Riley Kidney – McKeen's Hockey

MCKEEN’S 2024-25 NHL YEARBOOK – MONTREAL CANADIENS – Top 15 Prospect Profiles – Organizational Rank #2

Introduction - Dave Hall, Profiles - Derek Neumeier — Fri, 27 Sep 2024 13:00:12 +0000

_{PARADISE, NV - JUNE 28: Ivan Demidov is drafted by the Montreal Canadians in the first round during the Upper Deck NHL Draft on June 28, 2024 at the Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Speer/Icon Sportswire)}

Prospect System Ranking – 2nd (Previous Rank - 4th)
GM: Kent Hughes Hired: January 2022
COACH: Martin St. Louis Hired: February 2022

The Montreal Canadiens passed on Matvei Michkov in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft to select defenceman David Reinbacher. Sitting 30th in our McKeen’s rankings, Reinbacher split his draft-plus-one campaign between the Swiss league and AHL and will now take on his official rookie year in Laval.

Montreal's foresight paid off, snagging a Russian phenom of their own in Ivan Demidov at the 2024 draft podium. Ranked as our third-best prospect, Demidov is regarded by many as a more complete player than Michkov, combining strong offensive instincts with an all-around versatile game. Simply put, his services change the future trajectory of the Canadiens overnight.

Reinbacher isn’t the only defensive prospect creating a buzz in Quebec. Boston University standout Lane Hutson (40th) has signed his papers and is ready to shift his game to the NHL circuit. The 20-year-old thrived at the collegiate level, posting 97 points over 77 games from the blueline, and picked up several personal accolades along the way. He embodies the modern offensive defenceman. Similarly, Logan Mailloux (59th) has made good strides in his development and, in reality, could push for an NHL roster spot out of training camp.

Joshua Roy, who appeared in 23 games for the Canadiens last season, is also on the verge of an NHL breakthrough. Roy is poised to join the likes of Juraj Slafkovský, Jayden Struble, Kaiden Guhle, and Cole Caufield as recent McKeen’s graduates making their mark on the NHL.

In goal, 2023 third-round pick Jacob Fowler has proven to be a strong bet. Backstopping Boston College to a Hockey East Championship, Fowler posted a 32-6-1 record in his freshman year and was named a First Team All-Star. While he’s still a few years away from NHL action, we could be looking at the Habs' goaltender of the future.

Montreal's competitive roster is beginning to take shape, bolstered by a recent mid-August trade that brought Patrik Laine to the team. They now boast a forward core led by Juraj Slafkovský (20), Nick Suzuki (25), Cole Caufield (23), Alex Newhook (23), Kirby Dach (23), and Patrik Laine (26). They will soon be joined by the young prospects mentioned above. On defence, the Canadiens’ future is promising with the likes of Lane Hutson (20), David Reinbacher (19), Logan Mailloux (20), and Kaiden Guhle (22).

After four consecutive postseason misses, things are finally looking up for the devoted fans of Les Habitants. The pieces are falling into place for a promising future.

Montreal Canadiens Top-15 Prospects

1. Ivan Demidov

The Canadiens already had one of the best prospect pools in the league prior to the 2024 draft, but the one thing it needed was a game-breaking forward. That's why their decision to pick Demidov 5th overall, as opposed to some other very appealing options that were also still available at the time, made all the sense in the world. He's a dynamic talent with a deep bag of tricks, along with the confidence to utilize all of them, and the smarts and awareness to pick the right times to do so. He's the type of player who can make a goal happen out of nothing, which is both valuable and rare within the tight defensive structures seen in the NHL. He also has a big-game mentality and thrives in the spotlight, which will be incredibly useful and much appreciated by fans in a hockey-mad market like Montreal.

2. David Reinbacher

It certainly can't be easy to be Reinbacher these days, with all that noise generated by the fervent Montreal fans and media, especially the noise that’s related to his somewhat controversial draft slot. Knowing that, it says a lot about his character that he was able to quickly move past an injury-dampened and loss-filled season in Switzerland and immediately start looking comfortable with Laval in the AHL. The Habs want him to be a top-pairing, all-situations, minute-munching blueliner, and he's on a good enough trajectory with his development so far that he genuinely could reach that ceiling. He already has all of the necessary tools in his toolbox. However, he's still a long ways away from that goal as of right now, and progress won't happen overnight. If the team and the city can be patient enough they could get rewarded handsomely.

3. Lane Hutson

Never tell Hutson the odds. It’s understandable, to a degree, why teams were nervous about him in his draft year, because it’s exceedingly rare for blueliners of his small stature to become core roster players. That said, it’s always been pretty apparent that this particular pint-sized defender was special, and now there are probably a number of teams that are kicking themselves for not being believers, especially since he has grown a bit since then. When it comes to puck-rushing defencemen he is as dynamic as they come, with explosive all-direction mobility and the desire to play on his toes at all times. He also deserves full marks for his mental traits, as he is utterly fearless and endlessly driven, and he reads and reacts to the play in front of him at lightning speed with near perfect precision. He’s a truly unique kind of talent.

4. Michael Hage

The feel-good story of the 2024 draft was Montreal picking Hage, whose father, Alain, was a diehard Canadiens fan up until his sudden and tragic death in the summer of 2023. Now Michael is committed to using his dad's memory and legacy as fuel for his own growth as a player. And what a player he is, as an athletic center who moves around the ice well and can do a lot of damage as both a shooter and a playmaker. And there aren't many development paths that are better than going from the USHL's Chicago Steel to the NCAA's University of Michigan, as both organizations have produced a plethora of great prospects in recent years. He's still a little unrefined right now, but the sky's the limit for him, and his first game at the Bell Centre will surely be an emotional affair.

5. Joshua Roy

Nearly three years have now passed since the 2021 draft, and yet it’s only gotten more and more perplexing over time why Roy wasn’t picked until the 5th round, 150th overall. Sure, hindsight is always 20/20, and absolutely no one was confident that he would be quite this good by this age, but he was a former 1st-overall pick into the QMJHL who scored at a point-per-game pace that season split between two lackluster teams, and a profile like that seems like it would be worth a roll of the dice at least a round or two sooner. The Canadiens certainly aren’t complaining about how things worked out, though. He’s already putting in work and looking solid as a support scorer, and that will keep him around for a long time, even if he never becomes a primary creator.

6. Logan Mailloux

Much has already been said and written about Mailloux’s past and the highly controversial decision by the Canadiens to select him in the 1st round in the 2021 draft, and that story will be talked about again and relitigated in depth once he eventually becomes an NHL regular. For right now, though, there is another story that has emerged with him, and it’s about how well he’s managed to tune out all that chatter and channel his energy into his on-ice performance, which cannot be an easy focus to maintain. He is intensely attuned to his development and the on-ice results that stem from it, perhaps knowing that his career will always be on uniquely thinner ice than others, and he’s become one of the best defence prospects in all of hockey. If the Habs keep maintaining their long-term investment in him then he’ll win a full-time spot with the big club in short order.

7. Jacob Fowler

A popular hockey saying goes that goalies are voodoo, but thus far into his career Fowler is almost boringly, simplistically excellent. Put on the pads, stop almost all the pucks, win the game, repeat. And that's been the same song and dance for him going as far back as his stats were even recorded. His technique and positioning are impeccably fine-tuned for a goalie his age, and the quality of his mental approach is rare. He just never seems to have a bad game, and on the rare occasion that he lets in a bad goal he’s always able to shake it off and immediately refocus. He came remarkably close to winning back-to-back league championships, after leading Youngstown to a USHL title last season, but Boston College was overpowered in the final of the Frozen Four. If he keeps improving his quickness and athleticism he could become quite a solid NHL starter.

8. Owen Beck

In this past spring Beck suited up for his third OHL team in the span of three years, but he probably didn’t complain too much about it, because he was guaranteed a return trip to the Memorial Cup tournament, now as a member of the host Saginaw Spirit, after getting there the harder way the year before with the Peterborough Petes. Montreal must be pleased that he received all this high-quality experience, because it’s nothing but pure benefit for him. He’s a reliable, competitive, two-way center by nature, and after all of this it’s easy to imagine how prepared he’s going to be for playoff hockey in the NHL once he gets there. It seems like his ceiling will end up being a little lower than what was initially hoped for, but he should still be able to fit in just fine with what the Canadiens are building long-term.

9. Oliver Kapanen

Yet another member of the Kapanen clan, Oliver comes from quite a bloodline of hockey players. To say that he lived and breathed hockey growing up probably wouldn't be much of a stretch or understatement. He was also practically raised by the Kalpa organization in Finland, playing with them for so many years that they watched him grow from a boy into a man, so there must have been a lot of pride being felt when he exploded in the Liiga playoffs this spring, scoring at a point per game pace and helping them advance far into the postseason. The skill and hockey IQ have always been in place for him, and he continues to make necessary progress on his strength and conditioning, improvements that he'll need to be able to play in the NHL one day. Montreal, with all their young forward depth, can afford to be patient with Kapanen.

10. Jakub Dobes

Among all AHL goalies this season Dobes finished tied for the lead for game appearances and was solely in second place for total minutes between the pipes, which is quite a rare thing for a rookie netminder in that league to accomplish. He has a remarkable ability to step into a totally new environment and look uncharacteristically right at home, which he’s done recently with both Ohio State and now Laval as well, winning the starter’s job upon arrival each time and never relinquishing it. His play just keeps getting better and better as he continues growing into his sprawling frame and gaining more natural coordination. Making things even more enticing, he still looks like he’s not even close to reaching the limits of that progression. If a re-do for the 2020 draft were to happen tomorrow Dobes might get picked as many as 100 spots higher.

11. Filip Mesar

A longtime friend and international teammate of Juraj Slafkovský, Mesar is Montreal's other young Slovak forward, but his development hasn't begun to soar nearly as much in comparison. On the bright side, he has a knack for saving his best hockey for the biggest games, from the World Juniors to the OHL playoffs, which is never a bad sign. He’s an offense-first winger who is at his most dangerous off the rush.

12. Bogdan Konyushkov

Sometimes it makes sense to select older, previously undrafted prospects, because more is already known about them. Konyushkov was the oldest player to get drafted in 2023, but he had just played a full season in the KHL, so the Habs had enough material to inform their decision. He has the requisite determination and pacing needed for smaller blueliners, utilizing his feet to be fast and shifty on puck retrievals and breakouts, while keeping tight gaps to defend with pokechecks.

13. Sean Farrell

Farrell was a top offensive contributor in both the USHL and the NCAA, so further point production is expected of him. That might just take longer than expected, because of how much progress he still needs to make with his strength and conditioning. Few can match his ability to see the ice and anticipate the flow of play, and he pairs that with an innate touch for the puck, but he needs to get more explosive and apply pressure with more intensity.

14. Adam Engström

Engström is a bit of a sleeper in Montreal's crowded system, but he just keeps quietly getting better and better playing overseas in the SHL. He was also one of Rögle's regular defensemen in their surprise underdog run to the league finals, which is the type of experience that can really boost a young player's development. His game is all about crisp puck movement that is carried out at a brisk pace.

15. Riley Kidney

Kidney rattled off repeat 100-point seasons during his QMJHL tenure, so Habs fans shouldn't get too concerned that he had a quiet rookie campaign in the AHL. It wasn't a secret that he would need more time to get his strength and conditioning up to par, and he still possesses the same sharp offensive vision and precise playmaking that he had before. The Canadiens have enough prospect depth that they can let Kidney develop at a pace that works for him.

MCKEEN’S 2024 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – #4 Montreal Canadiens – Organization Overview – Top 15 Prospects

Player Profiles - Derek Neumeier, Team Overview - Robert Howard — Sun, 09 Jun 2024 15:00:05 +0000

MONTREAL, QC - SEPTEMBER 25:Montreal Canadiens defenseman David Reinbacher (64) waits for a face-off during the New Jersey Devils versus the Montreal Canadiens preseason game on September 25, 2023, at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire)

Kent Hughes has been one of the more active and creative GM’s in the NHL in a little over two years. Two drafts under his belt, and he has shown he is going to follow his own instincts, as both first overall picks were not the consensus at the time. He has received vindication for taking Juraj Slafkovsky first overall in 2022 as he broke out this season and showed considerable ceiling as an elite power forward. There were some raised eyebrows about picking 6’2” right shot defenseman, David Reinbacher, given there were flashier options on the table at the time. He is followed by the #2 prospect, Lane Hutson, also on defense, and looking like one of the great steals from the 2022 Draft at 62nd. He also gets high marks for drafting goaltender Jacob Fowler in the second round, currently ranked as the sixth best prospect goaltender by McKeens. He will certainly add to the fourth best prospect pool with two first-round picks in 2024 and two firsts in 2025, and a slew of picks in both drafts.

Hughes, an ex-player agent, is a master of using his cap space to land prospects and picks. He took Sean Monahan off of Calgary’s hands (future considerations) for a first-round pick in the summer of 2022. Monahan had a strong 2023-24 season and recouped another first at the 2024 deadline. We do not have enough space here to cover all the wheeling and dealing but it has created a wealth of future potential, but also to add key young pieces to the core in reclamation projects in two former first round 23-year-olds in Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook. They are building around forwards Nick Suzuki (24) and Cole Caufield (23), who have established themselves as stars, and are signed through 2029-30 at very reasonable, identical AAV of $7.875 million. They are a few years out from contending, there is real momentum and excitement in one of the most jaded fan bases.

RNK	PLAYER	POS	AGE	HT/WT	TM	Acquired	GP	G(W)	A(L)	PTS(GAA)	PIM(SPCT)
1	David Reinbacher	D	19	6-2/185	Kloten (Sui-NL)	`23(5th)	35	1	10	11	18
					Laval (AHL)	`23(5th)	11	2	3	5	4
2	Lane Hutson	D	20	5-10/160	Boston University (HE)	`22(62nd)	38	15	34	49	24
					Montreal (NHL)	`22(62nd)	2	0	2	2	0
3	Joshua Roy	RW	20	6-0/190	Laval (AHL)	`21(150th)	41	13	19	32	12
					Montreal (NHL)	`21(150th)	23	4	5	9	0
4	Logan Mailloux	D	21	6-3/215	Laval (AHL)	`21(31st)	72	14	33	47	91
5	Jacob Fowler	G	19	6-1/215	Boston College (HE)	`23(69th)	39	32	6	2.14	0.926
6	Owen Beck	C	20	5-11/185	Pbo-Sag (OHL)	`22(33rd)	57	34	47	81	18
7	Sean Farrell	C	22	5-8/175	Laval (AHL)	`20(124th)	47	9	19	28	10
8	Jakub Dobes	G	22	6-3/200	Laval (AHL)	`20(136th)	51	24	18	2.93	0.906
9	Oliver Kapanen	C	20	6-0/170	KalPa (Fin-Liiga)	`21(64th)	51	14	20	34	32
10	Bogdan Konyushkov	D	21	5-11/175	Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)	`23(110th)	65	6	22	28	18
11	Filip Mesar	C	20	5-9/175	Kitchener (OHL)	`22(26th)	45	19	33	52	12
12	Adam Engstrom	D	20	6-2/185	Rogle (SHL)	`22(92nd)	51	4	18	22	4
13	Riley Kidney	C	21	5-11/170	Laval (AHL)	`21(63rd)	65	7	13	20	41
14	Emil Heineman	LW	22	6-1/185	Laval (AHL)	T(Cgy-2/22)	48	15	14	29	25
					Montreal (NHL)	T(Cgy-2/22)	4	0	0	0	0
15	William Trudeau	D	21	6-0/190	Laval (AHL)	`21(113th)	70	8	16	24	69

1. David Reinbacher, D, Kloten (NL)/Laval Rocket (AHL)

2. Lane Hutson, D, Boston University (NCAA)

Never tell Hutson the odds. It’s understandable, to a degree, why teams were nervous about him in his draft year, because it’s exceedingly rare for blueliners of his small stature to become core roster players. That said, it’s always been pretty apparent that this particular pint-sized defender was special, and now there are probably a number of teams that are kicking themselves for not being believers. When it comes to puck-rushing defensemen he is as dynamic as they come, with explosive all-direction mobility and the desire to play on his toes at all times. He also deserves full marks for his mental traits, as he is utterly fearless and endlessly driven, and he reads and reacts to the play in front of him at lightning speed with near perfect precision. Can Hutson reach a similar level to Quinn Hughes in Vancouver? Habs fans are already dreaming about it.

3. Joshua Roy, RW, Laval Rocket (AHL)

Nearly three years have now passed since the 2021 draft, and yet it’s only gotten more and more perplexing over time why Roy wasn’t picked until the 5th round and 150th overall. Sure, hindsight is always 20/20, and absolutely no one was confident that he would be quite this good by this age, but he was a former 1st-overall pick into the QMJHL who scored at a point-per-game pace that season split between two lackluster teams, and a profile like that seems like it would be worth a roll of the dice at least a round or two sooner. The Canadiens certainly aren’t complaining about how things worked out, though. He’s already putting in work and looking solid as a support scorer, and that will keep him around for a long time, even if he never becomes a primary creator.

4. Logan Mailloux, D, Laval Rocket (AHL)

Much has already been said and written about Mailloux’s past and the highly controversial decision by the Canadiens to select him in the 1st round in the 2021 draft, and that story will be talked about again and relitigated in depth once he eventually becomes an NHL regular. For right now, though, there is another story that has emerged with him, and it’s about how well he’s managed to tune out all that chatter and channel his energy into his on-ice performance, which cannot be an easy focus to maintain. He is intensely attuned to his development and the on-ice results that stem from it, perhaps knowing that his career will always be on uniquely thinner ice than others, and he’s become one of the best defense prospects in all of hockey. If the Habs keep maintaining their long-term investment in him then he’ll win a full-time spot with the big club in short order.

5. Jacob Fowler, G, Boston College (NCAA)

6. Owen Beck, C, Saginaw Spirit (OHL)

Beck is now playing for his third OHL team in the span of three years, but he’s probably not complaining too much, since he’s guaranteed a return trip to the Memorial Cup tournament, this time as a member of the host Saginaw Spirit after getting there the harder way last year with the Peterborough Petes. Montreal must be pleased that he’s getting all of this high-quality experience, because it’s nothing but pure benefit for him. He’s a reliable, competitive two-way center by nature, and after all of this it’s easy to imagine how prepared he’s going to be for playoff hockey in the NHL once he gets there. It seems like his ceiling will end up being a little lower than what was initially hoped for, but he should still be able to fit in just fine with what the Canadiens are building long-term.

7. Sean Farrell, C, Laval Rocket (AHL)

Farrell proved himself to be a top-tier offensive contributor in both the USHL and the NCAA, so further point production is expected to be a part of his future. That might just take longer than Habs fans expect, though, because of the higher importance of strength and conditioning at the professional levels, and how much progress he still needs to make in these areas. Few can match his ability to see the ice in front of him and anticipate the flow of play, and he pairs that with an innate touch for the puck and a confidence for playmaking. He’s an ace at slowing things down and letting his options unfurl themselves, and that’s always a great trait to possess, but he will also need to round things out by getting more explosive with his skating and applying pressure with more intensity.

8. Jakub Dobes, G, Laval Rocket (AHL)

Among all AHL goalies this season Dobes finished in a tie for game appearances and was solely in second place for total minutes between the pipes, which is quite a rare thing for a rookie netminder in the league to accomplish. He has a remarkable ability to step into a totally new environment and look uncharacteristically right at home, which he’s done recently with both Ohio State and now Laval as well, winning the starter’s job upon arrival each time and never relinquishing it. His play just keeps getting better and better as he continues growing into his sprawling frame and gaining more natural coordination, and making things even more enticing, he still looks like he’s not even close to reaching the limits of that progression. If a re-do for the 2020 draft were to happen tomorrow Dobes might get picked as many as 100 spots higher.

9. Oliver Kapanen, C, KalPa (Liiga)

Yet another member of the Kapanen clap, Oliver comes from quite a bloodline of hockey players. To say that he lived and breathed hockey growing up probably wouldn't be much of a stretch or understatement. He was also practically raised by the Kalpa organization in Finland, playing with them for so many years that they watched him grow from a boy into a man, so there must have been a lot of pride being felt when he exploded in the Liiga playoffs this spring, scoring at a point per game pace and helping them make it far. The skill and hockey IQ have always been in place for him, and he continues to make necessary progress on his strength and conditioning, improvements that he'll need to be able to play in the NHL one day. Montreal, with all their young forward depth, can afford to be patient with Kapanen.

10. Bogdan Konyushkov, D, Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)

Sometimes it makes a lot of sense to draft older prospects, even if they've gone unpicked before, because more is already known about them, and less guess work is needed about their development. Konyushkov was the single oldest player to hear his name get called in the 2023 draft, but he had just played a full season in the KHL, so the Habs had a lot of good material to help inform their decision and must have been pretty comfortable in their assessment of him. Additionally, his coach for the past two seasons with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod was the legendary Igor “The Professor” Larionov, which was surely a nice bonus. He has the requisite determination and pacing needed for smaller blueliners, utilizing his feet to be fast and shifty on puck retrievals and breakouts, while keeping tight gaps to defend with pokechecks.

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

MCKEEN’S 2024 NHL PROSPECTS REPORT: TOP 30 NHL PROSPECTS

McKeen's Hockey — Sat, 01 Jun 2024 12:22:26 +0000

At McKeen’s Hockey we do a ranked affiliated prospect list twice a season. Our first, this ranking, follows the end of the regular season for most prospects but does not include the playoffs. It is a ranking of the top 200, plus the top 15 by team, prior to the NHL Draft. Once the NHL Draft is complete, we begin the process of updating the organizational ranking to a top 20, and then rank the top 300. That is completed in August, once the dust has settled on free agency, and any trades that are made in the meantime. We include that ranking in our McKeen’s NHL Yearbook, published in late August, Early September.

Our team of 16 scouts are based in key markets around the world, in the rinks, supported by video scouting. They utilize some terrific tools from Hudl/InStat, which can isolate so many aspects of a player’s game, along with proprietary statistics. They spend countless hours in rinks and in front of screens and are deeply familiar with these players and their progression. Our management team of Brock Otten (Director of Scouting) and Derek Neumeier (Assistant Director of Scouting/Senior Western Regional Scout), along with Video Scouting Coordinator, Josh Bell, will take the teams input and finalize the list you see below. Brock, Derek and Josh are responsible for the player write-ups in the Prospect Guide.

The organizational rankings are based on an algorithm that takes into account how many prospects are ranked within the top 200. The teams are broken down by the number of prospects in our top 1 -25, 26 - 50, 51 - 100, and 101 - 200. A weight is attached to each group and then some subjective tweaking is done based on our knowledge of the players. There can be a wider discrepancy in the top 25 group than the latter groupings that needs to be taken into account.

Here is our definition of an NHL prospect: Players under 26 years of age as of 9/15/2024 who have appeared in less than 60 NHL games (30 for goalies) and less than 35 in one season (25 for goalies).

Check back in with us in the fall to see how things change following the draft. We are releasing out top 30 NHL Prospects free to non-subscribers. If you want to learn more, link here.

Subscribers can link to the full top 200 listing here

Here is an excerpt of Brock Otten's Risers and Fallers article from the magazine to give you more perspective and a little taste of our content.

The best part of scouting is the somewhat unpredictable nature of human development. Some players improve dramatically from one year to the next…others do not. When we compare the rankings from our 2023-24 NHL Yearbook (where we did a Top 300 prospect ranking) to now, these are the players who have risen/fallen the most.

Risers

DALLAS, TX - APRIL 22: Dallas Stars center Logan Stankoven (11) reacts to a goal score during game one of the Western Conference First Round between the Dallas Stars and the Vegas Golden Knights on April 22, 2024 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire)

Logan Stankoven (27 to 5) - Dallas Stars

Stankoven’s jump from one of the best players in the WHL to one of the best players in the AHL has been impressive. So has his quick start in the NHL.

Ryan Leonard (32 to 6) – Washington Capitals

Leonard is returning to Boston College after a Championship barely eluded him this year. However, he has proven to be an elite play driver to go with his strong off puck play.

MONTREAL, QC - FEBRUARY 11: Look on Montreal Canadiens right wing Joshua Roy (89) during warm-up before the St. Louis Blues versus the Montreal Canadiens game on February 11, 2024, at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire)

Josh Roy (63 to 35) – Montreal Canadiens

Roy continues to prove doubters wrong after a terrific AHL season with Laval. His skill set has become so well rounded since being drafted.

Conor Geekie (68 to 18) – Utah

Geekie’s power game from the middle of the ice makes him such an interesting prospect for today’s NHL. His skating continues to improve.

Mavrik Bourque (79 to 23) – Dallas Stars

Bourque emerged as one of the best players in the AHL this season as a sophomore professional. He’s ready to take that next step with the Stars.

Gabe Perreault (86 to 19) – New York Rangers

Once thought to be the third wheel on the talented Will Smith/Ryan Leonard threesome, Perreault’s progression as a play driver at Boston College this season has altered the perception that he can be a front-line NHL player.

Bradly Nadeau (109 to 34) – Carolina Hurricanes

Drafting early out of the BCHL has yielded inconsistent results, however Nadeau was exceptional as a freshman at Maine. Did he leave school too early though?

Jagger Firkus (112 to 47) – Seattle Kraken

Firkus took his game to another level this year in his final WHL season, leading the league in scoring. He’s ready to be a pro.

Gavin Brindley (122 to 66) – Columbus Blue Jackets

One of the most improved players in the NCAA this year, Brindley emerged as a star for the University of Michigan and really altered his projection as a potential top six forward.

Quentin Musty (125 to 51) – San Jose Sharks

The dynamic American winger worked hard to fine tune components of his game in Sudbury this year and deserves a bump for improving his consistency.

Jani Nyman (135 to 81) – Seattle Kraken

Nyman emerged as one of the top goal scorers in Finland this season as a U20 player. This, combined with his strong WJC performance, has helped push him up our board north.

Logan Mailloux (145 to 45) – Montreal Canadiens

Mailloux proved to be way more refined at the AHL level than previously perceived. Simply put, he was one of the best defensive prospects in the AHL this year.

Josh Doan (153 to 55) - Utah

What a terrific story to the end of the Coyotes franchise. Doan emerged as a potential star this season and finished the year strong in the NHL, scoring in his debut.

Riley Heidt (157 to 44) – Minnesota Wild

We still don’t understand how Heidt fell as far as he did in the 2023 draft, however he is proving NHL scouts wrong thus far after a remarkable year with Prince George.

Ville Koivunen (165 to 71) – Pittsburgh Penguins

The main piece of the Jake Guentzel to Carolina deal, Koivunen emerged as one of the top players in Liiga this year.

Ethan Del Mastro (169 to 73) – Chicago Blackhawks

There was little doubt that Del Mastro’s strong defensive ability would translate to the AHL level well, but he continues to improve offensively and that has altered his projection.

Theo Lindstein (185 to 91) – St. Louis Blues

Lindstein’s strong year for Brynas has helped to elevate his upside as a two-way defender. We may have ranked him too low in our 2023 Draft Rankings.

Carson Rehkopf (201 to 69) – Seattle Kraken

Consistency off the puck and a lack of engagement held Rehkopf back last year. This year marked improvement in those areas helped him emerge as a top offensive talent in the OHL.

Easton Cowan (204 to 67) – Toronto Maple Leafs

One of the surprises of the 2023 draft, Cowan set a new OHL record with a 42-game point streak. More than just a high energy guy now, he can be a difference maker offensively.

Seamus Casey (214 to 63) – New Jersey Devils

Casey continues to improve in the NCAA. He may not have elite size, but he has everything else, and it has the Devils excited about his future.

Jacob Fowler (222 to 52) – Montreal Canadiens

Fowler compiled a list of accolades as a freshman this year at Boston College, emerging as one of the top goaltending prospects in the game.

Fraser Minten (226 to 84) – Toronto Maple Leafs

After starting the year with the Leafs, Minten returned to the WHL and ended up captaining Canada at the World Juniors.

Jackson Blake (277 to 117) – Carolina Hurricanes

A finalist for the Hobey Baker this year, Blake became an NCAA star for North Dakota, and he now turns pro.

Erik Portillo (Unranked to 118) – Los Angeles Kings

Acquired by the Kings, Portillo turned pro after three years at Michigan and he was one of the best goaltenders in the AHL as a first-year pro.

Rodwin Dionicio (Unranked to 139) – Anaheim Ducks

Dionicio still plays a high risk, high reward game from the back end, but his offensive upside has become too large to ignore.

Fallers

EDM - Xavier Bourgault

Xavier Bourgault (from 48 to 113) – Edmonton Oilers

After a mediocre first professional year last season, Bourgault was even more disappointing as a sophomore with Bakersfield. The Oilers just haven’t been developing prospects well in recent years.

Eduard Sale (72 to 140) – Seattle Kraken

Sale’s first year in North America did not go according to plan as he struggled to be a consistent impact player in the OHL.

Jack Rathbone (96 to not ranked) – Pittsburgh Penguins

Perhaps we ranked Rathbone too aggressively this summer, but not only did he fail to earn a spot on Vancouver, but he’s now an NHL after thought after entering Pittsburgh’s organization via trade.

Jacob Perreault (127 to not ranked) – Montreal Canadiens

Perreault’s off puck play and skating just haven’t improved to the point where he can be a consistent pro and it caused the Ducks to move on from him, trading him to Montreal.

Jan Jenik (156 to not ranked) - Utah

Once a highly ranked prospect, Jenik continues to fall. He just hasn’t been able to take that next step and even passed through waivers this year unclaimed.

RNK	PLAYER	NHL	POS	AGE	HT/WT	TM	GP	G(W)	A(L)	PTS(GAA)	PIM(SPCT)
1	Will Smith	SJ	C	19	6-0/175	Boston College (HE)	41	25	46	71	14
2	Matvei Michkov	Phi	RW	19	5-10/170	SKA St. Petersburg-HK Sochi (KHL)	48	19	22	41	26
3	Brandt Clarke	LA	D	21	6-2/185	Los Angeles (NHL)	16	2	4	6	10
4	Cutter Gauthier	Ana	LW	20	6-2/190	Boston College (HE)	41	38	27	65	18
5	Logan Stankoven	Dal	C	21	5-8/170	Dallas (NHL)	24	6	8	14	4
6	Ryan Leonard	Wsh	RW	19	5-11/190	Boston College (HE)	41	31	29	60	38
7	Alexander Nikishin	Car	D	22	6-3/195	SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)	67	17	39	56	39
8	Yaroslav Askarov	Nsh	G	21	6-3/175	Milwaukee (AHL)	44	30	13	2.39	0.911
9	Jesper Wallstedt	Min	G	21	6-3/215	Iowa (AHL)	45	22	19	2.70	0.910
10	Matthew Savoie	Buf	C	20	5-9/179	Wen-MJ (WHL)	34	30	41	71	10
11	Simon Edvinsson	Det	D	21	6-6/215	Detroit (NHL)	16	1	1	2	4
12	Jonathan Lekkerimaki	Van	RW	19	5-11/170	Orebro (SHL)	46	19	12	31	10
13	Dustin Wolf	Cgy	G	23	6-0/166	Calgary (AHL)	36	20	12	2.45	0.922
14	Devon Levi	Buf	G	21	6-0/192	Rochester (AHL)	26	16	6	2.42	0.927
15	Olen Zellweger	Ana	D	20	5-9/180	Anaheim (NHL)	26	2	7	9	4
16	Dmitri Simashev	Ari	D	19	6-4/198	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL)	63	4	6	10	18
17	David Reinbacher	Mtl	D	19	6-2/185	Kloten (Sui-NL)	35	1	10	11	18
18	Conor Geekie	Ari	C	19	6-3/193	Wen-SC (WHL)	55	43	56	99	66
19	Gabe Perreault	NYR	RW	18	5-11/165	Boston College (HE)	36	19	41	60	29
20	Daniil But	Ari	LW	19	6-5/203	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL)	55	10	11	21	10
21	Shane Wright	Sea	C	20	6-0/200	Coachella Valley (AHL)	59	22	25	47	18
22	Jiri Kulich	Buf	C	20	6-1/186	Rochester (AHL)	57	27	18	45	26
23	Mavrik Bourque	Dal	C	22	5-10/190	Texas (AHL)	71	26	51	77	32
24	Nate Danielson	Det	C	19	6-2/185	Bdn-Por (WHL)	54	24	43	67	42
25	Danila Yurov	Min	RW	19	6-1/175	Metallurg Magnitogorsk (KHL)	62	21	28	49	35
26	Brennan Othmann	NYR	LW	21	6-0/175	Hartford (AHL)	67	21	28	49	65
27	Lane Hutson	Mtl	D	20	5-10/160	Boston University (HE)	38	15	34	49	24
28	Tom Willander	Van	D	19	6-1/180	Boston University (HE)	38	4	21	25	12
29	Marco Kasper	Det	C	20	6-1/185	Grand Rapids (AHL)	71	14	21	35	30
30	Dalibor Dvorsky	StL	C	18	6-1/200	Sudbury (OHL)	52	45	43	88	17

2024 NHL PROSPECTS REPORT: TOP 200 NHL PROSPECTS

McKeen's Hockey — Sat, 25 May 2024 17:02:31 +0000

At McKeen’s Hockey we do a ranked affiliated prospect list twice a season. Our first is following the end of the regular season for most prospects but does not include the playoffs. It is a ranking of the top 200, plus the top 15 by team, prior to the NHL Draft. Once the NHL Draft is complete, we begin the process of updating the organizational ranking to a top 20, and then rank the top 300. That is completed in August, once the dust has settled on free agency, and any trades that are made in the meantime. We include that ranking in our McKeen’s NHL Yearbook, published in late August, Early September.

Check back in with us in the fall to see how things change following the draft.

Subscribers can link to the listing here

RNK	PLAYER	NHL	POS	AGE	HT/WT	TM	GP	G(W)	A(L)	PTS(GAA)	PIM(SPCT)
1	Will Smith	SJ	C	19	6-0/175	Boston College (HE)	41	25	46	71	14
2	Matvei Michkov	Phi	RW	19	5-10/170	SKA St. Petersburg-HK Sochi (KHL)	48	19	22	41	26
3	Brandt Clarke	LA	D	21	6-2/185	Los Angeles (NHL)	16	2	4	6	10
4	Cutter Gauthier	Ana	LW	20	6-2/190	Boston College (HE)	41	38	27	65	18
5	Logan Stankoven	Dal	C	21	5-8/170	Dallas (NHL)	24	6	8	14	4
6	Ryan Leonard	Wsh	RW	19	5-11/190	Boston College (HE)	41	31	29	60	38
7	Alexander Nikishin	Car	D	22	6-3/195	SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)	67	17	39	56	39
8	Yaroslav Askarov	Nsh	G	21	6-3/175	Milwaukee (AHL)	44	30	13	2.39	0.911
9	Jesper Wallstedt	Min	G	21	6-3/215	Iowa (AHL)	45	22	19	2.70	0.910
10	Matthew Savoie	Buf	C	20	5-9/179	Wen-MJ (WHL)	34	30	41	71	10
11	Simon Edvinsson	Det	D	21	6-6/215	Detroit (NHL)	16	1	1	2	4
12	Jonathan Lekkerimaki	Van	RW	19	5-11/170	Orebro (SHL)	46	19	12	31	10
13	Dustin Wolf	Cgy	G	23	6-0/166	Calgary (AHL)	36	20	12	2.45	0.922
14	Devon Levi	Buf	G	21	6-0/192	Rochester (AHL)	26	16	6	2.42	0.927
15	Olen Zellweger	Ana	D	20	5-9/180	Anaheim (NHL)	26	2	7	9	4
16	Dmitri Simashev	Ari	D	19	6-4/198	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL)	63	4	6	10	18
17	David Reinbacher	Mtl	D	19	6-2/185	Kloten (Sui-NL)	35	1	10	11	18
18	Conor Geekie	Ari	C	19	6-3/193	Wen-SC (WHL)	55	43	56	99	66
19	Gabe Perreault	NYR	RW	18	5-11/165	Boston College (HE)	36	19	41	60	29
20	Daniil But	Ari	LW	19	6-5/203	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL)	55	10	11	21	10
21	Shane Wright	Sea	C	20	6-0/200	Coachella Valley (AHL)	59	22	25	47	18
22	Jiri Kulich	Buf	C	20	6-1/186	Rochester (AHL)	57	27	18	45	26
23	Mavrik Bourque	Dal	C	22	5-10/190	Texas (AHL)	71	26	51	77	32
24	Nate Danielson	Det	C	19	6-2/185	Bdn-Por (WHL)	54	24	43	67	42
25	Danila Yurov	Min	RW	19	6-1/175	Metallurg Magnitogorsk (KHL)	62	21	28	49	35
26	Brennan Othmann	NYR	LW	21	6-0/175	Hartford (AHL)	67	21	28	49	65
27	Lane Hutson	Mtl	D	20	5-10/160	Boston University (HE)	38	15	34	49	24
28	Tom Willander	Van	D	19	6-1/180	Boston University (HE)	38	4	21	25	12
29	Marco Kasper	Det	C	20	6-1/185	Grand Rapids (AHL)	71	14	21	35	30
30	Dalibor Dvorsky	StL	C	18	6-1/200	Sudbury (OHL)	52	45	43	88	17
31	Brad Lambert	Wpg	C	20	6-0/180	Manitoba (AHL)	64	21	34	55	38
32	Ivan Miroshnichenko	Wsh	LW	20	6-1/185	Washington (NHL)	21	2	4	6	6
33	Axel Sandin Pellikka	Det	D	19	5-11/180	Skelleftea (SHL)	39	10	8	18	17
34	Bradly Nadeau	Car	LW	18	5-10/165	Maine (HE)	37	19	27	46	12
35	Joshua Roy	Mtl	RW	20	6-0/190	Montreal (NHL)	23	4	5	9	0
36	Denton Mateychuk	CBJ	D	19	5-11/190	Moose Jaw (WHL)	52	17	58	75	31
37	Brayden Yager	Pit	C	19	5-11/165	Moose Jaw (WHL)	57	35	60	95	20
38	Calum Ritchie	Col	C	19	6-2/185	Oshawa (OHL)	50	28	52	80	20
39	Joakim Kemell	Nsh	RW	20	5-10/185	Milwaukee (AHL)	67	16	25	41	23
40	Colby Barlow	Wpg	LW	19	6-0/195	Owen Sound (OHL)	50	40	18	58	27
41	Jimmy Snuggerud	StL	RW	19	6-1/185	Minnesota (B1G)	39	21	13	34	42
42	Matthew Coronato	Cgy	RW	21	5-10/183	Calgary (NHL)	34	3	6	9	4
43	Frank Nazar	Chi	C	20	5-10/180	Michigan (B1G)	41	17	24	41	18
44	Riley Heidt	Min	C	19	5-10/180	Prince George (WHL)	66	37	80	117	42
45	Logan Mailloux	Mtl	D	21	6-3/215	Laval (AHL)	72	14	33	47	91
46	Sebastian Cossa	Det	G	21	6-6/229	Grand Rapids (AHL)	40	22	9	2.41	0.913
47	Jagger Firkus	Sea	RW	20	5-10/155	Moose Jaw (WHL)	63	61	65	126	30
48	Mikhail Gulyayev	Col	D	19	5-11/170	Avangard Omsk (KHL)	64	4	8	12	8
49	Scott Morrow	Car	D	21	6-2/195	Massachusetts (HE)	37	6	24	30	25
50	Matthew Wood	Nsh	RW	19	6-3/195	Connecticut (HE)	35	16	12	28	43
51	Quentin Musty	SJ	LW	18	6-2/200	Sudbury (OHL)	53	43	59	102	72
52	Jacob Fowler	Mtl	G	19	6-1/215	Boston College (HE)	39	32	6	2.14	0.926
53	Fabian Lysell	Bos	RW	21	5-11/181	Providence (AHL)	56	15	35	50	37
54	Shakir Mukhamadullin	SJ	D	22	6-3/180	San Jose (AHL)	55	7	27	34	24
55	Josh Doan	Ari	RW	22	6-1/183	Arizona (NHL)	11	5	4	9	0
56	Thomas Bordeleau	SJ	C	22	5-9/180	San Jose (NHL)	27	6	5	11	18
57	Lian Bichsel	Dal	D	19	6-6/233	Rogle (SHL)	29	2	2	4	28
58	Nikolai Kovalenko	Col	RW	24	5-10/180	Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)	42	11	24	35	30
59	Aatu Raty	Van	C	21	6-2/185	Abbotsford (AHL)	72	18	34	52	18
60	Oliver Moore	Chi	C	19	5-11/185	Minnesota (B1G)	39	9	24	33	8
61	Samuel Honzek	Cgy	LW	19	6-4/186	Vancouver (WHL)	33	10	21	31	18
62	Jakob Pelletier	Cgy	LW	23	5-9/170	Calgary (NHL)	13	1	2	3	2
63	Seamus Casey	NJ	D	20	5-9/165	Michigan (B1G)	40	7	38	45	14
64	Tristan Luneau	Ana	D	20	6-1/195	Anaheim (NHL)	7	1	2	3	4
65	Chaz Lucius	Wpg	C	20	6-1/185	Manitoba (AHL)	17	2	11	13	6
66	Gavin Brindley	CBJ	C	19	5-9/165	Michigan (B1G)	40	25	28	53	28
67	Easton Cowan	Tor	RW	18	5-10/170	London (OHL)	54	34	62	96	64
68	Zachary L'Heureux	Nsh	LW	20	5-11/195	Milwaukee (AHL)	66	19	29	48	197
69	Carson Rehkopf	Sea	LW	19	6-1/195	Kitchener (OHL)	60	52	43	95	45
70	Filip Bystedt	SJ	C	20	6-4/205	Linkopings (SHL)	47	8	9	17	2
71	Ville Koivunen	Pit	LW	20	6-0/175	Karpat (Fin-Liiga)	59	22	34	56	26
72	Noah Ostlund	Buf	C	20	5-11/163	Vaxjo Lakers (SHL)	38	12	11	23	4
73	Ethan Del Mastro	Chi	D	21	6-4/210	Rockford (AHL)	69	7	30	37	54
74	Lukas Cormier	VGK	D	22	5-10/180	Henderson (AHL)	58	4	16	20	33
75	Liam Ohgren	Min	LW	20	6-1/200	Farjestads (SHL)	26	12	7	19	12
76	Marat Khusnutdinov	Min	C	21	5-11/175	Minnesota (NHL)	16	1	3	4	6
77	Mackie Samoskevich	Fla	RW	21	5-11/190	Charlotte (AHL)	62	22	32	54	24
78	Stanislav Svozil	CBJ	D	21	6-1/180	Cleveland (AHL)	57	5	18	23	24
79	Zachary Bolduc	StL	LW	21	6-1/175	St. Louis (NHL)	25	5	4	9	6
80	Rutger McGroarty	Wpg	LW	20	6-1/200	Michigan (B1G)	36	16	36	52	6
81	Jani Nyman	Sea	RW	19	6-3/215	Ilves (Fin-Liiga)	48	26	17	43	2
82	Andrew Cristall	Wsh	LW	19	5-9/165	Kelowna (WHL)	62	40	71	111	46
83	Oliver Bonk	Phi	D	19	6-2/175	London (OHL)	60	24	43	67	32
84	Fraser Minten	Tor	C	19	6-1/185	Kam-Sas (WHL)	43	22	26	48	25
85	Tanner Molendyk	Nsh	D	19	5-11/185	Saskatoon (WHL)	50	10	46	56	18
86	David Goyette	Sea	C	20	5-10/175	Sudbury (OHL)	68	40	77	117	29
87	David Edstrom	SJ	C	19	6-3/185	Frolunda (SHL)	44	7	12	19	8
88	Anton Wahlberg	Buf	C	18	6-3/194	Malmo (SHL)	43	5	5	10	4
89	Emil Andrae	Phi	D	22	5-9/185	Lehigh Valley (AHL)	61	5	27	32	66
90	Trey Augustine	Det	G	19	6-1/185	Michigan State (B1G)	35	23	9	2.96	0.915
91	Theo Lindstein	StL	D	19	6-0/180	Brynas (HockeyAllsvenskan)	49	4	11	15	4
92	Mads Sogaard	Ott	G	23	6-7/195	Belleville (AHL)	32	18	9	2.45	0.916
93	Isak Rosen	Buf	RW	21	6-0/175	Rochester (AHL)	67	20	30	50	12
94	Maveric Lamoureux	Ari	D	20	6-7/214	Drummondville (QMJHL)	39	9	24	33	53
95	Drew Commesso	Chi	G	21	6-2/180	Rockford (AHL)	38	18	16	2.65	0.906
96	Ville Heinola	Wpg	D	23	6-0/180	Manitoba (AHL)	41	10	17	27	24
97	Carter Mazur	Det	LW	22	6-0/170	Grand Rapids (AHL)	60	17	20	37	48
98	Otto Stenberg	StL	C	18	5-11/180	Frolunda (SHL)	31	3	3	6	8
99	Egor Afanasyev	Nsh	LW	23	6-3/205	Milwaukee (AHL)	56	27	27	54	60
100	Nikita Chibrikov	Wpg	RW	21	5-10/170	Manitoba (AHL)	70	17	30	47	53
101	Zach Dean	StL	C	21	6-0/175	Springfield (AHL)	49	9	5	14	24
102	William Dufour	NYI	RW	22	6-2/195	Bridgeport (AHL)	55	15	10	25	35
103	Sam Rinzel	Chi	D	19	6-4/180	Minnesota (B1G)	39	2	26	28	20
104	Joel Blomqvist	Pit	G	22	6-2/185	Wilkes-Barre (AHL)	45	25	12	2.16	0.921
105	Arseni Gritsyuk	NJ	RW	23	5-10/170	SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)	50	19	19	38	8
106	Corson Ceulemans	CBJ	D	20	6-2/200	Cleveland (AHL)	47	3	9	12	12
107	Michael Hrabal	Ari	G	19	6-6/209	Massachusetts (HE)	30	16	12	2.59	0.912
108	Brendan Brisson	VGK	C	22	5-11/180	Vegas (NHL)	15	2	6	8	2
109	Owen Pickering	Pit	D	20	6-4/180	Swift Current (WHL)	59	7	39	46	35
110	Owen Beck	Mtl	C	20	5-11/185	Pbo-Sag (OHL)	57	34	47	81	18
111	William Wallinder	Det	D	21	6-4/190	Grand Rapids (AHL)	65	3	12	15	10
112	Xavier Bourgault	Edm	C	21	6-0/170	Bakersfield (AHL)	55	8	12	20	24
113	Jordan Dumais	CBJ	RW	20	5-8/165	Halifax (QMJHL)	21	16	31	47	6
114	Aleksi Heimosalmi	Car	D	20	5-11/170	Assat (Fin-Liiga)	47	2	14	16	12
115	Brandon Bussi	Bos	G	25	6-4/218	Providence (AHL)	41	23	10	2.67	0.913
116	Jackson Blake	Car	RW	20	5-10/160	North Dakota (NCHC)	40	22	38	60	26
117	Erik Portillo	LA	G	23	6-6/210	Ontario (AHL)	39	24	11	2.50	0.918
118	Sean Farrell	Mtl	C	22	5-8/175	Laval (AHL)	47	9	19	28	10
119	Kasper Halttunen	SJ	RW	18	6-3/205	London (OHL)	57	32	29	61	61
120	Topi Niemela	Tor	D	22	5-11/165	Toronto (AHL)	68	8	31	39	43
121	Ethan Gauthier	TB	RW	19	5-11/175	Drummondville (QMJHL)	64	36	35	71	42
122	Daniil Miromanov	Cgy	D	26	6-4/200	VGK-Cgy (NHL)	24	3	4	7	8
123	Ruslan Iskhakov	NYI	C	23	5-8/155	Bridgeport (AHL)	69	18	32	50	30
124	Shai Buium	Det	D	21	6-3/210	Denver (NCHC)	43	7	29	36	14
125	Jakub Dobes	Mtl	G	22	6-3/200	Laval (AHL)	51	24	18	2.93	0.906
126	Oliver Kapanen	Mtl	C	20	6-0/170	KalPa (Fin-Liiga)	51	14	20	34	32
127	Danny Nelson	NYI	C	18	6-3/200	Notre Dame (B1G)	30	9	14	23	32
128	Lenni Hameenaho	NJ	RW	19	6-0/175	Assat (Fin-Liiga)	46	14	17	31	10
129	Nick Lardis	Chi	LW	18	5-11/165	Brantford (OHL)	37	29	21	50	12
130	Ty Nelson	Sea	D	20	5-10/195	North Bay (OHL)	54	16	36	52	50
131	Isaac Howard	TB	LW	20	5-10/185	Michigan State (B1G)	36	8	28	36	10
132	Fyodor Svechkov	Nsh	C	21	6-0/185	Milwaukee (AHL)	57	16	23	39	18
133	Jeremie Poirier	Cgy	D	21	6-1/196	Calgary (AHL)	23	3	10	13	22
134	Reid Schaefer	Nsh	LW	20	6-3/215	Milwaukee (AHL)	63	7	14	21	39
135	Zack Ostapchuk	Ott	C	20	6-3/205	Belleville (AHL)	69	17	11	28	47
136	Nathan Gaucher	Ana	C	20	6-3/207	San Diego (AHL)	72	10	15	25	68
137	Rodwin Dionicio	Ana	D	20	6-2/207	Wsr-Sag (OHL)	60	25	48	73	108
138	Eduard Sale	Sea	LW	19	6-1/170	Bar-Kit (OHL)	49	15	23	38	8
139	Danil Gushchin	SJ	RW	22	5-8/165	San Jose (AHL)	56	20	34	54	24
140	Sean Behrens	Col	D	21	5-10/175	Denver (NCHC)	44	4	27	31	53
141	Christian Kyrou	Dal	D	20	5-10/170	Texas (AHL)	57	8	15	23	22
142	Niklas Kokko	Sea	G	20	6-3/185	Pelicans (Fin-Liiga)	13	9	0	1.49	0.926
143	Vasily Ponomarev	Pit	C	22	5-10/180	Tuc-Chi-WBS (AHL)	45	9	21	30	16
144	Ryan Winterton	Sea	RW	20	6-2/190	Coachella Valley (AHL)	58	22	13	35	23
145	Dmitri Buchelnikov	Det	LW	20	5-10/165	Admiral Vladivostok (KHL)	55	13	16	29	8
146	Oscar Fisker Molgaard	Sea	C	19	6-0/165	HV 71 (SHL)	50	9	12	21	6
147	Aku Raty	Ari	RW	22	6-1/190	Tucson (AHL)	55	15	29	44	22
148	Matyas Sapovaliv	VGK	C	20	6-3/180	Saginaw (OHL)	54	19	43	62	22
149	Georgii Merkulov	Bos	C	23	5-11/175	Providence (AHL)	67	30	35	65	20
150	Topias Vilen	NJ	D	21	6-1/195	Utica (AHL)	54	2	27	29	16
151	Ryan Chesley	Wsh	D	20	6-0/200	Minnesota (B1G)	39	2	6	8	19
152	Jayden Perron	Car	RW	19	5-9/165	North Dakota (NCHC)	39	11	7	18	8
153	Tristen Robins	SJ	C	22	5-10/175	San Jose (AHL)	42	7	11	18	12
154	Calle Odelius	NYI	D	19	6-0/190	Djurgardens (HockeyAllsvenskan)	10	0	4	4	2
155	Vincent Iorio	Wsh	D	21	6-2/190	Hershey (AHL)	60	4	10	14	30
156	Raphael Lavoie	Edm	RW	23	6-4/215	Bakersfield (AHL)	66	28	22	50	64
157	Ronnie Attard	Phi	D	25	6-3/210	Lehigh Valley (AHL)	48	10	17	27	37
158	Niko Huuhtanen	TB	RW	20	6-2/205	Jukurit (Fin-Liiga)	52	19	27	46	46
159	Carson Bjarnason	Phi	G	18	6-3/185	Brandon (WHL)	46	24	17	3.01	0.907
160	Lukas Dragicevic	Sea	D	19	6-1/190	Tri-City (WHL)	66	14	36	50	52
161	Leevi Merilainen	Ott	G	21	6-2/160	Belleville (AHL)	24	10	9	2.87	0.906
162	Tyler Kleven	Ott	D	22	6-4/200	Belleville (AHL)	53	5	16	21	51
163	Hunter Brzustewicz	Cgy	D	19	5-11/185	Kitchener (OHL)	67	13	79	92	24
164	Ryan Greene	Chi	C	20	6-1/180	Boston University (HE)	40	12	24	36	6
165	Damian Clara	Ana	G	19	6-6/214	Brynas (HockeyAllsvenskan)	34	25	8	2.23	0.913
166	Carson Lambos	Min	D	21	6-1/200	Iowa (AHL)	69	4	10	14	64
167	Denver Barkey	Phi	C	19	5-8/160	London (OHL)	64	35	67	102	28
168	Gage Goncalves	TB	C	23	6-1/170	Syracuse (AHL)	69	13	45	58	43
169	Arshdeep Bains	Van	LW	23	6-0/185	Abbotsford (AHL)	59	16	39	55	28
170	Bogdan Konyushkov	Mtl	D	21	5-11/175	Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)	65	6	22	28	18
171	Alexei Kolosov	Phi	G	22	6-1/185	Dinamo Minsk (KHL)	47	22	21	2.39	0.907
172	Samuel Fagemo	LA	RW	24	6-0/195	Ontario (AHL)	50	43	19	62	26
173	Filip Mesar	Mtl	C	20	5-9/175	Kitchener (OHL)	45	19	33	52	12
174	Matthew Robertson	NYR	D	23	6-3/200	Hartford (AHL)	68	4	17	21	49
175	Adam Engstrom	Mtl	D	20	6-2/185	Rogle (SHL)	51	4	18	22	4
176	Michael Buchinger	StL	D	20	5-11/185	Guelph (OHL)	52	10	37	47	37
177	Semyon Chistyakov	Nsh	D	22	5-11/180	Avangard Omsk (KHL)	59	4	20	24	16
178	John Farinacci	Bos	C	23	5-11/197	Providence (AHL)	71	12	26	38	16
179	Angus Crookshank	Ott	LW	24	5-10/180	Belleville (AHL)	50	24	22	46	60
180	Yegor Sidorov	Ana	RW	19	6-0/180	Saskatoon (WHL)	66	50	38	88	66
181	Samu Tuomaala	Phi	RW	21	5-10/175	Lehigh Valley (AHL)	69	15	28	43	12
182	Logan Morrison	Sea	C	21	6-0/180	Coachella Valley (AHL)	64	16	25	41	4
183	Jean-Luc Foudy	Col	C	21	5-11/175	Colorado (AHL)	26	4	10	14	18
184	Adam Gajan	Chi	G	19	6-3/167	Green Bay (USHL)	43	23	12	3.35	0.893
185	Nolan Allan	Chi	D	21	6-2/195	Rockford (AHL)	60	5	12	17	47
186	Oskar Olausson	Col	RW	21	6-1/180	Colorado (AHL)	39	11	9	20	24
187	Samuel Poulin	Pit	C	23	6-1/205	Wilkes-Barre (AHL)	41	16	15	31	35
188	Brett Berard	NYR	LW	21	5-9/165	Hartford (AHL)	71	25	23	48	62
189	Colton Dach	Chi	C	21	6-4/205	Rockford (AHL)	48	11	15	26	39
190	Jack Thompson	SJ	D	22	6-0/180	Syr-SJ (AHL)	62	6	35	41	16
191	Riley Kidney	Mtl	C	21	5-11/170	Laval (AHL)	65	7	13	20	41
192	Roby Jarventie	Ott	RW	21	6-3/195	Belleville (AHL)	22	9	11	20	22
193	Carey Terrance	Ana	C	18	6-1/175	Erie (OHL)	56	29	23	52	25
194	Luca Del Bel Belluz	CBJ	C	20	6-1/185	Cleveland (AHL)	58	9	22	31	12
195	Luca Pinelli	CBJ	C	19	5-9/165	Ottawa (OHL)	68	48	34	82	44
196	Francesco Pinelli	LA	C	21	6-1/185	Ontario (AHL)	67	13	7	20	24
197	Elias Salomonsson	Wpg	D	19	6-1/185	Skelleftea (SHL)	31	2	9	11	58
198	Sam Colangelo	Ana	RW	21	6-2/205	Western Michigan (NCHC)	38	24	19	43	23
199	Sasha Pastujov	Ana	RW	20	6-0/185	San Diego (AHL)	46	10	13	23	14
200	Andrew Gibson	Det	D	19	6-3/195	Saul St. Marie (OHL)	68	12	32	44	58

MCKEEN’S 2023 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – #7 Montreal Canadiens

Josh Bell — Tue, 23 May 2023 22:03:35 +0000

Prospect System Ranking – 7^th (6^th last year)

After an almost ten-year reign by Marc Bergevin, former player agent Kent Hughes took over the controls as Montreal’s GM in January 2022. He inherited two foundation pieces in Nick Suzuki (23-years-old) and Cole Caulfield (22) to build around, along with some strong pieces in a deep pipeline. Hughes wasted no time getting busy and putting his stamp on the team, trading Tyler Toffoli for a first, fourth, fifth, plus Tyler Pitlick in February. In March he sent Ben Chiarot for a first, fourth and Ty Smilanic. He also traded Artturi Lehkonen for Justin Barron (Montreal’s 4^th ranked prospect) and a second. At the draft in July, he moved Alex Romanov for a first, 13^th overall, which he quickly dispatched for 22-year-old Kirby Dach. Later in the summer he took on Sean Monahan’s salary for a first-round pick. Monahan played well for the Canadiens and will have value on the trade market. When the dust had settled, the Habs find themselves with five first-round picks for the next three drafts. For 2022 they have 11 total picks. Likely packaged to move up or acquire roster players.

Hughes has put a premium on character in the players he acquires and is not afraid to move picks for the right player. How he deploys those assets is anyone’s guess. They made six picks in the first three rounds in 2022, including the number one overall pick in Juraj Slafkovsky. Second round pick Lane Hutson has been rocketing up most prospect rankings with a remarkable season, is #38 on our list and looking like a steal. It is still too early to draw a lot of conclusions on Hughes’ tenure, but early signs are positive and there is an energy about the franchise. He and President, Jeff Gorton, are putting resources into analytics as well as prospect development, a weakness for the team in the past. The returns remain to be seen but a bright outlook for now.

BOSTON, MA - MARCH 18: Boston University Terriers defenseman Lane Hutson (20) carries the puck during the Hockey East Championship game between the Boston University Terriers and the Merrimack College Warriors on March 18, 2023, at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire)

Lane Hutson

Standing at 5-foot-10, 161 pounds, there have been a large number of doubters when it comes to Lane Hutson. This was despite an over-point-per-game performance with the USNTDP as a defender in his draft year. Skip forward to this season, and what Hutson has done in the NCAA as a freshman is nothing short of remarkable. Scoring the most points for a defender at his age since Brian Leetch, Hutson was named a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award after collecting 48 points in his 38 games. He’s an extremely fun player to watch due to how well he sees the game and how light on his feet he is. He can dance along the blue line or storm up in transition, creating chances in the process. His defensive game seems to have improved from his draft year, with excellent positioning, quick attacks, and an active stick getting in lanes. With the path he’s on, the NHL is just a matter of time.

2. Joshua Roy

Coming into the QMJHL in 2019-20 as the first-overall pick in 2019, there was a ton of excitement around the young forward. He played well in his rookie season, setting the stage for a strong draft year. He was good in that season as well but didn’t take the step forward that was hoped. Still, the Canadiens bet on him, selecting him 150th overall in the 2021 NHL Draft. He responded with a 119-point season, leading the league in points and getting a nod as a First-Team All-Star. He’s followed that up with another dominant QMJHL season this year. He’s an excellent possession player, protecting the puck well with quick, creative hands. His small-area game is excellent. He’s done very well at adjusting his game in the moment. He seems like a safe bet to be a top-nine contributor and is a candidate to make the jump next season.

3. Sean Farrell

It’s no longer a question of when Sean Farrell will make the jump to the NHL since the young prospect has already made that jump. After a strong season in the USHL, Farrell slid in the 2020 NHL Draft all the way to the Canadiens' 124th pick, which they didn’t hesitate on. He responded with a 101-point season with the Chicago Steel where he was named USHL and USA Hockey Junior Player of the Year. He then made the jump to Harvard University, performing over a point per game in his freshman season. This year he took another big step forward and was named a Hobey Baker Award Finalist. The Habs rewarded him with an NHL contract, and he made the jump to the league. Farrell is a smaller player at 5-foot-9, 174-pounds, but his offensive intelligence shines every time he hits the ice. He’s well on his way to becoming a top-six offensive factor.

4. Justin Barron

A prospect that won’t be on this list for much longer, Justin Barron seems to already have carved a role out for himself with the Canadiens. He’s been just as strong in the NHL as he has been in the AHL this season. After missing significant time in his draft year due to a blood clot, Barron slid in the 2020 NHL Draft to the Colorado Avalanche at the 25th-overall spot. While he missed some time in the following season as well, the youngster has seemed to be more than back on track in his development since, jumping to the AHL in 2021-22. The Avs sent Barron to the Canadiens in exchange for Artturi Lehkonen, and Barron has been thriving in the new organization. He should stick as a bottom-four defender in the league thanks to his consistent defending, his above-average puck movement, and his intelligence on the ice.

5. Owen Beck

Selected in the most recent draft, 33rd overall, Owen Beck is one of the many OHLers the lost their entire 2020-21 season due to the pandemic. He came back in 2021-22 as an OHL rookie that lost a season and impressed, being named to the Second All-Rookie Team and CHL Scholastic Player of the Year. He’s taken another step forward this season, thanks to his drives through the middle of the ice, his blazing speed, and his ability to dictate the pace of play. That resulted in a nod to Team Canada at the 2023 World Juniors where he won a gold medal and an emergency call-up to the NHL where he played one game with the Canadiens. Look for Beck to make the move to the AHL next season as he looks to carve his role out as a strong 3C in the NHL and a player that can play in any situation.

6. Filip Mesar

After selecting Juraj Slafkovsky first overall in the 2022 NHL Draft, the Canadiens continued to look to Slovakia in the first round and nabbed Filip Mesar at 26th overall. The winger already had two seasons of men’s hockey under his belt, playing with HK Poprad in the top-Slovak men’s league. He was immediately signed and came overseas, nearly made the NHL roster, nearly stuck in the AHL, but ultimately was sent to the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers for the year. He’s a very strong skater that excels at getting off the wall and plays with a high level of confidence. He plays hard and fast, enough to help him succeed in the NHL. He might not be an overly offensive player in the NHL, but he’ll be a consistent contributor that impacts the game on every shift, likely in a middle-six role. He should jump to the AHL - at least - next season.

7. Logan Mailloux

There’s an asterisk next to Logan Mailloux’s name as a Canadiens prospect due to comments earlier this year from NHL commissioner Gary Bettman. He noted that if and when the team wants to bring him to the NHL, they’ll review the situation. But he did leave the door open for “redemption and rehabilitation” so Mailloux’s future remains to be seen. The defender is a big body at 6-foot-3, 212 pounds that plays an extremely confident game. He’s always ready to carry the puck on his own or jump into the rush. He does need to work on his timing with this though, as he can get caught taking risks and making poor decisions. He has a very hard shot and isn’t afraid to get physical. If all things work out for Mailloux, he has the potential to be a second-line defender, but this story doesn’t seem to be over just yet.

8. Riley Kidney

Riley Kidney is a player that just seems to make consistent forward progress in his development. Ever since hitting the QMJHL in 2019-20, his stock has been rising, leading to back-to-back 100+ point seasons in the league. As is a theme with Canadiens prospects, they selected him 63rd-overall in the 2021 NHL Draft, just before his first 100-point explosion. While he’s shown he can bury the puck, it’s his playmaking ability that truly stands out, displaying excellent vision and a knack for creating chances. He continues to get better and better and creates opportunities for himself as well, getting to the middle of the ice regularly. He’s strong off the puck as well, as a competitive player who always looks to get the puck back. He likely fits as a strong, bottom-six forward that’s a candidate to move up when needed. His transition to the next level will be telling of how his game translates though.

9. Jesse Ylonen

It’s been a long, patient road for Jesse Ylonen, drafted back in 2018, 35th overall by the Canadiens. The forward was playing in the Mestis at that point, as a rookie and had a good year. After being drafted, he spent two seasons in the Liiga with the Pelicans, starting the 2020-21 season there as well on loan during the pandemic. Once the AHL and NHL seasons started up, Ylonen headed over seasons and has been bouncing between the leagues ever since. He’s going to be a graduate before this coming season’s end, but how he looks as an NHLer remains to be seen with all the young talent in the system. He’s a good skater that plays a hard, intelligent game. He’s floated around the top nine this season, but looking at all the pieces that should become part of the team in the next few seasons, he likely slots in as a strong bottom-six winger.

10. Jakub Dobes

Czech netminder Jakub Dobes has had an interesting path up to this point in his career. After starting his career in Czechia, he came over to the United States in 2017-18, playing 18U AAA. He moved up to the NAHL and USHL in 2019-20 and that was enough for the Canadiens who called his name 136th overall in the 2020 NHL Draft. After one more year in the USHL, he moved to the NCAA where he seemed to take his game to the next level. In his first year with Ohio State University, he was named to the All-Rookie and First All-Star teams in the Big Ten division while being honoured as Rookie of the Year and Best Goalie as well. He has good size and his positioning in the crease is very strong. He recently signed his entry-level contract and will likely spend some time in the AHL before he gets a taste of NHL action.

MCKEEN’S 2022-23 NHL YEARBOOK – MONTREAL CANADIENS – Top 20 Prospects

Sun, 18 Sep 2022 19:11:53 +0000

MONTREAL, QC - JULY 07: Montreal Canadiens pick Juraj Slafkovsky stands between management during the first round of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft on July 07, 2022 at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire)

1 - Juraj Slafkovsky LW

What a year it has been for the 2022 1^st overall pick. A big, powerful skater who has already proven himself at the men’s level like no other player in his draft, Slafkovsky is believed by many to be ready to step straight into Montreal’s line-up. His incredibly long 21-22 season saw Slafkovsky kick things off with nine points in seven Hlinka Gretzky Cup on his way to a silver medal. The powerful winger then spent the season with Finnish Liiga club TPS, where he put up seven goals and 17 points in 49 total games. In the middle of all that, he enjoyed a transformative Olympics to remember, where he represented his bronze-medal winning country by leading the whole tournament with seven goals in 7 games. His season concluded in the quarterfinals of the men’s World Championship, where he contributed an astounding three goals and nine points in eight games. In between, he represented his country in qualifying for the Olympics and at the cancelled WJC this past winter. Measuring 6’4” and 220 pounds, Slafkovsky is a multifaceted physical specimen who has the size and physical demeanor most teams only dream of, which he combines with some of the best skill and goal-scoring prowess this draft class had to offer. Charming, amicable, and brimming with confidence, Slafkovsky has all the makings of a fan favorite and has immediately become the symbol of hope for a well-informed and very demanding Canadians fanbase. With expectations sky high, look for him to begin making an NHL impact already this season. – CL

2 - Kaiden Guhle D

Guhle won a WHL title with the Prince Albert Raiders in 2020 as a 16-year-old rookie, playing mostly in a depth role. That experience surely came in handy for him in 2022, as he joined the Edmonton Oil Kings midseason, immediately became their top defenseman and helped lead them to a league championship. In addition to his second WHL title, he was also named playoff MVP, showcasing just how much of an impact he had. It doesn't take much time watching Guhle to see how he leaves his mark or why the Canadiens selected him 16th overall in 2020. He is an excellent skater who blends speed, agility and power to carry himself around the ice, and he is fiercely dedicated to using his skating to help his team. There are few blueliners who can defend off the puck as well as he can, as he utilizes tight gaps, physical snarl, laser focus, and an unending reserve of competitiveness to stifle opposing chances. He has all the tools that a team would want in a modern-day shutdown defender, and he should become an elite penalty killer by the time he is fully developed. He does run into some trouble when he has to actually transport and distribute the puck himself, but he is effective enough when he keeps things simple, and he is able to chip in points mainly because he gets himself involved in the play so regularly. Guhle is now entering the pro ranks, and don't be surprised if he manages to make the Canadiens out of training camp and skips the AHL altogether. - DN

3 - Filip Mesar C

Mešár joined his childhood friend Juraj Slafkovský in the Canadiens´ prospect pool after being the third Slovak selected in the first round of the last NHL Draft. The Spišská Belá native made a name for himself at prospect camp in Montréal, but he still remains in shadows of the #1 overall pick. It is yet unclear where Mešár will spend the upcoming season; the AHL and the OHL are the primary candidates as of this writing. Canadiens’ GM Kent Hughes said that Mešár could earn a spot with the AHL Laval Rocket, however the junior path seems a bit more reasonable for now. Mešár is a smallish, offensive winger with several notable skills. He is an excellent skater who plays the game at a high speed. His hockey IQ stands out, as he is a very smart player with great vision. He also has a sneaky good shot and skilled hands. His main weaknesses are his size and lack of physical play. Mešár was a bit of a risky pick, but his upside is enormous. He can easily become a top-six winger or center in the NHL if he can improve his upon physicality and translate his game to the North American ice. The Kitchener Rangers of the OHL control his CHL rights, where adaption to the North American game should be easier. - MD

4 - Sean Farrell C

Five-foot-nine winger Sean Farrell looked like a solid, fair-value selection in the fourth round of the 2020 NHL draft, getting picked 124th overall after a solid above-point-per-game season on an absolutely stacked USHL Chicago Steel team. Some may have believed that Farrell’s success came in large part thanks to the talent level of his teammates, but he proved that wasn’t the case almost immediately after stepping onto the ice for his second USHL season, also showing the fourth-round investment to be a shrewd bit of business by the Canadiens’ scouting staff. Farrell was extremely prolific in his second USHL season, leading the league with 101 points in 53 games. Alongside 2021 first-round pick Matt Coronato, Farrell took the USHL by storm, having his way with defenses that often looked powerless to stop the Steel’s overwhelming offensive attack. After that successful USHL season, Farrell began his collegiate career with Harvard University, and he had a great year, scoring at above a point-per-game rate and even registering six points in four games while representing his country at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. Farrell is a small winger who plays with great creativity and offensive aggression. He’s always looking to have the puck on his stick and find ways to expose weaknesses in defenses. He’ll fire stretch passes through the neutral zone, use his superb skating and strong puck skills to deceive and manipulate defenders in the offensive zone, and be a line-driving offensive creator who can be the centerpiece of a scoring line. Farrell may need to round out his 200-foot game and refine his offensive habits in order to fully translate his game to professional hockey, but even with that in mind, Farrell has the potential to be a deadly top-six winger if he can continue his development. - EH

5 - Jordan Harris D

Jordan Harris is one of the last members of the Canadiens’ 11-player 2018 draft class, and his development over the course of his four-year NCAA career at Northeastern University has been largely positive. Harris entered his collegiate career as a freshly minted third-round pick who had largely played at the high school level, with a short five-game cup of tea with the USHL’s Youngstown Phantoms under his belt as well. Harris ended his collegiate career as Northeastern’s captain, a World Junior Championships selection, and one of the Canadiens’ top defensive prospects. He stepped right into the NHL after finishing his career as a Husky, and although the Canadiens in general struggled Harris himself showed he was close to, if not already at the point of NHL readiness. Harris is an extremely well-rounded defenseman, and while he’s definitely not perfect there isn’t really any glaring flaw in his game that would keep him from being an NHL defenseman. On offense, he uses his smooth skating to help his team move the puck up the ice, and as a passer, he’s shown the ability to facilitate puck movement within the offensive zone and fire stretch passes through the neutral zone. Defensively, Harris is detail-oriented, using his skating to quickly close out on pucks and his strong awareness to quickly neutralize plays as they’re developing and help his team exit the zone. Harris might not pile on points, but he could definitely help on a secondary power-play unit and not look out of place if pressed into an increased offensive role. The flip side to Harris’ detail-oriented, well-rounded style is there isn’t a lot of risk-taking or flash to his game, the sort of flash that many fans want to see from their modern defensemen. But that’s more of a style preference that some would impose on Harris rather than an inherent flaw to his game, and his overall package of tools makes him safely project as an NHL defenseman, either on a bottom-pairing or on a second pairing if he really excels. - EH

6 - Cayden Primeau G

For the former Mike Richter award winner (given to the NCAA’s top netminder), consistency has been an issue at the pro level thus far. He has shown flashes of brilliance, even sustained over longer stretches, however those have often been followed up by other stretches where he struggles mightily to make routine saves. This is especially true of his play at the NHL level, where he has largely struggled (albeit playing behind a rebuilding team). Look no further than his performance to close out last year, leading Laval to the Calder Cup finals in a dominant performance during the playoffs. Was this the turning point in his career? The 6’3 netminder, son of former NHL’er Keith Primeau, has the skill set to be an NHL starter. He’s athletic. He tracks pucks well. He has shown an ability to steal games at every level but the NHL. The Montreal Canadiens current goaltending situation is best described as complicated. Carey Price likely heads to the LTIR. Jake Allen is apparently on the trade block. Samuel Montembeault was a former waiver claim that is not guaranteed a spot. In other words, Primeau could absolutely steal a spot in training camp if he proves that he is finally ready. Montreal still sees him as their goaltender of the future and at some point, in the near future, he is going to have to take that next step. - BO

7 - Owen Beck C

The 33^rd overall selection in the 2022 NHL Draft, Owen Beck was one of the top eligible players from the OHL this year because of his strong 200ft game and skating ability. He plays a pro-style game already, making smart decisions with and without the puck consistently, bringing great energy and physicality when needed. The Mississauga Steelheads centre was drafted 29^th overall in the 2020 OHL Draft but has emerged as one of the best from the draft. After missing the 2020-2021 season due to the Covid-19 shutdown, Beck took advantage of the time away from the ice and his skating improved dramatically. Going into the 2021-2022 season, Beck made the adjustment easily because of his added strength and strong two-way game, quickly becoming the Steelheads 2^nd line centre. Despite not getting first line minutes, Beck was able to finish the season with 51 points (21G,30A) in 68 games, which was 3^rd on the team in points. Although his points were inconsistent at times, so were his teammates, getting paired with different linemates throughout the season, but Beck adjusted well and was able to be effective with anyone. Beck’s best assets are his skating and competitiveness. Beck is an elite skater who was able to keep up with anyone in the OHL last season. As he continues to improve, Beck will be very effective with his speed, especially in transition. Beck’s competitiveness is on display every shift as he is always seen battling hard for every puck. He was also one of the most successful centres in the faceoff circle, winning 60.6% in the regular season. Going into the 2022-2023 season, Beck will once again be one of the most responsible players in the league and will likely see an increase in points. - DK

8 - Lane Hutson D

Lane Hutson was the 2022 winner of the E.J. McGuire Award of Excellence, which is an award that, given annually, is presented to the NHL Draft-eligible player who “best exemplifies commitment to excellence through strength of character, competitiveness, and athleticism.” If there was ever a prospect deserving of winning that award, it’s Hutson. Standing at just five-foot-eight inches and weighing around 150 pounds, the odds, at least on paper, are stacked against Hutson having a long, impactful NHL career as a blueliner. The sobering reality of the barrier his size plays on his NHL projection became clear at the NHL draft, where Hutson fell all the way to the back of the second round, getting chosen 62nd overall by the Montreal Canadiens. Lane Hutson’s on-ice profile and NHL projection are essentially shaping up as a case study for just how much size matters in building an NHL defenseman. Because in the aspects of the game Hutson himself can control, he’s extremely talented. Hutson is the sort of defenseman that wants to take over a shift, he’ll take the puck at the offensive blueline and fake his way around defenders, using his strong edgework to create separation from opposing players. Hutson is an incredible passer, matching both great vision with an ability to make the sort of difficult passes many of his peer defenders cannot make. There’s a lot of manipulation and deception to his offensive game, the sort of “I’m going to be the one to force the issue” style that isn’t often seen from young defensemen. And defensively, Hutson’s issues aren’t due to any lack of effort. He’ll hound puck carriers, relentlessly attacking them in order to interrupt their possession. His skating allows him to, at the very least, keep pace with incoming forwards, and despite his size, he’s no stranger to the physical side of the game. But unfortunately, his size makes surviving Hutson’s defensive pressure all too possible for opposing players, and that limits his defensive upside sharply. Additionally, Hutson’s skating, while good in the sense of his edges and stop-start ability, lacks the top-end speed you’d want to see out of a defenseman his size, which, next to his size, could be the greatest threat to his NHL projection. But even with those issues laid out, Hutson is an extremely difficult prospect to bet against, and he’ll bring his fire and his flash to Boston University next season with the goal of continuing to chart a path to the NHL for similarly sized defensemen in future NHL drafts. - EH

9 - Justin Barron D

Barron was recently acquired by Montreal as part of the Artturi Lehkonen to Colorado trade. The former first round pick by the Avalanche hasn’t had the easiest road the past few years. He missed significant time while a member of the Halifax Mooseheads due to blood clots, which certainly hindered his development. Just when you thought he was able to stay healthy this past season, he suffered a season ending ankle injury shortly after being acquired by Montreal. The 6’2, right shot defender has the potential to be a top four NHL defender, he just needs to stay healthy. Without question, Barron’s best quality is his skating ability. An effortless mover, his game is built around his mobility. He excels as a puck transporter because of his ability to carve up the neutral zone, often gaining the offensive blue line with ease. He also defends well in transition with his ability to mind gaps and stay ahead of attackers. In his five-game stint with Montreal before his injury, Barron looked good at both ends of the ice and appeared ready for a permanent NHL gig. Looking at Montreal’s depth on the blueline, it would appear that only another injury will keep Barron out of their lineup. There is lots of ice time up for grabs and he may even be given significant powerplay responsibility, as he was during his brief audition last year. - BO

10 - Joshua Roy RW

Picked in the 5^th round of the 2021 draft by the Montreal Canadiens, Roy completely exploded this season with monstrous offensive numbers: 119 points in 66 games. Roy has been, since debuting in the QMJHL, a very polarizing player amongst scouts. The St-Georges-de-Beauce native has always possessed significant talent and has long been hyped in the Quebec minor hockey scene. This led to him being picked 1^st overall in his QMJHL draft year. However, his work ethic has been put into question a lot. This season, however, Roy took a big step forward in nearly all areas and it has really helped elevate his stock as a prospect. Joshua was mainly a sniper in his draft season, but he diversified his game and now is a much more versatile player as he’s been creating a lot of passing plays and showed improvement in his work ethic and motor. Can he become a top six player in the NHL? The jury is still out. He will need to continue to improve his athletic tools, such as his explosiveness and strength on the puck. Roy will return to Sherbrooke again this season and will look to repeat as the QMJHL’s scoring leader. He should also serve as a primary offensive player on the Canadian WJC team after already playing a strong supporting role on the gold medal winning 2002 team this past summer. - EB

11 - Mattias Norlinder

Norlinder’s first season in North America ended up being a relative failure last year, as he struggled with both Montreal and Laval before being assigned back to the SHL. He will attempt to play in the AHL yet again this year, likely ticketed for a full season in the minors to help him develop his confidence.

12 - Logan Mailloux

The highly debated first round selection missed most of last year due to his suspension and a season ending shoulder injury. The big blueliner continues to ooze athletic talent but will also need to continue to make strides on and off the ice.

13 - Jakub Dobes

There were not many goaltenders better than Dobes in the NCAA last season, his first at Ohio State. The big netminder could push his way to the top of goaltending prospect rankings with another dominant performance as a sophomore.

14 - Jesse Ylonen

Montreal has had to be very patient with Ylonen’s development so far. The former second rounder appears to have finally come into his own after a strong pro year split between Montreal and Laval. Likely has a career path similar to Kasperi Kapanen.

15 - Arber Xhekaj

The former free agent signing out of Hamilton in the OHL, Xhekaj has emerged as a legitimate prospect for Canadiens. He is one of the meanest defensive prospects on the planet and his skating has improved considerably in recent years. Decision making will need to be cleaned up, but he could move quickly through the system.

16 - Jayden Struble

With Struble electing to return to Northeastern for his senior year, there has been lots of chatter about whether he intends to sign in Montreal. Struble is a highly athletic, but physically aggressive defender who should take steps forward offensively this season.

17 - Riley Kidney

After a breakout draft +1 season in the QMJHL, Montreal fans should be excited about Kidney. His IQ and awareness are off the charts. He just needs to continue to get stronger and quicker to help strengthen his pro potential.

18 - Oliver Kapanen

A potentially impactful two-way center, Kapanen has a relatively safe projection as an NHL player. Montreal just wants to see him become a little more consistent offensively playing against men after a mediocre year.

19 - Emil Heineman

Acquired in the Tyler Toffoli to Calgary deal, Heineman is a big winger with great wheels and scoring potential. He has signed and will be playing in Laval this coming season.

20 - Rafael Harvey-Pinard

The former QMJHL standout and Memorial Cup champion has put together two strong seasons in the AHL consecutively. He may not be huge, but he competes and has skill. Is he an underrated prospect in the system with a real chance of being a quality middle six option for Montreal?

2021-22 TOP 15 PROSPECTS: MONTREAL CANADIENS – RANK: #19 – TIER III

McKeen's Hockey — Thu, 09 Sep 2021 23:34:00 +0000

Montreal Canadiens

#19 Montreal - Cole Caufield is one of the top prospects in the sport, but with the possible exception of Kaiden Guhle, the rest of the system will be hard pressed to project to the top half of an NHL lineup.

MONTREAL, QC - JUNE 07: Look on Montreal Canadiens right wing Cole Caufield (22) during the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs second round game 4 between the Winnipeg Jets versus the Montreal Canadiens on June 07, 2021, at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire)

Cole Caufield

Caufield has been overlooked for most of his life due to his small stature. Many NHL clubs couldn’t fathom using a first round pick on a 5-7” winger who didn’t have elite speed to boot. But let’s be honest with ourselves. If he could score like he does, he would have been worth a higher pick than the 15^th overall choice Montreal used on him even if he was 4-7”. His performance in the two years since he was drafted plays into the narrative that he wanted to prove wrong all of those who passed on him among the first 14 choices.

He has demonstrated over and over that he can score in any manner of ways, with a shot that is near the best in the NHL for its power, accuracy, and the quickness of its release. What he started showing once he joined the Canadiens, after the end of his sophomore season with Wisconsin, was that we shouldn’t sleep on him as a playmaker, either. Additionally, he quieted some whispers that he couldn’t perform in the clutch, feelings born from two relatively quiet performances at the WJC, even though he had crushed the WU18s before his day at the draft and succeeded enough in the second WJC to win a Gold Medal. That last concern was put to bed by his ability to jump right into the lineup and play a central role in Montreal reaching the Stanley Cup finals. Caufield will be a top three finisher in this year’s Calder Race. Book it. - RW

Kaiden Guhle

Kaiden Guhle is a defender that oozes NHL top four potential. He may never develop the full offensive game, but he has every other quality that you want. He has an intensity to his game that forces opponents to take note when he is on the ice. He has size to deliver some big-time hits, stop cycles and control the board play in his own zone. He has excellent footwork and speed for a big man enabling him to help out in the transition game and be an effective puck carrier in the neutral zone. He uses his size so effectively to push players wider than they want to go, stepping up on those who expect him to back off, and using his long reach to change what attackers are trying to do. Often, he forces them out of dangerous areas by angling them off.

With the puck Guhle is a solid puck mover because he makes quick decisions and has some puck handling ability. His offensive potential has always been a bit of a mystery, but the skills are there for him to have more of an offensive game as he matures. There is a lot to like about his overall game even if his offensive numbers won’t pop in his first couple of seasons. Look for him to be one of the best defensemen in the WHL this year, in addition to a possible captain for Canada at the World Juniors. - VG

Mattias Norlinder

A real standout in his first SHL season, Norlinder looked better and better as the year went on; he finished the play-offs with five points (3+2) from seven games. The 20-year-old defensemen was Frölunda´s leading scorer in the postseason. There have been a lot of talks about him; how well the drafted-as-an-overager Swedish defenseman looked and whether he is already ready for the NHL. It is still unclear if the Canadiens want Norlinder to stay in Sweden for one more year, or if he is guaranteed a spot in the organization. The only sure thing is the fact he will attend the Habs´ rookie camp, which might indicate he will stay in Canada afterwards.

Norlinder´s stats do not exactly tell he's an offensive defenseman who has elite potential. In spite of the great play-offs, he managed to score 10 regular season points with Frölunda in 37 matches. Despite the limited production, the Swedish 20-year-old has a lot of skills that might help him to get to the NHL even in the next season. He is fast, has great vision, and is an elite passer and puck mover. He should benefit from playing with an experienced, older defenseman to improve even more. If he maintains the sky-rocket progress from the last season, Norlinder could look at a top-four, even top-two role in the NHL in the future. - MD

Cayden Primeau

Two seasons removed from leaving college as perhaps the most decorated goaltender at that level, holder of one Mike Richter Award and two nods as First Team All Star goalie in the powerhouse Hockey East Conference, expectations have been duly dampened. While his rookie pro campaign was very promising, including a stellar two game cameo in the NHL, he took a marginal step back in his follow-up season. Primeau’s AHL numbers stayed remarkably steady (.908 SV% in 2019-20, .909 SV% in 2020-21), but his NHL cameo numbers plunged into the abyss, as he put up a 4.16 GAA and an ugly .849 SV% in four games.

Perhaps Montreal already had an inkling that his ceiling was not as the heir apparent to Carey Price, and next in line for the Canadiens long, storied history of all-time great goalies. After all, even after his pro debut season, they went out and signed veteran Jake Allen to a pretty big money contract for what was ostensibly supposed to be a backup netminder. That said, Montreal should not be seen as giving up on Primeau. They did sign him to a one-year extension this offseason, expecting him to perform better in the likely case (Price is coming off offseason surgery) that he is called upon for third string duties. He has ideal size, above average athleticism, and is generally a steady hand between the pipes. We can give up on our lofty dreams of yesterday and still appreciate a great outcome from a 7^th round draft pick. - RW

Jesse Ylonen

Even though the production in Finland (in Liiga with Pelicans) was probably under where the Canadiens would have liked, Ylonen’s first partial season in North America probably surpassed expectations. The speedy forward was a consistent and reliable offensive weapon for Laval, posting his highest point per game average since the 2016/17 season in the U20 Sm-Liiga. Ylonen has always been more than the sum of his parts. He has performed incredibly well internationally for Finland, winning a silver at the U18’s and a gold at the U20’s, but as mentioned, the Liiga production fell a little flat.

Ylonen’s game is built around his ability to generate offensive chances with his quickness. An aggressive transitional attacker, he excels when playing with pace, but has the hands and processing ability to produce in the slot area too. Ylonen’s future projection is probably similar to that of his father’s, former Phoenix Coyotes forward Juha Ylonen. Jesse probably tops out as a high end third line forward for the Canadiens who can play a multitude of roles and find success doing so. He probably spends the majority of the year with Laval again to build offensive confidence before making the jump full time the year after. - BO

Jordan Harris

While his physical tools have never gained him too much attention, Harris has simply played a game that was greater than the sum of his parts from draft day to the present day. Relatively small by NHL defender standards, observers would be hard pressed to find severe flaws in his game, but on the other hand, they would also struggle to state what he does best. Perhaps we can just point out that he plays hockey well. As a third round pick whose highest level of hockey exposure before the draft was a five-game stint with Youngstown of the USHL, his selection was certainly a risk.

After he ascended directly from high school to Northeastern, his freshman season was OK, but did not allay any concerns too much. He was reliable defensively, but brought little to the offensive game, with a 0.33 points-per-game average. In the two subsequent seasons, his production rate has trended steadily upwards, to 0.64 points-per-game as a sophomore – a season which also saw Harris named to the American WJC squad – and then reach one point per game, on the nose, last year. His game is still more mature than toolsy, although his mobility is a point in his favor. Harris’ path to the NHL lies in maintaining that composure and sense of all-zones reliability. As of this writing, he was planning on returning to Northeastern for his senior season, wearing the ‘C’ on his chest. - RW

Jayden Struble

In several respects, Struble’s story looks a lot like Jordan Harris’, described in the preceding profile. He was a surprisingly high draft pick out of a New England prep school, with no real high-level experience to speak of at the time of his drafting. Struble then joined Harris at Northeastern, after the latter had already completed his freshman season at the institution. Once we get past their similar origin stories, we can look at Struble for what he is, instead of how he compares to another. Through two years with the Huskies, Struble hasn’t shown much growth in the offensive game, nor has he shown the same tendencies to take on workhorse minutes. He is a strong skater and plays with competence – at least – with the puck, but it would be irresponsible of us to expect more than incidental offensive production at his peak.

What Struble does at a much higher level than Harris – if not the majority of defensive prospects altogether – is play a physical game. Harris is ready to take a hit to make a play. Struble is too, but he much prefers making a hit to kill a play. He is a real pain to play against, and that trait will win him fans at any level. Struble’s ceiling isn’t too high, but he is the type who will be the beneficiary of multiple opportunities to stake a permanent position in the defensive rotation simply on the strength of his physical game. - RW

Jan Mysak

It was quite the whirlwind of a year for Mysak, as he split time between playing for the Czech Republic internationally (he captained the WJC team), HC Litvinov of the Czech extraligue, and Laval of the AHL. Like many others mentioned in this yearbook, Mysak was able to play in the AHL because the OHL season was canceled. While his offensive production this year did not meet expectations, it is way too early to write off this recent second round selection.

Mysak is at his best when driving the net and playing with pace. His quick hands and strong puck skill allow him to be a quality finisher in tight to the crease. While the offensive production with Laval was overall disappointing, Mysak did show well in flashes. The Canadiens organization has to hope that Mysak can take what he has learned this year and apply it to next season to be a more consistent contributor. Mysak will likely be given the chance to return to Laval if Montreal chooses (despite his age), however they could also elect to send him back to Hamilton of the OHL to get first line minutes. His projection remains that of a middle six goal scorer. - BO

Sean Farrell

USA Hockey’s Junior player of the year this past year (Dave Tyler Award), Farrell earned a ton of accolades thanks to his dominant play with the Chicago Steel. The USNTDP grad, expecting to attend Harvard last year as a freshman, had to delay those plans when all Ivy League schools cancelled sports due to the pandemic. So, Farrell returned for a second season in Chicago, and a fourth in the USHL, and went about setting new records. He led the league in assists and points, the latter figure the best the league had seen since Kevin Roy in 2011-12, and on a points-per-game ratio, the best the league had seen in a season of more than 30 games since 1994-95, when it was a very different league.

In fairness, Farrell was far too advanced for the league, and the team he was on, featuring two other drafted players, plus seven additional players who were drafted this year, was the class of the league. So, we should take Farrell’s raw production with a few grains of salt. But even with those extrinsic advantages, Farrell has a lot to offer. His puck skills are sublime, and his vision of the play to be made consistently kept him a few steps ahead of the competition. Farrell’s lack of size will force him to continue proving himself at every level, but he is more than ready for the next level now. Expect him to be an impact player at Harvard immediately. - RW

Logan Mailloux

Unquestionably one of the most controversial selections in the history of the NHL Draft, Mailloux likely needs no introduction. The Montreal Canadiens came under heavy scrutiny for his selection in the first round in 2021, and as they should have. This is a young man who has to show growth off the ice before he deserves the chance to don the Canadiens jersey, and that is why Montreal is not allowing him to attend training camp (or rookie camp) this offseason.

A 6’3, right shot defender, Mailloux is not without talent. He has a cannon of a shot and great scoring instincts from the back end. He has a penchant for the big hit and likes to assert himself physically. And he skates well in all four directions. However, Mailloux has yet to truly be tested at a high level, having only played a handful of OHL games thus far (and a season in the Swedish third tier on a really poor team). The London Knights appear to be supportive of Mailloux as he looks to mature as a person and hockey player. Whether the OHL (as a league entity) steps in (with a potential suspension) remains to be seen. However, in London, Mailloux has the talent to be a top four defender on a strong Knights team and has the potential to be a top four defender in the future, so long as he earns the opportunity through the right channels and through the right personal reflection and maturation. - BO

Oliver Kapanen

A late second round pick by Montreal in 2021, Oliver is cousin of NHL’er Kasperi Kapanen and the nephew of former NHL’er Sami Kapanen. Much like his relatives, Oliver’s skating ability is a strength. He will look to establish himself in Liiga full time this year KaIPa.

Riley Kidney

A highly intelligent pivot, Kidney was also a second-round selection by Montreal in 2021. He finished the previous QMJHL season on a high note and will look to be among the QMJHL’s leading scorers this season. Improving his physical tools (strength and speed specifically) will be the key to unlocking his potential.

Cam Hillis

Cam Hillis’ first professional season with Laval did not exactly go according to plan, with Hillis registering only a single point in 18 games. A competitive playmaker, Hillis is a responsible two-way pivot. Hopefully he can rebound well this season with more responsibility.

Josh Brook

After leading the WHL in defenseman scoring a few seasons ago, Brook’s development as a pro has been a little slower than anticipated. However, the right shot defender has shown growth each of the last two years, especially defensively. His upside may not be as high as previously thought.

Luke Tuch

The younger brother of Vegas forward Alex Tuch, Luke is coming off of a solid freshman season at Boston University. The former second round pick may not have elite upside, but his combination of size and skill could make him a valuable middle six forward, so long as he continues to improve his skating

2021 NHL DRAFT: ATLANTIC DIVISION REVIEW

Ryan Wagman — Mon, 30 Aug 2021 15:40:04 +0000

2021 NHL Draft Review

Time to review the draft, in depth. As I have done in previous seasons, this review will cover the league one division at a time. For each team, we will offer a quick summary of their draft class, a deeper look at their first pick/first rounder(s), and then a look at what we think to be the best value pick of their draft class, and a final look at their worst value pick. Once the divisions have all been covered, a final article will go over some other miscellaneous trends of the draft that was (odds & ends), and the annual McKeens shadow draft class. Let’s dig in.

Atlantic Division

Luleå's Fabian Lysell during the ice hockey match in the SHL between Rögle and Luleå on 5 January 2021 in Ängelholm.
Photo: Petter Arvidson / BILDBYRÅN

Boston Bruins

1 (21) Fabian Lysell, RW, Lulea HF (SHL)

3 (85) Brett Harrison, C, KOOVEE U20 (U20 SM-sarja)/Oshawa (OHL)

4 (117) Philip Svedeback, G, Vaxjo HC J20 (J20 Nationell)

5 (149) Oskar Jellvik, LW, Djurgardens IF J20 (J20 Nationell)

6 (181) Ryan Mast, D, Sarnia (OHL)

7 (213) Andre Gasseau, C, USNTDP (USHL)

7 (217) Ty Gallagher, D, USNTDP (USHL)

The Bruins had used a lot of their picks in recent years on lower-upside, higher floor players, giving them a system with a lot of players with NHL projections, but few looking like top half of the lineup types. This year, Boston took a different approach, largely drafting for upside, seeing which players dropped and finding a home for them. Five of their seven picks were selected lower than we had them ranked. I also appreciated how they spread out their picks among the different on-ice positions, selecting one goalie, two blueliners, two wingers, and two centers. As for geography, they selected three players out of Sweden, two from the USNTDP, and two Ontarians, one of whom spent the year in Finland with the cancellation of the OHL season, and the other who didn’t see game action last year. So, no major trends of note here, but they commendably let the draft come to them, not even making any draft day trades to move up, down, in, or out.

First round pick – Fabian Lysell, RW, Lulea HF (SHL), 21^st overall

Although his profile was not without warts – some clubs were disconcerted by his request to be moved from Frolunda to Lulea mid-season last year, Lysell reminded the hockey world what he is capable of with a stellar showing at the World Under 18 tournament, where he tied for the team lead in scoring on the Bronze Medal winning Swedish side. He is an electrifying puck handler, and his development will include learning when to play it simple, and when unleash his creativity and skill. His talent level is rare and gives him top line upside if it all clicks. A pick to get excited about.

Best value pick(s) – Ty Gallagher, D, USNTDP (USHL), 217^th overall, & Ryan Mast, D, Sarnia Sting (OHL), 181^st overall

Although the Bruins didn’t select a defender until the sixth round, they ended the draft with a pair of pretty good ones. Mast is a big, shutdown type with a right-handed shot. He has never displayed much of an offensive side, at any level of his development, but he has always known how to take care of business in his own end. We highly suspect that had he played at all this year, he would have been drafted far earlier. As for Gallagher, he is the polar opposite style of defender compared to Mast. He is a riverboat gambler who gets dinged for skating concerns, but as the year progressed, he timed his risks much better and his ability to positively impact a shift grew exponentially, which included a stellar showing for Team USA at the WU18s. His rawness can be very frustrating at times, but he tries to make things happen, and has enough skill and hockey sense to succeed enough to be of value.

Worst value pick – Oskar Jellvik, LW/C, Djurgardens IF J20 (J20 Nationell), 149^th overall

I though about naming fourth round pick Philip Svedeback, a goalie who had been passed over in his first year of eligibility and was unrated by us – or any other public facing outlet, but he was also drafted by Dubuque in the USHL draft and will spend next season stateside. Jellvik was considered by our Swedish analyst, but despite solid numbers in the Swedish junior leagues, he doesn’t seem very projectable, with an average frame, and tools that project in the sphere of average across the board. He is only a fifth rounder, but there isn’t much to dream on.

Photo Courtesy of the University of Michigan

Buffalo Sabres

1 (1) Owen Power, D, Michigan (NCAA/Big 10)

1 (14) Isak Rosen, RW, Leksands IF (SHL)

2 (33) Prokhor Poltapov, LW, Krasnaya Armiya Moskva (MHL)

2 (53) Alexander Kisakov, LW, MHK Dynamo Moskva (MHL)

3 (88) Stiven Sardaryan, RW, Krasnaya Armiya Moskva (MHL)

3 (95) Josh Bloom, LW Saginaw (OHL)

4 (97) Olivier Nadeau, RW, Shawinigan (QMJHL)

5 (159) Viljami Marjala, LW, Quebec (QMJHL)

6 (161) William von Barnekow, LW/RW, Tyringe SoSS (HockeyEttan)

6 (188) Nikita Novikov, D, MHK Dynamo Moskva (MHL)

7 (193) Tyson Kozak, C, Portland (WHL)

After four straight drafts of only selecting five or six players per year, it was good to see the moribund Buffalo franchise inject a ton of talent into their system, coming away from the 2021 draft with 11 new players, including multiple picks in each of the first three rounds. Still new GM Kevyn Adams has received criticism for a number of his early decisions running the Sabres, but it’s hard to find significant fault with his handling of this year’s draft, including the shipment of maligned defender Rasmus Ristolainen to Philadelphia for a mid-first round pick, Robert Hagg, and a 2023 second rounder in the hours before the first round began.

The picks themselves were very forward heavy, with nine forwards among the 11 picks, to go with two defenders. The Sabres also mixed up the pipelines they selected from, which included drafted players from a few areas that previous GM, Jason Botterill, notably overlooked in the CHL and Russia. Buffalo drafted one or two players from each CHL league, and four out of Russia. The remaining picks were from Sweden (2) and the NCAA (1 big one). As far as selecting for upside, which the McKeens rankings have a bias towards, most of the Sabres’ picks were selected around where we had them ranked – in fact, six of their selections were incredibly close to their ranking slot, while most of those we saw as reaches came in the last two rounds. We’ll get into the exception to that rule a little bit below.

First first round pick – Owen Power, D, Michigan (Big 10), 1^st overall

The pick of Power at first overall was a near no-brainer. He has virtually every tool and characteristic a team wants in a workhorse, number one defender. He is gigantic, skilled, solid in his own zone, skates well, even if he will never be mistaken for Cale Makar/Quinn Hughes. He has dominated against his age-peers, as well as against NHL veterans, such as he demonstrated at the World Championships. Power is going back to Michigan for his sophomore season, a decision supported publicly by Buffalo. He could play in the NHL now, but he could develop further collegiately, with a longer leash for risk taking. I still expect him to sign right after Michigan’s season ends, and finish up 2021-22 with the Sabres, what should be the beginning of a long run as a fixture for the team.

Second first round pick – Isak Rosen, RW/LW, Leksands IF (SHL), 14^th overall

Power was the clear choice at #1, but Rosen, selected with the primary pick received in the Ristolainen deal, was the prototype of the forwards that Buffalo targeted in the draft. Smallish (six of the nine forwards they drafted are either short, skinny, or both), incredibly skilled (the rest of the forwards all project to above average skill with the puck, although Rosen stands heads and shoulders above the others), and still just scratching the respective surfaces of their potential. Rosen had few opportunities to stick out when he was forced to play in the SHL last year due to the mid-season cancellation of Sweden’s junior leagues, but he proved his worth with a stellar showing at the U-18 championships.

Best value pick – Prokhor Poltapov, RW, Krasnaya Armiya Moskva, MHL, 33^rd overall

In actuality, the Sabres did not select anyone below where we had him ranked, but as noted above, several came very, very close, including Poltapov, drafted exactly where we had him ranked. It would have been easy to go in a different direction after the selection of Rosen in the middle of the first, as Poltapov has a profile with a few similarities in size, and skill-based style of play, but the Sabres system needs a lot more skill to rise through the ranks, and I would be hard pressed to say that he had the most pure skill of anyone available after the first round was completed. I for one would love to watch a future forward line with Rosen and Poltapov on the flanks.

Worst value pick – Stiven Sardaryan, F, Krasnaya Armiya Moskva, MHL, 88^th overall

We did not have Sardaryan ranked at all, even in our extended list of roughly 600 names. That isn’t to say that he should not have been drafted under any circumstances, but that we felt that his production in the Russian junior leagues, where he was actually a teammate of Poltapov’s, was underwhelming. We were also not the only outlet to ignore him. Maybe he wasn’t being afforded enough opportunities, as he did not want to sign with the KHL club, given his desire to play collegiately at the University of New Hampshire. Sardaryan is expected to take his next steps in the USHL, where Youngstown drafted him this year. If Buffalo believes in his skill set, more power to them. But it seems very likely that he would have still been available one or two rounds later than where the Sabres selected him.

Frölunda's Simon Edvinsson during the ice hockey match in the SHL between Rögle and Frölunda on 28 December 2020 in Ängelholm.
Photo: Petter Arvidson / BILDBYRÅN

Detroit Red Wings

1 (6) Simon Edvinsson, D, Vasteras IK (HockeyAllsvenskan)

1 (15) Sebastian Cossa, G, Edmonton (WHL)

2 (36) Shai Buium, D, Sioux City (USHL)

3 (70) Carter Mazur, LW, Tri-City (USHL)

4 (114) Redmond Savage, C, USNTDP (USHL)

5 (134) Liam Dower Nilsson, C, Frolunda J20 (SuperElit)

5 (155) Oscar Plandowski, D, Charlottetown (QMJHL)

6 (166) Pasquale Zito, C, Windsor (OHL)

As General Manager of the Red Wings, Steve Yzerman knows who he wants at the top, and grabs them, no matter how iconoclastic the selection is at that point. See Seider, Moritz from two years ago. Seen as a surprising overdraft at the time, he is now one of the top prospects in the sport and seemingly ready to break into the NHL now. The Wings took an elite-skilled forward up top last year in Lucas Raymond, but returned to building from the back out this year. At sixth overall, they selected a defender who holds some similarities to Seider in Simon Edvinsson, as big, smooth skaters with men’s league experience and untapped athleticism. Edvinsson may not be as advanced now as Seider was when he was drafted, but his tools give him a slightly higher upside if he can put it all together. Not long after selecting the big Swedish defender, Detroit traded a late 1^st rounder (part of the return from the Anthony Mantha trade) to Dallas to pick up the #15 pick, which they used to select the first goalie in the draft, the towering Sebastian Cossa. Many had Cossa ranked behind Sweden’s Jesper Wallstedt, but Yzerman likes who he likes and Cossa is a Wing.

Pick shuffling was a bit of theme for Detroit in this draft, as they did it again in the second round to grab USHL defender Shai Buium, and then traded down in the fourth round in order to acquire an extra pick in the fifth round. In the end, the eight players selected by the Red Wings were nicely divided between the positions, with two other defenders taken after Edvinsson, four forwards, and the one goalie in Cossa. They drafted two out of Sweden, three college-bound players from the USHL, and one player from each of the three CHL leagues. When the final chapter of this draft class is written, it will be judged on the top three picks’ (Edvinsson, Cossa, Buium) abilities to prevent goals far more than the production numbers any of the forwards may eventually put up.

First first round pick – Simon Edvinsson, D, Frolunda HC, SHL, 6^th overall

If Moritz Seider is the right-side first pairing defender of the future, we have to see Edvinsson as his partner on the left. A massive blueliner who has – by far – the best combination of speed and puck skills of any defender in this draft class, he spent most of his draft year playing against men in Sweden after the junior league was shut down, playing double digit games in both of Sweden’s top two leagues. He is rawer than Seider was in the latter’s draft year, but I expect him to continue to develop in the SHL this year, and his upside is as a Norris Trophy finalist.

Second first round pick – Sebastian Cossa, G, Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL), 15^th overall

The first goalie selected in the 2021 draft, Cossa was practically unbeatable in the WHL this year, with a .941 save percentage, and 17 wins in 19 games. The latter stat is not really that telling, but the first number is, and is a continuation of stellar netminding that Cossa has provided as far back as he has trackable stats. Between his size, athleticism, and ability to read the play develop, he should be expected to be the heir apparent to the crease in Detroit, even if we believed that Jesper Wallstedt, who Minnesota drafted five picks later, was the better prospect.

Best value pick – Liam Dower Nilsson, C, Frolunda J20 (J20 Nationell), 134^th overall

A remarkably polished, two-way center, Dower Nilsson is no one’s idea of a top six center, but he played a shutdown role as captain for Team Sweden at the U18 tournament and put up impressive numbers in both Sweden’s junior and third-tier men’s leagues last year. The skill set does not support those numbers continuing as a higher-level pro, but he can find a way to contribute and should have been selected at least one full round earlier than where Detroit nabbed him.

Worst value pick – Carter Mazur, LW, Tri-City Storm (USHL), 70^th overall

In his second year of draft eligibility, Mazur had a great season captaining Tri-City, and being drafted by his hometown team is a great story. He is a fun player to watch and a good reminder that development is not linear, as he did take a huge developmental step last year to earn being drafted. He ends up as the worst value pick however, over the anonymous Pasquale Zito, because Zito was a late round pick and Mazur was taken in the third round. Mazur’s tools don’t line up with his production and he lacks any one tool that would come up in an elevator pitch. If he reaches his ceiling as a bottom six winger, the pick will be correctly deemed a success, but there were still players on the board who have higher projected ceilings.

Mackie Samoskevich.. Photo Dan Hickling

Florida Panthers

1 (24) Mackie Samoskevich, RW, Chicago (USHL)

2 (56) Evan Nause, D, Quebec (QMJHL)

4 (120) Vladislav Lukashevich, D, Loko Yaroslavl (MHL)

5 (152) Kirill Gerasimyuk, G, SKA Varyagi (VHL)

6 (184) Jakub Kos, LW, Ilves U20 (U20 SM-sarja)

7 (210) Braden Hache, D, Kingston (OHL)

While I absolutely adored Bill Zito’s first draft class last year – it seemed as if he was simply drafting the best player among those remaining from the McKeens list at times – this one feels much more “meh”. Not a bad class by any stretch, just uninspiring. The 2021 Florida draft class consists of a goalie, three blueliners, and two wingers. The six picks were divided evenly between European talents (two Russians and a Czech) and North Americans (one each from the USHL, QMJHL, and OHL – the last of which spent the year on the sidelines given the OHL’s cancellation).

There was no real trend to note among the Panthers draftees. They took players with grades among the best in skating (Samoskevich) and physicality (Hache) in the draft class, but on the other hand, guys like Nause and Lukashevich are relatively well-rounded prospects, without any one selling tool. The five skaters all have decent size (Samoskevich is only 5-11”, but built stocky), and Hache and Kos both qualify as big, so perhaps size was important, although not in the same way that it was for the Ottawa Senators. There was one notable element of the Panthers experience at the draft that was not related to the players they selected, but connected to a pick they dealt away from 2022. On day two of the draft, the Panthers sent their 2022 first round pick, along with goaltending prospect Devon Levi to Buffalo for Sam Reinhart. So, if we include that deal in our assessment of this draft class, it’s an obvious win. We really shouldn’t though, so like all draft classes, we will wait and see.

First round pick – Mackie Samoskevich, RW, Chicago Steel (USHL), 24^th overall

Top end speed and top end skill. Based on the first half of his season, Samoskevich is not only a first round pick, but a top 15 pick, to boot. He is an incredible skater, combining both great speed and great edges, making him a four-directional threat. His puck skills were just as impressive. He utilizes his linemates expertly, uses his feet to create new passing lanes and very slick hands to put the puck on his linemate’s sticks. His draft season was interrupted by an injury, and for a lengthy stretch, Samoskevich was not the same player upon his return, although he still flashed it enough to be worthy of being picked where Florida called his name. He will be spending the next (at least) two years on campus with Michigan, and teamed up with a good finisher, will be deadly.

Best value pick – Vladislav Lukashevich, D, Loko Yaroslavl (MHL), 120^th overall

Second rounder Evan Nause was a consideration here, but he was never going to go more than 10 or so picks higher than where the Panthers selected him. Lukashevich, a surprise omission from the Russian U18 tournament roster, was seen as more likely to be taken as much as a full round higher than where Florida drafted him, even if he went higher than where we had him ranked. Although tall, he is physically immature, but all of his tools grade out as average or better. He skates well, he is a promising mover of the puck, and he does a solid job of battling for the puck even though most opponents have more bulk on their frames. He will never be flashy enough to be a top prospect, but he has sleeper written all over him.

Worst value pick – Kirill Gerasimyuk, G, SKA Varyagi (VHL), 152^nd overall

Very young for this draft class (he has a late August birthdate), Gerasimyuk was not on to many radars for the draft, considering the limited playing time he has so far had in his career. This isn’t really bad value, per se, just a pick with more risk attached than any of Florida’s others this time, even if Florida has done well drafting goalies.

Oliver Kapanen, Photo by Dan Hickling.

Montreal Canadiens

1 (31) Logan Mailloux, D, SK Lejon (HockeyEttan)/London (OHL)

2 (63) Riley Kidney, C, Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL)

2 (64) Oliver Kapanen, C, Kalpa U20 (U20 SM-sarja)

3 (87) Dmitri Kostenko, D, Lada Togliatti (VHL)

4 (113) William Trudeau, D, Charlottetown (QMJHL)

5 (142) Daniil Sobolev, D, Windsor (OHL)

5 (150) Joshua Roy, RW, Sherbrooke (QMJHL)

6 (191) Xavier Simoneau, C, Drummondville (QMJHL)

7 (214) Joe Vrbetic, G, North Bay (OHL)

I am generally not one to pass absolute judgement on a draft class before five years have passed, and even then, judgement will be provisional. But this class, despite including some solid players, is worse than a dud. And it earned that branding on day one, with the absurdly heartless selection of Logan Mailloux. The rumors that had followed the defender around for the previous few months had been enough for some clubs to mark him as a “DO NOT DRAFT”, but once the full details of his actions came to light, many others joined. When the player himself asked not to be drafted, there could only have been a handful of teams left who would even have considered him for the seventh round, much less round one. AITA? Yes, Mr. Bergevin, you are. The selection was callous, brazen, and an utter inability, or disregard to, reading the room.

In fairness to the other eight players selected by Montreal’s scouting staff, a few words then. Usually happy to minimize their QMJHL drafting, the Canadiens actually went heavy on their home turf this year, with four QMJHL draftees, including one (Xavier Simoneau), a third year eligible, who put up big numbers for years, but was ignored for his size. His recognition as the QMJHL and CHL Humanitarian of the Year two years ago does not redress the bad Mailloux karma, but good that Simoneau was drafted. Outside of the Q’, they selected two from Russia – one of whom was planning to play last year in the OHL and experienced a lost season as a result, one from Finland, and Mailloux and one other from the OHL. Their picks focused more on the defensive side of the game, with four blueliners plus one goalie, compared with four forwards. Size does not seem to have been a primary consideration.

First round pick – Logan Mailloux, D, SK Lejon (HockeyEttan)/London Knights (OHL), 31^st overall

Enough digital ink has been spilled by myself and many others about why Montreal should not have drafted Mailloux from a personal/personnel standpoint. But Montreal drafted him anyway and we should take a brief moment to discuss Mailloux as a hockey player. If he had not committed the crimes that he did, he would have been a reasonable, albeit not a slam dunk as a late first rounder, as we saw him in the second round before the full story of his actions was revealed. He is very big, moves well, plays a physical game. His offensive tools are fine, but his game is very raw and still mistake-prone. He is not a horrible prospect looking only at on-ice potential, but he is 100% not the caliber of player for whom you ignore or downplay his off-ice track record.

Best value pick – Joshua Roy, RW/C, Sherbrooke Phoenix (QMJHL), 150^th overall

Although his numbers have not yet caught up with his inherent skill set, it was not that long ago that Roy was coveted highly enough to be taken first overall in the QMJHL Entry Draft. Some teams were turned off by the fact that he forced a trade way from Saint John to Sherbrooke, even though it was largely a matter of homesickness, as his family was not able to leave Quebec to visit him in the Maritimes, due to COVID restrictions. So, I ask you, how does that push a gifted forward this far down draft boards while Mailloux’ actions seemingly bumped him up? It really boggles the mind. As for Roy, he has a great shot and fantastic puck skills, but his skating needs some work. Moderate improvements to his mobility could give him middle six value.

Worst value pick – Mailloux & Dmitri Kostenko, D, Lada Togliatti (VHL), 87^th overall

Enough about Mailloux. Kostenko isn’t bad. We had him ranked just outside our top 223, meaning we would not have drafted him if we were the GM of every single team, but we would have considered him and would not fault a team calling out his name in the fifth round or later. We just didn’t see a reason to really pull for him either. His offensive tools are solid, but his skating needs work, and his ability to process the game and make correct choices is lacking. Montreal has been right (at our expense) before with Russian defenders, as was the case with Alexander Romanov, who we also were not fond of, and if Kostenko is another Romanov, more power to him and Montreal. Making that bet in the third round is rich for me, though.

Tyler Boucher, Photo by Rena Laverty, USA Hockey

Ottawa Senators

1 (10) Tyler Boucher, RW, USNTDP (USHL)

2 (39) Zach Ostapchuk, C, Vancouver (WHL)

2 (49) Benjamin Roger, D, London (OHL)

3 (74) Oliver Johansson, C, Timra IK (HockeyAllsvenskan)

4 (123) Carson Latimer, RW, Edmonton (WHL)

7 (202) Chandler Romeo, D, Hamilton (OHL)

Big boys only here. Ottawa gave us the first real surprise of the 2021 draft by selecting USNTDP power forward Tyler Boucher with the 10^th overall selection. More on Boucher below, but the pick was indicative that the Senators would be hunting for size and strength with their picks this year. Of their six picks, all are at least 6-0” tall, with three of them listed as over 6-3”. Not only tall, but only two of their picks weigh in at below 198 pounds. Unfortunately, in most of these picks, it looks like Ottawa sacrificed playing ability to get those big boys, which is not to say that they won’t see NHL value out of any of these picks, but that the approach will likely mean that they receive less value at the NHL level than they would have if skill/ability was their primary concern. Each and every player selected by Ottawa was drafted far ahead of where we had the player in question ranked, something we cannot say about any other team.

Beyond the size issue, there isn’t much noteworthy about the Senators’ picks, taken as a class. Lacking picks in either of the fifth or sixth rounds, but owning an extra second rounder, the team ended up with two players each from the WHL and OHL, one from the USHL, and one European, a Swede with the best skills of anyone among their picks. The picks were evenly split positionally, with two defenders, two centers, and two wingers.

First round pick – Tyler Boucher, RW, USNTDP (USHL), 10^th overall

A power winger who can dominate physically, Boucher, son of long time NHL goalie Brian Boucher, hasn’t topped the point-per-game rate since he was playing U14 hockey in New Jersey. He has decent offensive tools, when looked at in a vacuum, but has never put them to consistent use. There was some thought that some team would call out his name in the late first round, but 10^th overall was a shock, and that’s without even considering his injury history that kept him off the ice for much of his draft year. Some pundits reported that they looked to trade down, but couldn’t work out a deal that would still ensure they could land Boucher. I strongly suspect that this selection set the stage for a few other less-talented, but big/physical/gritty players to go in the first round that otherwise might not have.

Best value pick – Carson Latimer, RW, Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL), 123^rd overall

Technically, the Senators didn’t have a value pick this year, but Latimer is the closest to qualifying. He has good size with some physicality to go along with it, some skill with the puck, two-way ability, and knows how to fit in in a supporting role, which will be his sole path to the NHL. This is not a high upside player, but with some moderate improvement to his skating stride, could turn out to be a solid fourth round gamble.

Worst value pick – Zack Ostapchuk, LW, Vancouver Giants (WHL), 39^th overall

In a draft class full of reaches, the selection of Ostapchuk in the early second round was the most egregious. His pros are his plus size, above average mobility, and nascent puck skills. None of those elements are truly top six caliber, and he hadn’t produced at a top six rate since his U15 days. This pick was made around two rounds too high. Ostapchuk making the NHL at all is no guarantee, and it is very hard to see anything more than a fourth rounder. The Senators went all in on their size strategy, and I have to assume that it is because the organization feels that the young players already in the pipeline will be taking over the top roles anyway. Regardless, there is a good chance that Ostapchuk would have been available one round – or more – later.

Dylan Duke. Photo Rena Laverty, USA Hockey

Tampa Bay Lightning

3 (96) Roman Schmidt, D, USNTDP (USHL)

4 (126) Dylan Duke, LW, USNTDP (USHL)

5 (160) Cameron MacDonald, C, Saint John (QMJHL)

6 (192) Alex Gagne, D, Muskegon (USHL)

7 (196) Daniil Pylenkov, D, Podolsk (KHL)

7 (211) Robert Flinton, LW, St. Paul’s School (USHS-NH)

7 (224) Niko Huuhtanen, RW, Tappara U20 (U20 SM-sarja)

The last team to make their first pick this year, and then the last team to make any pick, a team’s draft class after winning the Stanley Cup – much less winning back-to-back Cups – is almost an afterthought. But we should never forget how instrumental good drafting – in all rounds – has been to Tampa’s recent run of success. We can’t say if the next Brayden Point will emerge from one of the seven players Tampa selected, all in the third round or later, but we shouldn’t be surprised if one or more of these mid-to-late round picks far exceeds his expected draft slot value.

Both of their first two selections (Roman Schmidt and Dylan Duke) were from the USNTDP. Two other picks were of US-based players headed for college. With the other three selections, we have one player each from Russia, Finland, and the QMJHL. The picks were a simple mix of four forwards and three defenders. Size seems to have been a consideration, with six of the seven picks (all except Duke) coming at a minimum size of 6-1”, 190. They had no problem picking up players who had been passed over in previous drafts, with Alex Gagne in his second year of eligibility and Daniil Pylenkov in his third.

First pick – Roman Schmidt, D, USNDTP (USHL), 96^th overall

Tampa’s first pick was the final selection of the third round, and with Schmidt, they added a physical specimen who combines immense size (6-6”, 209) with remarkable skating ability, and a willingness to play hard. The rest of his game s still pretty raw and prone to inconsistency on both sides of the puck, but early in the season he was given some consideration as a potential first rounder because of his two higher-end traits. Schmidt’s recent decision to forego college for Kitchener of the OHL does shorten his path to the pro game. He looks like an intriguing option for a bottom pair now, but if he adds offense to his game, that projection can easily improve.

Best value pick – Dylan Duke, C, USNTDP (USHL), 126^th overall

To be honest, had Tampa drafted Duke in the third and Schmidt in the fourth, it would have lined up far better in terms of the eventual value we expect out of each player, but size was paramount throughout this draft class, so flipping the script on these two makes sense, as there was probably a good chance that Schmidt would have been taken by another team before the Lightning had the chance to draft in the fourth round. Although smaller, Duke plays a very gritty game, thriving near the crease. He will have to learn to play on a lower line next year at Michigan, but his style is suited for that type of role. He isn’t (likely) the next Brayden Point, but Duke is likely to have had the greatest NHL value once all is said and done with this Tampa draft class.

Worst value pick – Robert Flinton, LW, St. Paul’s School (USHS-NH), 211^th overall

Truthfully, the only concern with Flinton is that nothing is really known about him. He played in a smaller prep school in his home state of New Hampshire and has no experience against top competition. He’s big and strong and has a solid snap shot, but he is mostly a mystery. Committed to Dartmouth for the 2022-23 season, he is expected to play in the USHL next season, most likely with Cedar Rapids. Flinton may be their worst value pick, but seeing as the pick was made late in the seventh round, where expected value is near nil, we at least know that the scout who pushed for him is happy, and morale is never a bad thing. This is more a statement that Tampa got solid to very good value out of the other six picks they made.

Matthew Knies. Photo by DAN HICKLING

Toronto Maple Leafs

2 (57) Matthew Knies, LW, Tri-City (USHL)

5 (153) Ty Voit, C, Sarnia (OHL)

6 (185) Vycheslav Peksa, G, Irbis Kazan (MHL)

This is easy. The Leafs only made three selections. One each from the USHL, the cancelled OHL, and Russia. Not much sense looking for patterns in a sample size of three, but the organization’s willingness to trade away their picks earlier in the year, after they were widely known to be one of the clubs who did not allow its scouts to attend games in person all year, is telling. They approached this draft class as a near afterthought, which I strongly suspect was a result of the bulk of leagues playing significantly condensed schedules. This is as close to opting out as a team could reasonably do.

First pick – Matthew Knies, LW, Tri-City Storm (USHL), 57^th overall

Knies had some first round buzz before the season started, considering his premium size and the playmaking chops he demonstrated with aplomb in 2019-20 as a USHL rookie. A bout with COVID led to a very slow start this year, both in terms of production and literally as a skater. He just looked heavy-footed. Knies picked it up as the season progressed and had some going back to the previous first rounder impression. He will have to improve his skating to maximize the rest of his game, but he is a smart enough forward to be able to succeed in a middle six if he can just get up to average mobility. Headed to play for Minnesota, Toronto will not rush him.

Best value pick – Ty Voit, C, Sarnia Sting (OHL), 153^rd overall

The Pittsburgh area native looked like a very promising playmaker as an OHL rookie in 2019-20, and might have gone off the board much higher than the late fifth round if he were bigger, or if the OHL had even an abbreviated season this year. He flashes high end puck skills, skates very well, and showed a clear propensity for making good decisions when he debuted with the Sting. He is no sure thing, but there are markers here of previous Toronto mid-round picks who either worked out, or are still young and trending in the right direction, like Adam Brooks, Semyon Der-Arguchintsev, Mikhail Abramov, or Nick Abruzzese.

Worst value pick – Vyacheslav Peksa, G, Irbis Kazan (MHL), 185^th overall

By process of elimination, the worst value can only have been from Toronto’s third and final selection, the unheralded netminder from Russia. Peksa was not on anyone’s radar. He played in only two games at any level in 2019-20, and 18 last year, where he was the backup to Vladimir Mosin in the regular season and played behind 2020 Toronto pick Artur Akhtyamov in the postseason. My guess is that the Leafs were comfortable with Peksa based on tracking the development of Akhtyamov. We will know a lot more about Peksa if he can finally play a full season as a starter. The fact he hasn’t done that yet – and he is already 19 years old - increases the risk factor. It would be easier to understand taking this type of a risk if the Leafs had a more normal sized draft class, but with only three players selected altogether, a more careful approach would have been preferred.

2021 NHL DRAFT: MONTREAL REVIEW

Ryan Wagman — Mon, 30 Aug 2021 15:32:32 +0000

Oliver Kapanen, Photo by Dan Hickling.

1 (31) Logan Mailloux, D, SK Lejon (HockeyEttan)/London (OHL)

2 (63) Riley Kidney, C, Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL)

2 (64) Oliver Kapanen, C, Kalpa U20 (U20 SM-sarja)

3 (87) Dmitri Kostenko, D, Lada Togliatti (VHL)

4 (113) William Trudeau, D, Charlottetown (QMJHL)

5 (142) Daniil Sobolev, D, Windsor (OHL)

5 (150) Joshua Roy, RW, Sherbrooke (QMJHL)

6 (191) Xavier Simoneau, C, Drummondville (QMJHL)

7 (214) Joe Vrbetic, G, North Bay (OHL)

First round pick – Logan Mailloux, D, SK Lejon (HockeyEttan)/London Knights (OHL), 31^st overall

Best value pick – Joshua Roy, RW/C, Sherbrooke Phoenix (QMJHL), 150^th overall

Worst value pick – Mailloux & Dmitri Kostenko, D, Lada Togliatti (VHL), 87^th overall

2021 NHL DRAFT: UNDER THE RADAR DRAFT PICKS

Brock Otten — Mon, 19 Apr 2021 22:15:25 +0000

With the Ontario Hockey League still on hiatus, I have been trying to watch as much of the other North American junior leagues as possible. Cross referencing with public lists and the lists of our regional scouts, I have been trying to get a better read on some of the top prospects available from North America for the 2021 NHL Draft. In doing so, there have actually been numerous other prospects who have caught my eye for one reason or another. These are players generally ranked outside of the first round and all the way into the later rounds of the draft. This article intends to highlight some of those players and bring attention to them as the summer months draw nearer.

USHL

Brent Johnson

Defense, Sioux Falls Stampede

5’11, 165lbs

Johnson is actually a prospect who has garnered significant attention from the internet scouting community. By simply doing a twitter search, you can find many fans of his game who believe he should be someone who ranked near the first round. However, you are more likely to find the University of North Dakota commit ranked in the second or third.

While he has had a terrific season to date (top five in defenseman scoring in the USHL as of writing this), it actually came to an end recently when Johnson had to undergo season ending shoulder surgery. This kept him out of the BioSteel All American game and prevented him from being in consideration as an addition for the U.S. Under 18 team going to Texas. Also unfortunate for Johnson is the fact that there was no Hlinka/Gretzky Cup this year, nor a World Junior A Challenge, two events where he would have had the chance to play a starring role. No doubt scouts have a clear picture of what Johnson brings to the table, however, those high-end comparisons with his peers would have been valuable.

Johnson’s strength lies in his transitional effectiveness and ability to create using his mobility in the offensive zone. A terrific skater in every fashion, Johnson’s exits are nearly always clean, whether he elects to skate with the puck or use the stretch pass. He looks comfortable and poised running the powerplay and uses strong edge work to walk the line and open up exploitable lanes and gaps in coverage. While certainly slight (5’11, 165lbs), Johnson is actually an intense competitor in the defensive end who looks to engage physically and never seems to back down from a challenge. He is also adept at using his four-way mobility to defend transitional attacks, demonstrating terrific gap control. He certainly projects as a strong two-way, modern day NHL defender.

Video Samples

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/1-brent_johnson_-_1st_period_7_54_-_8_6.mp4

While the result of this play is not a goal, Johnson creates a really high-end scoring chance from the slot with his hands and feet. He exploits the over aggressiveness of the forward defending high by walking around him then pushes aggressively to force attackers to leave their man before making a great pass on the back hand to a Sioux Falls teammate for the scoring chance. This play exhibits poise, skill, and mobility, all of which make Johnson a threat when walking or holding the line.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/2-brent_johnson_-_2nd_period_22_7_-_22_23.mp4

Look at how Johnson exploits the extra ice at four on four in this clip. He pushes out wide to open up the middle of the ice. Upon receiving the pass, he has a clear goal in mind by pivoting quickly to suck his defender in before finding a teammate in the slot with a heads-up pass. These types of plays seem to happen on the regular with Johnson, who controls and understands spacing so effectively. He never seems to stop moving his feet in the offensive zone.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/3-brent_johnson_-_3rd_period_12_25_-_12_37.mp4

This is a great read from Johnson as he slides into the slot to as he identifies an opening as his teammate peels off the wall. He showcases his skill level too by selling the shot fake and making the no look pass to an open teammate at the side of the net for a tap in. He could have easily hammered that on net with a one timer, but his subtle approach and patience with the puck impressively and consistently seems to find better opportunities to score.

Jack Peart

Defense, Fargo Force

5’11, 180lbs

While Scott Morrow seems to be the Prep School/High School defender generating the most buzz, Jack Peart may actually be the better NHL Draft prospect. This year’s recipient of the Mr. Hockey award in Minnesota (top HS player), Peart has split the year between Grand Rapids High in Minnesota and the Fargo Force of the USHL. He joins some terrific company among defenders who have won the award like Nick Leddy, Ryan McDonagh, and Paul Martin.

When he has played for Fargo, Peart has played quite well for the Force, one of the top teams in the USHL this season. And unlike Johnson, Peart was able to suit up in the BioSteel All American game, although the USHL team got trounced by the NTDP. I thought he might be a candidate to be named to the U.S. Under 18 team as they looked to fill out their roster for the event with outside candidates, but that was not the case.

A St. Cloud State commit, Peart has a similar skill set to aforementioned Brent Johnson. His mobility is excellent. His decision making with the puck is excellent. He defends well, especially in transition. He can QB the powerplay or anchor the PK. This is an all situations, highly intelligent, well rounded defender whose efficiency and consistency will be very attractive to NHL scouts this July.

Video Samples

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/1-jack_peart_-_1st_period_6_26_-_6_38.mp4

As mentioned, Peart’s ability to defend in transition is terrific thanks to his strong four-way mobility and anticipation. He is consistently aggressive when defending attackers, stepping up early to angle them off, close gaps and use effective stick checks. Here is just one example of that. It is a relatively harmless two on two, but Peart acts quickly to get a step ahead and then minds the gap to poke the puck out and flip possession. While Peart struggled a bit at the BioSteel game, this type of consistent efficiency in the defensive end is the usual standard.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/2-jack_peart_-_1st_overtime_3_12_-_3_24.mp4

Such great patience by Peart here in overtime as Sioux Falls gets caught on a bad line change. He executes the two on one perfectly by working between the dots, faking the pass to get the defender to slide out of position before stopping to set up the game winner.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/3-jack_peart_-_3rd_period_21_51_-_22_3.mp4

Peart has a quiet efficiency to his game. While he is aggressive at times, he is often more likely to start the breakout with a stretch pass. When he does decide to jump up in the play, it is often calculated and successful, like we see here. He flashes some nice puck skill by evading nearly four stick checks from Sioux Falls players before making a nice dish to a teammate for a high-quality scoring chance. As he gains confidence in his ability to attack (transitioning from high school hockey), I believe he is capable of making more aggressive offensive plays like this.

Liam Gilmartin

Left Wing, NTDP

6’2, 190lbs

Due to the way the U.S. National Development team is constructed, it seems like every year there is a forward who slips under the radar a bit because they are not as innately skilled or “flashy” as their highly rated peers. They do the grunt work. They excel on special teams. They win board battles. They operate as the perfect complementary piece. However, it takes multiple views to generate a great appreciation for their play and their NHL potential. Last year it was Landon Slaggert. Two years ago, it was John Beecher. This year, that player is Liam Gilmartin.

A Providence College commit, Gilmartin moves around the lineup for the U.S. U18 team, moving up to play with Chaz Lucius to create space for him. Moving down to insulate some of the talented U17 players like Rutger McGroarty or Cutter Gauthier. But his play and effort are always consistent and his commitment to playing in the defensive end is extremely valuable to this U.S. team, especially as they gear up for the World Under 18’s. He also had a terrific performance at the Biosteel All American game with a goal and an assist, in addition to his play on the penalty kill being a huge standout.

Gilmartin understands his role as a player on this team and plays it to a tee. He is often the first man into the offensive zone, looking to recover a dump in or force a turnover. Once he establishes possession, he is difficult to separate from the puck as he keeps his feet moving and outworks defenders. He has this same bulldog mentality as he drives the net and takes up position in the slot and net front. However, Gilmartin has better hands than he is given credit for and is skilled enough to create and finish in tight spaces. As mentioned, he is also a very hard worker in all three zones and a physically assertive defensive presence. He certainly profiles as a long time middle six player at the pro level.

Video Samples

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Gilmartin is such an effective penalty killer because of how adept he is at taking away space and anticipating passing lanes. Here he jumps the stretch pass, pokes the puck out and then fights off the check to come away with possession. Then he makes a terrific pass to Ryan St. Louis to set up the scoring chance. The theme with Gilmartin as an offensive player is that he loves to push the pace and bring the fight to you, forcing defenders to try to take away his space, which in turn opens up passing lanes. One thing I look for in players like Gilmartin (that I believe predicates NHL success) is how well they identify passing lanes and how skilled they are as playmakers, and this is a strength of Gilmartin.

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Had to show a clip from the BioSteel game, where Gilmartin was terrific. Another great pass from him to set up the opening goal for the USDP. He understands spacing well and again finds his way to the net. The controlled entry by him helped to initiate that play too.

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Big surprise, Gilmartin drives the net. But this is a skilled play from him to create a significant scoring chance on what should have been a relatively harmless two on two. Beats his defender out wide, then takes away his reach by getting inside position and chipping it back to the middle, fighting off a final stick check to get a shot on goal. I have a feeling that Gilmartin is going to have a heck of a U18 tournament for the U.S. and really put himself in that second-round range come July.

Charles Alexis Legault

Defense, Lincoln Stars

6’3, 190lbs

One of the worst teams in the USHL, the Lincoln Stars have been a bit of a mess this season. Nearly all the high-end draft eligible players who came to Lincoln this year have underwhelmed (Jack O’Brien, James Stefan, Luke Mittelstadt) and that includes Boston University commit Charles Alexis Legault. One of the youngest players available, the rangy and mobile Legault has been in and out of the lineup and when he has played, he has seen limited minutes. However, in those limited minutes he has shown the potential that many thought he had as a fairly hyped defender coming through the Lac St. Louis program in Quebec.

Legault, in fact, started the year in the BCHL with West Kelowna, playing in ten exhibition games (scoring one and three assists) before returning to the USHL. His rights were traded to Lincoln from Muskegon in January and he left to play for the Stars.

As you might expect, Legault is an extremely raw player. His game does not come without blemishes. Unquestionably he would be a long-term project. And as such, he tracks best as a later round pick in 2021. However, scouting is about projections and Legault has some very projectable qualities. His explosiveness and power as a skater are extremely impressive for a big defender. His skating could be a huge asset if developed properly. Legault is also a very physical defender who has a penchant for the big hit and makes himself difficult to win battles against along the wall. At the very least, he could be molded into a strong stay at home type. However, if his confidence with the puck improves, he does seem to possess the skill level to make a larger impact at both ends.

Video Samples

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This first clip is from Legault’s time in the BCHL earlier this season. He recovers quickly to beat an opposing forward to the puck behind his net and then starts the breakout. He then jumps up in the play and splits out wide, identifying an open left side. This helps him set up a pretty goal to a teammate with a beautiful cross ice feed.

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This clip shows off just how powerful his stride is. Reminiscent of DK Metcalf tracking down Budda Baker this year, Legault hustles back following the Lincoln turnover and catches Alex Gaffney just inside the offensive zone. And by catching, I mean manhandling him off the puck. It is this athleticism and projectability that makes Legault so interesting.

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Solid defensive sequence from Legault here. Closes quickly to negate the turnovers and uses a stick check to sweep the puck to the corner, where he follows and lays a huge hit on a Tri-City player. However, the Storm keep possession and Legault finds himself out of the play, and miscommunication near the crease nearly results in a goal against. This is where Legault can get himself in trouble by skating around looking for those big hits. Because of his skating ability, size, and reach, he has been able to be successful as a rover at lower levels, but that has caught up to him and a lack of structure in his game is what makes him such a raw defender.

WHL

Sean Tschigerl

Left Wing, Calgary Hitmen

6’0, 180lbs

The production thus far this season for the former 4th overall selection in the WHL Bantam draft has been inconsistent. However, the effort and determination have been. It is only a matter of time before he is hitting the score sheet every game. Tschigerl has long been considered one of the top forwards in this Western Canada age group, which is further represented by the ‘A’ he wore for Team Black at the 2019 Under 17’s.

Tschigerl is a very versatile winger because of his speed and tenacity. He can be used in any situation and does so for the Hitmen. His effectiveness on the forecheck is especially noticeable. Ultimately, the question is, what is the offensive upside here? He flashes high end goal scoring ability. He flashes the ability to create in transition with his speed and strong one on one moves. As of writing this, the Calgary Hitmen’s season is on pause due to a covid case, so who knows how many more games he will get in. That said, Tschigerl has certainly shown enough to warrant a place inside the Top 100. He is a low risk, high reward kind of selection, and has the kind of skill set NHL teams have been jumping on earlier, rather than later, at recent drafts.

Video Samples

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The end result here is not a great look for the Medicine Hat goaltender; definitely a soft goal. But the creation of it by Tschigerl was very impressive. He shows off his ability to change pace quickly as he beats Cole Clayton (the WHL’s leading defenseman scorer) to the outside. The puck control was also impressive as he uses his reach to secure and protect in pulling off this net drive and goal.

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Another skilled play and finish by Tschigerl. He gets inside position on his defender driving the net and goes skate to stick to finish on the backhand under pressure. The offensive consistency has not been there yet, but with his speed and ability to finish in tight, Tschigerl should be receiving more attention than he has been.

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Again, this kid has great potential as a goal scorer. He was drafted so high and hyped early for good reason. Opens himself up for the one timer and pushes wide to create space and then makes no mistake with a bullet to the top shelf. That is a high end shot and release. It also makes him a dangerous powerplay weapon when utilized correctly.

Jayden Grubbe

Center, Red Deer Rebels

6’3, 200lbs

Grubbe, a powerful two-way center, is the second player on this list to suffer a season ending injury (along with the aforementioned Brent Johnson). The difference being that Grubbe managed to only play five games for Red Deer before tearing his ACL, giving scouts an extremely small sample size this season to work off of.

Much like Tschigerl, Grubbe is a highly thought of member of the 2003 WHL draft crop. Impressively, he was already serving as the captain in Red Deer as an 18-year-old, a rare feat in the CHL. Scouts were hoping to get a read on whether Grubbe’s skating had improved this season and whether he could live up to his potential as a dominant two-way force down the middle. The Rebels’ struggles this season certainly do not help the picture either, as they lost four of the five games Grubbe played (and Brent Sutter recently stepped down as head coach).

However, in watching games from last season and comparing them to this season, Grubbe appears to have worked quite hard to improve his explosiveness and overall quickness. It will still be an area requiring further work, but he certainly commanded attention in this year’s action. His attention to detail at both ends is very impressive and he is certainly not shy about using his size to excel in traffic and outwork opposing defenders. He certainly plays a prototypical heavy, pro-style game. I was also impressed with his hands and ability to protect the puck through transitional attacks. The million-dollar question is, given the nature of his injury, is there concern from NHL scouts over whether it hinders his ability to improve his skating further? Based on what I have seen, I would take that chance.

Video Samples

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This two clip reel certainly gives you an idea of the kind of effort Grubbe provides in the defensive end and why he prides himself on being a strong two-way center. He is a very intense competitor. In the second half of that clip against Lethbridge, the player he separates from the puck is fellow 2021 draft eligible forward Zach Stringer, who is no slouch in the physicality department either. The lower body strength to ride him off the puck was impressive.

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Grubbe supports the breakout well and avoids a hit at the blueline to escape the zone cleanly. After dishing off, he skates hard to the net to open up lanes for his linemates, helping to generate a good scoring chance from the slot. You do see that his stride lacks some explosiveness though, as he regains his balance after avoiding the hit. His skating has improved, but it will need to continue to be an area of focus after he rehabs his knee.

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Even though Grubbe plays that power center role to a tee, he does possess a fair amount of skill. That is on display here with his lone goal in the WHL this season before the injury. Great finish in tight on the powerplay.

Zack Ostapchuk

Left Wing, Vancouver Giants

6’3, 200lbs

Listen, size still sells. While less emphasis is placed on it than it used to be, big forwards who can skate, bring physicality, and chip in offensively are still highly coveted by NHL scouts. That is Ostapchuk in a nutshell. The rangy winger has looked good early on with increased minutes in Vancouver and his raw combination of size and skill is definitely enticing.

A North/South attacker, Ostapchuk moves well up and down and possesses good speed for a big kid, which he uses effectively to drive the net and attack in transition. His lateral quickness, agility, and balance could all still use some work, but the basic framework is there for strong skating power forward. Ostapchuk, much like Grubbe, also shows off good hands in puck protection and is able to generate his own chances. Like a lot of bigger forwards at a young age, he will need to learn to balance his physical approach with getting himself into a better position to score. Some of the offensive inconsistency thus far can be attributed to running around a little bit, a frantic approach. But the potential is certainly there for Ostapchuk to develop into, at the very least, a high-end bottom six player at the NHL level.

Video Samples

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Another great montage of physicality. First, Ostapchuk’s speed is on display as he tracks down a Prince George player on the penalty kill and then makes his presence felt physically to separate him from the puck. Ostapchuk is an impressive penalty killer because of his length and quickness. Second, he works the chip and chase and uses the reverse hit very effectively to make sure he keeps the puck alive. Unfortunately, his support is too slow and the play dies, but still an impressive physical play.

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Notice how Ostapchuk’s speed really catches the Victoria defender flat footed. He seems to beat defenders on the regular, either on the attack or on retrievals. The question is, are the hands good enough for him to develop into a consistently impactful offensive player? Here he is not able to finish as he loses control after he gets in tight (and because of the well-placed stick check).

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Another play and another break for Ostapchuk, as he picks up speed quickly and gets in alone. This time he finishes, going five hole on the Kamloops netminder. If he can truly work on his strength on the puck and ability to maintain possession through more of these rushes, he has a chance to be a high-end role player at the NHL level because of his size and speed combination.

QMJHL

James Malatesta

Left Wing, Quebec Remparts

5’9, 180lbs

No question, the crop of forwards available from the QMJHL this year is pretty deep. James Malatesta often seems to get lost in that group; the forgotten man if you will. He is not the biggest. He is not the most skilled of the group. He does not have NHL bloodlines. However, Malatesta is an impressive player in his own right.

He first caught my eye at the Under 17’s where he showed terrific chemistry with Shane Wright on Canada Black. His performance at that event was certainly eye catching. A very strong rookie season in the QMJHL last year helped fuel more hype. However, his 2020/21 season has not been quite as impressive, with his point per game average down and the Remparts struggling as a team (only four wins in their last twelve). This has caused his stock to drop on many draft lists.

However, as mentioned, Malatesta is still an impressive prospect. He is an absolute bull on the ice and nearly impossible to separate from the puck, despite being 5’9. His speed is also extremely impressive. Not only can he skate by you, but he can skate through you. A high-volume shooter, the question remains about how high Malatesta’s offensive upside is. He has had some trouble finishing off scoring chances this season and his overall consistency has been lacking. That said, I have a lot of time for Malatesta still because I love his determination on and off the puck and I think his speed and power combination will play well at the pro level.

Video Samples

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Really nice puck control on display here by Malatesta. Makes a quick move at the line and then takes away the defenders reach by putting him on his back. He then makes a couple deft moves and finds a teammate for the goal. Malatesta may not be tall, but he is so powerful and difficult to separate from the puck.

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One of the reasons that Malatesta is so difficult to contain is his speed. If the CHL Top Prospect’s Game would have actually occurred this year, I would have expected him to finish near the top in many of those on ice skating tests (especially the sprints). Look at how quickly he hits that gap and explodes past the defenders to score here.

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One of the criticisms I have seen about Malatesta’s game is his decision making with the puck and this turnover certainly is not great; a very poor read. However, no one criticizes Malatesta’s determination and effort. Again, we see his speed as he tracks down the Baie-Comeau forward to negate the breakaway and execute a perfect stick lift to neutralize the situation.

Riley Kidney

Center, Acadie-Bathurst Titan,

5’11, 168lbs

For whatever reason, Riley Kidney seems to be flying under the radar right now among QMJHL eligibles despite performing well at the 2019 Under 17’s and having the third highest point per game average among U18 players in the ‘Q.” I know our QMJHL scout Benoit Belanger is quite high on him and it was one of the reasons that I wanted to watch him play. Needless to say, I came away quite impressed.

Kidney reminds me a lot of all the reasons why I loved Tristen Robins of Saskatoon at last year’s NHL draft (a player we ranked aggressively). There really is not a true weakness in his game. He keeps his feet moving constantly in the offensive end and plays with a lot of energy. Kidney is a player who always seems to be around the puck and that speaks volumes to his IQ and awareness on the ice. It is easy to see him becoming a quality middle six center at the next level because of how many things he does well and how he elevates the play of those around him. Last year Benoit really nailed his under the radar pick in Elliot Desnoyers (who has exploded with Halifax), and I like his odds of nailing this one too.

Video Samples

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On a nightly basis Kidney seems to put on a clinic in puck control, as this montage shows. He is just so difficult to separate from the puck. His hands are so quick in tight spaces and his agility is excellent, making him very difficult to pin down. It is what makes him such a high-quality playmaker.

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As mentioned, Kidney excels in all situations because of his high energy level and excellent anticipation in all three zones. Here is a perfect example of that. Shows off great anticipation by getting his stick in the slot to break up the pass, then beats Sea Dogs to the puck to chip it out, helping to set up a two on one for the Titan.

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Love this play by Kidney and I believe it really shows off his playmaking chops. Sure, his first shot attempt is blocked, but in reality, he is trying to put a low wrister on net as he identifies that his teammate has inside position near the crease for a redirect. When his shot is blocked, he already has an idea of what he wants to do, making a perfect seam pass to set up the goal. Kidney just seems to be consistently one step ahead of the competition.

Manix Landry

Center, Gatineau Olympiques

5’11, 180lbs

The son of former Montreal Canadiens center Eric Landry, Manix is a really interesting prospect eligible this year. A late born ‘02, his offensive production does not jump off the page at you. However, it is important to note that Gatineau is the third lowest scoring team in the QMJHL, and Landry still sits third in team scoring on top of serving as team Captain.

Interestingly enough, Manix’s father Eric was the long time coach of Gatineau prior to this season, so it is his first time playing without his father in the QMJHL.

What you notice immediately about Landry’s game is his physical intensity level. This is a kid who really plays with a chip on his shoulder and loves to get under the skin of the opposition. However, he also possesses a significant amount of skill with the puck and is an excellent play creator, especially when attacking the offensive zone with speed. He has been red hot lately, with points in 11 of his last 14 games, averaging over a point per game during that time period. If you like feisty and creative centers, then Manix Landry is your guy.

Video Samples

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The first thing you notice about Landry’s game is his ability to create in transition and the aggressiveness with which he attacks the middle of the ice with speed. Landry uses pace changes to beat his defender one on one and then makes a skilled cut to the net where he scores on the second chance. I could have included a couple different instances just like this one.

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Landry has proven himself to be an excellent forechecker over his time in the QMJHL because he can use his quickness and tenacity to apply pressure and retrieve dump ins. Here we see him fight through two checks to maintain possession and then he finds an open teammate in the slot for the goal. Quite often Landry draws in second and third defenders to provide support in separating him from the puck and this opens up the ice for linemates.

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As mentioned, Landry is at his best when he is playing with fire and intensity. His game really seems to pick up when he is able to make an impact physically. Here he uses the reverse hit very effectively to secure the puck along the wall. Later, we see him get a taste of his own medicine behind the net, but it is important for him to attack and play that pest like role.