Paul Bittner – McKeen's Hockey

Columbus Blue Jackets 2019-20 Prospect Review: Top 20

Sat, 14 Sep 2019 11:04:14 +0000

On the one hand, the Blue Jackets have a respectable top eight to their prospect core. Those eight players represent the full spectrum of positions needed to ice a team, with a pair of goalies, a pair of blueliners, and four forwards. On the other hand, the rest of the system is incredibly shallow, with very little value-wise to differentiate the ninth ranked prospect with the 21^st ranked prospect.

As we all know by now, the Blue Jackets went all in last season. Not that were concerned (likely not internally either) as legit Stanley Cup contenders, but the top two players on the NHL roster were both pending unrestricted free agents and neither seemed likely to re-sign. So they doubled down, trading more prospects and picks to Ottawa to pick up another two pending UFAs in Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel.

All of those moves were just enough to get Columbus into the playoffs as the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference, setting up the infamous first round tilt against the best team in the regular season, the Tampa Bay Lightning. I’ll spare you the umpteenth recap of what happened there, but I will note that for GM Jarmo Kekalainen and every other executive in the organization, winning the franchise’s first ever playoff round far outweighs the large step back taken by the prospect pipeline.

The funny thing is that the system was not that deep to begin with. Matt Duchene cost Columbus Vitali Abramov, Jonathan Davidsson, and their 2019 first round pick. The two prospects has ranked second and tenth in the system respectively last year, while the first rounder would have ranked in the team top 10 this year. Dzingel came at the cost of two future second round picks and bottom six NHLer.

On draft day, the Blue Jackets could have skipped the even altogether for as much as they were active. They made only three picks throughout, one of which was acquired in trade at the draft, to give the team scouts something more to gloat about.

An additional problem connected to their lack of depth as well as the lack of new blood to the system, was the fact that very few of their holdover prospects made positive strides last year. Trey-Fix Wolansky and Veini Vehvilainen both had impressive seasons, and Emil Bemstrom broke out, but the rest of the core merely held serve. On the other hand, a lot of their more seasoned prospects, players who should be in line for NHL recalls, stagnated, or took steps backwards.

With the lack of players in the prospect pool, I had been expecting Columbus to be active among undrafted free agents, including CHL, European and NCAA talent. I had even earmarked Ohio State star forward Mason Jobst as a key target who would not have to even move to join his new team. Alas, Jobst signed with the New York Islanders, and as of the time I sat down to write these words, the Blue Jackets had not signed a single free agent prospect to an NHL contract.

First round playoff victories don’t come with pennants to raise to the rafters, but it might have to suffice for the next few years as the Blue Jackets look like the next team primed to tear it all down for a painful rebuild.

-Ryan Wagman

Columbus Blue Jackets Center Alexandre Texier (42) (Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire)

1 Liam Foudy, C (18^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 1) A former high school hurdles champion, Foudy is an electric athlete on the ice. He is electric when operating off of the rush because of how quick and explosive he is. He also possesses good hands and can make moves while at his top speed. Where his game is still growing is in his ability to attack and work the middle of the ice, in addition to improving his shot. At best, Foudy can develop into a second line playmaker who can push the pace with his speed and open up the ice for his linemates. At worst, his offensive skill set fails to develop and he settles into a 4th line and penalty killing role. Either way, it seems unlikely at this point that Foudy does not become an NHL player in some capacity. - BO

2 Alexandre Texier, C (45^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 3) Texier had a terrific season on an otherwise poor KalPa team in the Liiga and impressed during a late-season stint in the AHL and NHL. He had a slow start but really improved and produced at a high level towards the end of the Liiga season as well. Texier is a talented goal-scorer with a quick release on both his wrist snap shots. Thanks to the high velocity and accuracy on his shot, he can score from further out and beat goalies cleanly. He has very good puck skills and nifty hands which help him make plays in traffic and tight quarters. His skating and strength have been areas for improvement, however he has improved greatly in both aspects of the game lately. He has the potential to be an effective middle-six winger with scoring ability. - MB

3 Vladislav Gavrikov, D (159^th overall, 2015. Last Year: 4) It is hard to consider Gavrikov as a real prospect, considering that he already skated at three IIHF World Championships and won an Olympic Games gold medal in 2018. He has also already skated in two NHL playoffs games. Gavrikov has excellent skills at both ends of the ice, but he is more of a shutdown defenseman. His game is rock-solid, and he uses his excellent skating and strong legs to actively chase puck carriers, block passing lines, and make forwards feel his body along the boards. He can be very dangerous when he joins the rush as he reads the game very well and has good touch with the puck, but it happens rarely. In the NHL, he will need to shoot more and participate more to the offensive side of the game. He has all the tools to develop into a first-pair, shutdown defenseman who can be iced in key situations for his defensive awareness and responsibility. - ASR

4 Kirill Marchenko, LW (49^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 5) After moving to SKA St. Petersburg, Marchenko didn’t have the best season, having outgrown junior hockey but not getting enough icetime in a stacked system. In the end he lined up for four different teams, and if we exclude his trip to the WJC, the season wasn’t really great for him. That being said, the second-rounder will receive more chances this year as the system is less stacked and he now has some experience under his belt. Marchenko is a very good player around the net, who can finalize his chances and create opportunities for his partners with his ability to read the ice. Next year, he will need to play more, bulk up, and further hone his offensive skills, which are abundant. He is a very dangerous offensive player when the ice opens up or he can be a finisher for positional-based offensive plays. - ASR

5 Emil Bemstrom, C/RW (117^th overall, 2017. Last Year: Not ranked) A left circle right-handed goal scoring specialist. Bemstrom had a strong uptick in his development last season, and was the best junior playing in Sweden. In his first SHL season, he scored 23 goals in 45 games. To be fair, 10 of his goals came on the power play and his 25% shooting percentage is something he almost certainly won’t be able to duplicate. His shot is a strong weapon though and he will most likely be a high percentage shooter in his career. Bemstrom also plays a shifty offensive game and has good playmaking and deking skills as well. His puck control and offensive smarts have NHL written over them. He will try to take a spot on the Columbus roster this fall, and he will have a good chance of playing in the NHL this upcoming season, with middle six upside. - JH

6 Elvis Merzlikins, G (76^th overall, 2014. Last Year: 7) Merzlikins impressed while playing for HC Lugano in the Swiss NLA for several years. He has also been the cornerstone in net for the Latvian national team at the World Championship tournaments. His athleticism stands out, and he is capable of making acrobatic and athletic saves. His net coverage is good, he covers the upper corners of the net particularly well, and he consistently squares himself to the shooters. He is highly competitive, he always competes hard regardless of the score, and shows a lot of drive. Despite his young age, he has shown the ability to perform at a high level in big games. Merzlikins will move to North America for this season and has the makings of the future starter for the Blue Jackets. - MB

7 Veini Vehvilainen, G (173^rd overall, 2018. Last Year: 16) Vehviläinen had two excellent seasons for Kärpät in the Liiga, earning the Urpo Ylönen Award for the best goalie in both seasons and winning the championship in 2018. He now looks more than ready to play in the AHL this upcoming season. He is a very quick goalie. His lateral quickness and post-to-post movement are both high end and he can recover loose pucks quickly. He is also highly athletic and flexible. During the last two years, Vehviläinen has become much more mentally stronger. He rarely allows a soft goal and if he does, he is able to bounce back quickly. His consistency and play in pressure situations have also improved a lot. He has what it takes to be a number one NHL goalie one day. - MB

8 Andrew Peeke, D (34^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 8) A solid stay-at-home defensemen through his time in the USHL and as an underclassman at Notre Dame, Peeke looked like a nice, bottom-half of blueline piece. During his junior – and final – season with the Fighting Irish, he turned things on and raised his projected ceiling. Much of the change was added assertiveness in the offensive zone, as he would jump up from the point with regularity as he grew more comfortable reading defenses and reacting accordingly. His defensive work did not suffer one iota from his new habits, as he still kept tight gaps, excelled in his positioning and stick work and was mobile enough to keep up with most attackers. Peeke is moving on to the professional ranks with reasonable hopes for a future second pairing defender. - RW

9 Trey Fix-Wolansky, RW (204^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 19) Fix-Wolansky is a player that has really grown over the past couple of seasons. Despite being productive early he looked overmatched and lacking in intensity to keep in the play. That has improved substantially in this regard as has his foot speed. His playmaking and shooting skills have always been there but now he has the pace and the drive to impact every play. He has a real shot at being a success story as his offensive tools are very good. His path will be long as he will need to prove that his offensive game will translate at the AHL level before he ever gets a chance, but he has top six potential with power play minutes if he keeps on his current development path. - VG

10 Kevin Stenlund, C (58^th overall, 2015. Last Year: 6) Stenlund plays a gritty and hard on the puck type of game, he wins battles and uses his size to his advantage. Although Cleveland struggled this year, he stood out as a solid and hard-working forward. With experience in the Swedish Hockey League he came to North America with several years of pro already under his belt which made his adjustment to the North American professional game smoother. Stenlund may have used his size as an advantage but his size is also what made him stand out despite being one of the slower players on the ice. He is strong on the puck but it sometimes appears to be an effort for Stenlund to maneuver easily in tight spots. He will need to work on his stability and edgework much more to play at the next level. He has the potential to be a bottom six center as he is skilled enough but his skating will certainly need to improve before moving on. - SC

11 Paul Bittner, LW (38^th overall, 2015. Last Year: 13) If there is one thing to be said about Cleveland this past season is that they lived up to their “Monsters” name as many of their players had good size, Bittner being one of them. He is a good forechecker and uses his size to help him find space and gain position in front of the net with ease. He has a tremendous shot despite only finding the back of the net nine times in the past two seasons. The main problem is his lack of shot productivity and missed opportunities. Bittner finds good position but then has difficulty on the execution of quality shots, a shame for a player with a shot as powerful and accurate as he has. He has the means to make it as a bottom six winger at the next level but offensively he will need to push himself harder to get that far. - SC

12 Kole Sherwood, RW (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Jul. 7, 2015. Last Year: 9) Sherwood has had a tougher go at it than other prospects on this list with bouncing from the AHL and ECHL last season. After netting 16 goals last season it is safe to say that he is a natural goal scorer with a good shot and the ability to get to the net. The rest of his play however needs polishing and cleaning up especially in neutral zone and defensive end. Sherwood spends a lot of time chasing the puck when he should have outgrown the bad habit of drive-bys. He needs to better his awareness on the ice and work on having a better presence during breakouts and regroups. Despite his struggles, his work ethic and drive have improved and may be just enough to get him a bottom six spot especially if he works on his timing and reading the play better, which will make his potential much more visible. - SC

13 Tim Berni, D (159^th overall, 2018. Last Year: Not ranked) Still only 19 years old, Berni might have more potential upside than anyone else in the back half of Columbus’ top 20. He already has two full seasons playing against men in his native Switzerland and he was named one of the top three players on Switzerland’s WJC entry last year, his second go-round at the tournament. He is patient with the puck and is a commanding figure from the blueline. Berni also has a high panic threshold when it comes to guarding his own end. He gaps well, has a knack for forcing turnovers, and can use his body when necessary. If he can show more confidence playing the puck he could find himself a potential second pairing defender down the road. - RW

14 Eric Robinson, LW (Undrafted free agent, signed Mar. 26, 2018. Last Year: 12) Robinson’s performance last season could have been better. For a naturally skilled player with a good set of hands and good hockey IQ he seemed somewhat hesitant with the puck. He will need to work on gaining back his confidence in the coming season in order to be looked at as a bottom six contender for the Blue Jackets. Robinson is yet another forward with the luxury of size to easily protect the puck which he does a good job at, however he then struggles to make confident and more daring plays with the puck. His creativity has been masked by his lack of overall confidence and the best players have some form of unpredictability, therefore if Robinson wants to succeed he will need to play with more confidence to be able to open up the same bag of tricks he used during his college days with Princeton. - SC

15 Marcus Karlberg, RW/LW (80^th overall, 2018. Last Year: Not ranked) Karlberg is a fast skater with good puck skills. He is a good playmaker and has a dangerous shot. He is small (5-8”) in size which prevents him from being the same productive player in senior hockey as he has been as a junior. Karlberg uses his speed as his biggest offensive weapon but plays a lot on the outside of his opponents and fails to be dangerous on the inside when his skating isn’t strong enough to give him room. He hasn’t found a way to use his skills at various pace either. Karlberg is still a teenager and has one season in Allsvenskan under his belt and will play in SHL this upcoming season. He works hard and plays with intensity and can contribute defensively as well. With his skating and tenacity, he is a good penalty killer. He is a long-term prospect. - JH

16 Tyler Angle, C (212^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Angle is a hard-working playmaker who excels below the hash marks and along the wall, despite not being the largest player on the ice. He consistently keeps his feet moving and his non-stop motor really helps to open up the ice for his linemates. What Angle is not, is the most dynamic offensive player and that may make him a long shot to be more than a 4th line option at the NHL level. His skating and hands will need to improve, and as a late 2000-born, he will get two years in the OHL (including an overage season) to progress as a player before Columbus will need to decide on his future. - BO

17 Doyle Somerby, D (125^th overall, 2012 [New York Islanders]. Last Year: Not ranked) A massive defenseman with a strong shot and a good edge to his game, Somerby has definite NHL potential. He is an equally smart player, with a good sense of timing. He is a skilled passer and can make tape to tape stretch passes efficiently which makes him an asset. At times however, his patience can get him into trouble as he can tend to wait a little too long to move the puck which can lead to turnovers. He will have to stay aware and work on moving the puck faster if he wants to be a bottom four defenseman and in Somerby’s case, less thinking and more doing would be a motto he should be keen to play by. His natural skill speaks for itself but his hockey smarts will need to be refined and his straightforward game will need an additional dusting of creativity in the future. - SC

18 Daniil Tarasov, G (86^th overall, 2017. Last Year: Not ranked) Last year, goalie Tarasov was in a situation somewhat similar to what Marchenko found in St. Petersburg. He didn’t have much space in the system, and as a result, he didn’t play a significant number of games in the season. Perhaps the reason behind his below-average performance at the WJC was a lack of game practice. He absolutely needs to gather experience – also due to his past injuries that limited his chances of playing in previous seasons, thus his move to the Finnish league can be a positive one for his career, since in Russia he would hardly receive much game time due to the situation of his current team. He is a very athletic goalie, calm between the pipes, but he needs some good conditioning, practice and, as said, more game experience. Tarasov’s worth will be gauged with more precision after his stint in Finland. - ASR

19 Gabriel Carlsson, D (29^th overall, 2015. Last Year: 17) Carlsson is a very smooth skater and capable of skating with the puck and creating space for himself unlike any of the other defensemen on this list. He covers his ice well and is a smart passer who can quarterback a breakout with ease. He can make plays under pressure and does not get easily swayed as he always seems so composed. That said, Carlsson needs to up his physical game and avoid standing still too much. He will have to be more aggressive and handle the players in front of his net better if he wants a chance at grappling for a bottom four spot with the Blue Jackets. With his skating and passing ability at his size, he has what it takes to be a dependable defenseman in the NHL, but he needs to get out of the rut he found himself in last season. He will need to find another gear and become more aggressive to prove he wants a spot. - SC

20 Eric Hjorth, D (104^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Columbus went off the board in picking Hjorth with their first pick in the draft this summer. Okay, they didn’t have their first pick until the fourth round, so it wasn’t completely off the board. Hjorth is a big (6-3”) right-handed defenseman with good vision and puck skills. He plays with his head up and has good puck control. He was injured almost the whole of last season and played in only four games. At the J18 level he put up an impressive six points in three games. There is still much uncertainty with Hjorth due to the limited viewings so far. For the upcoming season, he will play for the Sarnia Sting in the OHL and we will get more evidence of what he can become as a player. - JH

Columbus Blue Jackets Prospect System Overview

Ryan Wagman — Sat, 15 Sep 2018 19:06:01 +0000

With some teams, it is pretty easy to come up with a theme for the short essay that begins the journey through their prospect depth. It might be a fascination with players from a certain geographic region. A reliance on undrafted free agents to make up for picks traded away or failed. A love of size, or speed, or hockey IQ, or an overabundance of centers.

With the Blue Jackets, it was not so easy. There is no such easy to spot trend in their accumulation of prospects. It was widely thought after the team hired Jarmo Kekalainen as the first General Manager from Europe in NHL History would blanket his native Finland and give his organization a Suomi flavor.

That has not been the case. The Blue Jackets have drafted slightly more European than other teams, but nothing egregious and he has in fact largely avoided Finnish players, with only AHLer Markus Hannikainen, an undrafted free agent signed at 22 years of age, Veeti Vainio, a 2015 fifth round pick, and Veini Vehvilainen a netminder taken in the sixth round last year in his fourth season of draft eligibility, having Finnish roots. 2017 second rounder Alexandre Texier is currently playing in Finland, but he was drafted out of France, so that doesn’t really count.

Further, the Blue Jackets’ prospect pool is currently extremely uninspiring. To their credit, each of their top three prospects from last year’s list, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Oliver Bjorkstrand, and Sonny Milano, have graduated. But what is left lacks the impact potential that you want to see coming up.

Looking back at the team’s Finnish players, a trend hit me. While players are first eligible to be drafted or signed in their age 18 season (specifically, they need to turn 18 no later than September 15 of the year they are drafted), Columbus, more than most, acquires players who are later in their prospectdom.

In addition to the aforementioned Hannikainen and Vehvilainen, of the 35 prospects in the organization for whom Columbus was their first team, fully 16 of them were drafted or signed by the team in their age 19 season or later. If we throw in Kole Sherwood, who was signed as a free agent out of training camp as an 18 year old, essentially half of the system is players who were not deemed worthy of being drafted in their first year of eligibility.

The draft is when teams find (or try to) upside for future front lines. The Blue Jackets are no exception. Six of their top eight prospects were drafted by the team in this first year of eligibility. But instead of taking risks with similarly young, unpolished talent in the latter stages of the draft, the Blue Jackets have targeted (the trend is so heavy, they must be targeting) older players, who trade in potential upside and its inherent risk, with the safety that comes from knowing what the player will be as he is closer to his peak.

This approach can be helpful if the top half of your roster is established and settled and you are mostly concerned with filling out the bottom end. In the Blue Jackets’ case, with star Artemi Panarin already having expressed a desire to explore free agency after the 2018-19 season, they are more in need of upside to replenish the roster. This approach isn’t helping.

Liam Foudy

1 Liam Foudy, C (18^th overall, 2018. Last Year: IE) Until the second half of his draft season, Foudy was more athlete than hockey player. A depth player on usually strong London Knights, he took on a more prominent role after a series of veteran players were shipped out mid-season and to say he flourished would be an understatement. Foudy is a brilliant skater, one of the best in the 2018 draft class, and he may just be scratching the surface of what he can do with and to a puck. He will develop more as he spends more time playing in a top six role, and he is strong, if not heavy, but he has the ability to make a Morgan Frost type step up in his first post draft year. He already came on more than almost any 2018 draft prospect in the past six months.

2 Vitali Abramov, RW (65^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 4^th) The preeminent offensive threat in the QMJHL over the last three years, there will be no “Russian Factor” with Abramov. If there were, he would have returned to Russia last year after not making the Blue Jackets out of camp, instead returning to the Q to try to defend his scoring title. While he finished second, considering his time missed to participation in the WJC, he did alright. More agile than fast, he can carry the puck around defenders largely thanks to magical puck skills. Those hands also make him particularly deadly on breakaways. While he is on the small side, he plays with the swagger of a bigger person. He is probably best off spending some time in the AHL first, but his puck skills and offensive IQ give him star potential.

3 Alexandre Texier, C (45^th overall, 2017, Last Year: 10^th) The ultimate risk-reward pick when the Blue Jackets used a second rounder on him in 2017, Texier left his native France for Finland, passing on an opportunity to play in the QMJHL with Baie-Comeau. While the step up in competition from France to Liiga is large, Texier acquitted himself rather well, especially after taking into account that he did what he did as an 18 year old, finishing fourth in the league in points by an U19 player, behind only a trio of NHL first rounders. More important than the production, the year was an opportunity to gauge his skills against better players, and Texier again did well. His hands and vision especially stood out as potentially dynamic traits, while his skating, shooting ability and ability to process the game all still project as above average traits.

4 Vladislav Gavrikov, D (159^th overall, 2015. Last Year: 6^th) Vladislav Gavrikov is not strictly an offensive defenseman in the mold of a Werenski, or a Seth Jones, but that’s OK, as the Blue Jackets already have a couple of those guys. Instead, he is a big all-around defender who can do a bit of everything. He has a big, strong frame that he uses for impact, skates very well, and processes the game like a ten year pro. His offensive impact will be better than minimal, but not quite the feature of his game. He can skate with the puck, makes crisp, accurate passes and helps keep the puck moving in the right direction, without doing too much that leads directly to points. The Olympic Gold Medalist has one more year on his contract with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl of the KHL, but the Blue Jackets should already be preparing a locker for him.

Kirill Marchenko

5 Kirill Marchenko, LW (49^th overall, 2018. Last Year: IE) As we continue to step through the Columbus system, we will see that this organization has long had a fascination with big forwards (and defensemen) who combine size with athleticism. Marchenko is the latest f that type to find his way to the Blue Jackets. While he has not always displayed all of his tools so consistently in MHL play, he has been an international standout for Russia, showing above average projections almost across the board, especially if you expect him to play a more physically forceful game as he matures. His stick handling is particularly impressive and he can create highlight reel plays on his own. He is a long way from the NHL, but his offseason move to Russian powerhouse SKA-St. Petersburg (or their junior affiliate) is a sign of how he is thought of back home.

6 Kevin Stenlund, C (58^th overall, 2015. Last Year: 8^th) After the Blue Jackets signed Stenlund to and entry level deal on the heels of his playing a key role in HV71’s capturing of an SHL championship, he was returned on loan to the Swedish side to continue his development near the comforts of home. Although the numbers are not eye catching, trading some goals for assists, there is a lot to like in his game. He is a big, power center with a strong skating stride, advanced hockey IQ, a big shot and the ability to use his body for the good. His challenge upon coming over to play in the AHL is to bring all of the parts of his game to the ice more consistently as he tries to work his way into a potential middle six role.

7 Elvis Merzlikins, G (76^th overall, 2014. Last Year: 11^th) Sometimes, the waiting is the hardest part. Four years removed from being selected in the third round, Merzlikins keep racking up hardware thanks to his work stopping pucks. Unfortunately for Columbus, the hardware is the NLA Jacques Plante Trophy, and it is the second time in the past three years that the Latvian netminder was honored as the top goalie in Switzerland. He is excellent in his lateral movements, and has a tireless work-ethic, but needs to be more mindful of how far he pushes off, so he is able to recover his position. The World Championships regular has one more year on his contract with Lugano and he might be able to come to central Ohio in time for incumbent start Sergei Bobrovsky to leave.

8 Andrew Peeke, D (34^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 7^th) It is not easy to tell from his statistical record, but Peeke took some key steps in his development as a sophomore with Notre Dame last season. While he will never be an offensive powerhouse, he was more willing to get engaged in the offensive zone, as his quick feet and large frame allowed him to create some disruption without fear of getting back to his position in time. He is still very strong in his own end. He uses his strength well to keep opposing forwards away from his goalie and was a staple on the Penalty Kill for the Irish. He also played a notable role with Team USA at the WJC, showing that he could hang with the best in his age group. Expect Columbus to try to get him under contract after his junior season.

9 Kole Sherwood, RW (UDFA: Jul. 7, 2015. Last Year: 16^th) The first local player to play in the Columbus organization, Sherwood was a virtual unknown playing local Tier I hockey when he received an invite to a rookie camp in 2015. He had not been on the draft radar, but by the end of camp, he was clearly on the Blue Jackets’ radar by the end, earning himself and ELC and the new found prominence that provided. Three seasons later, he has seen his game steadily grow between stints with London and Kitchener of the OHL. Sherwood still has a long way to go before earning an NHL look, but he plays with solid pace, works to disrupt the opponents with an aggressive physical game, and has a very deadly shot from the middle on in.

10 Jonathan Davidsson, RW (170^th overall, 2017. Last Year: not ranked) In the introduction to this team’s system, we discussed the downsides of drafting overagers. Jonathan Davidsson is the upside. Drafted in his third year of eligibility, as he finally graduated from Swedish junior hockey to the men’s leagues, he had a very strong first full season in the SHL with Djurgardens. A strong skater with good puck skills and above average hockey intelligence, his acclimatization to the step up in competition was revelatory. His size will remain a stumbling block in his journey, and he can be a little contact-shy, but Columbus has already inked him to an ELC and will expect him to work on his physical game next year, which will be spent back with Djurgardens, on loan.

Markus Hannikainen

11 Markus Hannikainen, LW (UDFA: Apr. 20, 2015. Last Year: 17^th) After receiving small cups of coffee with the Blue Jackets in his first two seasons in North America, he seemingly made it last year, playing 33 of his 41 games in the NHL. Not enough to officially graduate from our lists, but that will come in the first month or so of the upcoming season. He is not a dynamic, or particularly skilled player, but he can protect the puck very well with his strong and large frame, moves it well enough, and is trustworthy in defensively dangerous situations. He may only be a fourth line winger with a short shelf life, but he is ready for that role now and that has some value.

12 Eric Robinson, LW (UDFA: Mar. 26, 2018. Last Year: IE) Buddy Robinson’s younger and littler brother, Eric Robinson captained a surprisingly competitive Princeton squad as a senior. He plays a hard, energetic two-way game, to which he supplements a strong shot. The New Jersey looks like a late bloomer, as he had not shown much offensive upside in his original draft eligible year in Tier 1, or after that in the USHL. His first three years with Princeton were also underwhelming, but he did steadily grow more imposing in the offensive end. Despite the improvements in his numbers, he lacks ay truly dynamic elements to his game, and his best chance at success will come from a power/IQ game, throwing his weight around and earning the trust of coaches to play defensive shifts.

13 Paul Bittner, LW (38^th overall, 2015. Last Year: not ranked) It has been a challenging few years for Paul Bittner since the Blue Jackets selected him in the second round of the 2015 draft. He has been bombarded by injuries, most notably a hip injury requiring surgery, limiting him to a combined 58 games in his first two post draft seasons. Further, his performance showed signs of degradation when he was able to suit up. With improved health, Bittner appeared in 52 games last year for Cleveland, and showed flashes of the power forward that Columbus drafted. He skates well for his size and flashes soft hands when he gets into an offensive situation. Still only 21, he has time to fully regain his teenaged luster, but he needs to built on what he hinted at last year.

14 Alex Broadhurst, C (Trade: Jun. 30, 2015 [Chicago]. Last Year: not ranked]) Once upon a time a seventh round pick of the Chicago Blackhawks, the former Green Bay Gambler and London Knight has now spent most of five seasons in the AHL and finally made his NHL debut last year, getting in a pair of late season games for Columbus, playing a touch over 20 minutes combined. Broadhurst is slight, but moves well, has a moderate amount of playmaking ability and has proven the ability to play on both special teams units in the AHL. He should be in line for additional NHL opportunities this year, potentially as the team’s 13^th forward.

Maxime Fortier

15 Maxime Fortier, RW (UDFA: Nov. 4, 2017. Last Year: IE) Despite two years of high end scoring for Halifax in the QMJHL, Fortier was consistently overlooked on draft day, largely due to his small frame and general lack of strength. Although not strong, he plays a fearless game. Although not big, so what? The game is changing. Clearly, the Blue Jackets realized that his ability to process the game gives him a chance to succeed, and offered him an ELC last November, after which he put up a third consecutive strong season, putting him third among all Quebec leaguers in points over the last three years. He has strong balance and is a fine skater. Most of his offensive prowess comes from good hands in tight and his aggressive offensive style. He will have to continue to prove himself, but time is on his side.

16 Veini Vehvilainen, G (173^rd overall, 2018. Last Year: IE) In today’s NHL, there is more acceptance for smaller skaters, but dwindling openness to netminders under 6-2” or so. Listed variously at 6-0”, or 6-1”, Vehvilainen felt that diminished attention span for around four years until he put together a run of play so dominating that a team finally said “OK”. In his third year in Liiga, all of which were good, he lost his father this year and then caught fire, leading Karpat to a title with a .933 save percentage throughout the postseason. His athleticism is above average for a goalie and he reads the game, but it is advanced technical skills which make him so hard to beat in Liiga. He will have to continue proving himself, but he is a worthwhile addition to this system.

17 Gabriel Carlsson, D (29^th overall, 2015. Last Year: 9^th) A few months after selecting stay-at-home blueliner Gabriel Carlsson in the late first round, the Blue Jackets hired a head coach who has adopted the motto that “safe is death.” Carlsson is the embodiment of that expression. His puck skills are, at best, basic. He can make a decent first pass. He is very large, although still lean, and gets to a decent top speed, although his reactions look sluggish, which may be more related to his ability to read and react than his feet. He does have an impressive physical game, using his body to lean on opponents and box them out, but his game is, on the whole, limited. He is safe in that he can fill a hole in the case of injury replacement, but more than that is throwing away good money after bad.

18 Calvin Thurkauf, C/LW (185^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 14^th) Another bigger than average power forward in the Columbus system, Thurkauf did not have a smooth landing in his first season as a pro, but had enough moments of success that all hope is not lost either. Not incredible fast, he skates well enough for his size, but it is not a real strength of his game. His future NHL hopes rest largely on his powerful wrist shot which can be deadly from middle distance and his ability to play a power game at the highest levels. The Swiss native will return to Cleveland for a sophomore campaign in the AHL where the objective will be to see him be more of an imposing presence in the offensive end.

19 Trey Fix-Wolansky, RW (204^th overall, 2018. Last Year: IE) Short and stout, I would like to suggest his nickname be “The Teapot”. Ignored after a solid first year of eligibility, his production last year with a horrid Edmonton team in the WHL made him impossible to overlook, no matter how rough his skating can seem. Fix-Wolansky is an offensive minded player, but responsible and hard working enough to play on the PK for his junior team. He is also more than willing to crash and bang in the pursuit of pucks. His propensity to shoot can make him a little predictable, but he has shown the ability to diversify his offensive game if he chooses. He is a sleeper to watch.

20 Veeti Vainio, D (141^st overall, 2015. Last Year: 15^th) Last year, in this space, we called Vainio an “injury prone speedster.” This year, all Vainio did was prove us right. Loaned from Liiga side KooKoo to second tier Kiekko-Vantaa, in his age 20 season, he was limited to 11 games all year for the Mestis squad, after appearing in only 12 years at multiple levels the year before and a relatively robust 43 games the year prior. He is a breathtaking skater when he is healthy enough to play and has a knack for creating with his puck movement, but has so, so much to figure out in the rest of his game. Listed at 6-2”, 181, he looks frailer than that. There are some things here to get excited about, but if he can’t play hockey, he certainly can’t play in the NHL.

Wheeler’s Final Top 60 Prospects for the 2015 NHL Draft by League

Scott Wheeler — Tue, 05 May 2015 13:00:19 +0000

Each season, I release three instalments of my rankings of the top 60 prospects for the NHL draft. This year, these rankings will be divided by league and produced in November, February, and May, and available online at McKeen’s for the first time.

Note on the rankings: The following rankings are compiled through extensive coverage and viewings of Ottawa 67s and Gatineau Olympiques home games, which provide the chance to watch and follow a hundred or-so draft eligible players in the OHL and QMJHL who make up the majority of the top end of the draft class (especially this year in a very QMJHL-populated class) from training camps through playoffs. For prospects from the NCAA, USHL, NTDP and abroad, I make sure I have several viewings before the first publication of these rankings in November. These viewings are cumulative from this year and last (while scouting the previous class). Events viewed beyond the CHL include the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, World Junior Development Camps, the Subway Super Series, Under 17s, Under 18s, club play internationally, marquee U.S. events, college tournaments, and a heavy focus on a select few European players in SHL and Swe. Jr. games.

May’s Top 60 Prospects for the 2015 NHL Draft by League (overall ranking in brackets)

OHL:

Connor McDavid, Erie, C (#1)
Dylan Strome, Erie, C (#4)
Mitchell Marner, London, C/RW (#5)
Travis Konecny, Ottawa, C (#12)
Pavel Zacha, Sarnia, C (#13)
Lawson Crouse, Kingston, LW (#15)
Nikita Korostelev, Sarnia, RW (#34)
Mitchell Vande Sompel, Oshawa, D (#45)
Blake Speers, Sault Ste. Marie, C (#48)
Dante Salituro, Ottawa, C (#50)
Vince Dunn, Niagara, D (#53)
Mitchell Stephens, Saginaw, C (#54)
Matthew Spencer, Peterborough, D (#57)

QMJHL:

Jeremy Roy, Sherbrooke, D (#11)
Daniel Sprong, Charlottetown, RW (#16)
Evgeni Svechnikov, Cape Breton, LW (#18)
Timo Meier, Halifax, RW/C (#19)
Jakub Zboril, Saint John, D (#20)
Anthony Beauvillier, Shawinigan, C/LW (#25)
Thomas Chabot, Saint John, D (#26)
Dennis Yan, Shawinigan, LW (#28)
Filip Chlapik, Charlottetown, C (#29)
Nicholas Meloche, Baie-Comeau, D (#30)
Nathan Noel, Saint John, C (#32)
Yakov Trenin, Gatineau, LW (#33)
Dmytro Timashov, Quebec, LW/RW (#44)
Nicolas Roy, Chicoutimi, C (#55)
Alexandre Carrier, Gatineau, D (#60)

WHL:

Mathew Barzal, Seattle, C (#7)
Ivan Provorov, Brandon, D (#8)
Nick Merkley, Kelowna, C (#17)
Jansen Harkins, Prince George, C (#24)
Jake DeBrusk, Swift Current, LW (#27)
Paul Bittner, Portland, LW (#31)
Ryan Pilon, Brandon, D (#38)
Brandon Carlo, Tri-City, D (#39)
Ryan Gropp, Seattle, LW (#40)
Noah Juulsen, Everett, D (#47)
Parker Wotherspoon. Tri-City, D (#59)

United States (NCAA, USHL, NTDP):

Jack Eichel, Boston University, C (#2)
Noah Hanifin, Boston College, D (#3)
Zach Werenski, Michigan, D (#6)
Kyle Connor, Youngstown, C (#10)
Brock Boeser, Waterloo, RW (#21)
Jeremy Bracco, NTDP, RW (#22)
Colin White, NTDP, C (#23)
Thomas Novak, Waterloo, C (#35)
Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson, Omaha, C (#36)
Jack Roslovic, NTDP, C/RW (#41)
Christian Fischer, NTDP, C (#42)
Jordan Greenway, NTDP, LW (#56)

Sweden (SHL, Swe. Jr.):

Oliver Kylington, AIK/Farjestad, D (#14)
Jens Looke, Brynas, RW (#37)
Jacob Larsson, Frolunda, D (#43)
Joel Eriksson Ek, Farjestad, C (#49)
Sebastian Aho, Skelleftea, D (#51)
Filip Ahl, HV71, RW (#52)
Jesper Lindgren, Modo, D (#58)

Finland:

Mikko Rantanen, TPS, RW (#9)

Slovakia:

Erik Cernak, Kosice, D (#46)

Just missed: Erik Foley, Anthony Richard, Roope Hintz, Michael Spacek, Kay Schweri, Graham Knott, Gabriel Carlsson, Ethan Bear, Rasmus Andersson, Travis Dermott, Adam Musil, Tyler Soy, Glenn Gawdin, Alex Dergachyov, Denis Gurianov, Denis Kase, Jonas Siegenthaler, Julius Nattinen, Adam Marsh, Guillaume Brisebois, Zachary Senyshyn.

2015 NHL Draft – McKeen’s Top 120 Rankings

McKeen's Hockey — Wed, 18 Mar 2015 18:17:44 +0000

Ilya Samsonov made the most of his opportunity in front of NHL scouts last month in the Czech Republic.

The 6-foot-3, 200-pound native of Magnitogorsk helped lead Russia to victory at the Five Nations Tournament.

Samsonov showcased a full package of skill and smarts while upsetting Team USA in a 5-4 overtime win - being outshot 51-to-16 - and then shutting down Sweden 5-1 in the final game.

He played this season in the MHL with Stalnye Lisy, Magnitogorsk's junior team, and will get another chance to bolster his draft stock at the U18 World Championships next month in Switzerland.

A number of Samsonov's U18 teammates could draw some draft interest with strong showings in Zug and Lucerne, the two host cities for the U18 Worlds.

Big, strong-shooting winger Denis Gurianov of Lada Togliatti is rated in the second round - 40th overall - on the McKeen's Top 120 rankings for the 2015 NHL Draft.

Mikhail Vorobyev (Salavat Ufa) is rated 78th overall and is a smart, well-structured pivot in the classic old Russian style, while diminutive winger Kirill Kaprizov (Novokuznetsk) is listed as a late third-rounder - 89th overall. Just 5-foot-9 and 185 pounds, Kaprizov was a creative force throughout the Five Nations and demonstrated that he has the courage and work ethic to help overcome the size factor.

Samsonov is the top-rated goaltender in the McKeen's rankings for the 2015 NHL Draft - debuting in the first round in the 29th spot.

Drafting goalies in the opening round has becoming increasingly less common. In fact, only six goaltenders have been selected in the first round over the past eight drafts (2007 to 2014). That compares to the five-year period from 2002 to 2006 in which a total of 14 goalies were first-round picks.

Samsonov is one of 11 goaltenders to earn spots in the McKeen's Top 120 rankings.

Mackenzie Blackwood of the Barrie Colts is next on the goalie list - ranked as an early second-rounder at 33rd overall - while a pair of QMJHL goalies hold down the next two spots - Callum Booth of Halifax at 61st and Samuel Montembeault of Blainville-Boisbriand in the No. 68 spot.

RANK	PLAYER	POS	TEAM	HT/WT	DOB
1	Connor McDavid	C	Erie (OHL)	6-1/195	13-Jan-97
2	Jack Eichel	C	Boston University (HE)	6-2/195	28-Oct-96
3	Noah Hanifin	D	Boston College (HE)	6-3/205	25-Jan-97
4	Mitchell Marner	C	London (OHL)	5-11/160	5-May-97
5	Ivan Provorov	D	Brandon (WHL)	6-0/195	13-Jan-97
6	Lawson Crouse	LW	Kingston (OHL)	6-4/210	23-Jun-97
7	Zach Werenski	D	Michigan (B1G)	6-2/205	19-Jul-97
8	Dylan Strome	C	Erie (OHL)	6-3/190	7-May-97
9	Pavel Zacha	C	Sarnia (OHL)	6-3/210	6-Apr-97
10	Mathew Barzal	C	Seattle (WHL)	5-11/175	26-May-97
11	Travis Konecny	C	Ottawa (OHL)	5-10/175	11-Mar-97
12	Mikko Rantanen	RW	TPS Turku (Fin)	6-3/210	29-Oct-96
13	Timo Meier	RW	Halifax (QMJHL)	6-1/210	8-Oct-96
14	Kyle Connor	C	Youngstown (USHL)	6-1/185	9-Dec-96
15	Thomas Chabot	D	Saint John (QMJHL)	6-1/180	30-Jan-97
16	Jakub Zboril	D	Saint John (QMJHL)	6-1/185	21-Feb-97
17	Nick Merkley	RW	Kelowna (WHL)	5-11/190	23-May-97
18	Joel Ek Eriksson	C	Farjestads (Swe)	6-2/180	29-Jan-97
19	Colin White	C	NTDP (USA)	6-0/185	30-Jan-97
20	Paul Bittner	LW	Portland (WHL)	6-4/210	4-Nov-96
21	Brandon Carlo	D	Tri-City (WHL)	6-5/200	26-Nov-96
22	Jeremy Roy	D	Sherbrooke (QMJHL)	6-0/190	14-May-97
23	Evgeni Svechnikov	LW	Cape Breton (QMJHL)	6-2/200	31-Oct-96
24	Jake DeBrusk	LW	Swift Current (WHL)	5-11/170	17-Oct-96
25	Jacob Larsson	D	Frolunda (Swe)	6-2/190	29-Apr-97
26	Jonas Siegenthaler	D	ZSC Zurich (Sui)	6-2/220	6-May-97
27	Oliver Kylington	D	Farjestads (Swe)	6-0/185	19-May-97
28	Brock Boeser	RW	Waterloo (USHL)	6-0/195	25-Feb-97
29	Ilya Samsonov	G	Magnitogorsk (Rus)	6-3/200	22-Feb-97
30	Jack Roslovic	C	NTDP (USA)	6-0/185	29-Jan-97

31	Erik Cernak	D	Kosice (Svk)	6-3/200	28-May-97
32	Guillaume Brisebois	D	Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL)	6-2/170	21-Jul-97
33	Mackenzie Blackwood	G	Barrie (OHL)	6-4/215	9-Dec-96
34	Tom Novak	C	Waterloo (USHL)	6-0/180	28-Apr-97
35	Jansen Harkins	C	Prince George (WHL)	6-1/180	23-May-97
36	Filip Chlapik	C	Charlottetown (QMJHL)	6-1/195	3-Jun-97
37	Blake Speers	C	Sault Ste Marie (OHL)	5-11/180	2-Jan-97
38	Daniel Sprong	RW	Charlottetown (QMJHL)	6-0/190	17-Mar-97
39	Matthew Spencer	D	Peterborough (OHL)	6-1/200	24-Mar-97
40	Denis Gurianov	RW	Lada Togliatti (Rus)	6-2/185	7-Jun-97
41	Noah Juulsen	D	Everett (WHL)	6-1/175	2-Apr-97
42	Jordan Greenway	LW	NTDP (USA)	6-5/225	16-Feb-97
43	Alexander Dergachyov	RW	SKA St. Petersburg (Rus)	6-4/200	27-Sep-96
44	Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson	C	Omaha (USHL)	6-1/195	31-Oct-96
45	Jeremy Bracco	RW	NTDP (USA)	5-9/175	17-Mar-97
46	Zachary Senyshyn	RW	Sault Ste Marie (OHL)	6-1/195	30-Mar-97
47	Anthony Beauvillier	LW	Shawinigan (QMJHL)	5-10/175	8-Jun-97
48	Ryan Gropp	LW	Seattle (WHL)	6-2/185	16-Sep-96
49	Dennis Yan	LW	Shawinigan (QMJHL)	6-1/180	14-Apr-97
50	Jens Looke	RW	Brynas (Swe)	6-0/180	11-Apr-97
51	Robin Kovacs	RW	AIK (Swe)	6-0/170	16-Nov-96
52	Glenn Gawdin	C	Swift Current (WHL)	6-1/190	25-Mar-97
53	Nikita Korostelev	RW	Sarnia (OHL)	6-1/195	8-Feb-97
54	Travis Dermott	D	Erie (OHL)	5-11/195	22-Dec-96
55	Gabriel Carlsson	D	Linkopings (Swe)	6-4/185	2-Jan-97
56	Adam Musil	RW	Red Deer (WHL)	6-2/200	26-Mar-97
57	Mitchell Vande Sompel	D	Oshawa (OHL)	5-10/180	11-Feb-97
58	Christian Fischer	RW	NTDP (USA)	6-1/215	15-Apr-97
59	Brendan Guhle	D	Prince Albert (WHL)	6-1/185	29-Jul-97
60	Dennis Gilbert	D	Chicago (USHL)	6-2/200	30-Oct-96

61	Callum Booth	G	Quebec (QMJHL)	6-3/200	21-May-97
62	Sebastian Aho	RW	Karpat Oulu (Fin)	5-11/175	26-Jul-97
63	Ryan Pilon	D	Brandon (WHL)	6-2/210	10-Oct-96
64	Nicolas Roy	C	Chicoutimi (QMJHL)	6-4/200	5-Feb-97
65	Austin Wagner	LW	Regina (WHL)	6-1/180	23-Jun-97
66	Graham Knott	LW	Niagara (OHL)	6-3/195	13-Jan-97
67	Michael Spacek	C	Pardubice (Cze)	5-11/190	9-Apr-97
68	Samuel Montembeault	G	Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL)	6-2/165	30-Oct-96
69	Yakov Trenin	LW	Gatineau (QMJHL)	6-2/195	13-Jan-97
70	Daniel Vladar	G	Kladno (Cze)	6-5/185	20-Aug-97
71	Kyle Capobianco	D	Sudbury (OHL)	6-1/180	13-Aug-97
72	David Kase	C	Chomutov (Cze)	5-11/170	28-Jan-97
73	Bailey Webster	D	Saint John (QMJHL)	6-3/210	8-Sep-97
74	Felix Sandstrom	G	Brynas (Swe)	6-2/190	12-Jan-97
75	Jesper Lindgren	D	MoDo (Swe)	6-0/160	19-May-97
76	Keegan Kolesar	RW	Seattle (WHL)	6-1/215	8-Apr-97
77	Kevin Davis	D	Everett (WHL)	6-0/185	14-Mar-97
78	Mikhail Vorobyev	C	Salavat Ufa (Rus)	6-2/195	5-Jan-97
79	Vince Dunn	D	Niagara (OHL)	6-0/185	29-Oct-96
80	Nathan Noel	C	Saint John (QMJHL)	5-11/175	21-Jun-97
81	Gustav Bouramman	D	Sault Ste Marie (OHL)	5-11/185	24-Jan-97
82	Matej Tomek	G	Topeka (NAHL)	6-2/180	24-May-97
83	Lukas Jasek	RW	Trinec (Cze)	5-11/165	28-Aug-97
84	Nicolas Meloche	D	Baie-Comeau (QMJHL)	6-2/200	18-Jul-97
85	Roope Hintz	LW	Ilves Tampere (Fin)	6-2/185	17-Nov-96
86	Mitchell Stephens	C	Saginaw (OHL)	5-11/185	5-Feb-97
87	Jean-Christophe Beaudin	RW	Rouyn Noranda (QMJHL)	6-1/185	27-Mar-97
88	Filip Ahl	LW	HV 71 (Swe)	6-3/210	12-Jun-97
89	Kirill Kaprizov	LW	Novokuznetsk (Rus)	5-9/185	26-Apr-97
90	John Marino	D	South Shore (USPHL)	6-0/175	21-May-97

91	Chaz Reddekopp	D	Victoria (WHL)	6-3/220	1-Jan-97
92	Adam Marsh	LW	Saint John (QMJHL)	6-0/165	22-Aug-97
93	Parker Wotherspoon	D	Tri-City (WHL)	6-0/170	24-Aug-97
94	Loik Leveille	D	Cape Breton (QMJHL)	5-11/220	25-Sep-96
95	Adam Gaudette	C	Cedar Rapids (USHL)	6-1/175	3-Oct-96
96	Justin Lemcke	D	Belleville (OHL)	6-2/200	13-Feb-97
97	Gabriel Gagne	RW	Victoriaville (QMJHL)	6-5/190	11-Nov-96
98	Thomas Schemitsch	D	Owen Sound (OHL)	6-3/205	26-Oct-96
99	Jesse Gabrielle	LW	Regina (WHL)	5-11/205	17-Jun-97
100	Jonne Tammela	LW	KalPa (Fin)	5-10/180	5-Aug-97
101	Christian Jaros	D	Lulea (Swe)	6-3/200	2-Apr-96
102	Ales Stezka	G	Liberec (Cze)	6-3/180	6-Jan-97
103	Ethan Bear	D	Seattle (WHL)	5-11/200	26-Jun-97
104	Mathieu Joseph	RW	Saint John (QMJHL)	6-0/165	9-Feb-97
105	Jeremiah Addison	LW	Ottawa (OHL)	6-0/185	21-Oct-96
106	Devante Stephens	D	Kelowna (WHL)	6-1/175	2-Jan-97
107	Michael McNiven	G	Owen Sound (OHL)	6-0/205	9-Jul-97
108	Jeremy Lauzon	D	Rouyn Noranda (QMJHL)	6-2/195	28-Apr-97
109	Luke Opilka	G	NTDP (USA)	6-1/195	27-Feb-97
110	Philippe Myers	D	Rouyn Noranda (QMJHL)	6-5/195	25-Jan-97
111	Adam Werner	G	Farjestads (Swe)	6-5/185	2-May-97
112	Brendan Warren	LW	NTDP (USA)	6-0/190	7-May-97
113	Julius Nattinen	C	JyP Jyvaskyla (Fin)	6-2/190	14-Jan-97
114	Colton White	D	Sault Ste Marie (OHL)	6-1/185	3-May-97
115	Samuel Dove-McFalls	LW	Saint John (QMJHL)	6-2/205	10-Apr-97
116	Veeti Vainio	D	Blues (Fin)	6-2/170	16-Jun-97
117	Matt Bradley	C	Medicine Hat (WHL)	5-11/185	22-Jan-97
118	Tyler Soy	C	Victoria (WHL)	5-11/170	10-Feb-97
119	Dmytro Timashov	LW	Quebec (QMJHL)	5-9/190	1-Oct-96
120	A.J. Greer	LW	Boston University (HE)	6-2/205	14-Dec-96

2015 NHL Draft – Top 20 WHL Prospects

McKeen's Hockey — Fri, 13 Mar 2015 04:18:15 +0000

Mathew Barzal unquestionably boasts the wheels to play catch up.

Since returning from a 27-game absence to November knee surgery, Barzal has been making up for lost ground.

The Coquitlam, B.C. native has been turning heads with his speed and playmaking abilities, racking up 30 points in his past 18 games (18-5-25-30) - to move into second in scoring for the Seattle Thunderbirds.

His draft stock is improving steadily as he shows scouts more of an 'inside' game - and helps dispel concerns early on the season that he plays too much on the perimeter.

Barzal moves into the top 10 on the McKeen's rankings for the 2015 NHL Draft - and sits second among WHL players behind Brandon's Ivan Provorov.

Barzal is one of four Seattle Thunderbirds to earn a place in the WHL Top 20 list of draft-eligible prospects.

Winger Ryan Gropp is ranked ninth among WHL players - and 48th overall - with Keegan Kolesar 15th (76 overall) and blueliner Ethan Bear at No. 20 (103rd overall).

WHL	ALL	PLAYER	POS	TEAM	HT/WT	DOB
1	5	Ivan Provorov	D	Brandon (WHL)	6-0/195	13-Jan-97
2	10	Mathew Barzal	C	Seattle (WHL)	5-11/175	26-May-97
3	17	Nick Merkley	RW	Kelowna (WHL)	5-11/190	23-May-97
4	20	Paul Bittner	LW	Portland (WHL)	6-4/210	4-Nov-96
5	21	Brandon Carlo	D	Tri-City (WHL)	6-5/200	26-Nov-96
6	24	Jake DeBrusk	LW	Swift Current (WHL)	5-11/170	17-Oct-96
7	35	Jansen Harkins	C	Prince George (WHL)	6-1/180	23-May-97
8	41	Noah Juulsen	D	Everett (WHL)	6-1/175	2-Apr-97
9	48	Ryan Gropp	LW	Seattle (WHL)	6-2/185	16-Sep-96
10	52	Glenn Gawdin	C	Swift Current (WHL)	6-1/190	25-Mar-97
11	56	Adam Musil	RW	Red Deer (WHL)	6-2/200	26-Mar-97
12	59	Brendan Guhle	D	Prince Albert (WHL)	6-1/185	29-Jul-97
13	63	Ryan Pilon	D	Brandon (WHL)	6-2/210	10-Oct-96
14	65	Austin Wagner	LW	Regina (WHL)	6-1/180	23-Jun-97
15	76	Keegan Kolesar	RW	Seattle (WHL)	6-1/215	8-Apr-97
16	77	Kevin Davis	D	Everett (WHL)	6-0/185	14-Mar-97
17	91	Chaz Reddekopp	D	Victoria (WHL)	6-3/220	1-Jan-97
18	93	Parker Wotherspoon	D	Tri-City (WHL)	6-0/170	24-Aug-97
19	99	Jesse Gabrielle	LW	Regina (WHL)	5-11/205	17-Jun-97
20	103	Ethan Bear	D	Seattle (WHL)	5-11/200	26-Jun-97

McKeen’s 2015 NHL Draft Rankings – March, 2015

McKeen's Hockey — Mon, 09 Mar 2015 20:58:11 +0000

Russian blueliner Ivan Provorov (Brandon) and Swiss forward Timo Meier (Halifax) continued to climb the McKeen's Top 30 rankings for March - identifying the top-eligible players for the 2015 NHL Draft.

Provorov moved up three spots to No. 5 overall - behind a top four that remains unchanged in Connor McDavid (Erie), Jack Eichel (Boston University), Noah Hanifin (Boston College), and Mitchell Marner (London).

Meier has also been on a steady upward trajectory, bolstered by steady improvements in skating. Having entering his second year in the QMJHL as a top 40 draft prospect, the native of Herisau, Switzerland caught stride in November leading into a strong performance at the Under-20 World Juniors.

Meier has been ripping up the Q since the World Juniors - scoring at a near goal-a-game pace (23-21-19-40) to surpass the 40-goal mark (56-42-44-86).

He climbs 11 spots to No. 13 overall - two back of another significant riser in Ottawa forward Travis Konecny.

Following a quiet start (15-2-9-11), the Clachan, Ontario native has grown increasingly sharper as the season goes on - buoyed by a spectacular showing at the CHL Top Prospects Game.

Another big riser this month is Farjestad forward Joel Ek Eriksson who vaults into the top 20 after putting on a convincing show at last month's Five Nations Tournament in the Czech Republic.

The native of Karlstad, Sweden scored 18 goals to tie for the lead in the J20 SuperElit - earning a promotion to the SHL where he has dressed for 34 games for the senior Farjestad team (34-4-2-6).

However, it was his performance at the Five Nations (4-4-0-4) that made believers of the NHL scouts. Ek Eriksson stood out among his peers at a tournament that included a number of disappointing performances from the likes of Swedish teammates Oliver Kylington and Filip Ahl, as well as Michael Spacek (Czech Republic), Jeremy Bracco (USA), and Brendan Warren (USA).

Russia won the tournament - backstopped by outstanding goaltending from Ilya Samsonov, who joins Ek Eriksson, Jacob Larsson (Frolunda), Jonas Siegenthaler (Zurich), and Jack Roslovic (NTDP) as newcomers to the first round.

Here is a look at the McKeen's Top 30 Rankings for the 2015 NHL Draft.

RANK	PREV	PLAYER	POS	TEAM	HT/WT	DOB
1	1	Connor McDavid	C	Erie (OHL)	6-1/195	13-Jan-97
2	2	Jack Eichel	C	Boston University (HE)	6-2/195	28-Oct-96
3	3	Noah Hanifin	D	Boston College (HE)	6-3/205	25-Jan-97
4	4	Mitchell Marner	C	London (OHL)	5-11/160	5-May-97
5	8	Ivan Provorov	D	Brandon (WHL)	6-0/195	13-Jan-97
6	5	Lawson Crouse	LW	Kingston (OHL)	6-4/210	23-Jun-97
7	7	Zach Werenski	D	Michigan (B1G)	6-2/205	19-Jul-97
8	6	Dylan Strome	C	Erie (OHL)	6-3/190	7-May-97
9	9	Pavel Zacha	C	Sarnia (OHL)	6-3/210	6-Apr-97
10	12	Mathew Barzal	C	Seattle (WHL)	5-11/175	26-May-97
11	16	Travis Konecny	C	Ottawa (OHL)	5-10/175	11-Mar-97
12	11	Mikko Rantanen	RW	TPS Turku (Fin)	6-3/210	29-Oct-96
13	24	Timo Meier	RW	Halifax (QMJHL)	6-1/210	8-Oct-96
14	14	Kyle Connor	C	Youngstown (USHL)	6-1/185	9-Dec-96
15	20	Thomas Chabot	D	Saint John (QMJHL)	6-1/180	30-Jan-97
16	21	Jakub Zboril	D	Saint John (QMJHL)	6-1/185	21-Feb-97
17	10	Nick Merkley	RW	Kelowna (WHL)	5-11/190	23-May-97
18	NR	Joel Ek Eriksson	C	Farjestads (Swe)	6-2/180	29-Jan-97
19	18	Colin White	C	NTDP (USA)	6-0/185	30-Jan-97
20	19	Paul Bittner	LW	Portland (WHL)	6-4/210	4-Nov-96
21	25	Brandon Carlo	D	Tri-City (WHL)	6-5/200	26-Nov-96
22	13	Jeremy Roy	D	Sherbrooke (QMJHL)	6-0/190	14-May-97
23	15	Evgeni Svechnikov	LW	Cape Breton (QMJHL)	6-2/200	31-Oct-96
24	23	Jake DeBrusk	LW	Swift Current (WHL)	5-11/170	17-Oct-96
25	32	Jacob Larsson	D	Frolunda (Swe)	6-2/190	29-Apr-97
26	36	Jonas Siegenthaler	D	ZSC Zurich (Sui)	6-2/220	6-May-97
27	17	Oliver Kylington	D	Farjestads (Swe)	6-0/185	19-May-97
28	29	Brock Boeser	RW	Waterloo (USHL)	6-0/195	25-Feb-97
29	NR	Ilya Samsonov	G	Magnitogorsk (Rus)	6-3/200	22-Feb-97
30	NR	Jack Roslovic	C	NTDP (USA)	6-0/185	29-Jan-97

Wheeler’s Top 60 Prospects for the 2015 NHL Draft by League (February)

Scott Wheeler — Wed, 04 Feb 2015 19:01:56 +0000

Each season, I release three instalments of my rankings of the top 60 prospects for the NHL draft. This year, these rankings will be divided by league and produced in November, February and May (prior to the draft itself) and available online at McKeen’s for the first time.

Note on the rankings: The following rankings are compiled through extensive coverage and viewings of Ottawa 67s and Gatineau Olympiques home games, which provide the chance to watch and follow a hundred or-so draft eligible players in the OHL and QMJHL who make up the majority of the top end of the draft class (especially this year in a very QMJHL-populated class) from training camps through playoffs. For prospects from the NCAA, USHL, NTDP and abroad, I make sure I have several viewings before the first publication of these rankings in November. These viewings are cumulative from this year and last (while scouting the previous class). Events viewed beyond the CHL include the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, World Junior Development Camps, the Subway Super Series, Under 17s, Under 18s, club play internationally, marquee U.S. events and a heavy focus on a select few European players in SHL and Swe. Jr. games.

February’s Top 60 Prospects for the 2015 NHL Draft by League (overall ranking in brackets)

OHL:

Connor McDavid, Erie, C (#1)
Dylan Strome, Erie, C (#4)
Mitchell Marner, London, C (#5)
Pavel Zacha, Sarnia, C (#12)
Travis Konecny, Ottawa, C (#14)
Lawson Crouse, Kingston, LW (#15)
Nikita Korostelev, Sarnia, RW (#29)
Matthew Spencer, Peterborough, D (#46)
Mitchell Vande Sompel, Oshawa, D (#51)
Blake Speers, Sault Ste. Marie, C (#52)
Dante Salituro, Ottawa, C (#54)
Vince Dunn, Niagara, D (#57)

QMJHL:

Jeremy Roy, Sherbrooke, D (#13)
Daniel Sprong, Charlottetown, RW (#16)
Evgeni Svechnikov, Cape Breton, LW (#18)
Jakub Zboril, Saint John, D (#19)
Anthony Beauvillier, Shawinigan, C/LW (#24)
Filip Chlapik, Charlottetown, C (#25)
Timo Meier, Halifax, RW/C (#26)
Thomas Chabot, Saint John, D (#28)
Dennis Yan, Shawinigan, LW (#30)
Nathan Noel, Saint John, C (#34)
Nicolas Meloche, Baie-Comeau, D (#35)
Yakov Trenin, Gatineau, LW (#38)
Guillaume Brisebois, Acadie-Bathurst, D (#47)
Dmytro Timashov, Quebec, LW/RW (#48)
Nicolas Roy, Chicoutimi, C (#49)
Alexandre Carrier, Gatineau, D (59)

WHL:

Ivan Provorov, Brandon, D (#7)
Mathew Barzal, Seattle, C (#8)
Nick Merkley, Kelowna, C (#11)
Jansen Harkins, Prince George, C (#23)
Jake DeBrusk, Swift Current, LW (#27)
Ryan Pilon, Brandon, D (#32)
Brandon Carlo, Tri-City, D (#33)
Paul Bittner, Portland, LW (#39)
Ryan Gropp, Seattle, LW (#40)
Noah Juulsen, Everett, D (#45)
Adam Musil, Red Deer, C (#50)

United States (NCAA, USHL, NTDP):

Jack Eichel, Boston University, C (#2)
Noah Hanifin, Boston College, D (#3)
Zach Werenski, Michigan, D (#6)
Kyle Connor, Youngstown, C (#17)
Jeremy Bracco, NTDP, RW (#20)
Brock Boeser, Waterloo, RW (#21)
Colin White, NTDP, C (#22)
Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson, Omaha, C (#36)
Thomas Novak, Waterloo, C (#37)
Jordan Greenway, NTDP, LW (#41)
Christian Fischer, NTDP, C (#43)

Sweden (SHL, Swe. Jr.):

Oliver Kylington, AIK/Farjestad, D (#9)
Jens Looke, Brynas, RW (#31)
Jacob Larsson, Frolunda, D (#44)
Filip Ahl, HV71, RW (#53)
Sebastian Aho, Skelleftea, D (#56)
Jesper Lindgren, Modo, D (#58)

Finland:

Mikko Rantanen, TPS, RW (#10)
Roope Hintz, Ilves, RW (#60)

Slovakia:

Erik Cernak, Kosice, D (#42)

Czech Republic:

Michael Spacek, HC Pardubice, RW (#55)

Just missed: Mitchell Stephens, Anthony Richard, Kay Schweri, Graham Knott, Gabriel Carlsson, Ethan Bear, Rasmus Andersson, Travis Dermott, Tyler Soy, Glenn Gawdin, Alex Dergachyov, Denis Gurianov, Denis Kase, Jonas Siegenthaler, Julius Nattinen, Adam Marsh, Parker Wotherspoon.

If you have any questions regarding a player, or his ranking, don’t hesitate to contact me @scottcwheeler. Be sure to check out the latest edition of the McKeen’s 2015 Top 30 NHL Draft Rankings as well.

Youngblood: Mid-Season 2015 NHL Draft Ranking

Brendan Ross — Wed, 28 Jan 2015 15:06:45 +0000

As buzzer sounds on the first half of the season and draft eligible players take the ice looking to make their final push up the scout’s draft lists, Youngblood is proud to release it’s midseason 2015 NHL draft rankings. There are no surprises at the top of the list with Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel and Noah Hanifin firmly planted. At this point, it’s a near-lock for McDavid to be drafted 1^st overall followed by the Boston University phenom Jack Eichel. The chance to add franchise-changing players like McDavid and Eichel is a rare opportunity and as a result, expect the “tanking” chatter to reach incomprehensible levels as the NHL season stretch run unfolds.

The 2015 draft class has one of the most appealing top ends in recent history and talents are not just limited to McDavid, Eichel or Hanifin. London’s Mitch Marner has been tearing up the OHL scoring race and is closing in on the 100-point milestone (45GP-35G-58A-93P), justifying his ranking in the Top 5. Following closely, Pavel Zacha (who will be out of the lineup with injury for the next month), Dylan Strome and Lawson Crouse are virtually interchangeable players depending on their most recent performance. The second tier of prospects is as tight as its ever been and an arguement could be made for each individual to lead the way. For now, it’s an extremely fluid group that’s bound to see some change and they will eventually iron out their places by the time these players head to Florida in June.

After spending two weeks observing the always entertaining 2015 IIHF Under-20 World Junior Championships, several prospects made a jump in the rankings after being very impressed with their live performances. Finland’s Mikko Rantanen, Switzerland’s Timo Meier and Jonas Siegenthaler, Sweden’s Jens Lööke and to a lesser extent, Sebastian Aho and Roope Hintz (Finland), David Kase (Czech Republic), Alexander Dergachev (Russia), Denis Malgin (Switzerland) and Erik Cernak (Slovakia) all left lasting impressions from their WJC performances. With June just around the corner, players have the stretch run and playoffs in their respective leagues to do some final jostling and work their way up the rankings.

Several key injury updates:

Pavel Zacha – out 3-5 weeks with an upper-body injury (as of January 19^th)

Mathew Barzal – returned to game action on January 23^rd after missing nearly three months of action.

Mitchell Vande Sompel – returned to action after being sidelined with an upper body injury

Mitch Marner – shoken up in London’s recent game versus Oshawa, it appears Marner won’t miss any significant time.

Rankings in Tiers

As a result of the tightly packed first round, Youngblood has opted to break down the opening round into five tiers as an attempt to separate the gaps in ranking. If a group of players are found ranked inside the same tier then there’s likely little discrepancy between their rankings and movement is quite possible (less likely in Tier 1). Please also note that the varying tiers, especially Tiers 3, 4 and 5, are separated by minute differences as well.

First Tier

1. Connor McDavid, LC, Erie (OHL)

Dubbed “exceptional” at 15 years of age, McDavid has made that tag seem rather ordinary, elevating his play to elite levels. Every challenge thrown at McDavid seems to be met and solved with ease. On the ice, McDavid’s elusiveness, first step speed, unpredictable attacks and silky-smooth puck skills appear as though the gaming community developed the ultimate video game player. Off the ice, McDavid is mature, driven, intelligent, humble and professional. In an exceptional draft class, #97 is everything you want in a generational talent.

2. Jack Eichel, RC, Boston University (H-East)

In any other draft year, Jack Eichel is waiting at the stairs of the draft stage waiting for his name to be announced as the first selection. It’s rare to have two franchise players at the top of the draft but Eichel is arguably the best consolation prize for the team picking 2^nd since Evgeny Malkin who went 2^nd to Alexander Ovechkin in 2004. Eichel’s 13 goals and 36 points top all collegiate players, a near impossible feat for the underage freshman.

Second Tier

3. Noah Hanifin, LD, Boston College (H-East)

Blessed with great size, outstanding four-way mobility and confident puck skills, Boston College freshman Noah Hanifin continues to hold down the third spot. His high panic threshold and overall poise under pressure allows Hanifin to dictate the pace of the game from the backend. Through strong positioning and an edgy defensive game, Hanifin proves to be as impactful on the defensive end as he is on the attack.

On the fly scouting note…. The next six skaters are tightly grouped and are considered interchangeable. Looking at each individual skill set and their long-term potential, the following is their current ranking. Don’t be surprised to see this as a fluid second tier group as the draft draws nearer.

4. Mitch Marner, RW/C, London (OHL)

Making a case to be considered Hanifin’s biggest rival for 3^rd overall, Mitch Marner is shredding apart the OHL as its leading scorer. In a Patrick Kane-like way, Marner is capable of tying up opposing defenses with his quick, creative puck skills and superb skating ability. Outside of McDavid, Marner owns the best set of puck skills in this draft class and when combined with his elite vision and playmaking skills, he elevates his teammates to star levels. Throw the size concerns aside, Marner’s elusiveness, speed and ability to anticipate danger allows him to escape pressure with ease.

5. Pavel Zacha, LC, Sarnia (OHL)

Boxscore watchers might question this ranking but the big Czech import has the best “pro” package outside of only McDavid and Eichel. Willing to stick my neck out a bit with this ranking (even in this stacked Top 10) because of his high-end package of size, skill and physicality… and the fact that he’s just beginning to blossom. An explosive skater with good possession skills, Zacha uses high-end lateral agility to evade checkers at top speed and combines quick puck handling ability and a lethal (somewhat underrated) snap shot to strike on the fly. He offers a nasty edge and impressive physical tools that have resulted in two separate suspensions. Pavel Zacha is slated to miss the next five weeks with injury.

6. Dylan Strome, RC, Erie (OHL)

Sitting second in OHL scoring at the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game break, Dylan Strome is a smart two-way pivot who has excelled offensively in the first half of the season. Point production aside, Strome finds a way to contribute in all three zones and has an ability to adapt his game to operate as a skilled forward or engage in the cycle game. His skating has improved and will remain an area of concentration but his vision and playmaking abilities make him bonafide top line prospect.

7. Lawson Crouse, LW, Kingston (OHL)

The hot-button debate from the 2015 draft class seems to be led by Lawson Crouse’s rankings. Originally slated to be ranked 5^th on this list, Crouse was surpassed by Marner, Zacha and Strome simply based on their longterm “upsides”. Witnessed first-hand at the 2015 WJC, Crouse is a beast of a power forward capable of playing a heavy possession game and nearly impossible to knock off of the puck. Arguably the best defensive prospect at the top of the draft, Crouse is a “coach’s player” who can be relied on to play tough defensive minutes. However, don’t mistake this “defensive” label as a limitation because Lawson Crouse’s offensive instincts are equally impressive. He owns soft hands and is capable of creating his own chances and will only continue to develop on these skills.

8. Zachary Werenski, RD, Michigan (Big Ten)

Excelling as a freshman on the Wolverines’ blueline, Zach Werenski also didn’t look out of place on a young American blueline at the WJC where he arguably outplayed draft peer and teammate Noah Hanifin. Werenski’s tool box is stacked and he uses all of his tools to manage the blueline very well. His style is reminiscent of Jacob Trouba, a former UofM blueliner. His skating, puck handling, defending and decision making are all above average and he packs one of the hardest point shots of this age group.

Third Tier

9. Ivan Provorov, LD, Brandon (WHL)

An elite processor of the game, Ivan Provorov relies on his astute hockey sense, strong mobility and dominant possession game. Never willing to give up an inch of ice, Provorov suffocates attackers defensively (displaying elite gap control) and attacks with a purpose, rarely conceding possession. Provorov recently competed with Russia at the WJC but didn’t start seeing much meaningful ice until the latter part of the tournament, limiting his chance to shine. He’s not big or overly strong but his ability to excel as a puck mover in the North American style should squash any concerns that he’ll flee back to Russia.

10. Oliver Kylington, LD, AIK IF (SWE-AL)

With the uber-slick Oliver Kylington an NHL team is going to land a future powerplay quarterback who is a bit of an untamed horse at times. He packs an impressive offensive skill set featured around smooth four-way mobility, steady puck skills and an above-average shot. At the next level, he’ll need to show that he can execute safe plays and not opt for the “homerun” play everytime to be trusted in all situations. Upside is very high with Kylington.

11. Mathew Barzal, RC, Seattle (WHL)

After an impressive WHL rookie season where Barzal showed he could produce, he entered his draft season with some jump scoring often. Unfortunately, a broken knee cap has kept him out of action for most of the season but he’s since returned and is eager to re-establish himself as one of the drafts best offensive talents. Barzal is an intelligent pivot and owns creative instincts. He’s always hovering around the puck looking to make a difference and with his slick puck skills and strong attacking skills, he usually finds a way. With his skill set, Barzal has room to climb these rankings with a good return from injury.

12. Mikko Rantanen, RW, TPS Turku (FIN)

Coming off an excellent World Junior showing and after impressing against men in Finland’s top professional leage, Mikko Rantanen has shown scouts that he’s got Top 10 talent. He carried a Finnish team on his back at the WJC not only showcasing his silky playmaking abilities but unleashing a series of shots from his wicked shooting arsenal. He possesses a competitive motor, engages physically and wants to make a difference on every shift – all projectable character skills.

13. Jérémy Roy, RD, Sherbrooke (QMJHL)

One of the draft’s best offensive defensemen, Roy has posted impressive statistics from the blueline. Quick agile skating ability with impressive start-and-stop abilities, Roy’s at his best with the puck on his stick using creative stick misdirection and cuts in mobility to evade checking forwards. Precise and confident in his passing abilities, many of Sherbrooke’s best scoring chances start from the blade of Roy’s stick. Continuing to add strength and developing his defensive game will only assure that Roy remains a lock for a Top 15 selection and a candidate to go Top 10.

14. Kyle Connor, LC, Youngstown (USHL)

Highly energetic USHL pivot with slick puck handling ability, Kyle Connor drives the offense for the Phantoms. Connor was a standout for Team USA at the 2014 Under-18 as an underage forward producing at a point-per-game and he’s clipping along over that rate in his third season with Youngstown. Committed to the University of Michigan next year, Kyle Connor has a bright future as a two-way forward who’s capable of becoming a top line player at the next level based on his superb skating skills, strong hockey sense and driven motor.

Fourth Tier

15. Jeremy Bracco, RW, U18 USA NTDP (USHL)

Dating back to his OHL draft year, Jeremy Bracco quickly planted himself high in my ranks. Since those days of dominance, Bracco has continued to exceed all expectations setting scoresheets on fire with the Under-18 NTDP. Possessing a truly unique skating technique, relying on crafty edge-work and a heel-to-heel stride, Bracco is a dynamic offensive winger who competes at high speed. His ability to draw in defenders and then exploit their abandoned space is elite and speaks to his high-end vision and creativeness with the puck. He’s small by NHL standards but his skill for producing offense is too much to ignore.

16. Timo Meier, RW/C, Halifax (QMJHL)

The hard-working skilled Halifax winger, Timo Meier, has been one of the fastest climbers on this list. After a two-week period of eye-opening hockey on Switzerland’s WJC top line, the feisty Meier has quickly become a personal favourite. Blessed with sliick hands in traffic, explosive two-step quickness and the ability to open up space with his physicality, Meier creates an impact every shift he takes. He packs a quick release that catches goaltenders off guard as he exits scrums with the puck and attacks instantly. If it weren’t for the stellar group of players ahead of him, he’d be in consideration for the Top 10.

17. Nick Merkley, RW, Kelowna (WHL)

In the mold of a true playmaker, Nick Merkley’s vision, anticipation and imaginative passing abilities are in the top echelon of the draft. However, his pass-first mentality is predictable at times, which is a small knock against the smaller forward. Kelowna’s top scoring forward is an very good skater with elusive puck skills and he’s shown to be one of the WHL’s most consistent producers so don’t expect him to last long at the draft.

18. Travis Konecny, RC, Ottawa (OHL)

Coming off Team Orr Player of the Game honours at the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game, Travis Konecny is back on the Top 15 radar that he occupied earlier in the season. He’s struggled with his statistical consistency this season but following the holiday break Konecny has looked more determined. An outstanding shooter who competes at an incredible pace, Konecny has arguably the best motor and shot combination of the draft. He’s a lethal attacker on the fly and an underrated passer as well. Despite his average size, Konecny plays a physical game and relies on contact to open up space for himself. Will Konecny be able to withstand that relied upon physicality at the next level to play his style of game? That’s yet to be determined.

19. Evgeny Svechnikov, RW, Cape Breton (QMJHL)

Next to his draft peers, Svechnikov appears to be competing in a man-like frame – possessing both advantageous strength and power. He’s produced impressive QMJHL rookie numbers and it’s not a surprise given his silky smooth puck skills. Svechnikov’s puck handling is particularly impressive in tight quarters where he dangles through legs and sticks with ease. His best quality is adaptability, knowing when to use his power game versus his skilled game. This two-way attacking ability only makes Svechnikov a more attractive prospect.

20. Daniel Sprong, RW, Charlottetown (QMJHL)

Born in the Netherlands, Daniel Sprong has the dynamism that teams want in a top-line prospect. He’s capable of flashing one-on-one attacking ability with his slick puck skills and then unleashing a deceptively quick shot. Unfortunately, Sprong has struggled to put all of these skills together on a consistent basis. Sprong is a confident player but has been caught trying to individually carry the team’s offensive attack at times as well. Despite being a good skater, Sprong has started to become a perimeter player, especially against tough checking defenses. He owns the skills to be a Top 15 selection and that could happen if he can mature his game.

21. Colin White, C, U18 USA NTDP (USHL)

Staying out of the infirmary has been Colin White’s biggest challenge this season (battled mono to start the season) but his all-around package will certainly draw NHL suitors early. A high-character player with blue-collar determination and the hockey sense to excel on both ends of the puck, White has the makings of an impact top-nine playmaking forward. His anticipation and awareness through 200-feet of ice earns him big minutes and it’ll be those skills that scouts are enamoured with.

Fifth Tier

22. Brock Boeser, RW, Waterloo (USHL)

The Minnesotan has emerged as one of the best American draft eligible scorers racking up 23 goals with the Waterloo Blackhawks. Boeser is an opportunistic shooter who doesn’t need much time to unleash a shot with pin-point accuracy. Teams looking to add goals (who isn’t?) and a player with a good two-way work ethic, should move Boeser up their rankings.

23. Thomas Chabot, LD, Saint John (QMJHL)

An elite skater, one of the draft’s best, Thomas Chabot uses his best skill set to drive the puck up ice and to escape pressure defensively. He’s shown to be a willing combatant in loose-puck battles but can be overmatched at times, which shouldn’t be an issue longterm as he bulks up. Chabot is a high-upside defenseman who’s just starting to scratch the surface and a potential riser on the blueline.

24. Jakub Zboril, LD, Saint John (QMJHL)

Broke out at the 2014 Ivan Hlinka tournament, Czech defenseman Jakub Zboril has the makings of an offensive defenseman. He is a creative passer and displays inspiring four-way mobility offering good offensive zone upside. Zboril has struggled with his game-to-game consistency and will need to continue to improve on his defensive play but he mixes his offensive tools and physicality too well to not be considered a first round talent.

25.Jansen Harkins, LC, Prince George (WHL)

Highly competitive pivot who is always moving his feet wreaking havoc for opposing defenders. Harkins projects as a #2 or 3 energy centerman at the next level, carving out a role as a two-way all-situations forward. He’s an adept puckhandler at top speed and owns good vision as a playmaker. Reminescent of a younger Marcus Kruger.

26. Brandon Carlo, RD, Tri City (WHL)

Carlo had a bit of a coming-out-party at the WJC logging big minutes on USA’s young blueline. Opportunities to draft 6-foot-5 defensive defensemen with good mobility do not come around often so Carlo should be an attractive prospect as the June draft rolls around. He blends suffocating defensive skills with hard-nosed physicality and, as a bonus, his offensive tools are starting to emerge too.

27. Jens Lööke, RW, Brynäs (SHL)

Competing against men in Sweden’s top league, Lööke has not looked out of place and his slowly increasing minutes reflect his rookie success. As an underager on Sweden’s WJC squad, Lööke flashed some of his promising offensive abilities and was trusted by Rikard Grönberg during critical game moments, scoring three goals in seven games. Lööke has good wheels and competes at a high intensity, showcasing creative passing and an element of elusiveness. The young Swede is an intriguing prospect with good longterm upside.

28. Paul Bittner, LW, Portland (WHL)

Far from a complete package, it’s Bittner’s raw tools that warrant a high ranking. He’s a good skater given his rangy frame and at his best when playing to his strengths, which are battling along the boards and using a chip-and-chase attacking game. He displays above-average hockey sense and is a tenacious forecheck who wields a quick stick capable of forcing turnovers. He’ll forge out an NHL role if he can learn to exploit his best attributes - size, strength and a great shot.

29. Jake DeBrusk, LW, Swift Current (WHL)

Son of former NHL tough guy, Louie DeBrusk, Jake has already smashed his freshman totals midway through the WHL schedule. DeBrusk is a clever attacker who relies on great positioning and quick clever puck movement to maximize possession time with his linemates. He has a great knack for timing passes, shots and arrivals into scoring areas and capitalizing on them instantly. Scouts will love his passion and his complete game, featuring above-average offensive skills, should ensure him a solid NHL career.

30. Nicolas Roy, RC, Chicoutimi (QMJHL)

Drafted 1^st overall at the 2013 QMJHL draft, Nicolas Roy was an absolute force at the Under-17 tournament for Quebec looking like a bonafid number one centerman. More recently, Roy has played more as a two-way pivot, demonstrating high levels of hockey sense, a determined 200-foot pursuit and the size and power to wear down opposing teams. His production has been all over the map but that could also be chalked up to Chicoutimi’s league worst goals for totals. Whether you consider Roy a 1^st line player or two-way presence in the top-nine, he holds good value as a future NHLer.

31. Mitchell Vande Sompel, LD, Oshawa (OHL)
32. Anthony Beauvillier, LW, Shawinigan (QMJHL)
33. Thomas Novak, LC, Waterloo (USHL)
34. Alexander Dergachev, RW, SKA-1946 St. Petersburg (RUS-MHL)
35. Sebastian Aho, RW, Karpat (FIN)
36. Denis Yan, LW, Shawinigan (QMJHL)
37. Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson, RC, Omaha (USHL)
38. Filip Ahl, LW, HV71-J20 (SWE)
39. Jesper Lindgren, RD, Modo J20 (USHL)
40. Nicolas Meloche, RD, Baie-Comeau (QMJHL)
41. Denis Guryanov, RW, Ladia Togliatti (RUS-MHL)
42. Ryan Pilon, LD, Brandon (WHL)
43. Jacob Larsson, LD, Frolunda (SWE)
44. Jonas Siegenthaler, LD, ZSC Lions (NLA)
45. Nikita Korostelev, RW, Sarnia (OHL)
46. Filip Chlapik, LC, Charlottetown (QMJHL)
47. Parker Wotherspoon, LD, Tri-City (WHL)
48. Alexandre Carrier, LD, Gatineau (QMJHL)
49. Adam Musil, RW/C, Red Deer (WHL)
50. Jordan Greenway, LW, U18 USA NTDP (USHL)
51. Erik Cernak, RD, Kosice (SVK)
52. Michael Spacek, RC, Pardubice (CZE)
53. Gabriel Carlsson, LD, Linkoping (SWE)
54. Roope Hintz, LW, Ilves Tampere (FIN)
55. David Kase, LC/LW, Chomutov (CZE)
56. Matthew Spencer, RD, Peterborough (OHL)
57. Ryan Gropp, LW, Seattle (WHL)
58. Glenn Gawdin, C, Swift Current (WHL)
59. Zach Senyshyn, RW, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)
60. Blake Speers, RW, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)
61. Kyle Capobianco, LD, Sudbury (OHL)
62. Denis Malgin, RC, ZSC (Switzerland-NLA)
63. Dmytro Timashov, LW, Quebec (QMJHL)
64. Andrew Mangiapane, LW, Barrie (OHL)*
65. Mackenzie Blackwood, G, Barrie (OHL)
66. Jesse Gabrielle, LW, Regina (WHL)
67. Travis Dermott, D, Erie (OHL)
68. Christian Fischer, RC, U18 USA NTDP (USHL)
69. Sebastian Aho, LD, Farjestad (SWE-SHL)
70. Guillaume Brisebois, LD, Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL)
71. Callum Booth, G, Quebec (QMJHL)
72. Noah Juulsen, RD, Everett (WHL)
73. Rasmus Andersson, RD, Barrie (OHL)
74. Graham Knott, LW, Niagara (OHL)
75. Vince Dunn, LD, Niagara (OHL)

Be sure to check back to our Youngblood section to view the upcoming mock draft for the 2015 NHL draft.

As always follow @McKeensHockey and @RossyYoungblood on twitter for all of your prospect news.

McKeen’s 2015 NHL Draft Rankings – January, 2015

McKeen's Hockey — Fri, 16 Jan 2015 20:26:33 +0000

If the World Juniors serve as any indication, the next NHL draft could turn out to be a very special affair.

The pinnacle event for world junior hockey has historically been a tournament dominated by 19-year-old's, however this year's event saw numerous underage players make substantial impacts.

The U-20 World Juniors had been billed as the 'Mac vs Jack' showdown with a pair of 'generational' talents in Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel battling for supremacy on the world stage - and ultimately for the first-overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft.

Eichel led a Team USA squad which also featured a pair of high-end 1997-born blueliners in Noah Hanifin and Zach Werenski - the trio already having revived the U.S. collegiate scene.

The leading scorer among NCAA Div. 1 players, Eichel began the tournament on fire but gradually faded (5-1-3-4) as the Americans finished a disappointing fifth place.

It was all a rather conservative performance from the U.S. which served to mute the contributions of Hanifin (5-0-2-2) and Werenski (5-1-1-2), albeit the latter still managed to supercharge his draft stock.

Werenski (Grosse Pointe, MI) showed off his skating, skills and poise, following up a stand-out collegiate start which saw him leading the University of Michigan Wolverines blueline in scoring as a 17-year-old freshman (15-3-9-12).

Cracking the top 10, Werenski moves up to No. 7 - hotly pursued by another WJC underage phenom in Brandon's Ivan Provorov.

The Yaroslavl native played an integral role for Team Russia en route to winning a silver medal - and then celebrated his return to the WHL with a spectacular end-to-end goal against the Calgary Hitmen.

Mikko Rantanen of TPS Turku was another draft-eligible standout at the world juniors, turning heads throughout the tournie with his two-way play.

Rantanen was a one-man show for Team Finland, the defending champions, firing four of the team's eight goals.

Team Canada captured gold for the first time since 2009, receiving stalwart contributions from the only two draft-eligible players on the team - Connor McDavid and Lawson Crouse.

McDavid started tentatively fresh off a lengthy injury layoff, but got better each shift to produce some dazzling moments - not the least of which was his sublime cut behind the net to set up Nic Petan for a sitter in the semi-finals against Slovakia.

The 6-foot-4, 210-pound Crouse of the Kingston Frontenacs cemented his status as a premier prospect with an outstanding performance.

Crouse emerged a leader on Canada's unstoppable fourth line which ground opponents down with a heavy cycle - alongside bulky linemates Nick Ritchie and Frederik Gauthier.

Despite a disappointing tournament for Team Switzerland, who needed a playoff win over Germany to avoid relegation, the Swiss underager's also made waves.

Jonas Siegenthaler was a rock on the Swiss blueline posting a remarkable plus-9 rating - the only non-Canadian among the tournament's top 10.

Another steady force for the Swiss was Timo Meier (6-2-4-6) who built on a strong opening half with the Halifax Mooseheads.

Meier earned a berth in the McKeen's Top 30 rankings - sitting at No. 24 - while Siegenthaler is ranked as an early second-rounder - at No. 36.

Jens Looke of Brynas also makes his debut in the top 30. As the only `97-born player on Team Sweden, Looke began the tournament as the 13th forward but gained a regular spot in the lineup and wound up scoring three goals - tied for third on the team.

Alexander Dergachyov (Russia), Sebastian Aho (Finland), and David Kase (Czech) added to the list of underager's who excelled at the world juniors - each of whom are ranked in the second round.

Here is a look at the McKeen's Top 30 Rankings for the 2015 NHL Draft.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE FULL TOP 75 RANKINGS.

RANK	PREV	PLAYER	POS	TEAM	HT/WT	DOB
1	1	Connor McDavid	C	Erie (OHL)	6-1/195	13-Jan-97
2	2	Jack Eichel	C	Boston University (HE)	6-2/195	28-Oct-96
3	3	Noah Hanifin	D	Boston College (HE)	6-3/205	25-Jan-97
4	6	Mitchell Marner	C	London (OHL)	5-11/160	5-May-97
5	5	Lawson Crouse	LW	Kingston (OHL)	6-4/210	23-Jun-97
6	7	Dylan Strome	C	Erie (OHL)	6-3/190	7-May-97
7	11	Zach Werenski	D	Michigan (B1G)	6-2/205	19-Jul-97
8	22	Ivan Provorov	D	Brandon (WHL)	6-0/195	13-Jan-97
9	4	Pavel Zacha	C	Sarnia (OHL)	6-3/210	6-Apr-97
10	9	Nick Merkley	RW	Kelowna (WHL)	5-11/190	23-May-97
11	18	Mikko Rantanen	RW	TPS Turku (Fin)	6-3/210	29-Oct-96
12	10	Mathew Barzal	C	Seattle (WHL)	5-11/175	26-May-97
13	17	Jeremy Roy	D	Sherbrooke (QMJHL)	6-0/190	14-May-97
14	8	Kyle Connor	C	Youngstown (USHL)	6-1/185	9-Dec-96
15	26	Evgeni Svechnikov	LW	Cape Breton (QMJHL)	6-2/200	31-Oct-96
16	13	Travis Konecny	C	Ottawa (OHL)	5-10/175	11-Mar-97
17	14	Oliver Kylington	D	Farjestads (Swe)	6-0/185	19-May-97
18	12	Colin White	C	NTDP (USA)	6-0/185	30-Jan-97
19	16	Paul Bittner	LW	Portland (WHL)	6-4/210	4-Nov-96
20	NR	Thomas Chabot	D	Saint John (QMJHL)	6-1/180	30-Jan-97
21	15	Jakub Zboril	D	Saint John (QMJHL)	6-1/185	21-Feb-97
22	20	Matthew Spencer	D	Peterborough (OHL)	6-1/200	24-Mar-97
23	30	Jake DeBrusk	LW	Swift Current (WHL)	5-11/170	17-Oct-96
24	NR	Timo Meier	RW	Halifax (QMJHL)	6-1/210	8-Oct-96
25	19	Brandon Carlo	D	Tri-City (WHL)	6-5/200	26-Nov-96
26	28	Daniel Sprong	RW	Charlottetown (QMJHL)	6-0/190	17-Mar-97
27	24	Jansen Harkins	C	Prince George (WHL)	6-1/180	23-May-97
28	NR	Guillaume Brisebois	D	Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL)	6-2/170	21-Jul-97
29	NR	Brock Boeser	RW	Waterloo (USHL)	6-0/195	25-Feb-97
30	NR	Jens Looke	RW	Brynas (Swe)	6-0/180	11-Apr-97

McKeen’s 2015 NHL Top 75 Draft Rankings (Jan-2015)

McKeen's Hockey — Fri, 16 Jan 2015 20:24:53 +0000

A quick demographic breakdown of the McKeen's Top 75 rankings suggests the 2015 NHL Draft is shaping up to have not only good depth but also balance.

The five primary regions are represented fairly equally with the QMJHL leading the way with 17 prospects ranked - followed closely by the OHL (16), Europe/International (16), the WHL (15), and the U.S. (11).

RANK	PREV	PLAYER	POS	TEAM	HT/WT	DOB
1	1	Connor McDavid	C	Erie (OHL)	6-1/195	13-Jan-97
2	2	Jack Eichel	C	Boston University (HE)	6-2/195	28-Oct-96
3	3	Noah Hanifin	D	Boston College (HE)	6-3/205	25-Jan-97
4	6	Mitchell Marner	C	London (OHL)	5-11/160	5-May-97
5	5	Lawson Crouse	LW	Kingston (OHL)	6-4/210	23-Jun-97
6	7	Dylan Strome	C	Erie (OHL)	6-3/190	7-May-97
7	11	Zach Werenski	D	Michigan (B1G)	6-2/205	19-Jul-97
8	22	Ivan Provorov	D	Brandon (WHL)	6-0/195	13-Jan-97
9	4	Pavel Zacha	C	Sarnia (OHL)	6-3/210	6-Apr-97
10	9	Nick Merkley	RW	Kelowna (WHL)	5-11/190	23-May-97
11	18	Mikko Rantanen	RW	TPS Turku (Fin)	6-3/210	29-Oct-96
12	10	Mathew Barzal	C	Seattle (WHL)	5-11/175	26-May-97
13	17	Jeremy Roy	D	Sherbrooke (QMJHL)	6-0/190	14-May-97
14	8	Kyle Connor	C	Youngstown (USHL)	6-1/185	9-Dec-96
15	26	Evgeni Svechnikov	LW	Cape Breton (QMJHL)	6-2/200	31-Oct-96
16	13	Travis Konecny	C	Ottawa (OHL)	5-10/175	11-Mar-97
17	14	Oliver Kylington	D	Farjestads (Swe)	6-0/185	19-May-97
18	12	Colin White	C	NTDP (USA)	6-0/185	30-Jan-97
19	16	Paul Bittner	LW	Portland (WHL)	6-4/210	4-Nov-96
20	NR	Thomas Chabot	D	Saint John (QMJHL)	6-1/180	30-Jan-97
21	15	Jakub Zboril	D	Saint John (QMJHL)	6-1/185	21-Feb-97
22	20	Matthew Spencer	D	Peterborough (OHL)	6-1/200	24-Mar-97
23	30	Jake DeBrusk	LW	Swift Current (WHL)	5-11/170	17-Oct-96
24	NR	Timo Meier	RW	Halifax (QMJHL)	6-1/210	8-Oct-96
25	19	Brandon Carlo	D	Tri-City (WHL)	6-5/200	26-Nov-96
26	28	Daniel Sprong	RW	Charlottetown (QMJHL)	6-0/190	17-Mar-97
27	24	Jansen Harkins	C	Prince George (WHL)	6-1/180	23-May-97
28	NR	Guillaume Brisebois	D	Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL)	6-2/170	21-Jul-97
29	NR	Brock Boeser	RW	Waterloo (USHL)	6-0/195	25-Feb-97
30	NR	Jens Looke	RW	Brynas (Swe)	6-0/180	11-Apr-97
31	NR	Mackenzie Blackwood	G	Barrie (OHL)	6-4/215	9-Dec-96
32	21	Jacob Larsson	D	Frolunda (Swe)	6-2/190	29-Apr-97
33	25	Dennis Yan	LW	Shawinigan (QMJHL)	6-1/180	14-Apr-97
34	NR	Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson	C	Omaha (USHL)	6-1/195	31-Oct-96
35	NR	Callum Booth	G	Quebec (QMJHL)	6-3/200	21-May-97
36	NR	Jonas Siegenthaler	D	ZSC Zurich (Sui)	6-2/220	6-May-97
37	29	Tom Novak	C	Waterloo (USHL)	6-0/180	28-Apr-97
38	NR	Blake Speers	C	Sault Ste Marie (OHL)	5-11/180	2-Jan-97
39	NR	Alexander Dergachyov	RW	SKA St. Petersburg (Rus)	6-4/200	27-Sep-96
40	NR	Nikita Korostelev	RW	Sarnia (OHL)	6-1/195	8-Feb-97
41	NR	Sebastian Aho	RW	Karpat Oulu (Fin)	5-11/175	26-Jul-97
42	23	Nicolas Roy	C	Chicoutimi (QMJHL)	6-4/200	5-Feb-97
43	NR	David Kase	C	Chomutov (Cze)	5-11/170	28-Jan-97
44	NR	Yakov Trenin	LW	Gatineau (QMJHL)	6-2/195	13-Jan-97
45	NR	Gabriel Carlsson	D	Linkopings (Swe)	6-4/185	2-Jan-97
46	NR	Filip Ahl	LW	HV 71 (Swe)	6-3/210	12-Jun-97
47	NR	Glenn Gawdin	C	Swift Current (WHL)	6-1/190	25-Mar-97
48	NR	Adam Musil	RW	Red Deer (WHL)	6-2/200	26-Mar-97
49	NR	Jeremy Bracco	RW	NTDP (USA)	5-9/175	17-Mar-97
50	NR	Ryan Pilon	D	Brandon (WHL)	6-2/210	10-Oct-96
51	NR	Filip Chlapik	C	Charlottetown (QMJHL)	6-1/195	3-Jun-97
52	NR	Nathan Noel	C	Saint John (QMJHL)	5-11/175	21-Jun-97
53	NR	Graham Knott	LW	Niagara (OHL)	6-3/195	13-Jan-97
54	NR	Daniel Vladar	G	Kladno (Cze)	6-5/185	20-Aug-97
55	27	Jordan Greenway	LW	NTDP (USA)	6-5/225	16-Feb-97
56	NR	Michael Spacek	C	Pardubice (Cze)	5-11/190	9-Apr-97
57	NR	Anthony Beauvillier	LW	Shawinigan (QMJHL)	5-10/175	8-Jun-97
58	NR	Ryan Gropp	LW	Seattle (WHL)	6-2/185	16-Sep-96
59	NR	Felix Sandstrom	G	Brynas (Swe)	6-2/190	12-Jan-97
60	NR	Parker Wotherspoon	D	Tri-City (WHL)	6-0/170	24-Aug-97
61	NR	Nicolas Meloche	D	Baie-Comeau (QMJHL)	6-2/200	18-Jul-97
62	NR	Roope Hintz	LW	Ilves Tampere (Fin)	6-2/185	17-Nov-96
63	NR	Noah Juulsen	D	Everett (WHL)	6-1/175	2-Apr-97
64	NR	Zachary Senyshyn	RW	Sault Ste Marie (OHL)	6-1/195	30-Mar-97
65	NR	Erik Cernak	D	Kosice (Svk)	6-3/200	28-May-97
66	NR	Brendan Guhle	D	Prince Albert (WHL)	6-2/180	29-Jul-97
67	NR	Mitchell Stephens	C	Saginaw (OHL)	5-11/185	5-Feb-97
68	NR	Mitchell Vande Sompel	D	Oshawa (OHL)	5-10/180	11-Feb-97
69	NR	Adam Marsh	LW	Saint John (QMJHL)	6-0/165	22-Aug-97
70	NR	Jesse Gabrielle	LW	Regina (WHL)	5-11/205	17-Jun-97
71	NR	Denis Gurianov	RW	Lada Togliatti (Rus)	6-2/185	7-Jun-97
72	NR	Rasmus Andersson	D	Barrie (OHL)	6-0/215	27-Oct-96
73	NR	Dmytro Timashov	LW	Quebec (QMJHL)	5-9/190	1-Oct-96
74	NR	Justin Lemcke	D	Belleville (OHL)	6-2/200	13-Feb-97
75	NR	Matej Tomek	G	Topeka (NAHL)	6-2/180	24-May-97