Riley Stotts – McKeen's Hockey

WHL 2019-2020 Season Preview – Eastern Conference

Vince Gibbons — Thu, 03 Oct 2019 22:00:28 +0000

One of the joys of junior hockey is that the age limitations force roster turnover of top teams in 3-4-year cycles creating a new league every couple of seasons. This ensures that no team stays at the top of the league for too long. The class of the league last season was the Prince Albert Raiders. Wire to wire the top team in the WHL with three lines of scoring, three defenders with over 40 points each, and an NHL-drafted goalie prospect in Ian Scott, they ticked all the boxes of a team that was able to dominate the league.

This year they will be without three graduated top overage forwards in Dante Hannoun, Noah Gregor, and Sean Montgomery, who combined for an impressive 101 goals. Top scorer from last year Brett Leason is still in pro camp and could play in the AHL this season if he continues to show well. If he does that is another 36 goals no longer with the roster. Does this leave the door open to another team in the WHL to dominate the 2019-2020 regular season? Does Prince Albert have the staying power to remain at the top? These articles will try to answer those questions months in advance. (Teams are listed in their projected divisional rankings). Today we look at the Eastern Conference. The Western Conference article will be published tomorrow.

Peyton Krebs. Photo by Robert Murray/WHL

East Division

Winnipeg ICE (1^st)

No team has had more season-over-season change than Winnipeg. Formerly based in Kootenay, the roster looks substantially different with a plethora of scoring options up front, something they have struggled mightily with the past few seasons. The import draft provided the ICE two gifted forwards in Michal Teply (Chicago, 4^th 2019) and Nino Kinder (undrafted). Both have been impact players in the early part of the season at well over one point per game. Peyton Krebs (Vegas, 1^st 2019) will be playing with some talent this year when he returns from his off season injury and will get a chance to showcase his playmaking skills on a team with finishers on both wings. Connor McClennon is their top prospect for this year’s draft; the smallish winger is like a waterbug out on the ice with some high end offensive skills. Perhaps the most interesting player on the roster though, is 2004 born Matthew Savoie who was not granted exceptional status for this season. Rumors of him sticking with the team all season anyway are out there so it will be fascinating to watch this all unfold, regardless. There is a ton of scoring talent in Winnipeg to potentially pace them to the top of the division.

Saskatoon Blades (2^nd)

The Blades roster lost Max Gerlach’s 42 goals but for the most part remains intact up front. Kirby Dach (Chicago, 1^st 2019) remains in camp and will likely get a few games in the NHL but should return to Saskatoon, where he will lead a very strong group. Eric Florchuk (Washington 7^th 2018) and Chase Wouters will have to provide more offense especially while Dach is still in the NHL. Kyle Crnkovic had a very solid draft minus one season and look for him to produce a lot of offense on the wing of one of the top two lines. Despite his size, he could force his way into a middle round pick in the upcoming draft. The final difference maker on this roster is between the pipes, where undrafted Nolan Maier has shown the pedigree to be a top goaltender in the WHL. Last season his .910 save percentage was in the top half of the league and with the relative stability of the defensive corps, he will look to build on that.

Prince Albert Raiders (3^rd)

Despite the loss of talent already mentioned this team still boasts a strong roster. Returning import player Aliaksei Protas (Washington, 3^th 2019) has hit the ground running with five points in his first three games this season. Playing with Cole Fonstad (Montreal, 5^th, 2019) expect for Protas to have productive minutes and improve on last season’s totals. Both players will be counted on to be primary producers this year rather than the secondary roles they had previously. Two draft eligible players of note on the roster are winger Ozzy Wiesblatt, who has good speed and vision, and Kaiden Guhle, a solid two way defender. This year they should be on both special teams units because of their high hockey IQ and solid passing skills. Recently acquired Boston Bilous was brought in to stabilize the net with Ian Scott having a shot at a pro hockey this year. These players make this roster dangerous and a tough out on any given night.

Brandon Wheat Kings (4^th)

Just missing the playoffs last season, Brandon has plenty of young talent looking to take a step forward. Led by Luka Burzan (Colorado, 6^th 2019) and his impressive 40 goals last season, this team is flush with ’02 born talented players. Ty Thorpe, Nolan Ritchie, Ridly Greig and Riley Ginnel plus late ’01 birthday Jonny Hooker have all shown flashes of being quality forwards. On the back end they have one of the WHL’s top draft eligible defenders in Braden Schneider who logs a lot of minutes. In goal, they have used an overage and an import spot for Jiri Patera (Vegas, 6^th 2017) to protect the blue paint which enables them to compete every night.

Moose Jaw Warriors (5^th)

The offseason trade of Jett Woo coupled with the graduations of Justin Almeida and Josh Brook has left Moose Jaw at the start of a rebuild. Brayden Tracey has looked the part in Ducks camp, exceeding expectations, but should be back in Moose Jaw soon enough. He is the last remaining part of a lethal power play unit from last season and will be expected to continue producing despite recent graduates. In terms of this year’s NHL draft, Daemon Hunt looks to be the top prospect on the Warriors. They also have an impact players for further down the road with Ryder Korczak a late ’02 and ’03 birth year Eric Alarie who have been torching the league in preseason and are both ready to contribute regularly.

Regina Pats (6^th)

The Regina Pats are going through what most host cities of the Memorial Cup go through. After trading away futures to ensure a strong showing, the cupboard looks a little barren with no Bantam first round picks on their roster, save overager Dawson Holt. Austin Pratt, who led the team in scoring last season, returns as a 20 year old and should be a point per game player this year. He is an intriguing player that never took off the way it was expected when he came up from Minnesota. He has a huge frame and good skating but has never been consistent enough to take over a game and garner much pro hype. With the roster in Regina he should get every opportunity to be successful.

Dylan Cozens. Photo by Erica Perreaux - Lethbridge Hurricanes

Central Division

Calgary Hitmen (1^st)

The Hitmen possess a roster with some serious depth at every position. The acquisition of Jett Woo in the offseason makes their defense corps one of the best in the WHL. Yegor Zamula (Philadelphia, UDFA 2018) Luke Prokop, Dakota Krebs, and Jackson van de Leest can all play a tough physical brand of hockey and play the game with a real edge. At forward they have a top list of options led by overage player Mark Kastelic (Ottawa 5^th, 2019). He has great size and plays a heavy game. Fellow overager James Malm has shown good offensive skills despite being a little undersized. With drafted centerman Riley Stotts (Toronto, 3^rd 2018) and Carson Focht (Vancouver, 5^th 2019) also capable of filling the net they have as well balanced a team as anyone. Riley Fiddler-Schultz and Adam Kydd have some offensive tools and both could hear their names called on draft day in 2020.

Edmonton Oil Kings (2^nd)

Despite being without the services of Trey Fix-Wolansky (Columbus, 7^th 2018), one of the more dynamic offensive weapons in the WHL the past few seasons, Edmonton looks the part of a playoff team. Matthew Robertson (NY Rangers, 2^nd 2019) leads a strong, experienced blue line. Up front they boast six bantam draft former first round picks in Dylan Guether, Liam Keeler, Quinn Benjafield, Jake Neighbours, Brendan Semchuk, and Josh Williams. With Neighbours being one of the top draft eligible players in the WHL this year, he will be a large part of the offense as Edmonton battles for tops in the division. Relying on experience in overage goalie Dylan Myskiw and 2000 born Todd Scott to hold down the crease, Edmonton looks capable of pushing for top spot in the East this season.

Medicine Hat Tigers (3^rd)

Medicine Hat will be led by a couple of Danish born players (checks notes again), yes two Danish players. Jonathan Brinkman and Mads Sogaard (Ottawa, 2^nd 2019) both hail from Aalborg, Denmark. Sogaard was a revelation last season starting in both the WJC and Top Prospects Game and having a huge role in Medicine Hat sticking with Edmonton in the first round of the playoffs. Brinkman is looking to make his mark in the WHL after going undrafted last season. The Tigers also possess a team with lots of experience with James Hamblin, Bryan Lockner, Brett Kemp, and Ryan Chyzowski all in as undrafted 19 and 20 year olds. Eric Van Impe leads the team defensively and plays a nice brand of physical hockey coupled with some pretty good offensive upside which should get plenty of looks from NHL scouts this year.

Lethbridge Hurricanes (4^th)

Any team with a player as dynamic as Dylan Cozens (Buffalo, 1^st 2019) has the ability to win on any given night. This year he will do it on his own back as there as Lethbridge’s depth took a serious hit in the offseason. Likely graduated players Jordan Bellerive (Pittsburgh, UDFA 2018), Jake Elmer (NY Rangers, UDFA 2019), Nick Henry (Colorado, 4^th 2017) and Jake Leschyshyn (Vegas, 2^nd 2017) will create opportunities for younger players like Logan Barlage and recently acquired Dino Kambeitz. Calen Addison (Pittsburgh, 2^nd 2018) is still there to quarterback the powerplay and has shown he can produce as well as any forward in the WHL. The crease is a platoon style early as both guys have started a couple of games and shown well. If the goaltending is good enough they will be a playoff team in the East, however they will be in tough competing with the depth of some other teams.

Red Deer Rebels (5^th)

Last season was disappointing in Red Deer despite the Rebels making the playoffs. This year with the youth the team is ‘blooding’ expectations are pretty low. There is no dynamic scorer in any of their overage players and Brett Davies (Dallas, 6^th 2017) has been underwhelming since coming over in trade last season. It will be scoring by committee if they have any success this year. The likes of Josh Tarzwell, Cameron Hausinger, and Chris Douglas will have to up their games as none have had a 20 goal season in a Rebels’ uniform. There is reason for optimism though, particularly along the blue line, as Red Deer sports a number of young up and coming defenders. Led by Dawson Barteaux (Dallas, 6^th 2018) and draft eligible Christoffer Sedoff on the top pairing, and youngsters Blake Gustafson, Mason Ward, and Joel Sexsmith will also garner scouts attention as the season goes on. With two solid WHL goalies on the roster, both Byron Fancy and Ethan Anders are capable of carrying a young team into the season with the stability they provide in the crease. The playoffs would be a stretch for them this year, especially with the strength of the Eastern Division likely competing for both Wild Card spots.

Swift Current Broncos (6^th)

Swift Current is just two seasons removed from a Memorial Cup and have a roster that lacks experience going into this season. The highlight of their roster is a pair of draft eligible Finnish players, winger Joona Kiviniemi who returned after leading the team in goals last season, and looks to improve on his 16 goals from a season ago, and Kasper Puutio who the was the first overall pick in the latest CHL Import Draft. Pro scouts will be following the progression of these two in the North American game and they should keep fans interested as the season moves along. Ben King has also shown flashes of potential as a power forward but has not been able to put it together night in and night out as of yet. Expect another long season out in Speedy Creek.

WHL Playoff Preview (Eastern Conference): Prince Albert dominates but Vancouver hot down the stretch

Kevin Olexson — Fri, 22 Mar 2019 18:12:54 +0000

After another exciting season in the Dub it took one final game to finalize this year’s playoffs. The Kelowna Rockets and Kamloops Blazers finish the season tied forcing a one-game playoff, the seventh in WHL history, to move on and play the Victoria Royals.

The Blazers made up a seven-point deficit in the last week and a half of the season, going 5-0-1 to tie Kelowna and earn a home tie-breaker game. They came in riding some momentum and sported a 6-3-1 record against the visiting Rockets this season. The Blazers were led by 16-year-old rookie goaltender Dylan Garand, who put aside 27 out of 28 shots, and forwards Connor Zary, Zane Franklin, Brody Stuart, and Captain Jermaine Loewen to earn their biggest win of the season. Next year’s Memorial Cup hosts have some work to do, as this is only the second time in the Rockets tenure that they have missed the playoffs.

The Prince Albert Raiders were far and away the top team in the Dub this year finishing with a 54-10-2-2 record for a league leading 112 points. The Vancouver Giants finished with the second-best record after going on a real tear in the last quarter of the season, as they surpassed the Everett Silvertips for the best record out of the BC and US divisions erasing a 16-point deficit. The Edmonton Oil Kings finished the season as the hottest team down the stretch winning their last 10 games to edge out the Lethbridge Hurricanes by two points for the division title.

As the quest to represent the WHL in this year’s MasterCard Memorial Cup begins, the Eastern Conference matchups look like this:

Eastern Conference

Brett Leason. Photo by Robert Murray/WHL.

The top seeded Prince Albert Raiders open their playoff series against the Red Deer Rebels boasting the best overall record, and head in to the postseason with a 7-2-1 record, where the Rebels stumbled in with a 4-5-1 record down the stretch finishing with 33 wins and 72 points. These teams played four times this season, with the Raiders taking three of the four games, losing only their first meeting of the season in Red Deer. All four games were decided by one goal, including a 2-1 shootout win by the Raiders in their most recent game played in Prince Albert.

The Raiders led the league in goals scored and finished the season with the second-best goals against. They are loaded up front with Brett Leason (36-53-89), San Jose prospect Noah Gregor (43-45-88), Montreal prospect Cole Fonstad (29-44-73), Ottawa prospect Kelly Parker (35-32-67), and Dante Hounen (29-38-67) who was acquired from the Victoria Royals and put up 31 points in 28 games with the Raiders.

The Rebels are led by Buffalo pick Brandon Hagel (41-61-102), Reece Johnson (27-26-53), and a couple of acquisitions in Cameron Hausinger (21-33-54) who put 37 points in 40 games, and Dallas pick Brett Davis (20-30-50) who produced 31 points in 41 games. On the back end, the Raiders are more than solid with Brayden Pachal (15-36-51) with 51 sporting an amazing +76, his partner Zach Hayes (3-24-27) with an equally impressive +71, Sergei Sapego (10-33-43) with a +42, and Max Martin (6-35-41) showing a +45. They have Washington Capitals 2018 first round selection Alexei Alexeyev with 43 points in 49 games, who is dealing with something but should be available, and Dawson Barteaux (7-27-34) to work their blue line.

In goal, Ian Scott has had a stellar season for the Raiders, going 38-8-1-2 with a 1.83 GAA, and a save percentage of 0.932 posting eight shutouts. The Rebels are back stopped by Ethan Anders 28-22-4-1 with a 3.09 GAA and a save percentage of 0.907 and two shutouts.

The Raiders seem to have the edge in most of the categories, but every game has been extremely close, and Red Deer was a top team last year, and anything can happen in the playoffs.

Pick - Raiders in 5

Kirby Dach

The Saskatoon Blades and Moose Jaw Warriors are set to meet as the second and third seeds in the East. The Blades have dominated the Warriors this year going 5-1 against them, including a 5-3 win near the end of the season. These are two good teams meeting, with lots of talent and players to watch.

At forward the Blades are led by top prospect Kirby Dach (25-48-73) who is slated to be a top five pick in this year’s draft, Max Gerlach (42-32-74), Washington prospect Eric Florchuk (21-29-50), and acquisitions Ryan Hughes (30-39-69) who had 29 points in 25 games, and Gary Haden (31-35-66) who scored 62 points in 55 games. The Warriors are led by line mates Tristan Langan (53-60-113) who topped 50 goals and sports a +43, and Justin Almeida (33-78-111), finishing second and third respectively in league scoring. Rookie Brayden Tracey scored 36 goals and put up 81 points in his first season with the Warriors.

On defense, both clubs have some nice features, as the Blades boast Dawson Davidson (13-62-75) and Nolan Kneen (6-39-45) with 25 points in 33 games since being acquired. One of the Warriors strengths is in their D-line, with Montreal prospect Josh Brook who scored 75 points in only 59 games, and Vancouver Canucks draftee Jet Woo (12-54-66).

In goal, Nolan Maier (36-10-6) backstops the Blades with a 2.64 GAA, a 0.910 save percentage, and four shutouts. The Warriors have used more of a committee approach as goalies Adam Evanoff (19-10-2-1) with a 2.62 GAA and a 0.916 save percentage, and Brodan Salmond (21-10-4-1) with a 2.73 GAA and 0.906 save percentage have shared the crease duties all season.

This should be a very good series to watch, and these teams are similar and should put forth an entertaining series. The Blades have dominated the regular season series, and have been the better club, and are headed in to the playoffs on an 8-2 run, but the Warriors enter on a three-game winning streak and will give them trouble, and make them earn it.

Pick - Blades in 6

Matthew Roberston, Edmonton Oil Kings

The central division winning Edmonton Oil Kings will host the Medicine Hat Tigers in the next matchup, and really seem to have the edge after going 5-0-1 against the Tigers this year, although all the games were relatively close except for one game which was a 5-0 final.

The Oil Kings Trey Fix-Wolansky (37-65-102), a Columbus Blue Jackets pick has led the charge all season and is definitely a player to watch. He is supported by Vince Loschiavo (37-25-62), Quinn Benjafield (15-39-54), and then 2019 draft prospects in Josh Williams, Vladimir Alistrov, and Jake Neighbours who will carry the load. The Tigers will rely on James Hamblin (33-44-77), Ryan Jevne (32-36-68), former Edmonton player Brett Kemp (33-27-60) who scored 21 points in 24 games for MH, and Ryan Chyzowski (27-28-55) to provide the scoring.

The Oil Kings defence is led by Conner McDonald (19-31-50), and Matthew Robertson (7-26-33) who is eligible for this year’s draft. The Tigers defence is led by Florida Panthers pick Linus Nassen (7-39-46) who will log a lot of minutes in this one. In goal, the Oil Kings have Dylan Miskew (28-11-2-3) between the pipes, who finished the season strong with his 2.53 GAA and 0.914 save percentage. He will battle the Tigers rookie Mads Sogard (19-8-2-2) with a 2.64 GAA and a 0.921 save percentage.

Even with the Oil Kings dominance throughout the regular season against the Tigers, it has been a close series and pretty equally matched. The Oil Kings ride an 11-game winning streak into the playoffs and look they have gotten hot at the right time. I like the forward depth for the Tigers and the defensive edge for the Oil Kings, and with two strong goaltenders this should be a close series. I feel it has upset potential, and despite the regular season series results, I think that Sogard can make a big difference and possibly steal this one.

Pick - Tigers in 7

Dylan Cozens

The last of the Eastern series is a central division matchup, with the Lethbridge Hurricanes playing the Calgary Hitmen. Once again, the Hurricanes dominated the season series by a 5-1 mark and scored handily as they averaged six goals a game in the series. Lethbridge has an abundance of offence, with five players who scored over 80 points, and will be a handful for the Hitmen.

The Hurricanes acquired forward Nick Henry (29-65-94) from Regina earlier this season, and the Colorado Avalanche prospect rolled on to lead the club in scoring as he put up 54 points in 44 games. Alongside of Henry, the Hurricanes also acquired Jake Leschyshyn of the Golden Knights (40-41-81) from the Pats, and he stepped in nicely as he had 49 points in 44 games. Top prospect Dylan Cozens (34-50-84), who is expected to go very early in this year’s draft, and Hurricanes Captain and Pittsburgh Penguins property Jordy Bellerive (33-50-83) filled the net regularly against the Hitmen, as Cozens had nine points in six games, and Bellerive had 13 in six. Joining them is Jake Elmer (39-42-81), who also had a very nice season and was able to knock 10 points in 6 games against the Hitmen.

As for Calgary, they have some offence as well, with line mates Mark Kastelic (47-30-77) and James Malm (34-43-77) leading the way. Malm, acquired from the Vancouver Giants put up a point a game against Lethbridge, while Kastelic scored nine points. They will be joined by Carson Focht (26-38-64), Kaden Elder (27-33-60) who was picked up from last year’s WHL champion Swift Current Broncos, Riley Stotts (19-38-57) , and Jake Kryski (19-27-46) to try keep pace with the Hurricanes.

On defense, the Hurricanes are led by Cale Addison (11-54-65), the Pittsburgh Penguins prospect will play a major role in this series and should have a good showing. He will be joined by hulking Ukranian defender Igor Merezheko (4-31-35) who will be responsible to shut down the Hitmen forwards. For Calgary, Russian defenseman Yegor Zamula (10-46-56), who was signed by the Philadelphia Flyers, and Belarussian Vladislav Yereomenko (7-26-33) will work with Dakota Krebs (4-21-25), as they have their work cut out to try and keep the Hurricanes forwards at bay, and hopefully keep the scoring to a minimum.

This will be an even more interesting series in the net, as both teams have rookie goaltenders that will duel against one another. Both goalies have been rather impressive thus far. Carl Tetachuk of Lethbridge put up a record of 24-9-1-1, with a GAA of 2.88 and a save percentage of 0.909 and two shutouts. His counterpart in Calgary, Jack McNaughton, went 25-14-3, with a GAA of 3.25 and a save percentage of 0.888, while posting two shutouts.

The Hurricanes finished the season going 9-1 down the stretch, while Calgary comes in with a 6-4 record to finish. The strong offence and forward depth of the Hurricanes should propel them to win the series, but the real story will be which 17-year-old goaltender will outplay the other, and even though McNaughton has played well down the stretch, his numbers against Lethbridge have not been good, going 1-2 against them, with a GAA of 5.16 and a save percentage of 0.838.

If the Hitmen can keep it close, and their special teams play, which was much better than the Hurricanes this year, seem to click, then they could make a good series out of this. The Hurricanes do have the experience after losing the Eastern Conference Championship two years in a row and should be extra motivated to get going for another chance.

Pick - Hurricanes in 6

LINK TO WESTERN CONFERENCE PREVIEW HERE

WHL 2018-19 Season Preview

Kevin Olexson — Tue, 09 Oct 2018 13:22:04 +0000

Another exciting season is underway in the WHL, and 2018-19 should be a good one. The 2017-18 season ended with the WHL’s Regina Pats hosting the 2018 Memorial Cup, in which they were defeated 3-0 by the Acadie-Bathurst Titan in the final. This season, the Kelowna Rockets have been awarded the 2020 Memorial Cup, and as the host team, trying to retool and rebuild in transition, they have a bit of work to do before then.

The WHL had some great players move on, including prolific scorers, dynamic defenders, and some top goaltenders. Now the next draft class of players is developing into prominent roles with their respective clubs, and will see more of the spotlight and new opportunities as we head towards the 2019 draft in Vancouver.

Cody Glass of the Portland Winterhawks.

The WHL was dominated primarily by the US and Eastern Division, but there will be a change in the power and balance with all of the player turnover. The US division has established itself as the strongest division over the past few years and there is no reason to think that this season will be any different. It is likely that this division will boast five playoff teams as well. Along with the three seeded division teams, two other teams will battle for the conference wild card spots. The Portland Winterhawks and Spokane Chiefs should battle for the top spot in the division. The Hawks look poised to take the division, under the leadership of the Vegas Golden Knights first franchise pick Cody Glass, who will challenge for the WHL scoring title this season and be one of the best players to take the ice in the league. The Hawks lost two top defenders in Dennis Cholowski (Detroit) and Henri Jokiharju (Chicago), as well as forwards Skyler McKenzie (Winnipeg) and Kiefer Bellows (NYI). They have a solid supporting cast, and overage forward Joakim Blichfeld (SJ) and defender Brendan DeJong (Car) will flourish this season. They also boast two top draft prospects in defenders --Clay Hanus and John Ludvig who should produce on the back end.

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

The Chiefs are set to push for the division title with plenty of offense even after losing Edmonton prospect and team leader Kailer Yamamoto, and graduate Hudson Elynuik (Toronto Marlies). They will be led by LA Kings prospect Jaret Anderson-Dolan (who will surely be one to watch after he returns from the NHL), Sharks prospect Jake McGrew, a nice complement of 19-year-old players, and New Jersey Devils first round selection Ty Smith who will step up his game. This season the Chiefs will also show off prospect Luke Toporowski, who will contribute with a larger role for the club.

The Seattle Thunderbirds, Tri-City Americans, and Everett Silvertips will follow up jockeying for position. The T-Birds are building and are looking to improve after a big changeover in players. The load will be shouldered by Nolan Volcan and Zach Andrusiak, who will play as 20-year- olds this season and lead the team offensively. Jared Tyszka (Montreal) will lead the blue line, and help draft eligible prospect Jake Lee. Secondary scoring will come from Noah Philp, Matthew Wedman and eligible prospect Dillon Hamaliuk. Tri-City will be anxious to get back prospects Michael Rasmussen (Detroit), and defensemen Juuso Valimaki (Calgary), but it may take some time, if they return at all. Aside from that they will have a solid set of forwards led by Kyle Olson (Anaheim), Nolan Yaremko, and top draft eligible prospect Sasha Mutala. The defence is young and could be shaky, meaning that the offence and goaltending will both have to be better. The Everett Silvertips have had the biggest turnover, losing scoring leaders Patrick Bajkov (Florida) and Matt Fonteyne, as well as elite goaltender Carter Hart (Philadelphia). They will get back forwards Riley Sutter (Washington) and Connor Dewar (Minnesota) to lead the attack. Goaltender Dustin Wolf is a top prospect and played admirably behind Hart last season. He will have his chance to be in the spotlight and shine this year. Wyatte Wylie (Philadelphia) will lead the blueliners the depth of which is a strength of this team.

Milos Roman. Photo by Chris Relke/Vancouver Giants

The B.C. division took a step back, as the powerhouse teams have slipped. Now the Vancouver Giants seemed poised to sit atop the division along with the Victoria Royals. The Giants lost forwards Tyler Benson (Edmonton) and Ty Ronning (NYR), but have a great follow up with James Malm, Brayden Watts, and prospect Milos Roman (Calgary) to lead their offence. The Giants also have a great stable of defensemen, including Alex Kannok-Leipert (Washington), Dylan Plouffe, and a definite 2019 first round selection in Bowen Byram. The goaltending is also sound with the tandem of Arizona Coyotes pick David Tendeck and highly touted prospect Trent Miner who has put up great numbers with his play between the pipes.

The Victoria Royals will also challenge for the division title, as they have a good nucleus of players, solid goaltending, and great coaching. They lost a lot of firepower in Tyler Soy (San Diego Gulls) and Matthew Phillips (Calgary), but will be led by Dante Hannoun, Dino Kambeitz, and Kaid Oliver. The back end is good with Scott Walford (Montreal), Lane Zablocki (Detroit), and Ralph Jarrett. The Royals will be backstopped by one of the top goaltenders in the league in Griffin Outhouse who will help them with their push for another division title.

Kyle Topping of the Kelowna Rockets. Photo by Marissa Baecker/Kelowna Rockets

The Kelowna Rockets, Kamloops Blazers, and Prince George Cougars round out the division, as they will jockey for the third spot and possibly a wild card. The Rockets, after winning the bid to host the 2020 Memorial Cup will have to step things up, as this season looks a bit rough for them. They lost a good portion of their team, and top players Cal Foote (TBL), Dillon Dube (Calgary), Kole Lind (Vancouver), Carsen Twarynski (Philadelphia), have graduated and the team is in transition. They do however show five top rated prospects this season including Kyle Topping, who surprisingly went unselected in last year’s draft and will lead the team offensively this season. Top prospect and projected first rounder Nolan Foote will bear a larger role and be relied on to provide some much needed offence along with Leif Mattson. The Rockets are known for turning out defensemen, and they have top rated prospects in Kaden Korczak and Lassi Thomson in the works. In goal they have Roman Basran, another top prospect who pitched a shutout in his first ever WHL game, and will share backstop duties with James Porter.

The Kamloops Blazers are looking to take a step up after going through many changes last season. The Blazers seem like they are in rebuild mode, but they will be led by Jermaine Loewen returning from the Dallas Stars. The Blazers have some young players on their roster, and the back end will be anchored by Nolan Kneen, who should be in store for a big year. The Blazers could very well surprise a lot of teams, especially if returning goaltender Dylan Ferguson (Vegas) can put up solid numbers as he should be busy. The Cougars are also in the midst of a rebuild, as they unloaded many of their assets to finish at the bottom of the division. They have a young team without any returning NHL draftees on it, but will be led by defenders Joel Lakusta, Ryan Schoettler, Rhett Rhinehart, and forwards Ethan Browne and import Vladislav Mikhalchuk. They have a top rated goalie prospect in Taylor Gauthier between the pipes, and he looks to face a lot of shots behind a weak defence.

The battle of the Central Division should come down to the Lethbridge Hurricanes and Medicine Hat Tigers, followed by the Red Deer Rebels and Edmonton Oil Kings, leaving the Kootenay Ice and Calgary Hitmen battling for the wildcard positions.

Calen Addison. Photo by Robert Murray.

The Hurricanes seemed primed and ready, as they welcome back their leaders from other camps and tryouts. The offence will certainly be dynamic with Jordy Bellerive (Pittsburgh) returning, and prospect Dylan Cozens - who will definitely be an early first round pick in next year’s draft - leading the charge as they both push for the WHL scoring title as well. The secondary scoring will be in the hands of eligible prospect Logan Barlage, Taylor Ross, and Kelti Jeri-Leon. On the back end, Calen Addison (Pittsburgh) returns to beef up this blue line and contribute from the point. The goaltending looks solid with Reece Klassen, who should have a good nucleus of defence in front of him to help him put up good numbers. Medicine Hat should also be able to keep up with Lethbridge on the offensive side of things, as they also have some firepower up front. Ryan Chyzowski and Josh Williams are one of the top tandems in the league, and Williams is a likely first round selection in the upcoming draft. Captain James Hamblin will also provide some scoring punch, as they also show a very balanced group of forwards.

The Tigers lost offensive defensemen David Queneville (NYI), meaning defenders Linus Nassen (Florida) and Dylan Macpherson will have to step into bigger roles to help fill that void. The goaltending will be fine with Jordan Hollett (Ottawa) stopping pucks on the back end, but the defence is young. The Rebels also have some nice players returning, and coach Brett Sutter will be happy with Brandon Hagel and Jeff DeWit coming back to lead the forward group. The Rebels also welcome back Alexander Alexeyev (Washington) and Dawson Barteaux (Dallas) to the group, as they should both have very productive seasons. The Rebels have two players of note for draft hounds with import center Oleg Zaytsev and goaltender Ethan Anders, who should both improve this season with expanded roles.

The Edmonton Oil Kings have also been in a rebuild mode, and are looking to take the next step of their transition. They have a young team who will be led by Trey Fix-Wolansky (Columbus), along with veterans Quinn Benjafield and Vince Loschiavo to play along side of draft eligible prospects David Kope, Vladimir Alistrov, and Brett Kemp. On defence, a top prospect and projected first round selection Matthew Robertson leads the blue line with fellow draft-eligibles Jacson Alexander and Conner McDonald. The Oil Kings also have some young goaltenders in their net, and could help this team move up the ranks with some solid play.

Riley Stotts. Photo by Candice Ward/Calgary Hitmen.

Calgary will have forwards Jake Kryski and Riley Stotts (Toronto) back, along with defenseman Vladislav Yeryomenko (Nashville) who will all take larger roles and provide leadership for their maturing team. The Hitmen have a hulking defender on the radar as Jackson Van De Leest is a top draft-eligible prospect. The Kootenay Ice have been developing and rebuilding for a few years now, and they are showing a lot of youth, and a top end talent in Peyton Krebs (yet another definite first round selection). He will be joined by Brett Davis (Dallas) to lead the charge for the young ICE team. They will rely on Jonathan Smart to anchor and lead their group of defensemen as this team looks to improve and make a surge for a playoff spot.

The Eastern Division standings will look different. This division has been hit the hardest as the top teams from last season have had major overhauls, and return depleted rosters. After being defeated in the Memorial Cup Final, the Pats have lost forwards Sam Steel (Anaheim), Cameron Hebig (Edmonton), and Matt Bradley from their impressive lineup of scorers. They will be led this year by Jake Leshyshyn (Vegas), Nick Henry (Colorado), Austin Pratt, and eligible prospect Koby Morrisseau to carry the load. On defence, losing Josh Mahura (Anaheim), Cale Fleury (Montreal), and Libor Hajek (TBL) opens the door for Aaron Hyman to take a leadership role, and allow eligible prospects Nikita Sedov and Jonas Harkins to play larger parts and flourish on an experienced team. In goal, they have Max Paddock, who should get some consideration, as he backstopped the Pats to the Memorial Cup final as a rookie netminder and looked good in the process.

Cole Fonstad

It looks like the Prince Albert Raiders are ready to take a major leap and push for the division crown. The Raiders are loaded up front with players to watch in Cole Fonstad (Montreal), Noah Gregor (SJ), undrafted Brett Leason, and returnee Kody McDonald leading the way. They have an experienced blue line with Sergei Sapego, Max Martin, and Brayden Pachal ready to deliver in larger roles. Goaltender Ian Scott (Toronto) is ready to be one of the top tenders in the DUB this season and lead this team. They will battle with the Brandon Wheat Kings and the Saskatoon Blades for the division crown in what should be an exciting division to follow. The Wheat Kings will also boast a stellar offence and solid goaltending. With last seasons leading scorer Ty Lewis (Colorado) eligible to return, which would add even more scoring punch to this already impressive lineup of forwards.

Ty Smith

Stelio Mattheos (Carolina), Connor Gutenberg, Cole Reinhart, and draft eligible Luka Burzan will lead the charge for the Wheat Kings. The defence will be led by Schael Higson and Chase Hartje, with youngsters Braden Schneider and Jonny Lambos getting increased minutes. Las Vegas prospect Jiri Patera will handle duties in net, and looks to be very solid for the Wheaties, which will also help push them to the top of the division. The Saskatoon Blades have also made enormous strides this year, and will take a step up as well. They have some great prospects on the roster that will make their way to the draft this spring. They also have a forward group that can fill the nets with Max Gerlach, Eric Florchuk, and Josh Paterson returning to support Kirby Dach. Dach will be a prolific scorer and early first round pick at the draft. He will be joined by import defensemen and fellow top prospect Emil Malysjev who will settle in to a prominent role by playing with the likes of Dawson Davidson and Jackson Caller. The Blades also feature a top goaltending tandem with top prospect Nolan Maier who will carry the load this season after a stellar rookie season, and Dorrin Luding, who has looked very impressive in his appearances.

Jett Woo

The Moose Jaw Warriors will find themselves in the mix as well with Justin Almeida (Pittsburgh) back in the fold, and leading the way as one of the top players in the Dub. Almeida will take the reigns of the offence after the loss of Jayden Halbgewachs (SJ), Brayden Burke (Arizona), and Brett Howden (NYR). He will be joined by Ryan Peckford, who looked promising last year despite being passed over in the draft. He will look to make amends for that with a good showing this year with an increased role on this club. He will be joined with fellow prospect Brayden Tracey and veteran forward Tristan Langan. The back end will miss top defender Kale Clague (LAK), but will be in good shape with a strong core as Josh Brook (Montreal) and Jett Woo (Vancouver) are back there. In net, the Warriors have Adam Evanoff who was great in a limited role in his rookie season, and will get to display his skills this year in a main role. He will share time with ex-Kelowna Rocket Broden Salmond who will add some experience.

Last but not least, last seasons WHL Champion Swift Current Broncos will be hit the hardest of all teams. They have lost most of their scoring, and are in a definite rebuilding mode. Gone are the likes of Glen Gawdin (Calgary), Aleksi Heponiemi (Florida), Giorgio Estephan (Buffalo), Matteo Gennaro, Beck Malenstyn (Washington), and their leader in Tyler Steenbergen (Arizona). The defence was also depleted by losing Colby Sissons (NJ), and surprisingly undrafted Artyom Minulin (who will miss lots of time with offseason surgery). This team will be led by Max Patterson, Alec Zawatsky, and defender Connor Horning. The Broncos are young, and will be in development mode for the next few seasons. Goaltender Joel Hofer (St. Louis) is the only player that has NHL labelling, and will be extremely busy throughout the year and will face a whole lot rubber. He will have to hone his skills and stop a lot of pucks, but is unlikely to steal many games for this team.

2018 NHL Draft Review: Atlantic Division

Ryan Wagman — Wed, 11 Jul 2018 12:35:46 +0000

The draft is over and 217 young players are newly affiliated with 31 different NHL organizations. Outside of three to six of those players, who could jump right into NHL lineups in the fall, we will not know whether the vast majority of those players are draft successes for two, three, four, or five years.

The lack of clear foresight aside, we should still be able to judge draft classes at least in terms of expected value. In some cases, we can look at strategy as well, although the way the board shakes out based on the picks that came before, we can rarely truly discern what a club was trying to do, but only what they were able to do.

I had hoped that we would be able to provide an average Overall Future Projection of the various draft classes, but there are a few picks from the high school ranks, the NAHL and a few European junior leagues for whom we lack enough information to give a full grade, so we will focus on where we had players ranked as we assess the draft haul of each team, as we run division-by-division through the NHL.

Here is the Atlantic Division

Boston Bruins
2 (57) Axel Andersson, D, Djurgarden J20 (SuperElit) - ranked 88th
3 (77) Jakub Lauko, C/LW, Pirati Chomutov (Czech) - ranked 83rd
4 (119) Curtis Hall, C Youngstown (USHL) - ranked 158th
6 (181) Dustin McFaul, D, Pickering (OJHL) - ranked Honorable Mention
7 (212) Pavel Shen, C, Mamonty Yugry (MHL) - ranked Honorable Mention

While the Boston Bruins 2018 draft class will not go down in infamy like their 2015 first round which saw them draft Jakub Zboril, Jake DeBrusk, and Zach Senyshyn with consecutive picks, leaving players like Mathew Barzal and Kyle Connor on the board for others, that is only because the Bruins only had five picks all told this year, and none in the first round. In other words, if none of these five guys pan out, don’t expect to hear/read too much bad press about it. Now, I am not saying that none of these guys will pan out, but even if they do, none will have top half of roster roles. Second rounder Axel Andersson is mostly a stay-at-home type. He positions himself well and can kickstart the transition with smart and precise passes. A solid asset, but a #4 at best. The Bruins have already signed him to an ELC, but have seemingly loaned him back to Djurgarden for another year.

Third rounder Jakub Lauko turned some heads with an energetic performance for the Czechs at the WJC, and was productive for his country at the WU18, but was a bit player for most of the year among men in the Czech ExtraLiga. He is a fine skater and plays bigger than his measurables, at least when playing against peers. If he can continue to play a strong forechecking game and grow his offense just a touch, he could be a good fourth line fit. Fourth rounder Curtis Hall has a similar projection, but as a more natural center. Hall is big, can skate, and seems to understand the game, but his hands are very stiff. There are enough parts that he could find a niche role killing penalties and playing 7-9 minutes of 5-on-5 per game, but his offensive upside is pretty minimal. As he is heading to Yale, it is probably four years until the Bruins have to make a decision on him.

Sixth rounder Dustyn McFaul is more of a project, having performed admirably in his first year in the OJHL with Pickering. He has solid puck skills for a blueliner and no obvious glaring holes in his game. He might spend a season in the USHL before going to Clarkson. Finally, the Bruins picked up Russian forward Pavel Shen in his second year of draft eligibility with one of the last selections of the draft. He has been just shy of one point per game in the past two season in the MHL, Russia’s top junior level, although was ineffective in his first taste of the KHL last year. He has some playmaking skills, but needs to prove himself at higher levels first. With a system as stacked as the Bruins’ is, they can stomach a low upside draft haul such as this. Not too many of those, but one won’t hurt them too badly.

OFP - 52

Buffalo Sabres
1 (1) Rasmus Dahlin, D, Frolunda (SHL) - ranked 1st
2 (32) Mattias Samuelsson, D, USNTDP (USHL) - ranked 39th
4 (94) Matej Pekar, C/RW, Muskegon (USHL) - ranked 106th
4 (117) Linus Lindstrand Kronholm, D, Malmo J20 (SuperElit) - unranked
5 (125) Miska Kukkonen, D, Ilves U20 (Jr. A SM-liiga) - unranked
7 (187) William Worge Kreu, D, Linkoping J20 (SuperElit) - unranked

The Buffalo Sabres won the draft well before the teams congregated in Dallas. They won it when the bouncing balls came up in their favor. By winning the lottery, they got to draft a defenseman in Rasmus Dahlin who is not only a future star in the mold of a Drew Doughty, who is not only ready to play a critical role right now, but who also happens to fit a need on this team that would not otherwise be filled. Dahlin will be among the favorites to win the Calder Trophy this year, and among the favorites to win many Norris Trophies down the line. Defensemen who can skate and stickhandle like Dahlin are few and far between. Those who also have high end hockey IQ are basically unicorns.

With the first pick of day two, the Sabres drafted another NHL defender in Mattias Samuelsson, son of Kjell and a monster on the ice. While he will never be fleet of foot, Samuelsson moves well enough for his size, and uses his size very effectively, whether to box out opponents, or to scare the hell out of them in the corners. He is not offensively gifted, but can add enough to the attack to not be a pure stay-at-home type. He is heading to Western Michigan, but I would expect his stay on campus to max out at two years. After sitting out the third round, the Sabres kicked off the fourth with Muskegon center Matej Pekar a Czech native who has been playing in the US since he was 15. Pekar is a versatile forward – which is good as he was the forward chosen by Buffalo in the draft this year – who skates well and creates nicely for others. He is heading to Miami (Ohio) this season.

With their last three picks, the Sabres went off the board to pick up three projectable young Scandinavian defenders who have mostly snuck under the radar due to injury and/or lack of international experience. Fourth rounder Linus Lindstrand Kronholm impresses with his hockey IQ, but does not for any physical attributes. He skates well enough and holds his own in the corners, but lack of skill with the puck gives him a low ceiling. Finnish defender Miska Kukkonen was limited to 12 games this year due to injury, but also has solid hockey sense and plays a simple, yet effective game with the puck. William Worge Kreu similarly lacks much in the way of hockey skills, but understands the game well enough and is a gigantic physical presence. He is taller, yet much, much slighter (6-6”, 172) than Mattias Samuelsson. Between Lindstrand Kronholm, Kukkonen, and Worge Kreu, the Sabres would be lucky to get one player who gets 200 games in the NHL in a third pairing role. Even if all three meet expectations though, none projects above that level, so there would be some redundancy. Then again, Rasmus Dahlin, so who cares what else happens, right?

OFP – 54

Detroit Red Wings
1 (6) Filip Zadina, LW, Halifax (QMJHL) - ranked 3rd
1 (30) Joe Veleno, C, Drummondville (QMJHL) - ranked 10th
2 (33) Jonatan Berggren, LW/RW, Skelleftea J20 (SuperElit) - ranked 28th
2 (36) Jared McIsaac, D, Halifax (QMJHL) - ranked 24th
3 (67) Alec Regula, D, London (OHL) - ranked 102nd
3 (81) Seth Barton, D, Trail (BCHL) - ranked 147th
3 (84) Jesper Eliasson, G, Troja-Ljungby J20 (J20 Elit)
4 (98) Ryan O'Reilly, C/RW, Madison (USHL) - ranked 84th
6 (160) Victor Brattstrom, G, Timra (Allsvenskan)
7 (191) Otto Kivenmaki, C, Assat U20 (Jr. A SM-liiga) - ranked 211th

For many years, the Red Wings were known for having a Midas touch with the draft, regularly picking gems in the late round that grew up to be pivotal players on Stanley Cup championship teams. Think Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, Tomas Holmstrom, and more. And then the Wings fell into a stretch where they seemingly believed that they were magical and anyone they drafted would turn up a winner. They were wrong. In the last 12 years, they have only drafted three players in the fifth round or later who have racked up 100 NHL games: Petr Mrazek, Nick Jensen and Alexei Marchenko. While it is too early to judge their last three draft classes, the other years in this time span seem very unlikely to add to that total. I can’t promise that either of the Wings’ last two picks here will break that trend, but I would be very surprised if this group as a whole does not have at least five players eclipsing 200 NHL games when all is said and done.

Common thought had the Red Wings focusing on Quinn Hughes with their first pick, a very talented blueliner who played under Detroit head coach Jeff Blashill at the World Championships prior to the draft. But when high scoring winger Filip Zadina was passed over by the Canadiens, Senators and Coyotes, the Red Wings did not hesitate to add a potential 35 goal winger. He grades out as high end for his skating, shooting (near elite there), puck skills, and hockey IQ. He is no shrinking violet, either, always up to battle for loose pucks and giving as good as he gets. Zadina is likely ready to play in the NHL this year, although he may get some brief interludes in the AHL first. He has clear star potential. It’s hard to get value in the top six, but the Wings did it. And then they did it again with their second first rounder, acquired from Vegas in the Tomas Tatar trade. Joe Veleno, the first and thus far the only player granted exceptional player status in the QMJHL was widely thought of as a mid-first round caliber player. Even more inexplicably then Zadina falling to #6, Veleno was still on the board at #30. The Red Wings were there to ensure that he would not fall to #31. A gifted skater with strong playmaking skills and high hockey IQ, he will be competing for a middle six within 12 months. Two first round picks, two speedy players with a knack for generating offense. Why not add a third? With the second pick of the second round, the Red Wings gobbled up Jonatan Berggren, a late riser up draft boards thanks to his electric wheels and goal scoring exploits in the SuperElit, but mostly due to a scintillating performance at the WU18s, as he put up five goals and 10 points in 7 games. He needs to bulk up and gain more experience playing against men, but his upside is clear top six.

Finally ready to draft a blueliner, the Red Wings once again struck gold, grabbing Zadina’s teammate with the Mooseheads, Jared McIsaac, once thought of as a sure-fire first rounder. Like the forwards taken, McIsaac is a very strong skater and all of his other attributes also project as above average. He can sometimes blend in, but he plays a strong 200 foot game and projects as high as a number three defender. Finally, the Red Wings were done taking top half of the lineup players, but they were not taken picking up talented players. With their first of three third rounders, they took another blueliner in Alec Regula, who helped the Chicago Steel win a USHL title in 2016-17, and moved to the OHL for his draft year, earning a regular role with the London Knights. He lacks a single stand-out trait, but does everything at a solid level, playing a quiet, poised game.

Finally, with the second of three third rounders, the Red Wings took a flier on a prospect, in the form of Seth Barton, a puck moving defender from Trail in the BCHL, in his second year of draft eligibility. He was easy to ignore in his first go-round, as he was still playing in Major Midget in BC. His instincts need to be honed, but there are some raw tools here in the UMass-Lowell commit. Detroit gambled again with their final third rounder, taking goaltender Jesper Eliasson, who was player in a second tier U18 league in Sweden. That league can be hard to scout due to the generally lower level of competition, but he has ideal size, and seems to read the play at an above average level.

The Red Wings found fantastic value again in the fourth round, with Ryan O’Reilly, a true Texan who showed high end goal scoring ability with Madison of the USHL. He is a strong skater with an NHL shot, but needs to smooth out the rougher spots in his game, such as eliminating the brain freezes that prevent him from fully earning the trust of his coaches. From a player in his first year out of Tier 1 hockey in Dallas, he was come a very long way and it looks like there is plenty more to come. The Wings added another goalie in the sixth, also the sixth netminder added to the organization in the last 24 months in fourth time eligible Swedish pro Victor Brattstrom. A towering figure in the crease, Brattstrom was near unbeatable in his first extended action in Swedish men’s hockey, helping Timra gain re-entry to the SHL. He lacks any true standout tools, but is gigantic and does most things (puck handling excluded) fairly well. With their tenth and final pick, the Red Wings selected Finnish forward Otto Kivenmaki. Raw like sushi and untested at the international level, Kivenmaki showed solid playmaking skills in the Finnish junior leagues and is a very good skater. In fact, taken as a whole, not only did the Red Wings obtain fantastic value up and down the draft class, but they also mostly drafted above average (or better) skaters, indicating that the franchise understands the direction the game is heading and is embracing the need for speed. Top to bottom, this is about as ideal a draft outcome as I could imagine in the 2018 draft class.

OFP - 55

Florida Panthers
1 (15) Grigori Denisenko, LW, Loko Yaroslavl (MHL) - ranked 27th
2 (34) Serron Noel, RW/LW, Oshawa (OHL) - ranked 22nd
3 (89) Logan Hutsko, C/RW, Boston College (Hockey East) - ranked 116th
6 (170) Justin Schutz, LW, Red Bull Hockey Akademie (Czech U18) - unranked
7 (201) Cole Krygier, D, Lincoln (USHL) - ranked 190th
7 (207) Santtu Kinnunen, D, Pelicans U20 (Jr. A SM-liiga) - unranked

Not only did the Florida Panthers not take anything other than forwards until the seventh round – where they used both of their final round picks on blueliners – but all four of their earlier picks were used on wingers. Organizationally, this may hurt, as the system is not deep in centers after Henrik Borgstrom. That said, I do not, as a rule, advocate for drafting for positional need, but for talent, and on that front, the Panthers did alright considering the picks they had. Grigori Denisenko’s draft stock fluctuated a fair bit over the course of the year, but between his high end speed, and his near elite puck skills, he seemed a pretty safe bet to be selected in the back half of the first round at worst. At 15^th overall, he made sense. Although he was not always chosen by the Russian brain trust to represent his country at high-profile international events, much of that is down to politics. He can play a bit out of control and spend too much time in the box as a result, but his offensive tools are electrifying. He is expected to spend more time this year at the KHL level, but may not be too far removed from a chance to play in the NHL, presuming he bulks up a bit.

Bulking up a bit will not be a problem for the Panthers’ second rounder, OHL winger Serron Noel, who already measures in at 6-5”, 205 lbs. He would be nearly a prototypical power forward, but he has very soft hands and is unselfish with the puck, preferring to set up a linemate than to take a speculative shot himself. Looking at recent early round power forwards in the draft, he fits closer to Alex Tuch’s mold at this stage of his development than any other. He could easily have been gone on day one. Florida’s third rounder, Logan Hutsko, is one of the feel-good stories of the draft. After missing the bulk of his first draft eligible year due to a broken neck, he played with Boston College as a true freshman and led the team in scoring. He is slight, but has a lot of talent, and a full year removed from rehab, there should be more in store. Of the four forwards drafted by the Panthers, Hutsko is the only one with significant experience in the middle.

Sixth rounder Justin Schutz was mostly under the radar, playing with Red Bull Hockey Akademie in Austria, although competing in the Czech U20 league. Schutz, a German native, was their second leading scorer and tied for tenth in the league. He was drafted by Sioux Falls in the USHL, but at present is expected to spend next season playing for Salzburg in the Alps Hockey League, which combines organizations from Austria, Italy and Slovenia. Although twin brother Christian was selected a few slots higher, it says here that Cole is the more talented Krygier brother. He combines above average projections for hockey IQ and physicality with moderate mobility, although like his brother, his expected offensive output is minimal. The Panthers completed their draft class with the selection of Santtu Kinnunen, a rail-thin defender from the Finnish junior ranks. He moves the puck very well for a blueliner and projects for above average smarts as well but there is a question about how well his averagish mobility will hold up once he puts on much-needed weight. While the back half of their draft class comes with its share of question marks, the Panthers drafted enough upside in the first three rounds to ensure that they come away with a few NHL contributors out of their trip to Dallas.

OFP – 52.75

Montreal Canadiens
1 (3) Jesperi Kotkaniemi, C, Assat (Liiga) - ranked 13th
2 (35) Jesse Ylonen, RW, Espoo United (Mestis) - ranked 36th
2 (38) Alexander Romanov, D, Krasnaya Armiya Moskva (MHL) - unranked
3 (56) Jacob Olofsson, C, Timra (Allsvenskan) - ranked 33rd
3 (66) Cameron Hillis, C, Guelph (OHL) - ranked 73rd
3 (71) Jordan Harris, D, Kimball Union Academy (USHS - CT) - ranked 123rd
4 (97) Allan McShane, C, Oshawa (OHL) - ranked 43rd
4 (123) Jack Gorniak, LW, West Salem HS (USHS - WI) - ranked 144th
5 (128) Cole Fonstad, C/LW, Prince Albert (WHL) - ranked 89th
5 (133) Samuel Houde, C, Chicoutimi (QMJHL) - unranked
7 (190) Brett Stapley, C/RW, Vernon (BCHL) - unranked

One of the benefits of having 11 picks, as the Canadiens did this year, is that you have the luxury of blending your approach, going with your gut for some picks and selecting conservatively on others. The Canadiens did just that, and while I do not support every pick, on balance, this draft class has the potential to be a direction changer for the franchise. Let’s start with picks that combined both talent and draft value. Of their three second rounders, the first one, Jesse Ylonen put up very impressive numbers in the second men’s league in Finland. Equipped with high end skating and puck handling ability, and an above average shot, he projects as a top six scoring winger. Their third of three second rounder, Swedish center Jacob Olofsson, has a very advanced hockey IQ and is strong enough as skater, shooter or literally, in terms of effective hockey strength, that he could play anywhere in the middle six. His high motor will also make him a fan favorite in Montreal.

After taking European based players with each of their four picks in the first two rounds, Montreal’s first North American selection was Guelph center Cameron Hillis. Although undersized, Hillis is an excellent skater and a burgeoning playmaker. In terms of pure value, the best pick Montreal made at the draft was the fourth round pickup of Oshawa center Allan McShane. More a playmaker than a shooter, McShane is a 200 foot player and can be effective in all three zones. With even a half-grade improvement on his skating projections, he could be a real solid professional. After a solid performance for Team Canada at the WU18s (stronger than teammate Hillis managed), it is somewhat surprising he lasted until the fourth round. Finally, I like the thinking that went into taking Cole Fonstad, another CHL center, with an early fifth round pick. Fonstad fills a similar role as Hillis and McShane, as a slightly undersized center who excels at setting up linemates for scoring opportunities. His skating, puck skills and hockey IQ are all very good for his age peers, but he lacks any one standout skill. Still, he is great value in the fifth round.

With the value picks taken care of, let’s now look at picks where the Habs picked up good talent, but perhaps took them higher than their core talent suggested. With that, we start right at the top. With the third overall pick, Montreal ended the most suspenseful moment of the draft by selecting Jesperi Kotkaniemi, a big center who has near elite hockey IQ and excellent hands. He already has man strength and a strong shot to boot. Those who like him a lot (i.e. Montreal’s head scouts) see a first line center. Those who, like us, are more lukewarm, see a second line center. Where we see daylight between Kotkaniemi and a first line outcome is in his middling pace. He can get started well enough, but his top speed is only average at best. You can be a first line center with average speed, but for every Joe Thornton, there are countless AHLers. Kotkaniemi will probably be ready to play in the NHL by 2019-20, but I could say the same about more than a few players that Montreal passed over.

Jordan Harris is a talented, yet undersized, puck moving defender. He skated at a strong level and plays a much more physical game than his size suggests. He showed good reads at the prep school level, but his lack of high level experience adds some risk to his profile. He is expected to play at Northeastern next year, where he will be tested. Montreal took a second prepster one round later in Jack Gorniak from Wisconsin. The Wisconsin commit was one of the top scorers in the state, but like Harris, he has very limited experience (two games at the USHL level) at a higher level.

So far we have covered eight picks, a decent draft class in and of itself, but Montreal made three more picks, one in an early round, that we simply did not and do not think will provide any value to the organization, or at least as much value as they are hoping for. With the 38^th overall pick, Montreal selected Russian blueliner Alexander Romanov. He is small, but skates well and has a solid point shot. But there is nothing here better than solid, and many facets of his game fail to reach that moderate height. Montreal will give him chances to play, but he will be hard-pressed to be more than a third pairing defender at the highest level. The other two “contentious” picks were, at least, late rounders of less consequence. Fifth rounder Samuel Houde was a top pick as a bantam player, but never really met expectations with Chicoutimi, topping out at 32 points last year. He is an OK skater, and understands the game well enough, but lacks much in the way of tools. With their final selection, the Canadiens went to the BCHL for second year eligible forward Brett Stapley, who has been around or above one point per game for the past two seasons, increasing his output by close to 20% this year. He will be headed to Denver next season. Montreal does not everyone from this class to pan out to call the 2018 class a huge success, but they do need Kotkaniemi to be, at minimum, a very good second line center. They have baked in some redundancy among their picks, such as the similar styles played by Hillis, McShane and Fonstad, or even between Romanov and Harris. So even if they are successful, there will not be room for all of them down the line.

OFP – 52.75

Ottawa Senators

Ottawa Senators
1 (4) Brady Tkachuk, LW, Boston University (Hockey East) - ranked 4th
1 (26) Jacob Bernard-Docker, D, Okotoks (AJHL) - ranked 56th
2 (48) Jonny Tychonick, D, Penticton (BCHL) - ranked 44th
4 (95) Johnny Gruden, LW, USNTDP (USHL) - ranked 53rd
5 (126) Angus Crookshank, LW, Langley (BCHL) - ranked Honorable Mention
6 (157) Kevin Mandolese, G, Cape Breton (QMJHL) - ranked 115th
7 (188) Jacob Novak, LW/C, Janesville (NAHL) - unranked
7 (194) Luke Loheit, RW, Minnetonka HS (USHS - MN) - unranked

You would be hard pressed to find a prospect analyst more sympathetic to the NCAA route than this author. For those young players who are later bloomers, especially in the physical sense, the collegiate path can be extremely beneficial. So I am understanding of the fact that of the Senators eight draft picks this year, only one came from the traditional CHL path. For their other seven picks, including both first rounders, they drafted players from the AJHL, BCHL, USHL, NAHL, Minnesota High School hockey and one prominent player who has already spent a season in the NCAA. The Senators draft class strayed so far from the beaten path, they must have been pandering only to the prospect hipsters.

With the fourth overall pick, the Senators could have surrendered to the Colorado Avalanche, to close off the Matt Duchene trade. Instead the Sens wisely chose to hold on to it, and surrender next year’s instead (it will probably be a high pick again, but odds are a few slots lower than 4^th). After Montreal selected Jesperi Kotkaniemi, the Senators could have taken the high end scorer in Filip Zadina, but I cannot fault them for taking Brady Tkachuk instead. Tkachuk is basically NHL ready and a touch more advanced now than his brother Matthew was in his draft year – and Matthew went right to the NHL as well. He is a strong skater for his size, and his offensive gifts and hockey IQ are all high end. His physical game is even better. Tkachuk should be able to take on a middle six role with the Senators right away and only continue to grow from there.

After this pick, things got funky for Ottawa. With a later first round pick, they selected Jacob Bernard-Docker, from Okotoks in the AJHL. After the success of Cale Makar and Ian Mitchell from the AJHL last year, that historically undervalued league has hit the spotlight. Bernard-Docker made himself the clear top dog in that league, particularly after a star turn in the WJAC for Canada West. He does everything well and profiles as a solid second pairing blueliner down the road. An overdraft, in our esteem, but a talented player nonetheless. So for an encore, the Senators drafted Bernard-Docker’s blueline partner from that WJAC tournament, Jonny Tychonick from Penticton in the BCHL. Tychonick is a better skater than Bernard-Docker, and maybe less of a threat from the point, but he is very skilled when his team has the puck. Tychonick also needs more beef on his bones than the more solidly built Bernard-Docker. Funny enough, both young blueliners will be heading to North Dakota in the fall, to get a head start on developing chemistry.

In the fourth round, Ottawa went to a more ell-worn path to the NCAA by drafting a player out of the hothouse USNTDP program in Johnny Gruden, whose father had recently coached the Hamilton Bulldogs to the OHL championship. Gruden has decent offensive tools, but plays a very smart, quick and energetic game and seems primed for a future middle six role after spending some time at Miami. When it came time for their fifth round pick, it seemed that Ottawa wanted to return to that fertile ground of the Canada West WJAC team, and drafted Angus Crookshank of Langley in the BCHL. A speedy winger with smooth hands and a quick release, Crookshank will play at the University of New Hampshire. The sole CHLer among Senators’ draft picks came next in the form of Cape Breton netminder Kevin Mandolese. He has great size and competes hard, but the results have not been there yet. If the performance can match the tools, he could be a keeper.

The NAHL is generally seen as a feeder league to the USHL and lower tier NCAA schools. Every year, one or two goalies of note are selected from that league and this year was no exception, but once in a while, an NAHL position player is also picked up. And that is just what the Senators did with their first of two seventh rounders, drafting NAHL leading scorer and MVP Jakov Novak from Janesville. Heading to the college coldbed of Bentley, he is a long shot, but he is big and gritty. Finally, the Sens ended their draft with a pick from the Minnesota high school ranks in Luke Loheit from Minnetonka. Although his name was bandied about in deep draft world, his numbers were not very impressive for a prepster and he was not a prioritized watch. He is expected to spend next season in Penticton in the BCHL before going to Minnesota-Duluth. A can applaud Ottawa for taking the slow road prospects over the more immediate gratification that usually comes from CHL picks, but a draft class so full of long(er) shots, after Tkachuk may end up hampering the organization’s future goals.

OFP – 52.75

Tampa Bay Lightning
2 (59) Gabriel Fortier, LW, Baie-Comeau (QMJHL) - ranked 81st
3 (90) Dmitri Semykin, D, Kapitan Stupino (MHL) - ranked 215th
4 (121) Alex Green, D, Cornell (ECAC) - ranked Honorable Mention
5 (152) Magnus Chrona, G, Nacka J18 (J18 Elit) - unranked
6 (183) Cole Koepke, LW, Sioux City (USHL) - unranked
7 (206) Radim Salda, D, Saint John (QMJHL) - unranked
7 (214) Ty Taylor, G, Vernon (BCHL) - unranked

Earlier, in discussing the Detroit Red Wings draft class, I mentioned a period where the team believed that they were magical and saw very little success outside of the top half of the draft for a prolonged stretch. The Tampa Bay Lightning, a team with deep ties to the Red Wings organization, may be following that path. For a few years, the Lightning added high end, talented players deep into the draft. Think Brayden Point or Anthony Cirelli in the third round, Ondrej Palat in the seventh, and a number of others whose profiles are not as high. Between the last draft and this one, the Lightning have made a number of odd picks. It doesn’t help that the Lightning did not have a first round pick, but the picks that they did have did not move the needle much.

At the back end of the second round, Tampa drafted Gabriel Fortier of Baie-Comeau. He is a very good skater with some finishing touch and good energy, but he is small and his best case scenario is as a third line winger. Next up was two way Russian (can play on the blueline or the wing) Dmitri Semykin. If you like him, you see a solid shot, a good hockey mind, and a very physical game. Basically, you see a poor man’s Russian Brent Burns. If you are not a fan, you see a player without the skills to play either position. In the fourth round, Tampa drafted third year eligible collegian defender Alex Green, from Cornell. After two nondescript USHL seasons, Green was an afterthought, but showed a mature game as a freshman in Ithaca and what he lacks in ceiling, he makes up for in floor.

I am not sure I can make that claim for any of Tampa’s final four picks. Magnus Chrona is a very big and very young Swedish netminder who was playing at a fairly low level. He has a sound technical game, but has never really been tested against top flight competition. Cole Koepke is another third time eligible pick, who led the mediocre Sioux City team in scoring this year. He is a decent finisher, but is very much a bottom six player at best. Seventh rounder Radim Salda has a lot of international experience for the Czech Republic, but has never stood out at that level. He offers a solid work rate and some positional attributes, but has little in the way of tools and suffers from untimely lapses in concentration. Finally, in Ty Taylor, they took a second goalie, one who led the BCHL in GAA in the regular season, and led in save percentage in the postseason, in his second year of draft eligibility. He has solid size and is committed to play at the University of New Hampshire. Organizational depth is important, especially after trading away a number of their best prospects for Ryan McDonagh and JT Miller, but I would hope to get more than good soldiers in the draft.

OFP - 50

Toronto Maple Leafs
1 (29) Rasmus Sandin, D, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL) - ranked 23rd
2 (52) Sean Durzi, D, Owen Sound (OHL) - ranked 57th
3 (76) Semyon Der-Arguchintsev, C, Peterborough (OHL) - ranked 90th
3 (83) Riley Stotts, C, Calgary (WHL) - ranked 170th
4 (118 ) Mac Hollowell, D, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL) - ranked 172nd
5 (149) Filip Kral, D, Spokane (WHL) - ranked 216th
6 (156) Pontus Holmberg, LW/C, VIK Vasteras (Swe. Div. 1) - ranked 154th
7 (209) Zachary Bouthillier, G, Chicoutimi (QMJHL) - ranked 175th
7 (211) Semyon Kizimov, RW, Lada Togliatti (MHL) - ranked Honorable Mention

The question going into the draft for Toronto was how much would be different with Lou Lamoriello gone and Kyle Dubas finally in charge. Based on the nine players taken, it looks like upside is the order of the day. They took some players who were very young and others in their second year of eligibility. Size was absolutely not a factor with no skaters listed above 6-1”. Also, as many expected, Dubas would not hesitate to trade down to get an additional pick. In fact, that was his first order of business, trading the 25^th pick for the 29^th pick and an extra third rounder. When they finally stepped to podium towards the end of day one, Dubas called out the name of Rasmus Sandin, the third Rasmus of the day and one he would have been very familiar with his roots in Sault Ste. Marie much discussed. Although not big, he is a bit stocky and excels in the role of puck mover. He plays a very mature game and can execute very tricky passes to set up teammates for scoring chances. As he was on loan with the Greyhounds, the Leafs can assign him to the AHL, or more likely, back to Sweden for a year.

In the second round, the Leafs drafted another puck moving blueliner from the OHL in Owen Sound’s Sean Durzi. The second year eligible defender battled injuries in two of his last three years with the Attack, but puts up a lot of points from the blueline. He sees the ice well and tends to make the right decision. Third rounder Semyon Der-Arguchintsev is the youngest player (tied with Jan Jenik) eligible for the draft, one day too old to be a 2019 draft pick. He is a very strong skater and a fantastic puck handler but needs to gain in mass and in consistency before he would be ready to turn pro. Seven picks later, the Leafs finally selected someone from outside of the OHL, going west for Calgary Hitman Riley Stotts. A former top ten bantam draft player, Stotts struggled to get out of a depth role with Moose Jaw, but took on a central offensive role after being traded to Calgary around midseason and produced close to a point per game the rest of the way. He skates well, and is a good playmaker with plus vision.

In the fourth round, Toronto went back to the Soo for another blueliner, taking Sandin’s teammate Mac Hollowell. Whereas Sandin was undersized, Hollowell is flat out small. But he is an excellent skater and has a fairly high hockey IQ. Like Sandin, his best role is as a puck mover. Toronto drafted a fourth defender in the fifth round in Filip Kral, from the Czech Republic, by way of Spokane in the WHL. Another plus skater, Kral has decent offensive tools, although or near the level of Sandin or Durzi. At present, he is better with the puck than without, although he is not a liability in his own zone at the junior level. With their seventh pick, the Leafs finally drafted a player from a non-North American league, taking Swedish winger Pontus Holmberg. A second year eligible skater who spent most of last year playing against me in Sweden’s third tier, he is another plus skater with above average puck skills. Moved to Vaxjo in the offseason, he will have the chance to play in the SHL next year.

Considering the long running success the Maple Leafs have had drafting out of Sweden, I would keep an eye on Holmberg. With two seventh rounder, the Leafs went back to the CHL, this time to Quebec, to add a goalie to the system. Zachary Bouthillier split the crease with Alexis Shank in Chicoutimi this year, but took over in the postseason and had a nice run before the Sagueneens were eliminated. He is a bit of a long shot, but he reads the ice well and moves decently. With their final selection, the Maple Leafs added a Russian prospect in winger Semyon Kizimov, yet another plus skater who also brings a fine shooting game to the ice. He is signed for two more years with the Togliatti franchise, so it will be a while before we can decide on his future in the North America game. If there are two things we can learn from the first year of the Dubas regime, it is that the Maple Leafs will scout the CHL heavily and slower players need not apply. There are a lot of pieces here with middle of the lineup upside and if even a few pan out, this draft will be a success.

OFP – 52.75

WHL: Riley Stotts (2018 Draft Eligible)

Vince Gibbons — Fri, 11 May 2018 12:15:10 +0000

Vince Gibbons provides a detailed scouting report on Riley Stotts of the Calgary Hitmen. Gibbons has seen a marked improvement in the winger's game since December with a rising draft stock. He explains below.

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

Riley Stotts. Photo by Candice Ward/Calgary Hitmen.

Riley Stotts	2018 Draft Eligible
Position: LW, Shoots L	H/W: 6-0", 171 lbs
Stats to date (GP-G-A-PTS-PIMS)	Swift Current Broncos, WHL (22-2-1-3-12)
	Calgary Hitmen, WHL (47-17-24-41-34)

Skating: Stotts has an average skating stride that enables him to get around the ice and compete but he does not possess that “final gear” or breakaway speed that many top prospects do. That said, he is pretty solid in his north-south skating game. His agility could improve as could the overall power in his stride but he is capable of getting around and being effective. Grade: 50

Shot: In his first twenty games he was averaging about one shot per game however since moving to Calgary he is well over two shots per game which has led to a substantial uptick in production. His production comes from around the net and his ability to get on loose pucks and keeps plays alive. In close he can change his shot angles effectively even when under duress. His shot from range or off the rush has pretty good power but is a bit erratic in terms of accuracy. Grade: 50

Skills: There is something there with his overall skill set. One of those greater than the sum of his parts sorts of things. His vision is not off the charts but he can distribute effectively from the high slot. He carries the puck OK in space but he is most effective with his bull rush towards the net. He is able to keep the puck in front of him in traffic which enables him to make plays but does not dazzle you with his puck handling. He has good strength and skill along the wall either making little chips out of his own zone or keeping pucks alive in the offensive zone. He makes a lot of little plays that add up to him being a very effective player. Grade: 55

Smarts: His smarts have started to shine through more as the season has gone on. Defensively, he is not getting caught out chasing nearly as much as earlier in the season. He is making smarter and safer plays when getting the puck out of his own zone. Offensively he does not over handle, he seems to have found the self-awareness that prospects need to take their skill sets and have a positive impact on the game. Grade: 50

Physicality: This is the part of his game that is the easiest to see. He is active physically in all three zones and uses his body effectively in all the places you want a winger to. He is very effective along the boards cutting off cycle plays. Offensively he has dogged puck pursuit and finishes his checks whenever he gets a chance. Grade: 55

Summary: Riley Stotts has been one of the more interesting players to follow over the course of the season. He seemed to be a marginal NHL prospect up until about Christmas. As his confidence has grown so, too, has his game. He carries the puck with more purpose and has shown himself very capable of generating offense. His 200 foot game impresses now where I was indifferent in early viewings of him. It is possible that this second half production is reflective of a team that has been out of the race since Christmas and not feeling a lot of pressure but watching him repeatedly times over the last month of the season he looks like a solid middle round pick compared to the guy I saw in the first half of the season.

Overall Future Projection (OFP): 51.75

State of the CHL: The Western Hockey League

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

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

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

The Eastern Conference:

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

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

Jayden Halbgewachs. Photo by Marc Smith

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Western Conference:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Juuso Valimaki of the Tri-City Americans.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cal Foote of Kelowna Rockets

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

***

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

Riley Stotts – McKeen's Hockey

WHL 2019-2020 Season Preview – Eastern Conference

East Division

Winnipeg ICE (1st)

Saskatoon Blades (2nd)

Prince Albert Raiders (3rd)

Brandon Wheat Kings (4th)

Moose Jaw Warriors (5th)

Regina Pats (6th)

Central Division

Calgary Hitmen (1st)

Edmonton Oil Kings (2nd)

Medicine Hat Tigers (3rd)

Lethbridge Hurricanes (4th)

Red Deer Rebels (5th)

Swift Current Broncos (6th)

WHL Playoff Preview (Eastern Conference): Prince Albert dominates but Vancouver hot down the stretch

WHL 2018-19 Season Preview

2018 NHL Draft Review: Atlantic Division

WHL: Riley Stotts (2018 Draft Eligible)

State of the CHL: The Western Hockey League

The Eastern Conference:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Western Conference:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Winnipeg ICE (1^st)

Saskatoon Blades (2^nd)

Prince Albert Raiders (3^rd)

Brandon Wheat Kings (4^th)

Moose Jaw Warriors (5^th)

Regina Pats (6^th)

Calgary Hitmen (1^st)

Edmonton Oil Kings (2^nd)

Medicine Hat Tigers (3^rd)

Lethbridge Hurricanes (4^th)

Red Deer Rebels (5^th)

Swift Current Broncos (6^th)