Ritchie. I think he will have a breakout offensively after ending the season on a high note with a strong performance against Ottawa in round one of the OHL playoffs. Playing with Barlow likely, they will be able to feed off of each other and Ritchie will have a gifted goal scorer on his wing, unlike his situation in Oshawa. I hope Ritchie feels compelled to take some risks offensively in this tournament and really hone in on his skills. I think this tournament has the potential to be a difference maker in Ritchie's draft stock, if he is stellar offensively, I think he firmly puts himself in that 15-25 pick range. This is Ritchie's time to shine, he was fantastic at the Hlinka and at the CHL Top Prospects game, pretty much every game that he didn't play in Oshawa, so I think this is his time.” (Joely Stockl)

“Dalibor Dvorský: Dvorský has been falling in the rankings the whole year and now he has a chance to redeem himself. He'll be the undisputed offensive leader and key forward on Team Slovakia. Dvorský is used to playing against older players, he has spent his last three seasons either in a men's or a U20 league. Competing against players of his age should improve Dvorský's production and release his true offensive potential.” (Matej Deraj)

“Sticking with U.S. prospects, I think Aram Minnetian has a strong opportunity here. The U.S. team is obviously stocked to the brim with star forwards, but in terms of this draft class, the crop of defensemen doesn't have nearly the same sort of standout. Minnetian seems in line to receive a significant opportunity on the U.S. back end, and if he can seize it he could really build some momentum to move up draft boards.” (Ethan Hetu)

“Kasper Halttunen - He was a fantastic underager at last year's tournament. He did some heavy lifting at the U20 level in Finland this winter, but was a non-factor in 27 Liiga games, offensively speaking. Thus, his stock has dropped. His body size, hands, and skating have not. His team will need someone to step up to the plate and he's about the most prime of candidates to do so.” (Chapin Landvogt)

“Andrew Cristall is going to score a ton of points here. There's a lot of faith in him in the public eye, but I think teams are skeptical and they aren't inherently wrong for doing so. This can really be an event where he can be THE guy producing for Canada and show what he can do when consistently playing alongside top end players.” (Sam McGilligan)

“Matthew Wood - Wood has quietly amassed some impressive numbers playing in his first year at the University of Connecticut (35-11-23-34), which was good enough to lead the team in scoring as a 17-year-old. Look for Wood to increase his draft stock at this tournament by using his deadly shot against unsuspecting goaltenders.” (Mark Dube)

“Emil Jarventie, I feel like he could really shoot up his draft stock a ton after somewhat of an underwhelming season. He should get a lot of ice time and exposure with the Finnish team.” (Jeremi Plourde)

“Matthew Wood. He will be a Top 6 force for Canada, be one of the leading scorers in the tournament, and will assuage a lot of the concerns that scouts have about his skating ability.” (Derek Neumeier)

“Calum Ritchie re-emerges as first rounder after producing at a lower level this season.” (Chase Rochon)

“I’m giving you two answers. The first is Carey Terrance. Standing out consistently in Erie was difficult this year. However, he’s got a great chance at the U18’s, playing alongside Oliver Moore. Those two are electric skaters and I think are going to be a difficult pairing to contain. The second is Tom Willander on Sweden. While Sandin-Pellikka and Lindstein have gotten a lot of the coverage this year (Lindstein early, Sandin-Pellikka lately), I believe it is Willander’s game that could translate the best to the NHL level, and I think his play at this tournament helps secure a spot in the first round in Nashville.” (Brock Otten)

Which draft prospect are you most intrigued to see perform at the tournament?

“Again, I have to give you two. The first is someone in my neighborhood, Cal Ritchie. For one, I’m unsure if he’s completely healthy. So, I’m curious to see how that unfolds. Secondly, he’s performed very well in events outside of the OHL this year (Hlinka/Gretzky, CHL Top Prospect’s Game), so let’s see if that trend continues. It’s a big event for him to prove to scouts that he should be a first-round selection. The second is Riley Heidt. I say this without him being named to team Canada at the current moment. But as of writing this, the Seattle Thunderbirds are on the verge of eliminating the Prince George Cougars…. Canada just happens to have an open roster spot still available. He could pay large dividends for the team.” (Brock Otten)

“For me, it would have to be Matthew Wood. He's been one of my favorite players throughout this whole process, but as I've grown to appreciate his game, his skating has (as one might expect) remained a major area of concern. Part of the reason I've been so enamored with him has been because he's played so well in the NCAA at such a relatively young age. Getting the chance to see him against his peers in a best-on-best setting is something I'm extremely interested to watch, because thus far most of my time watching him has been against players older than him. I'm genuinely very excited about the opportunity this tournament provides to evaluate him in a different environment.” (Ethan Hetu)

“Eduard Šalé - The Czech forward had a great tournament last year with nine points in six games as an underager. Šalé played well at the last World Juniors where the Czech ended up getting a silver medal, so he should thrive against his peers. Although his season in the Czech top tier league was a bit shaky, the U18 tournament should be a great opportunity to find his groove. I'm looking forward to seeing him play as the expected offensive leader of the Czech team.” (Matej Deraj)

“Macklin Celebrini - It's been an underage USHL season for the ages for Celebrini. Now he joins a Team Canada that is already pretty stacked up front with established CHL talent. He'll have plenty of skill to work with and little pressure to be any type of go-to guy. The situation is ripe for the possible 2024 first overall draft pick to give us all a glimpse of what exactly we can reckon with in the future.” (Chapin Landvogt)

“I am intrigued to see Otto Stenberg of team Sweden. I was a huge fan of him at the World Jr A Challenge and in the video that I have watched of him. I may be higher on him than most people, but I am excited to see him compete with the rest of this draft class. I think he has the potential to be the X factor for team Sweden.” (Joely Stockl)

“Lukas Dragicevic. He is immensely talented, but still has a ton of work left to do off the puck, and his effort level looks awful at times. It's hard to gauge how much of my concerns about him from this season were connected to his team and their situation, so I'm curious to see how he does in an entirely different environment.” (Derek Neumeier)

“Lukas Dragicevic - Dragicevic absolutely blew the lights off the WHL in scoring as a defenseman (68-15-60-75), finishing 4th among all defensemen, as a draft eligible player. The U18 WJC will give him a chance to display his defensive play and possibly assert himself a better draft ranking.” (Mark Dube)

“Tanner Howe, I have had some question marks regarding how good Bedard really makes him look, so playing without him will be intriguing to see.” (Jeremi Plourde)

“Colby Barlow has a last chance to prove to me that his game is at a level that can and will be successful at the next level.” (Chase Rochon)

“I still have so many questions about Matthew Wood, so I'm looking forward to seeing him in a new environment.” (Sam McGilligan)

2023 IIHF U18 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP: DIVISION A – Team Previews – Players to Watch

Brock Otten (Germany - Chapin Landvogt) — Wed, 19 Apr 2023 14:15:32 +0000

On April 20th, the IIHF Under 18 World Championships will commence with Sweden looking to defend their gold medal from the previous year. In order to do so, they will need to go through the extremely difficult ‘Division A’, which includes Canada, Czechia, Slovakia, Germany, in addition to Sweden. The Swedes have medalled in four straight tournaments, but they will face stiff competition from Canada and Czechia, especially, as the three enter the tournament as gold medal contenders.

221223 Axel Sandin-Pellikka of Sweden looks dejected after the 0-1 goal during the friendly under-20 ice hockey game between Sweden and Switzerland on December 23, 2022 in Halifax.
Photo: Simon Hastegård / BILDBYRÅN / kod SH / SH0380

Sweden

The Swedes are going to be a difficult team to score against with three potential first round picks anchoring the blueline (Sandin-Pellikka, Lindstein, and Willander). Nearly the entirety of this roster helped capture a silver medal at last summer’s Hlinka/Gretzky Cup and a gold at this winter’s World Junior A Challenge. Up front, Otto Stenberg will be looked upon to be a leader as a returning player from last year’s gold medal winning U18 squad. The only really negative thing to say about this group heading into the tournament is that they will be missing one of their best forwards in the age group in Felix Nilsson, who recently fractured his wrist. His playmaking ability will definitely be missed.

Top Players to Watch

Theo Lindstein (D)

Lindstein played a depth role on last year’s U18 gold medal winning squad and returns this year as someone who will be relied upon in all situations. This is a big tournament for Lindstein as it pertains to his NHL draft stock. Once considered to be in contention to be the first defender drafted, he has seen others pass him by due to concerns over his high-end upside. Puck management will be key for Lindstein at this event as he tries to prove to scouts that he can be a primary facilitator from the backend.

Axel Sandin-Pellikka (D)

A high-end puck moving defender and skater, Sandin-Pellikka has been a steady riser over the course of this draft season. He’s largely been great for Sweden internationally and will be counted upon heavily at this tournament. He should quarterback the top powerplay unit and will have a chance to be in contention for the top defender award. Scouts will be looking for him to be more consistent in the defensive end, especially when it comes to his physical intensity.

Tom Willander (D)

This is a big tournament for Willander to prove that he belongs in the same conversation as the above two. It seems like he has been a bit underrated this year based on his achievements and play and if he shines at the U18’s, he may have a chance to pass both Lindstein and Sandin-Pellikka in the rankings of some teams. Willander is a composed and intelligent two-way defender whose game should transition very well to the NHL level.

Otto Stenberg (F)

As alluded to, Stenberg scored two goals in last year's tournament as an underager and will be looked upon to be the leader of the forward group this year. The thing is, his play this year has been very inconsistent, both internationally and in Swedish league play. No question, the Swedes will need Stenberg at the top of his game to repeat as gold medal winners. A dynamic skater and transitional attacker, Stenberg is as skilled as any forward in this tournament.

Anton Wahlberg (F)

A favourite of McKeen’s assistant director of scouting Derek Neumeier, Wahlberg is this year’s version of Filip Bystedt for this Swedish team. He’s a big forward (6’3) with excellent puck protection skill down low and a penchant for taking the puck to the net. He can play that heavy game that can match teams like Canada and the United States and was good in SHL action to close out league play this year.

David Edstrom (F)

One of the big beneficiaries of Felix Nilsson’s injury, Edstrom may just be one of the most underrated players in this Swedish ‘05 group. The big center (6’3) has had a very good second half of the draft year, establishing himself as a regular in the SHL. Like Wahlberg, he can play that heavy game needed to win in tournaments like this and his work near the crease and in the corners will be critical to Sweden’s success.

Noah Dower Nilsson (F)

This is a big tournament for Dower Nilsson and his NHL draft stock. He is both intelligent and skilled, a combination that made him a potential first round selection coming into the year. He had a great statistical year in the Swedish J20 league for Frölunda, however his play internationally has been fairly indifferent. This includes an injury shortened World Junior A Challenge. Like Stenberg, Dower Nilsson will be looked upon to be an offensive leader and will need to show scouts that his skating has improved over the course of this year.

Canada

No question, this year’s Canadian entry at the U18’s is better than last year’s when they finished fifth following a quarter final loss to Finland. In fact, on paper, this might be one of the better Canadian entries at this event in recent memory, rivaling the 2021 roster that captured gold. The challenge for Canada each year is to select players already eliminated from the CHL playoffs and this can have a very negative impact on the quality of the talent pool available. This year, many of Canada’s top ‘05’s happened to play for weaker CHL teams and that means a significant number of the team’s Hlinka/Gretzky Cup players from the summer will double dip at this tournament. Goaltending should be a strength with Carson Bjarnason manning the crease, a candidate to be the first goaltender drafted in 2023. The defense and forward groups are also strong led by the likes of Colby Barlow, Cal Ritchie, Andrew Cristall, Cam Allen, Caden Price, Lukas Dragicevic, Matthew Wood, and potential first overall pick in 2024 Macklin Celebrini (an ‘06). Additionally, Canada has only registered 12 forwards. That means that they are eyeing an addition or two from a team eliminated early in the second round of the CHL playoffs like Riley Heidt and the Prince George Cougars.

Top Players to Watch

Carson Bjarnason. Photo by Jarret Gale.

Carson Bjarnason (G)

Playing on a weak Brandon team this year, Bjarnason was consistently tasked with having to steal games and that led to some fatigue down the stretch. The back-up from the summer’s Hlinka/Gretzky team, it will be great to see him with a stronger roster playing in front of him. Bjarnason has everything NHL scouts are looking for from young netminders these days and with a strong tournament, he could vault himself to the top of many team’s goaltender rankings in 2023.

Colby Barlow (F)

Last summer, at the Hlinka/Gretzky Cup, Barlow was tasked with playing more of a shutdown role on the third line and as a primary penalty killler. At this event, he’ll be more heavily counted upon to be an offensive play driver and the near 50 goal scorer (46 with Owen Sound this year in the OHL) should be up to the task. Barlow excels playing a North/South power game thanks to his straight-line speed, size, and goal scoring ability. Look for him to be part of the leadership group for this team too.

Cal Ritchie (F)

There might not be a player in this tournament with more on the line than Ritchie. The leading scorer from the Hlinka/Gretzky Cup in the summer, Ritchie entered the season as a potential top ten selection. However, his play with the rebuilding Oshawa Generals was quite inconsistent this year and this has led to him falling in the consensus rankings. No question Ritchie is a highly intelligent playmaker, but scouts will have a keen eye on his pace of play and his physical intensity level. His injury status is also something worth monitoring as he limped into the OHL playoffs with an upper body injury.

Matthew Wood (F)

Wood is a returning player from last year’s U18’s but should be a much different player this time around after struggling to make a consistent impact as an underager. He is coming off a tremendous season for the University of Connecticut, where he posted the best point per game average by a U18 player in the NCAA (a true freshman) of this millennium, besting Jonathan Toews’ mark with North Dakota. No question, Wood’s skating remains an area of weakness, but every other area of his game stands out for positive reasons.

Macklin Celebrini (F)

Speaking of record-breaking seasons, insert potential first overall pick in 2024, center Macklin Celebrini. He obliterated the previous scoring record by a U17 player in the USHL this season by leading the entire league in scoring for the Chicago Steel. The Steel were courteous enough to let Celebrini play in the U18’s despite qualifying for the USHL playoffs, similar to how Adam Fantilli was released for last year’s tournament. Even as an underager, Celebrini should have a great tournament for Canada. Those that have never seen him play before will be surprised by his physicality and tenaciousness, in combination with his high-end skill.

Andrew Cristall (F)

Cristall may just be this draft’s most polarizing player. An extremely skilled and creative attacker, Cristall’s offensive upside may be among the highest available this year. However, some scouts are concerned by his lack of dynamic qualities in combination with his lack of elite size. This event should go a long way in convincing those on the fence that Cristall is someone worth pounding the table for in Nashville. He will play a critical offensive role for Canada.

Nick Lardis (F)

A midseason trade to the Hamilton Bulldogs (OHL) ignited Lardis and he finished the season as one of the hottest players in the entire CHL. Even in the first round of the playoffs, with his rebuilding Bulldogs facing the veteran Barrie Colts, Lardis was a standout and one of the highest scorers of round one. Lardis can continue to rocket up draft lists with a big tournament here and he should be given a great opportunity inside Canada’s top six. He has speed to burn and tremendous shot.

Cam Allen (D)

Remember when I said teammate Cal Ritchie might have the most to gain/lose from participating in this tournament. Defender Cam Allen is right there with him. The captain of Canada’s Hlinka/Gretzky team last summer, Allen was thought to be the best defender available for the draft this year heading into the season. A disastrous draft year for Guelph has seen Allen plummet down draft boards. He has struggled with his decision making all year and this will be a huge chance for him to prove that he is a worthy high selection.

Caden Price (D)

Ironically, Caden Price is in a bit of a similar situation as Allen, a player he paired with consistently at the Hlinka/Gretzky Cup in the summer. Playing on a rebuilding Kelowna team, Price’s decision making at both ends left a lot to be desired this past season. However, he still has a very intriguing package of size, skill, and mobility on the backend and could really help his draft stock with a strong performance for Canada.

Lukas Dragicevic (D)

After playing for Canada at last year’s U18’s as an underager, Dragicevic was a shocking cut from the summer’s Hlinka/Gretzky team after the coaching staff was unimpressed with his defensive play. Offensively, Dragicevic is a difference maker, and he should quarterback the top powerplay for Canada at this event. Defensively, his game is a major work in progress. Finding the right partner for him at the event will be critical in order to bring out the best in him.

Czechia

Even in all of their previous hockey glory, the Czechs have never captured gold at this event and have only ever made one final (back in 2014 led by Jakub Vrana). This year’s team does have a strong roster on paper and could definitely challenge for a medal. Michael Hrabal is a top goaltending prospect for the 2023 draft and should give Czechia a consistently great effort in net. Meanwhile, all eyes will be on Eduard Sale to have a fantastic tournament. He was among the scoring leaders last year at the U18’s as an underager and this Czech team will only go as far as he can take them.

Top Players to Watch

Eduard Sale of Czech Republic during the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship game between Austria and Czech Republic on December 28, 2022 in Halifax.
Photo: Simon Hastegård / BILDBYRÅN / kod SH / SH0387

Eduard Sale (F)

As mentioned, Sale was a standout at this tournament already last year as an underage player and he returns this year to try to help Czechia capture a medal. Sale always seems to be among the leading scorers of any international tournament that he plays against his peers and expectations are no different here. A skilled winger with size and great playmaking ability, Sale is a potential top ten selection this year.

Michael Hrabal (G)

It hasn’t been easy for Hrabal this year playing for Omaha in the USHL, one of the worst teams in the league. He has faced a ton of rubber and his consistency has suffered because of it. However, he is one of the top-rated goaltenders in this year’s draft for a reason. His combination of size and athleticism keeps him in every play and gives him high upside as an NHL starting netminder. In order for the Czechs to upset Sweden and Canada in the preliminary round, he is going to have to steal the show…and he’s capable of that.

Dominik Petr (F)

Life comes full circle for Petr. After a strong start at last year’s tournament as an underage player, he was hit awkwardly by fellow underager Ryan Leonard and suffered a tournament ending injury that saw him stretched off the ice. Since then, Petr hasn’t really been the same. A former highly touted player in this class, Petr is now seen as more of a mid to late round pick with upside. However, a strong showing at the U18’s could cause scouts to re-evaluate his standing.

Jakub Dvorak (D)

Is Dvorak one of the most under-scouted players in this year’s draft class? Injuries have limited his play this year, including missing the World Junior Championships. Additionally, when he has played, it has been in a limited role in the Czech men’s league. However, he appears to be healthy now and will suit up as the Czech’s top defender at the U18’s. All eyes will be on the big defender (6’5, 200lbs) to see if he can be a difference maker at both ends.

Adam Jiricek (D)

The younger brother of Columbus prospect David Jiricek, Adam shows significant promise for next year’s NHL draft and has been solid internationally for Czechia this year. The ‘06 defender will likely play a large role for Czechia at this event despite his young age. At the recent U18 four nations, he was a standout, and he will be entering the tournament with a lot of confidence.

Slovakia

It has been 20 years since Slovakia medalled at this event and they will be facing an uphill battle to do so again after being placed in such a strong division after requalifying. However, this team does have some talent and should be competitive. They will be led by forward Dalibor Dvorsky and Maxim Strbak, two significant draft prospects for this year and two players who were already a big part of Slovakia’s entry at the U20 WJC’s this past January. Of note, Erie Otters forward Ondrej Molnar has not been invited to play at the event due to the ongoing investigation over his actions during a floorball game earlier this year.

Top Players to Watch

Maxim Strbak (D)

A Michigan State commit, Strbak is the kind of defender you just know is going to be a long time pro. The 6’2 blueliner is mean, is relatively mobile, and is smart, a combination that should at least make him a dependable stay at home type at the NHL level. He was already fantastic at the U20’s for Slovakia, so it will be interesting to see him at this event competing against his age equivalent peers.

MONCTON, NEW BRUNSWICK - DECEMBER 30: Dalibor Dvorsky #15 of Slovakia battles for position against Dans Locmelis #11 of Latvia in Preliminary Round - Group B action at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship at Avenir Centre on December 30, 2022 in Moncton, New Brunswick. (Photo by Chris Tanouye/IIHF)

Dalibor Dvorsky (F)

This is a big tournament for Dvorsky. He was instrumental in helping Slovakia get back to the main group last year as an underager. The potential lottery pick has had a pretty up and down year playing in Sweden between the pro and the J20 level, but a big tournament would go a long way in convincing scouts that he is indeed one of the top forwards available this year.

Jakub Chromiak (D)

The younger brother of Los Angeles Kings’ prospect Martin, Jakub is a puck moving defender who played for the Sudbury Wolves of the OHL this year. A late ‘05 born, he is not eligible for the NHL Draft until next year. Quite frankly, his season in the OHL was a little underwhelming compared to the expectations, but the jump to North America can be a difficult one for young defenders. Chromiak is still a highly rated prospect for next year and he should be a top four defender on this Slovak team.

Germany

As someone with German roots, this one hurts a bit. However, Germany is in trouble at this event. Despite a resurgence of late, the ‘05 group for Germany is not a strong one. This is a team that lost a game to Japan recently. They were outgunned at the Hlinka/Gretzky Cup and things could get even uglier at the U18’s given the division they were placed in. The team will simply try to keep things competitive in every game of the round robin and then hope to avoid relegation by beating the low team from Division B. The one hope they do have is that they did manage to beat division A rival Slovakia in some lead up games.

Top Players to Watch

Kevin Bicker (F)

After a strong Hlinka/Gretzky Cup performance, Bicker drew a lot of interest from the scouting community as a potential 2023 NHL Draft selection. However, his performance in Germany this year left some to be desired, at least compared to previous German draft selections. Bicker is a high energy winger who plays with tenacity. Just how high the offensive upside is remains to be seen, but he should be one of the top offensive performers on this team.

Linus Brandl (F)

Another German forward who had a strong Hlinka/Gretzky Cup, Brandl is a bit different than his running mate Bicker. He’s more of a cerebral, skilled attacker who needs to gain the quickness and strength to be a more consistent presence off the puck. He will also be looked upon to be a top performer at this event and he is one of the few players on this German team with a chance of being drafted.

Timo Ruckdäschel (F)

Not a name that a lot of people know right now (he was not even listed by NHL Central Scouting at midterm), but Ruckdäschel may have been Germany’s most consistent ‘05 internationally this past season. A big, power forward, he is the kind of player who can match up against the big guns of this tough division. He has played much of this year at the pro level in Europe, in both the DEL and the AlpsHL. With a big U18’s, he could go from relative unknown to potential draft selection.

Norwin Panocha (D)

Don’t be hard on yourself if you haven’t heard this name yet. Just rest assured that the 6-foot, 170-pound defenseman has gone from an unknown to top of Germany’s defensive list for the scouting community. A cog and leader for Berlin’s very strong DNL outfit, Panocha’s solid and mature game earned him five viewings in the DEL2 as well as three games in the DEL. Expect to see him in a top four role at this tournament and perhaps even with a letter on his chest (Chapin Landvogt)

Edwin Tropmann (D)

First eligible for the 2024 NHL draft, Tropmann was already on last spring’s team and by the end of the tournament, he was on the top power play unit in the Ovechkin spot. A righty shot who is clearly a coaching staff favorite, Tropmann is coming off a solid winter where he put up more than a PPG for his DNL club while also collecting 131 penalty minutes in 43 games. The training wheels should be off at this tournament. He’s also got two games of DEL and four games of DEL2 experience. Look for him to log plenty of minutes at this tournament. (Chapin Landvogt)

Paul Mayer (D)

Mayer will likely be a third pairing defenseman at this tournament, but in local hockey circles, he’s spent several years being seen as an up-and-comer with NHL potential. At 17, he’s already 6’2”, 185 lbs., and spent this past season putting up 37 points in 46 DNL games. The season also saw him make his debut for the Mannheim Adler of the DEL after having played four DEL2 games as a 16-year-old. His pace is still a work in progress, but there are plenty of tools, plenty of size, and a lot of promise for a player who’ll first be a draft topic in the summer of 2024. He’s still getting his feet wet internationally. (Chapin Landvogt)

NHL PROSPECTS: 22-23 European Prospect Musings #2 – Prospects coming into focus in the stretch run

Chapin Landvogt — Wed, 08 Feb 2023 16:28:41 +0000

While the NHL All-Star Game has just wrapped up and NHL teams are gearing up for whatever trade deadline transactions they may intend to conduct at the end of the month, most European leagues are in the stretch run for playoff spots, with a few leagues just a half dozen games away from “the best time of the year”. Looking across Europe and even into Russia, there are plenty of interesting prospect notes, but not a whole of stories that have NHL teams licking their chops about a young man who is guiding the fortunes of his respective league, much less his team.

We’d like to take a look at some of the more notable stories that have been developing to this point in the season.

230103 Rögles William Wallinder, 3 januari 2023 i Växjö.
Foto: Jonas Ljungdahl / BILDBYRÅN

Sweden

Coming into the season as a favorite, Rogle has certainly not had the season it was expecting and is currently mired in 11th, yet only four points away from 8th place. The team has nonetheless seen several young draftees grow into bigger, if not chief roles. It was expected that Detroit’s Marco Kasper would grow on last season, and he has, putting up eight goals and 20 points to date. A number of his assists have come on the power play, and he’s had a top nine role pretty much all season. As a third-year pro, Adam Edstrom (NYR) is in the midst of a career season, even if his 12 points to date are only minimally more than what he’s produced the past two years. His role has grown and he’s looking a lot more at home in his 6’8”, 225-pound body.

Another Rangers pick, Oliver Tarnstrom, has taken on a much smaller role, but also suited up for 32 games now while Ottawa’s 2022 3rd rounder Oskar Pettersson has found himself in a Rogle jersey for 21 games, which might have been more had he not spent several weeks playing for the WJC squad. Each has two points in the SHL this year. Buffalo’s SHL recent 7th rounder Linus Sjodin has suited up for 41 games (six points) himself, although this is his second full season in the SHL.

But the real story on the prospect front have been the defensemen William Wallinder (DET) and Adam Engstrom (MON). A recent second rounder, Wallinder was already a contributing regular last season, but his role has grown into that of the team’s go-to player on the blueline. He not only leads all defensemen with 23 points in 41 games but is third on the entire team in scoring. At the same time, Engstrom has wiggled his way into what is basically a top 4 role, contributing 10 points in 32 games along the way. That actually has him 5th overall in the SHL in junior rookie scoring. The world got to see how far he’s come when he put up three points and a +6 at the WJC for Team Sweden. His star is rising considerably on the prospect front.

As should come as no surprise, the top scorers in the league continue to be veterans, with recent Maple Leaf Antti Suomela having led the way most of the season. His 24 goals and 48 points in just 38 games were good for tops and have him producing at a clip that few players have played at in the SHL over the past decade. He is however now trailing UFA and linemate Patrik Karlkvist, who has collected 50 points in 41 contests. Recent San Jose Shark Jonathan Dahlen, who headed back to his heart and hometown team Timra to play his first ever season of SHL play, is sitting 9th in league scoring with 17 goals and 32 points. The 25-year-old had 12 goals for the Sharks just last season.

But all eyes are still on Örebro HK forward Leo Carlsson, who’s coming off a 6-point WJC performance. He’s not blowing anything out of the water with his five goals and 18 points in 34 games, but as usually happens in a top pro league, vets tend to be relied upon more down the stretch run. His name still tops the list of draft eligibles, but we think NHL teams have got to have Axel Sandin-Pelikka ranked among their top 20 prospects for next summer’s event. And we’d advise any and everyone who is stat watching to disregard his mere five points in 22 games and the quiet assist at the WJC. His coaches already trust him. He’s getting PP time and he’s getting time at the end of the game when something is on the line. His understanding of the game, ice usage, and situations is simply something you don’t see much in a player this age.

A teammate of his in Skelleftea and on the U20 club is Zeb Forsfjall. The young man with a slight build has 10 games of SHL play and is looking like a lock for the U18 Worlds this spring. He is the younger brother of 20-year-old Mans Forsfjall who is undrafted but looking like quite the overage option in this summer’s draft, often found on the first line and having put up two goals, 13 points, and a +14 thus far this season. Would be fascinating if the brothers are both selected next summer.

There’s a whole bunch more going on across the nation in the SHL, Allsvenskan, and U20 circuit with a number of draft-eligible players getting shifts in pro hockey, but we continue to be very impressed with the J20 Nationell Noah Dower Nilsson, whose 48 points in 28 games means he’s clipping at a 1.78 PPG pace, which is a league-high. It’s only been good enough to get him into one game of SHL action, but the mother club Frolunda is chock full of options and, well, Detroit prospect Liam Dower Nilsson (22 games) looks to be blocking his path to the bigs at the moment.

Boston Bruins fans will be happy to hear that Latvian pick Dans Locmelis isn’t far behind Nilsson in U20 production with 47 points in 35 games, good for 6^th in the league. Lulea would have loved to test him at the SHL level by now, but that won’t be happening as Locmelis is scheduled to begin playing for the University of Massachusetts next fall. Expect this well-schooled and very experienced young man to have an instant impact on college hockey next season.

As the draft approaches, we’ll be spending time at the site with the likes of defenseman Theo Lindstein (22 games for Brynas), Frolunda two-way forward Otto Stenberg, and Danish surprise Oscar Molgaard (31 games and six points for HV71), but we’ll wrap up our look at Sweden with overage defenseman Oskar Asplund. In the midst of his second full season of HockeyAllsvenskan play, the heady two-way 5’11” defenseman already has five goals and 27 points in 39 games. It has earned him two games of SHL play with Skelleftea and overall, he reminds us a bit of former overager Adam Wilsby, who was selected in the 4th round by Nashville in the 2020 draft. Wilsby is currently suiting up for Milwaukee of the AHL. Asplund is even in the same organization.

Joakim Kemell of Finland celebrates after scoring 2-2 during the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship final between Canada and Finland on August 20, 2022 in Edmonton.
Photo: Joel Marklund / BILDBYRÅN /

Finland

The Finnish Liiga is well on its way to the finish line and one of the more astounding trends is that there are few players currently scoring at a PPG pace. Even the league leader Michael Joly has just 49 points in 48 games. Perhaps not surprising in light of that, but astounding nonetheless, is that Joona Ikonen (an undrafted 24-year-old) leads the league in goal-scoring behind Joly’s 21 goals with just 20 markers. Yes, in some cases, individual team scoring is simply spread across more shoulders, but the lack of individual scoring prowess is more akin to what we usually see in the SHL.

What this means is that a few current and former prospects are putting up numbers that are eyebrow-raising to say the least. Former Winnipeg Jets draft pick Sami Niku couldn’t edge out a solid NHL job despite at times outstanding AHL numbers. He was suiting up for the Montreal Canadiens just last season. At age 25, he decided he needed more job security and perhaps one very impressive season in Europe to get his name back into the minds of NHL GMs. Well, his nine goals and 37 points in 46 games for JYP is likely doing the trick while simultaneously making him the league’s top scorer among defensemen. An appearance at the men’s World Championship is all but a lock and then the question will be if Niku gets an offer that has a spot in an NHL line-up somewhat set in stone.

This past week, the Islanders moved arguably their top prospect in Aatu Raty to the Vancouver Canucks as part of the Bo Horvat trade, but his brother Aku Raty (ARI) is having himself a fine season for Ilves with 29 points and a +16 in 41 games. It’s a career best for the 21-year-old and is coming at a time where Arizona is going to want to decide on whether to sign him to an ELC. Really arriving on the scene has been Tampa Bay’s 2021 7th rounder, the 6’2”, 210-pound Niko Huuhtanen. Certainly, his 77 points in 64 games for the Everett Silvertips meant that he was already on the map for most prospect watchers, but he’s reinforced the belief that there’s a pro here with a sense for offensive generation, as his 15 goals and 27 points in 36 games go to show this season. That puts him within the top 40 in league-wide scoring, ahead of i.e., solid Maple Leafs prospect Roni Hirvonen, who himself is doing just fine with 24 points in 46 games for HIFK.

One name you’re not seeing is that of U18 and WJC star Joakim Kemell (NAS), whose 11 points and -14 rating in 32 games have him flying far below expectations. Quite the opposite is the case for Patrik Puistola (CAR), who leads all U23 players with 13 goals and 34 points in 48 games. That not only has him 12th in league scoring but means he’s the clear-cut go-to player for his Jukurit team, something that has to have the Hurricanes brass mighty excited about.

When it comes to Finland’s top junior league, there are not many NHL-drafted players currently plugging away at it, but Buffalo’s Viljami Marjala is second in league scoring with 48 points and a +29 in 31 games. He’s also put up two points in four games for Liiga club TPS and it’s felt he’ll conclude the season with the big club one way or another. You may remember that Marjala spent the past two seasons with the Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL. It was felt Nashville went a very safe route in picking all-round defenseman Kasper Kulonummi in the 3rd round last summer. His 39 points in 33 games has him second to teammate Leevi Sorvali (42 in 39 contests) league-wide in defenseman scoring. He’s seen 5 games of Liiga action for Tappara this season, which - in case you hadn’t heard - is Finland’s most hockey-crazy town.

True prospect fans will surely be wondering what 2024 top prospect Aron Kiviharju has been up to in recent weeks. Many had hoped to see him on this winter’s WJC squad, but the season has seen a more conservative approach. Having just turned 17, Kiviharju has gotten into 14 games of Liiga action (two assists and a +1 rating) while only being able to suit up for 20 U20 league games this year, in which he’s impacted play fairly considerably with a 1-16-17 and +11 statline. All fine, but not screaming superstar just now. Still, the U18 Worlds is where he’s expected to show the international scouting community just how far he’s come.

Germany

The DEL has been of special interest this year, but not so much due to any particular up-n-coming young players making noise.

No, it’s been all about a certain prospect making a major comebokk on the prospect scene. Oh yes, that play on words just couldn’t be skipped out on as former St. Louis Blues 1st rounder and current Carolina Hurricanes asset Dominik Bokk has spent all season letting the hockey world know he is not to be forgotten after, well, pretty much having gone forgotten in the Hurricanes organization. As we mentioned in the fall, he’s been playing for league newbie Frankfurt Lions after having won the championship with Berlin last season, with whom his cameo had little to do with Berlin’s fate when all was said and done. Now he’s spent most of the season leading the entire DEL in scoring, currently coming in at 24 goals and 49 points in 43 games. He’s doing it for a team that entered the year with but an outside shot at the playoffs and it has to be clear to anyone watching that he’s technically and physically a number too good for this league, one filled with former NHL and AHLers. His scoring has often been timely, and he’s constantly been able to create and make his teammates better.

If he hasn’t renewed Carolina’s interest, there must be a few teams out there wondering if this is your classic case of a late bloomer. Once the DEL year is over, he’s basically a lock for the men’s WC tournament, which will surely make him one of the more interesting viewings from an NHL standpoint. Or could he be part of a trade deadline package before that?

Unfortunately, Bokk was caught in an awkward check this weekend and will miss the remainder of the regular season with a shoulder injury.

What’s also been noteworthy this year is the goaltending position. Primarily young, German-born goaltenders have found themselves getting plenty of ice time and holding their own in the process. Yes, 26-year-old Maxi Franzreb is making the most of the season, getting more starts than any U27 goaltender and shining brightly with a 2.28 GAA and .925 save percentage. Mirko Pantkowski (24) has become a full-fledged starter himself, going 21-15 thus far for Cologne. But the kids really opening eyes are Arno Tiefensee (20), Florian Bugl (20), Tobias Ancicka (21), and - in a cameo appearance - Daniel Allavena (23), who went 4-1 over an emergency 5-game stretch for Munich. For the other three, Ancicka has 30 starts for Berlin as the go-to number 1 in goal, Bugl has gone 15-7 for Straubing since having initially filled in for the injured starter, and Tiefensee is way up there in the league with a 2.17 GAA, .919 SV%, and 10-5 record for Mannheim.

This century simply hasn’t witnessed this many German goalies successfully carrying this much responsibility in goal in Germany’s top league. And as everyone knows, NHL history is full of goaltenders signed out of Europe as free agents in their mid- to late 20s. Some of whom have ended up having successful careers, so these are names you’re going to want to have in the back of your mind moving forward. Also, if you’re wondering who the next minor league UFA signings á la Julian Napravnik and Kai Wissmann may be, two Ingolstadt Panthers have arrived on the scene this year in a big way, both quite unexpectedly. Defenseman Leon Huttl is just 22 and of average size, but his 19 points in 45 games have been accompanied by a +21 rating and he’s been effective in all three zones for a team that has experienced major injury hits to every position. Up front, Polish-born Wojciech Stakowiak has been the team’s fully unexpected all-everything contributor. Now 23, he was coming off of five- and six-point seasons, but now has 15 goals, 31 points, and a +16 in 46 games, finding himself on the ice in all key situations.

We already chronicled how a number of U21 players had started getting a shot to kick off the season and we must say, it hasn’t stopped. The number of players 21 and under who have gotten a shot in the DEL this season has been astounding, with 16-year-old defenseman Max Merkl (Nuremberg), 17-year-old defenseman Paul Mayer (Mannheim), and 18-year-olds Edmund Junemann (Düsseldorf) and Lukas Ullmann (Ingolstadt) having basically come out of nowhere to get into a handful of games. With injuries on the blueline, Ingolstadt even reacquired 18-year-old defenseman Niklas Hubner out of Finnish juniors, and he’s suited up for each of the last seven games. We commented some years ago about how particularly the SHL was able to regularly churn out players aged 16-21 who were taking fairly regular shifts. The DEL knew it had to follow suit in order for the quality of players to increase and provide the nation with more quality depth. Just that seems to be happening as we write.

Russia

The Matvei Michkov watch has been gaining momentum since he was loaned out to HK Sochi. After just three scoreless games with St. Petersburg and then an eye-popping 10 goals and 14 points in 12 games with SKA’s VHL outfit, Michkov found himself in the show on a scoring line with a Sochi team that had an offensive role to offer. The result has been five goals and nine points in 17games, with three of those points coming in the two most recent games. All things Russia continue to be taboo, but in a time where Connor Bedard is running away with the first overall pick status, the hockey world has got to be back to asking whether Michkov isn’t still the second-best option at this summer’s draft?

Like with the Finnish Liiga, players clipping at a PPG pace are hard to come by in the KHL this year. Former NHLer Dmitri Jaskin is back to his scoring ways though, leading the league with 33 goals (3^rd with 50 points) in 59 games, closely followed by German national Brooks Macek, who has 31 in 52 games. At the same time, impending 26-year-old free agent Marat Khairullin is having a career year for SKA with 25 goals and 50 points, blowing his previous high of 32 points out of the water. Will he be sought after like Andrey Kuzmenko was last offseason?

Pleasantly though, several NHL prospects are making some real noise with career years. It simply must be pointed out that Carolina’s 21-year-old defensive prospect Alexander Nikishin, who measures in at an imposing 6’4” and 216 pounds, leads ALL defensemen in scoring with 10 goals and 49 points in 57 games. It’s basically a season for the ages in a league still dominated by older veterans. The question is when and if he’s coming over and just how his game will translate. But he’s clearly the NHL asset with the most traction in Europe this season. Almost just as impressive is the work being put in by Colorado’s Nikolai Kovalenko , who checks in at 6th overall in league scoring with 19 goals and 48 points in 50 games. A chip off the old block, it’ll be interesting to see if Colorado feels Kovalenko’s work is in line with an ELC this offseason.

Two other highly touted prospects keeping things extremely fascinating are New Jersey’s Arseni Gritsyuk (21) and Minnesota’s Marat Khusnutdinov (20). Whereas Gritsyuk pretty much arrived on the scene last season with 22-16-38 in 52 contests, he’s now heading towards the playoffs with Omsk sporting 13-21-34 numbers as more of a set-up man for Reid Boucher (25 goals) and Vladimir Tkachev (20 goals). It’s Khusnitdinov who is truly arriving this season as his 11-26-37 and +12 statline for SKA marks a true step in development, far outweighing anything done the past three seasons, where he already showed some glimpses of what was to come. Hard to imagine that GM Bill Guerin won’t be looking to get him over to North America for next season.

Out of the nation’s second tier league, VHL, there are three players who have caught our eyes as being noteworthy. Up front, Detroit’s 2022 2nd rounder Dmitri Buchelnikov, who can be quite the wizard with the puck on his blade, has 14 goals, 27 points, and a +9 in just 32 games. He’s also chipped in 12 points in four MHL contests as well as two points in 10 KHL games for St. Petersburg. In short, he’s having a wildly successful DY+1 season. On the defensive side, we let you know that we’d be closely watching LA Kings’ draft pick Kirill Kirsanov and he hasn’t disappointed in a developmental capacity. After starting off on fire, his overall game has leveled out to a sound 13 points and +13 rating in 28 games, but he’s been a PPG player in five MHL games and has gotten his feet wet in nine KHL contests (one assist, -5 rating). The 6’1”, 198-pound defender is right on track in his development. The league is also playing host to a 23-draft prospect who has been gaining traction. Alexander Rykov is a mid-sized forward who has 11 points in 20 games for Chelyabinsk and has even gotten into six KHL games (no stats) for Traktor. He’s exactly the type of player we’d have loved to see at the U18 Worlds this spring.

Another young man we’d like to make mention of is 19-year-old forward Nikita Grebyonkin. After a very impressive draft year in the junior circuit MHL, collecting 77 points and a +42 in 67 total games, Grebyonkin has spent the majority of this season loaned out to Amur Khabarovsk with whom he’s put up nine goals, 23 points, and a +3 in 40 games. Already a fan favorite for the club’s faithful, Grebyonkin is generally a player who just hasn’t played in a spotlight location. What we’re seeing is an astute 5^th pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs whose slick style and 6’2”, 180-pound frame is looking very promising moving forward. That said, his skating is that of a later round draft pick.

The notes are currently minimal on both the NHL and prospect fronts in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Switzerland, but there are a few player situations developing there that we’ll look to highlight in the next edition. The upcoming playoffs will surely give us much to muse about as the spring rolls around.

2023 NHL DRAFT: MCKEEN’S MID-SEASON TOP 100 RANKING (SUBSCRIBERS)

Brock Otten — Tue, 31 Jan 2023 18:05:54 +0000

Connor Bedard. Photo by Candice Ward.

Many important scouting events have come and gone, such as the World Junior Championships, the World Junior A Challenge, the Biosteel All American game, and the CHL Top Prospect’s Game. That means it is time for McKeen’s Hockey to update our draft rankings for the 2023 NHL draft. Back in November, we released our preliminary top 50 (found here). This time around, we have expanded our ranking to a top 100 (plus 20 honorable mentions).

The first round of this list continues to be dominated by the Western Hockey League. Four of our top ten and nine of our top 32 (first round graded) are WHL players. The United States has a very strong presence in our first round ranking too, with eight players playing south of the Canadian border.

Positionally, forwards continue to dominate the vast majority of our first-round spots, with only six defenders and two goaltenders bucking that trend. Of particular interest, we do not have a defender ranked inside of our Top 13. Is it possible that no defender is drafted inside of the top 10 in Nashville this June? According to our scouts…yes. However, it is also important to note that this is exceptionally rare. The last time no defender was taken inside of the Top 10 was 1983 (Bobby Dollas at 14th overall to Winnipeg)!

Several players made huge leaps upward in our midseason rankings. Among them are Ryan Leonard, Oliver Moore, Dmitri Simashev, Oliver Bonk, David Reinbacher, and Quentin Musty. Leonard is a strong two-way goal scoring winger with an athletic skill set. Oliver Moore is one of the best skating forwards available this year and also plays a mature two-way game. Both have stood out positively of late for the U.S. NTDP. Dmitri Simashev is a massive defender who brings physicality and mobility, but who is also gaining confidence in his offensive abilities. Oliver Bonk has emerged as one of the top defensive defenders in the OHL; a fact that was on display at this year’s Top Prospect’s Game. David Reinbacher continues to perform well in Switzerland and was a standout for an overmatched Austrian squad at the WJC’s. All three defenders are surging up our rankings and could finish the year even higher with continued strong play. Meanwhile, Quentin Musty has played very well in Sudbury post coaching change and his upside remains extremely intriguing.

Without further ado, here is our Top 100 (with 20 honorable mentions):

RANK	PLAYER	POS	TEAM	HT/WT	DOB	GP-G-A-PTS
1	Connor Bedard	C	Regina (WHL)	5-10/185	17-Jul-05	34-42-43-85
2	Adam Fantilli	C	Michigan (B1G)	6-2/195	12-Oct-04	22-16-24-40
3	Leo Carlsson	C	Orebro (SHL)	6-3/200	26-Dec-04	31-5-13-18
4	Matvei Michkov	RW	HK Sochi (KHL)	5-10/170	9-Dec-04	14-4-2-6
5	Will Smith	C	USN U18 (USDP)	6-0/175	17-Mar-05	36-28-41-69
6	Andrew Cristall	LW	Kelowna (WHL)	5-9/165	4-Feb-05	36-26-36-62
7	Zach Benson	LW	Winnipeg (WHL)	5-9/160	12-May-05	41-25-41-66
8	Nate Danielson	C	Brandon (WHL)	6-1/185	27-Sep-04	45-23-33-56
9	Eduard Sale	LW	Kometa Brno (Cze)	6-2/175	10-Mar-05	34-3-5-8
10	Dalibor Dvorsky	C	AIK (Allsvenskan)	6-1/200	15-Jun-05	27-4-7-11
11	Ryan Leonard	RW	USN U18 (USDP)	5-11/190	21-Jan-05	34-25-27-52
12	Oliver Moore	C	USN U18 (USDP)	5-11/185	22-Jan-05	37-21-26-47
13	Brayden Yager	C	Moose Jaw (WHL)	5-11/165	3-Jan-05	48-20-35-55
14	Dmitri Simashev	D	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL)	6-4/200	4-Feb-05	15-0-0-0
15	Colby Barlow	LW	Owen Sound (OHL)	6-0/195	14-Feb-05	42-36-27-63
16	Lukas Dragicevic	D	Tri-City (WHL)	6-1/190	25-Apr-05	44-13-42-55
17	Axel Sandin Pellikka	D	Skelleftea (SHL)	5-11/180	11-Mar-05	19-2-3-5
18	Mikhail Gulyayev	D	Avangard Omsk (KHL)	5-11/170	26-Apr-05	12-0-1-1
19	Daniil But	LW	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL)	6-5/200	15-Feb-05	12-1-0-1
20	Carson Bjarnason	G	Brandon (WHL)	6-3/185	30-Jun-05	17-14-2, 2.90, .911
21	Calum Ritchie	C	Oshawa (OHL)	6-2/185	21-Jan-05	43-19-25-44
22	Gavin Brindley	C	Michigan (B1G)	5-8/165	5-Oct-04	26-3-14-17
23	Gabe Perreault	RW	USN U18 (USDP)	5-11/165	7-May-05	39-35-41-76
24	Matthew Wood	RW	UConn (HE)	6-3/195	6-Feb-05	27-9-16-25
25	Riley Heidt	C	Prince George (WHL)	5-10/180	25-Mar-05	44-19-41-60
26	David Reinbacher	D	Kloten (Sui-NL)	6-2/185	25-Oct-04	36-2-17-19
27	Caden Price	D	Kelowna (WHL)	6-0/185	24-Aug-05	44-5-19-24
28	Ethan Gauthier	RW	Sherbrooke (QMJHL)	5-11/175	26-Jan-05	45-17-32-49
29	Quentin Musty	LW	Sudbury (OHL)	6-2/200	6-Jul-05	32-12-36-48
30	Kasper Halttunen	LW	HIFK (Fin-Liiga)	6-3/205	7-Jun-05	24-0-1-1
31	Otto Stenberg	C	Frolunda (Swe J20)	5-11/180	29-May-05	23-8-12-20
32	Michael Hrabal	G	Omaha (USHL)	6-6/210	20-Jan-05	6-9-3, 3.18, .899
33	Samuel Honzek	LW	Vancouver (WHL)	6-3/185	12-Nov-04	31-17-26-43
34	Jayden Perron	RW	Chicago (USHL)	5-9/165	11-Jan-05	37-16-18-34
35	Carson Rehkopf	LW	Kitchener (OHL)	6-1/195	7-Jan-05	42-19-18-37
36	Roman Kantserov	RW	Stalnye Lisy (MHL)	5-9/175	20-Sep-04	38-21-22-43
37	Oliver Bonk	D	London (OHL)	6-2/175	9-Jan-05	43-9-19-28
38	Beau Akey	D	Barrie (OHL)	5-11/170	11-Feb-05	42-7-29-36
39	Timur Mukhanov	C	Omskie Krylia (VHL)	5-8/170	17-Jun-05	28-3-4-7
40	Koehn Ziemmer	RW	Prince George (WHL)	6-0/205	8-Dec-04	44-26-36-62
41	Bradly Nadeau	LW	Penticton (BCHL)	5-10/165	5-May-05	37-31-42-73
42	Tom Willander	D	Rogle (Swe J20)	6-1/180	9-Feb-05	30-4-15-19
43	Luca Pinelli	C	Ottawa (OHL)	5-8/165	5-Apr-05	44-20-27-47
44	William Whitelaw	RW	Youngstown (USHL)	5-9/170	5-Feb-05	35-20-15-35
45	Trey Augustine	G	USN U18 (USDP)	6-1/185	23-Feb-05	14-0-2, 2.29, .925
46	Theo Lindstein	D	Brynas (SHL)	6-0/180	5-Jan-05	19-1-1-2
47	Mathieu Cataford	C	Halifax (QMJHL)	5-11/185	1-Mar-05	45-22-31-53
48	Charlie Stramel	C	Wisconsin (B1G)	6-3/215	15-Oct-04	23-5-4-9
49	Kaden Hammell	D	Kam-Evt (WHL)	6-1/175	12-Mar-05	45-6-10-16
50	Alexander Rykov	RW	Chelmet Chelyabinsk (VHL)	5-11/170	14-Jul-05	20-4-7-11
51	Maxim Strbak	D	Sioux Falls (USHL)	6-1/205	13-Apr-05	29-5-10-15
52	Tanner Molendyk	D	Saskatoon (WHL)	5-11/185	3-Feb-05	43-6-19-25
53	Anton Wahlberg	C	Malmo (Swe J20)	6-3/195	4-Jul-05	32-14-13-27
54	Carey Terrance	C	Erie (OHL)	6-0/175	10-May-05	43-20-11-31
55	Cam Allen	D	Guelph (OHL)	6-0/195	7-Jan-05	39-4-15-19
56	Tyler Peddle	LW	Drummondville (QMJHL)	6-0/195	28-Jan-05	45-18-13-31
57	Gracyn Sawchyn	C	Seattle (WHL)	5-11/160	19-Jan-05	43-15-32-47
58	Jesse Nurmi	LW	KooKoo (Fin-U20)	5-10/165	7-Mar-05	35-19-27-46
59	Carter Sotheran	D	Portland (WHL)	6-3/195	26-Jun-05	45-3-16-19
60	Nikita Susuyev	RW	MHK Spartak Moskva (MHL)	6-0/170	6-Feb-05	34-9-16-25
61	Aram Minnetian	D	USN U18 (USDP)	5-11/190	19-Mar-05	38-5-18-23
62	Arttu Karki	D	Tappara (Fin-U20)	6-1/175	8-Dec-04	30-12-22-34
63	Noah Dower Nilsson	LW	Frolunda (Swe J20)	6-0/175	25-Apr-05	26-24-21-45
64	Scott Ratzlaff	G	Seattle (WHL)	6-0/175	9-Mar-05	17-5-0, 2.26, .917
65	Andrew Strathmann	D	Youngstown (USHL)	5-10/190	27-Feb-05	29-2-23-25
66	Kalan Lind	LW	Red Deer (WHL)	6-0/160	25-Jan-05	41-15-27-42
67	Jesse Kiiskinen	RW	Pelicans (Fin-U20)	5-11/180	23-Aug-05	27-17-21-38
68	Etienne Morin	D	Moncton (QMJHL)	6-0/180	9-Mar-05	43-15-31-46
69	Coulson Pitre	RW	Flint (OHL)	6-0/170	13-Dec-04	41-19-22-41
70	Felix Nilsson	C	Rogle (Swe J20)	6-0/176	22-Jun-05	26-16-17-33
71	Hunter Brzustewicz	D	Kitchener (OHL)	5-11/185	29-Nov-04	42-3-30-33
72	Jakub Dvorak	D	Bili Tygri Liberec (Cze)	6-5/205	25-May-05	24-0-2-2
73	Andrew Gibson	D	Soo Greyhounds (OHL)	6-3/195	13-Feb-05	38-7-11-18
74	Ondrej Molnar	LW	Erie (OHL)	5-10/170	8-Feb-05	16-2-7-9
75	Martin Misiak	RW	Nove Zamky (Svk)	6-2/195	30-Sep-04	29-1-9-10
76	Luca Cagnoni	D	Portland (WHL)	5-9/180	21-Dec-04	44-12-34-46
77	Lenni Hameenaho	RW	Assat (Fin-Liiga)	6-0/175	7-Nov-04	35-5-10-15
78	Alex Ciernik	LW	Sodertalje (Swe J20)	5-11/175	8-Oct-04	11-7-7-14
79	Denver Barkey	C	London (OHL)	5-8/160	27-Apr-05	43-12-28-40
80	Oliver Tulk	C	Calgary (WHL)	5-7/170	19-Jan-05	46-19-22-41
81	Oscar Fisker Molgaard	C	HV 71 (SHL)	6-0/165	18-Feb-05	28-4-1-5
82	Matthew Mania	D	Sudbury (OHL)	6-1/180	11-Jan-05	43-7-18-25
83	Gavin McCarthy	D	Muskegon (USHL)	6-1/180	2-Jun-05	20-4-14-18
84	Noel Nordh	RW	Brynas (SHL)	6-3/195	25-Jan-05	10-1-0-1
85	Jacob Fowler	G	Youngstown (USHL)	6-1/215	24-Nov-04	13-6-3, 2.63, .914
86	Aydar Suniev	LW	Penticton (BCHL)	6-1/200	16-Nov-04	33-26-31-57
87	Emil Jarventie	LW	Ilves (Fin-U20)	5-9/165	4-Apr-05	21-8-11-19
88	Danny Nelson	C	USN U18 (USDP)	6-3/200	3-Aug-05	38-12-16-28
89	Yegor Klimovich	RW	Sibirskie Snaipery (MHL)	5-9/160	14-May-05	28-9-21-30
90	Adam Gajan	G	Green Bay (USHL)	6-2/165	6-May-04	5-1-0, 2.48, .906
91	Quinton Burns	D	Kingston (OHL)	6-1/180	14-Apr-05	36-1-20-21
92	Grayden Siepmann	D	Calgary (WHL)	5-10/185	26-May-04	45-8-27-35
93	Yegor Zavragin	G	Mamonty Yugry (MHL)	6-2/185	23-Aug-05	9-6-1, 2.55, .919
94	Owen Beckner	C	Salmon Arm (BCHL)	6-1/175	27-Feb-05	36-12-21-33
95	Aiden Fink	RW	Brooks (AJHL)	5-9/155	24-Nov-04	43-30-50-80
96	Matthew Soto	RW	Kingston (OHL)	5-10/180	31-Aug-05	44-13-22-35
97	Eric Pohlkamp	D	Cedar Rapids (USHL)	5-10/200	23-Mar-04	31-12-20-32
98	Nick Lardis	LW	Pbo-Ham (OHL)	5-10/165	8-Jul-05	41-21-16-35
99	Jayson Shaugabay	RW	Warroad (USHS-MN)	5-9/155	4-May-05	18-22-39-61
100	Brad Gardiner	C	Ottawa (OHL)	6-0/180	6-Mar-05	45-17-11-28
HM	Ethan Miedema	LW	Wsr-Kgn (OHL)	6-4/205	22-Mar-05	45-12-22-35
HM	Brady Cleveland	D	USN U18 (USDP)	6-5/210	1-Apr-05	34-0-5-5
HM	Joey Willis	C	Saginaw (OHL)	5-10/170	14-Mar-05	44-9-17-26
HM	Juraj Pekarcik	LW	Nitra (Svk)	6-1/185	12-Sep-05	26-0-3-3
HM	Spencer Sova	D	Erie (OHL)	6-0/185	10-Jan-04	44-14-17-31
HM	Zeb Forsfjall	C	Skelleftea (SHL)	5-9/170	16-Jan-05	10-1-0-1
HM	Kalle Carlsson	C	Orebro (Swe J20)	6-0/175	2-Mar-05	34-6-21-27
HM	David Edstrom	C	Frolunda (Swe J20)	6-3/185	18-Feb-05	22-10-12-22
HM	Felix Unger Sorum	RW	Leksands (Swe J20)	5-11/170	14-Sep-05	32-9-30-39
HM	Alex Pharand	C	Sudbury (OHL)	6-3/205	1-May-05	44-16-14-30
HM	Tuomas Uronen	RW	HIFK (Fin-U20)	5-11/180	19-Mar-05	31-13-19-32
HM	Tanner Adams	RW	Tri-City (USHL)	5-11/185	2-Sep-05	27-8-10-18
HM	Mazden Leslie	D	Vancouver (WHL)	6-0/195	15-Apr-05	45-8-25-33
HM	Juha Jatkola	G	KalPa (Fin-Liiga)	6-1/175	12-Sep-02	16-10-6, 2.14, .909
HM	Connor Levis	RW	Kamloops (WHL)	6-1/190	5-Oct-04	43-11-25-36
HM	Owen Outwater	LW	Kingston (OHL)	6-2/160	4-Jan-05	39-10-18-28
HM	Easton Cowan	RW	London (OHL)	5-10/170	20-May-05	44-12-17-29
HM	Rasmus Kumpulainen	C	Pelicans (Fin-U20)	6-2/190	8-Aug-05	36-11-20-31
HM	Emil Pieniniemi	D	Karpat (Fin-U20)	6-2/170	2-Mar-05	26-0-10-10
HM	Austin Roest	C	Everett (WHL)	5-9/175	22-Jan-04	46-26-35-61

2022 World Junior A Challenge – Draft Eligible Standout/Disappointing Performances

Brock Otten — Tue, 03 Jan 2023 22:59:43 +0000

Recently we saw the return of a scouting favourite, the World Junior A Challenge. This year’s tournament in Cornwall, Ontario ended a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic. The 2022 version saw some differences compared to what we are used to when covering this long-standing event (dating back to 2006). Firstly, Russia was not invited. Secondly, due to their exit from the CJHL, BCHL players were not part of the available player pool that Canada West could select from. Thirdly, we saw Sweden and Latvia enter the tournament in place of Russia and Czechia (usual participants).

This year, the United States captured gold over Canada East, winning the event for the ninth time in 15 years. Cole Knuble (USA) was named tournament MVP and Aiden Fink (Canada West) led the tournament in scoring with 12 points, tying the previous mark set by Andrei Svechnikov, Brendan Brisson, and Nick Schmaltz.

The World Junior A Challenge does not always draw the most attention, but it has previously been a critical event on the scouting radar. A close examination of the tournament's fifteen-year history and it is obvious why. In 2019, the last year this event ran, we were introduced to Devon Levi, as he backstopped Canada East to a silver medal. Cale Makar played in this event twice with Canada West, capturing a gold medal in 2016 and earning a spot on the all-star team in 2017. The likes of Andrei Svechnikov, Kyle Turris, Nick Schmaltz, Nik Ehlers, Vladimir Tarasenko, Nikita Kucherov, Andrei Vasilevsky, Cam Talbot, and many more, are past participants. As a scout, or scouting team, it is important to view this event through a critical lens. Do not sleep on it.

This article will examine the top performances by NHL draft eligible players at the event, in addition to a few disappointments.

First Year Draft Eligibles

Aiden Fink - Wing - Canada West

Coming into the tournament, Fink was the player I was most intrigued by. A late born 2004 and Wisconsin commit, the 5’9 forward has torched the AJHL this year with Brooks. He carried that over seamlessly, tying the tournament record with 12 points, even if it was in a medalless effort. There is no question that Fink is going to need to add strength. Listed at 150lbs, his lack of strength is definitely noticeable at times on the ice as he gets outmuscled off the puck. However, that is why taking the NCAA route makes sense for him. He will have ample time to build strength and mature physically, allowing him to improve his consistency when playing against better competition.

What Fink does extremely well is use his combination of skill, smarts, and agility to carve up open space, and create scoring chances for he and his linemates. He keeps the puck on a string as he looks to attack, weaving in and out of traffic. He may not have the elite level separation speed that you like to see from a smaller winger, but his quickness in all four directions, lateral explosiveness, and overall agility are all high end making him difficult to contain. His anticipation in the offensive zone appears to be a significant strength too, as his off-puck movement is deliberate and effective; he consistently weasels his way behind defenders to get open looks. His energy level is also high, and he shows little fear of playing in the corners or near the net, an integral quality for any smaller, skilled forward.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/1-aiden_fink_-_3rd_period_5_57_-_6_14.mp4

Love this play by Fink. Really shows us the entirety of his skill set. He comes away with the puck in the neutral zone and looks to push into the offensive zone one on four. He goes behind the back to prevent the defender from using a stick check, enabling him to get the puck in deep. Then he stays on the puck, helps to secure possession and makes a great read out front to a Canada West teammate for the goal.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/2-aiden_fink_-_2nd_period_33_57_-_34_14.mp4

Check out the great read and pass on the powerplay by Fink. Holds the puck long enough to suck in both high defenders before dishing off. Then he heads to the net for the eventual tap in.

Felix Unger Sörum - Wing - Team Sweden

For this event, Sweden essentially sent their U18 team, minus Sandin-Pellikka as he prepared to suit up at the WJC’s. On a team full of highly rated forwards, Unger Sörum stood out the most despite not being the most hyped of the group. He tied for the team lead in scoring and really put himself on the map after being cut from the Hlinka/Gretzky team in the summer. It is obvious that he is one of the most improved players in the age group for Sweden. Additionally, he is going to be the youngest player eligible this year with a September 14th birth date, giving him tons of room to develop physically compared to his peers.

Unger Sörum is not the most dynamic or explosive skater in this group. He’s also not the most creative or skilled with the puck. However, there is something about his game that screams potential pro. He protects it well under pressure and/or escapes pressure in all three zones by making quick decisions. He drives the net and exerts pressure on the backcheck. He also shows a high end shot that gives him the potential to be a quality goal scorer. During this tournament, he was often Sweden’s most consistently dialed in forward and appears to be the type of a player who could carve out a long career as a complementary piece. Given his age, he also has intriguing physical potential.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/1-felix_unger_sorum_-_2nd_period_27_23_-_27_35.mp4

Here we see Unger Sörum creating his own scoring chance by outworking the Canada West defender down low. He then books it straight for the net, quickly elevating a wrist shot that gets turned aside. The release on his shot is impressive. He scored a few nice goals with it in the tournament and has shown well at the Swedish J20 level too. He just needs to get a little quicker and a little stronger to help him earn more looks to utilize it.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/2-felix_unger_sorum_-_3rd_period_13_46_-_14_8.mp4

This is just a really nice sequence by Unger Sörum. He supports the exit, sliding the puck from the corner, around the forechecker to Felix Nilsson. He then immediately takes off up ice to support the breakout. He eventually helps set up a goal making a nice feed back to Nilsson again in the slot. It is obvious that he sees the ice well and has a clear understanding of how to play without the puck.

Tom Willander - Defense - Team Sweden

2023 is a draft year without an established top defender thus far; it is still taking candidates. Sweden’s Tom Willander is a player who is starting to look like he belongs in the conversation. He had a strong Hlinka/Gretzky Cup in the summer, and with Sandin-Pellikka and Theo Lindstein absent, he stepped up to play nearly over 30 minutes per game for the Swedes in this tournament. He has decent size, good mobility, a right shot, and a well-rounded toolkit, all things that will make him attractive to NHL teams come June.

What stands out most about Willander is his poise under pressure and ability to move the puck. He rarely forces things and is not afraid to make the simple play to alleviate pressure. However, his strong mobility and quickness does give him the kind of separation necessary to help push pace as the primary attacker out of the defensive zone too. Not necessarily a physical player, he is an effective defensive zone presence nonetheless thanks to his mobility and strong stick. Having to take on such a large role at the WJAC, Willander was able to showcase his powerplay quarterbacking ability and that he, perhaps, has more offensive upside than was originally believed. It will be interesting to see how he finishes out the season, but there is certainly a case to be made that Sweden has the top three defenders eligible this year in Sandin-Pellikka, Theo Lindstein, and Willander.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/1-tom_willander_-_2nd_period_5_14_-_5_41.mp4

Good work here by Willander on the powerplay. He shows off a strong push to secure the puck coming out of a faceoff scrum then dumps it back in. Eventually, the puck works its way back to him at the point and he fires one in for the goal. Notice the slight hesitation to help open up the shooting lane for him.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/2-tom_willander_-_1st_period_12_3_-_12_20.mp4

Willander shows off a good stick in the defensive end, stripping the Canada West player of the puck. Then he shows excellent poise and footwork, helping him evade pressure from the forechecker, which leads to a successful breakout by Sweden.

Tanner Adams - Wing/Center - Team USA

Adams was a standout for the U.S. at last summer’s Hlinka/Gretzky and is having a strong draft year in the USHL with Tri-City, so naturally he was going to be a player of interest for scouts at this tournament. One of the very few 2005’s on the roster, Adams played a depth role for the U.S., and while he did not hit the score sheet all that often (three assists in six games), he was impressive for the same reasons that he was in the summer.

Adams is that classic high IQ, hardworking, lunch pail type of forward. He is very strong down low and along the wall, using his body to protect the puck while keeping his feet moving. He plays a 200ft game, applying pressure on the forecheck and the backcheck. He shows good vision and passing ability as a playmaker too, allowing him to create chances off of the turnovers he forces. He’s a more dynamic skater without the puck than with it (especially in terms of high-end speed), but he does find success in transition with his ability to work East/West while varying said speed. His first step quickness is only average, but once he gets going, his top speed can be impressive and give him separation. The Providence commit is quickly becoming a favourite of mine among this U.S. crop of draft prospects.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/1-tanner_adams_-_2nd_period_8_50_-_9_20.mp4

Really nice shift from Adams in the offensive zone. He works to get possession behind the net and immediately looks for the wrap around with a quick burst. He fights through the contact to get a shot off, then gathers his own rebound and makes a great pass to his defender at the point. Notice the skirmish at the end too, as he works his way to the front of the net.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/2-tanner_adams_-_2nd_period_17_49_-_18_29.mp4

Some great work on the penalty kill by Adams here, which was consistent throughout the entire tournament. He closes on the point quickly, suffocates the point man and helps get the puck out. Later we see his speed in play as he tracks down a dump in and nearly gets a good scoring chance shorthanded.

Andrew Strathmann - Defense - Team USA

Another Hlinka/Gretzky standout, Strathmann was the biggest recipient of increased playing time over the course of the tournament due to injuries (Gavin McCarthy and Garrett Brown). By the gold medal game, he was playing well over 20 minutes per game and was anchoring the penalty kill. The North Dakota commit is a competitive two-way defender who can lead the offensive attack with his strong puck skills and skating ability or shut down attacks by being an aggressive stopper.

In the USHL with Youngstown, Strathmann anchors the powerplay and takes the lead as an offensive play driver, so it was interesting to see him in a slightly different role on this U.S. team at the WJAC. Without question, Strathmann is at his best when he is aggressive both offensively and defensively. He exits the zone well using his feet and can really push pace with how well he escapes pressure. However, his first pass and decision making inside the defensive zone does need work, something that was noticeable at the event as he succumbed to pressure from the forecheck and tried to force passes in a panic. His ability to defend in the neutral zone is excellent and he will step up to play the body or puck to stop progression of the puck early. As play gets deeper in his zone, his board work is inconsistent and he can become a little complacent, leading to some lazy stick infractions. As he further learns to use his skating ability, his upside is significant.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/1-andrew_strathmann_-_2nd_period_2_12_-_2_39.mp4

This clip shows Strathmann’s offensive prowess. He circles back to pick up a missed pass and quickly jumps on the counter attack, making a great pass to a U.S. teammate to help enter the zone. However, he makes the read that every Canada East defender has their back to the play, so he jumps up to split the defense and nearly gets himself a good look at the net front.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/2-andrew_strathmann_-_2nd_period_29_42_-_29_58.mp4

As mentioned, Strathmann is often at his best when he is aggressive defensively. He closes quickly to break up an entry attempt by Sweden at the line with a good stick, then chips the puck up to a teammate who can now counter quickly for the partial breakaway. Strathmann’s quick thinking defensively catches Sweden on the change and is the sole reason why this chance occurs.

Zeb Forsfjall - Center - Team Sweden

Zeb Forsfjäll made noise earlier this season by becoming the first 2005 born forward to score in the SHL for Skellefteå. He had a solid Hlinka/Gretzky Cup in the summer and was tied for the team lead in scoring at the WJAC. Forsfjäll is not big, but he is tenacious and energetic. This translates to fairly consistent two-way success.

There is bound to be some concern that Forsfjäll is not the kind of dynamic skater that you want to see from a 5’9 center. There is certainly room for him to get quicker and more explosive. He is more calculated in his approach to carrying the puck as a result. However, his vision with the puck, small area skill, off puck anticipation and movement, and two-way commitment are all strengths. He earned a lot of good looks in the “home plate” area during this tournament by outworking defenders or by slipping behind coverage. He also looked terrific on the penalty kill, where his motor and IQ are put to good use. I’ve seen some discussion about him being a top 50 selection, and while I would not quite endorse that given the size/skating deficits, Forsfjäll is someone who deserves to be firmly on the draft radar.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/1-zeb_forsfjall_-_1st_period_5_41_-_5_58.mp4

Great work by Forsfjäll on the penalty kill that leads to a shorthanded goal. He showcases a quick stick to disrupt two passes, with the final disruption leading directly to his goal.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/2-zeb_forsfjall_-_3rd_period_0_13_-_0_26.mp4

More great work by Forsfjäll on the PK. Jake Livanavage tries to exit the zone and Forsfjäll prevents him from building up speed by angling him to the wall. Then he finishes his check, allowing the Swedes to take control and kill time.

Felix Nilsson - Center - Team Sweden

A high IQ, playmaking center, Nilsson had his best performance to date at the international level after slightly underwhelming at the Hlinka/Gretzky and the Five Nations. He, too, had four points at the WJAC and always seemed to find himself around the puck. His play in recent months has really been trending up in the J20, so it was no surprise to see him play so well at the World Junior A Challenge.

I wouldn’t call Nilsson an elite skater, but he is efficient. He understands how to use linear crossovers to build up speed coming out of pivots, and this makes him an unpredictable cover as he looks to gain the offensive blueline. He has excellent vision with the puck and is a precise passer, even under heavy defensive pressure. He is not the type of player to hang on to the puck too long or attempt to take down defenders one on one; he instead opts for quick one touch passes or passes out of stops, allowing him to survey the ice. Nilsson is also competitive away from the puck and this makes him a fairly strong defensive presence already. His NHL upside may not be considerably high, but there is a well-rounded skill set here that will make him an attractive option for NHL teams. His positive progression over the season already is encouraging.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/1-felix_nilsson_-_1st_period_27_6_-_27_19.mp4

This is a great example of Nilsson’s passing prowess. Working the flank on the powerplay, Nilsson threads the needle through two Canada West defenders to find Felix Unger Sorum for the goal on the man advantage.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/2-felix_nilsson_-_3rd_period_13_45_-_14_7.mp4

Earlier we looked at Unger Sorum’s role in this goal, but now let’s look at it from the lens of Nilsson. He leads the attack into the offensive zone, then makes a drop pass after cutting to the middle, effectively picking two Canada East defenders. This allows Under Sorum to take the outside lane. After getting turned around, Nilsson shows good footwork to open himself back up for the return pass, finishing off the play with a beautiful pass to a teammate for the tap in. Now, there’s a chance that Nilsson fanned on that shot attempt and it happened to go to his Swedish teammate net side, but we’ll give him the benefit of the doubt here.

Jacob Fowler - Goaltender - Team USA

The 2023 goaltending crop is really starting to look strong. After a strong rookie year with Youngstown of the USHL last year, the late 2004 born Fowler has been solid for a middling Phantoms team again this year. So it was no surprise to see Fowler backstop the U.S. to a gold medal at the WJAC. The (recent) Boston College commit combines good size (6’2), with solid athleticism and poise and his performance here likely did wonders for those considering him as a possible top three round selection.

Fowler’s most noticeable positive trait is his quick pads. He is very refined in his movement. This “quietness” helps to close holes as he moves laterally, making him very tough to beat without elevating the puck. He also shuts down second chance opportunities by limiting rebounds or by showing a quick stick to clear the net front. His poise and confidence in the crease is obvious and he looks the part of a future NHL netminder. His north/south movement could be a little cleaner, especially as he can get trapped deep in his net rather than challenge shooters. However, few young goaltenders are completely flawless. Based on my viewings last year and this year, I would put Fowler just a shade behind Hrabal and Bjarnason (both rated in our preliminary first round for 2023) among goalies available.

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Let’s look at three great sequences from Fowler in the gold medal game. This is the first one. Fowler makes a big save early on to keep the game scoreless. Notice the quietness and control of his lateral movement as he pushes to stop the shot from the slot during this partial two on one. He stays square to the shooter, taking away the middle, rather than overcommitting, which would expose the far side.

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This time Fowler has to cover more ground to make the save on the two on one, pushing hard to his right to make a huge save late in the game.

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Lastly, this sequence from Fowler shows off impressive play tracking ability and poise. He makes a great initial save by reading the pass coming out from behind the net. Then he battles hard to get out to challenge a shooter, remaining centered to make a second save. Later we see his quick pads kick a shot back into the corner, rather than to the slot, negating a second chance opportunity.

Players Entering their Second/Third Year of Draft Eligibility

Cole Knuble - Center - Team USA

It was actually pretty shocking to see Knuble go undrafted last year (we ranked him 90th for 2022) given his production and pedigree (as the son of former NHL’er Mike Knuble). However, he has returned to the USHL (delaying his commitment to Notre Dame) and has really upped his game this year. At the WJAC’s, Knuble was a consistent offensive threat and as a result, was named the tournament’s MVP (joining a list of many NHL players).

Knuble looks noticeably stronger on the puck compared to last year and his skating looks slightly more explosive. His edgework and agility have become an asset as he makes quick adjustments to make himself difficult to contain. His hands in tight remain really good (a skill, no doubt, acquired from his father) and he is still the type of player that brings energy away from the puck. Given his play at this tournament and his play overall this year, it would be shocking to see Knuble go through another draft unselected.

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Really like this sequence by Knuble. He supports his defender below the goal line to lead the breakout. He makes a couple quick moves to help him gain the blueline then opens himself up for a pass, before making a great one touch pass to set up a teammate for the goal.

Andrew Ness - Goaltender - Canada West

Is Ness a classic late blooming goaltender? All signs would point to yes. He has gone from playing in (more like starring in) the Manitoba U18 league last year to being one of the best goalies in the AJHL this year for Fort McMurray. This has earned him a scholarship to Bemidji State and his strong performance at the WJAC surely turned some heads in the NHL scouting community.

Ness is extremely athletic, which is impressive given his length (at 6’2). He covers post to post extremely well and is able to challenge shooters by being aggressive. He can fall into some scrambling tendencies, which opens up some holes and makes him susceptible to the odd “bad” goal, but he has significant potential because of his quickness and play tracking ability.

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Ness entered the game against Sweden in relief (so ignore the score). This sequence shows his athletic capabilities as he scrambles to make a few saves. Unfortunately, his strongest performance against the Swedes in the bronze medal game was not available to clip from.

Eric Pohlkamp - Defense - Team USA

One man’s loss is another man’s gain. Pohlkamp was only added to this tournament after Gavin McCarthy and Garrett Brown dropped out due to injury. He ended up being the tournament’s leading defenseman scorer and a member of the concluding all-star squad. Another Bemidji State commit (not too often we write about Beavers on this site and with Ness, we have back-to-back Bemidji State commits), Pohlkamp has had a really strong sophomore season in the USHL with Cedar Rapids. Prior to competing at the WJAC, Pohlkamp was the USHL’s leading defenseman scorer.

I couldn’t have been more impressed by Pohlkamp’s play at the WJAC. It seemed like he was noticeable everytime he was on the ice, for one reason or another. Stout and compact (listed as 5’11, 205lbs) he is an intense physical competitor who really makes an impact by playing the body, especially when he steps up early on attackers in the neutral zone. However, he’s also a high-end skater, which he uses to activate…constantly. He is like a fourth forward out there at times with how confident he is at playing deep in the offensive zone. Pohlkamp, as you may have guessed from his five goals in the event, also has an absolute howitzer from the point. Is his game slightly chaotic? Absolutely. He takes his chances and at times this takes him out of the play. He will need to pick his spots better to be aggressive (in every aspect) as he moves up the hockey ladder. However, even when he finds himself caught, he uses his skating ability and quickness to recover, and his high energy approach seems to be key to his success at both ends. Without question, Pohlkamp would be a player that I would be advocating for at this year’s NHL draft and you can expect him to feature in our draft rankings at some point this year.

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I thought that this clip perfectly demonstrated Pohlkamp’s abilities. He attacks the slot and looks to slide a pass through a seam. This does not work. As the puck slips out of the offensive zone, he closes quickly to eliminate a Canada East player to regain possession. Then he turns and fires a bullet of a pass to create an entry, which in turn leads to a couple great scoring chances for team USA.

Hudson Malinoski - Center/Wing - Canada West

This is a great story. Back in 2017, Malinoski ended up with a torn vertebral artery after falling off his roof. After a successful experimental surgery, Malinoski was kept out of hockey for a year and had to work his way back up the hockey ladder. Passed over in his WHL draft and a late bloomer physically, Malinoski (2004 born) is now playing in his first year in the AJHL with Brooks and he’s been one of the best players in the league as a rookie. The Providence College commit was great for Canada West at this tournament, finishing with seven points in six games.

A natural center, Malinoski played wing for Canada West at the WJAC. He has a very intriguing package of size (6’1), speed, and skill. Not only is he a strong and powerful linear skater who seems to love attacking the offensive zone with speed, but his edgework and agility also seem like real strengths, as he uses this to help him navigate traffic to get his shot off. He has a really good shot, part of why he was utilized on the point of the powerplay at this tournament (and for Brooks in the AJHL). It was shocking to me to see that he only had 11 goals in the AJHL this year because his release is deceptive, and he creates a ton of velocity on the shots in his arsenal. Without question, adding strength to his frame will be the next step at Providence, as he can be knocked off the puck or knocked off stride too easily at times. However, NHL scouts would have unquestionably taken notice of his performance at this tournament, especially when combined with his strong play in the AJHL this year.

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Malinoski opens the scoring against Latvia as he uses a toe drag to create a better shooting lane before snapping one top shelf. From watching some of his action with Brooks this year, this seems to be a go-to move for him.

Sam Court - Defense - Canada West

It’s been a long and winding road for Court. A former high pick in the WHL draft, he’s bounced around the last few years in order to keep his NCAA eligibility. A former University of New Hampshire commit (it sounds like he’s decommitted), Court played last year, his initial NHL draft year, with Avon Old Farms in the U.S. prep loop. Rather than play in the USHL (his rights held by Fargo), Court returned to Canada this year to play in the AJHL with the storied Brooks Bandits. It’s been a good move as Court currently leads the AJHL in scoring by a significant amount. At this tournament, playing for Canada West, Court opened up a lot of eyes by tying Eric Pohlkamp for the tournament scoring lead among blueliners.

In a lot of ways, Court reminds me of former Brooks’ defender Zach Bookman, who tore up the AJHL last year, but failed to get drafted (although is having a great freshman year at Merrimack this season). He’s not big. He’s not the world’s most dynamic skater, especially for an undersized/average sized defender. But he is skilled. He makes quick and sound decisions with the puck. His overall IQ as an offensive defender is very high. As a defender, he was hit and miss in this tournament. He’s far from a pushover physically. However, with his roving tendencies, he can take himself out of the play and does not possess the kind of high end mobility to recover playing against the kind of talent that this tournament featured. His upside as a future pro player will likely be tied to his ability to move the puck and quarterback the powerplay. It will be interesting to see which NCAA program Court settles on, if he has indeed de-committed from UNH.

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Granted the game was already out of reach against Latvia, this is an extremely skilled play by Court. He pulls the puck between his legs and then fires a backhand pass to the aforementioned Hudson Malinoski. Fortunately, the puck hits a defender and goes in the net and he gets credited with the goal.

Ethan Whitcomb - Center/Wing - Team USA

A dual citizen who grew up playing in the Niagara North Stars loop, Whitcomb has been playing in the USHL the last few seasons with Muskegon. The UNO commit has taken a big step forward in his sophomore season, causing NHL scouts to take notice of the 6’4 forward. He’s currently second in goal scoring on Muskegon to NHL draft pick (and WJAC teammate) Jake Richard.

In a nutshell, Whitcomb plays the game the way you probably expected him to, given my mention of his huge frame. He’s not the most dynamic skater. He’s got some work to do as a transporter and overall transitional attacker. However, he’s a heavy presence at both ends who asserts himself physically. He’s also got silky hands in tight to the net and has a quick release, which allows him to capitalize on the chances that his size affords him near the blue paint and in the slot. The fact that he can play center is also extremely intriguing. Already firmly on the scouting radar thanks to the improvements that he had made this year, his performance at this tournament on a line with Ryan St. Louis and Muskegon teammate Jake Richard likely drew him more fans.

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The bulk of the work here is done by Jake Richard down low. He makes a terrific pass out front to Whitcomb, who buries the goal with a blistering one timer. This was a huge insurance goal for the U.S. in the gold medal game.

Players Whose Performance Failed to Meet Expectations

Otto Stenberg - Wing/Center - Team Sweden

Coming into the tournament, Stenberg was the highest ranked player to feature at the WJAC (ranked 16th by us in our preliminary ranking for 2023). Obviously, that means expectations were bound to be pretty high. Instead, Stenberg finished the tournament with only three points in six games and was largely a non-factor at even strength (with two of his three points coming on the powerplay).

There were certainly flashes of why Stenberg is such a highly touted prospect. His combination of quickness, skill, and shooting ability does give him a high ceiling. But at what point do we become concerned with his lack of production? Among U18 players in the Swedish J20 league, he’s 18th in scoring, below the point per game mark. That’s not the kind of production you associate with being a first-round selection.

On one hand, Stenberg was unquestionably snakebitten at this event. He hit a few posts, was robbed by a couple nice saves. He could have easily had five plus goals. As mentioned, the flashes were there. On the other hand, I just wasn’t enamored with his shot selection and play without the puck. Too often did he settle for low percentage shots from poor angles or from the perimeter, rather than working the puck around to find better options. Additionally, his physical intensity seemed to waver. If the puck wasn’t on his stick, he seemed to float.

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First the good. As mentioned, Stenberg had a few plays like this over the course of the tournament, where his creativity/skill was on full display. Denied by the post, he could have easily had a few more goals in the WJAC.

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Now the bad. Too often did we see plays like this from Stenberg in the tournament. He protects the puck well to maintain prolonged possession, but rather than alter his pace to find a passing option, he settles for a low percentage shot from the perimeter. Anytime he was pressured in this tournament, it seemed like he would settle for lower percentage plays, rather than higher percentage ones.

Noel Nordh - Wing - Team Sweden

Nordh was a player that I was very excited to see in this tournament, given how much I’ve liked his play previously (at the U17’s a year ago and at the Hlinka/Gretzky this summer). He is that heavy, power winger that I’m magnetically drawn to.

At the WJAC, Nordh was, quite frankly, a complete non-factor. This was compounded by the fact that he missed the bronze medal game due to illness. Perhaps that was an illness he had been fighting all week? Regardless, his performance was quite disappointing. Nordh’s speed and length was put on display as a forechecker, this was consistent. But the physical component to his game that I’ve enjoyed previously was pretty much nonexistent. In fact, Nordh consistently lost battles along the wall when he did engage. The other times, he seemed content to just park himself near the crease, rather than help to win or maintain possession in the offensive end. Nordh also struggled as a puck carrier at the event, bobbling pucks in transition.

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This shift against the U.S. is a great example of Nordh’s (#26) ineffectiveness. He shows a lack of intensity in the offensive end to help secure possession. He is slow to the backcheck and is not able to successfully apply back pressure to prevent an entry. He commits a bad turnover in the defensive end by trying to come off the wall.

Giacomo Martino - Wing - Canada East

The younger brother of Dallas Stars third round pick Ayrton Martino, Giacomo was a player I was very interested in seeing at this event. Ayrton was excellent at this tournament in his draft (-1) year (as a late birthday), so I figured that maybe Giacomo could have similar success, especially given his strong play in the OJHL this season. Alas, that was not meant to be.

Honestly, the main issue was ice time. Martino was assigned a depth role for Canada East, playing sparingly, as the coaching staff elected to play older, more experienced players over him. The Northeastern commit was actually fairly impactful in his limited ice time, working well as a forechecker. He earned looks through hard work and did well to win possession along the wall to keep plays alive in the offensive end. He doesn’t appear to have the high-end skill or agility of his brother, but I wouldn’t completely write him off as a draft selection because he failed to be productive from a statistical perspective. If anything, his performance here has made me more curious to follow his play in the OJHL in the second half. Let’s not forget that Cale Makar was a bit player at this tournament when he was a double underager (similar to Martino).

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This was Martino’s only point of the tournament. Good work here to support his linemate, then a great find to the open point man who gets the shot through traffic. Martino’s energy in the offensive zone is a real asset.

Tanner Ludtke - Center - Team USA

Ludtke has had a very good first full season in the USHL with Lincoln, fittingly corresponding with his NHL draft season (as a late born 2004). The U.S. didn’t have many first time draft eligible players on their roster, so I was very curious to see Ludtke play.

I don’t think Ludtke played poorly. He was relatively solid. It’s clear that he understands his role as a physical, two-way, power center. He drives the net hard. He plays physical on the forecheck. He skates pretty well for the kind of game he plays (stereotypically). It’s easy to see him carving out a career as a checking line player in the NHL if his puck skill and finishing ability can continue to improve. At the very least, he should be a quality college player for UNO.

Maybe he’s unfairly listed in this section because, again, I thought he played fairly well in a depth role at the WJAC. It’s more that I’m not sure I see high end skill level, vision, or goal scoring potential. The NHL scouting landscape is filled with players like Ludtke. I’m not sure he truly did enough to stand out as a potential top three round selection.

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Ludtke ends up with a good chance in tight as he heads to the net after fighting for possession along the wall.

Gavin McCarthy - Defense - Team USA

Unfortunately, McCarthy only played one game at the tournament after picking up an injury following the team’s opening loss to Canada West. Given that McCarthy is potentially one of the first defenders drafted out of the USHL this season, this was very disappointing.

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A nice play by McCarthy to help keep the puck in the offensive zone. A staunch physical presence, it’s McCarthy’s physical presence that helps to force the turnover leading to team USA’s goal.

Noah Dower Nilsson - Wing/Center - Team Sweden

Considering the way he has played this year in the Swedish J20 league (leading all draft eligible players in scoring), it would have been great to see Dower Nilsson play at this event, where he would have had a chance to play big minutes. However, an injury kept him out of the vast majority of the tournament. Also, unfortunately, the two (partial) games that he did play in are not available online. Time to watch him at the five nations from November, I guess!

Noah Dower Nilsson – McKeen's Hockey

2024 NHL Prospect Pool Rankings: Detroit Red Wings Take No. 1 Spot – The Yzerplan takes root

MCKEEN’S 2023-24 NHL YEARBOOK – DETROIT RED WINGS – Top 20 Prospect Profiles – Organizational Rank #3

Top 20 Detroit Red Wing Prospects

1. Simon Edvinsson

2. Marco Kasper - C

3. Nate Danielson - C

4. Axel Sandin Pellikka - D

5. William Wallinder - D

6. Sebastian Cossa - G

7. Carter Mazur - LW

8. Trey Augustine – G

9. Dmitri Buchelnikov - LW

10. Shai Buium - D

11. Amadeus Lombardi - LW

12. Elmer Soderblom - RW

13. Albert Johansson - D

14. Andrew Gibson - D

15. Noah Dower Nilsson - LW

16. Antti Tuomisto - D

17. Cross Hanas - LW

18. Dylan James - LW

19. Theodor Niederbach - C

20. Redmond Savage - C

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

Brock Otten (Director of Scouting)

Joey Willis - Center - Saginaw Spirit

Larry Keenan - Defense - Culver Academy

Eric Pohlkamp - Defense - Cedar Rapids Roughriders

Derek Neumeier (Assistant Director of Scouting)

Josh Van Mulligen — Defense — Medicine Hat Tigers

Isac Hedqvist — Wing — Luleå

Vojtech Port — Defense — Edmonton Oil Kings

Adam Tate (Western Region Scout)

Ty Halaburda - Wing - Vancouver Giants

Matej Deraj (Central European Scout)

Maroš Jedlička – W/C – HKM Zvolen, Slovakia

Chase Rochon (Video Scout)

Aiden Fink - Wing - Brooks Bandits

Chapin Landvogt (Central European Scout)

Arno Tiefensee - Goaltender - Mannheim Adler - DEL

Joely Stockl (Ontario Regional Scout)

Easton Cowan - Wing - London Knights

Mark Dube (U.S. and Video Scout)

Noah Dower Nilsson - Wing/Center - Frölunda HC J20

Viktor Fomich (Russian Scout)

Bogdan Konyushkov - Defense - Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)

Ethan Hetu (U.S. Regional Scout)

Will Vote - Wing - U.S. NTDP

2023 NHL Combine: Part One – Fitness Testing Overview & Results

Standouts

Fitness Testing Results (excluding Functional Movement Screen & Grip Strength)

Top 10 from each category;

VO2 Max

Wingate Test

Pull Ups

Pro Agility (Right)

Pro Agility (Left)

Bench Press (50% of Body Weight)

Standing Long Jump

Vertical Jump

No Arm Jump

Squat Jump

Heights & Weights

Name Height /Weight

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

2023 IIHF U18 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP – McKeen’s Scouting Team Predictions

Medal Predictions:

Who Will Win Tournament MVP:

Who Will Win Best Defenseman:

Who Will Win Best Goaltender:

What will be the surprise of the tournament?

Which draft prospect will raise his stock the most?

Which draft prospect are you most intrigued to see perform at the tournament?

2023 IIHF U18 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP: DIVISION A – Team Previews – Players to Watch

Sweden

Top Players to Watch

Theo Lindstein (D)

Axel Sandin-Pellikka (D)

Tom Willander (D)