[04-May-2026 15:31:54 UTC] PHP Fatal error: Uncaught Error: Class 'WP_Widget' not found in /home/mckeens/public_html/wp-content/themes/understrap-child/inc/widgets/mckeens_news_feed_widget.php:3 Stack trace: #0 {main} thrown in /home/mckeens/public_html/wp-content/themes/understrap-child/inc/widgets/mckeens_news_feed_widget.php on line 3 [04-May-2026 15:31:55 UTC] PHP Fatal error: Uncaught Error: Class 'WP_Widget' not found in /home/mckeens/public_html/wp-content/themes/understrap-child/inc/widgets/mckeens_sidebar_menu_widget.php:3 Stack trace: #0 {main} thrown in /home/mckeens/public_html/wp-content/themes/understrap-child/inc/widgets/mckeens_sidebar_menu_widget.php on line 3 [04-May-2026 15:31:45 UTC] PHP Fatal error: Uncaught Error: Call to undefined function add_action() in /home/mckeens/public_html/wp-content/themes/understrap-child/inc/shortcodes/mckeens_display_editorials.php:22 Stack trace: #0 {main} thrown in /home/mckeens/public_html/wp-content/themes/understrap-child/inc/shortcodes/mckeens_display_editorials.php on line 22 [04-May-2026 15:31:46 UTC] PHP Fatal error: Uncaught Error: Call to undefined function add_action() in /home/mckeens/public_html/wp-content/themes/understrap-child/inc/shortcodes/mckeens_display_tabs.php:50 Stack trace: #0 {main} thrown in /home/mckeens/public_html/wp-content/themes/understrap-child/inc/shortcodes/mckeens_display_tabs.php on line 50 [04-May-2026 15:31:47 UTC] PHP Fatal error: Uncaught Error: Call to undefined function add_action() in /home/mckeens/public_html/wp-content/themes/understrap-child/inc/shortcodes/mckeens_heading.php:15 Stack trace: #0 {main} thrown in /home/mckeens/public_html/wp-content/themes/understrap-child/inc/shortcodes/mckeens_heading.php on line 15 Tyler Duke – McKeen's Hockey https://www.mckeenshockey.com The Essential Hockey Annual Sun, 28 May 2023 16:20:45 +0000 en-US hourly 1 MCKEEN’S 2023 NHL DRAFT – FINAL RANKINGS – TOP 224 Plus Honourable Mentions https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/mckeens-2023-nhl-draft-final-rankings-top-224-honourable-mentions/ https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/mckeens-2023-nhl-draft-final-rankings-top-224-honourable-mentions/#respond Sun, 28 May 2023 16:20:45 +0000 https://www.mckeenshockey.com/?p=181245 Read More... from MCKEEN’S 2023 NHL DRAFT – FINAL RANKINGS – TOP 224 Plus Honourable Mentions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

RANK PLAYER POS HT/WT DOB NATION TEAM GP-G-A-PTS
1 Connor Bedard C 5-10/185 17-Jul-05 Canada Regina (WHL) 57-71-72-143
2 Adam Fantilli C 6-2/195 12-Oct-04 Canada Michigan (B1G) 36-30-35-65
3 Leo Carlsson C 6-3/200 26-Dec-04 Sweden Orebro (SHL) 44-10-15-25
4 Will Smith C 6-0/175 17-Mar-05 USA USN U18 (USDP) 59-51-75-126
5 Matvei Michkov RW 5-10/170 9-Dec-04 Russia SKA St. Petersburg-HK Sochi (KHL) 30-9-11-20
6 Zach Benson LW 5-9/160 12-May-05 Canada Winnipeg (WHL) 60-36-62-98
7 Dalibor Dvorsky C 6-1/200 15-Jun-05 Slovakia AIK (HockeyAllsvenskan) 38-6-8-14
8 Ryan Leonard RW 5-11/190 21-Jan-05 USA USN U18 (USDP) 56-50-43-93
9 Dmitri Simashev D 6-4/200 4-Feb-05 Russia Loko Yaroslavl-Loko-76 Yaroslavl (MHL) 33-1-11-12
10 Matthew Wood RW 6-3/195 6-Feb-05 Canada Connecticut (HE) 35-11-23-34
11 Oliver Moore C 5-11/185 22-Jan-05 USA USN U18 (USDP) 60-31-43-74
12 Colby Barlow LW 6-0/195 14-Feb-05 Canada Owen Sound (OHL) 59-46-33-79
13 Nate Danielson C 6-1/185 27-Sep-04 Canada Brandon (WHL) 68-33-45-78
14 Axel Sandin Pellikka D 5-11/180 11-Mar-05 Sweden Skelleftea (Swe J20) 31-16-20-36
15 Daniil But LW 6-5/200 15-Feb-05 Russia Loko Yaroslavl-Loko-76 Yaroslavl (MHL) 32-18-14-32
16 David Reinbacher D 6-2/185 25-Oct-04 Austria Kloten (Sui-NL) 46-3-19-22
17 Eduard Sale LW 6-1/170 10-Mar-05 Czech HC Kometa Brno (Czechia) 43-7-7-14
18 Samuel Honzek LW 6-3/185 12-Nov-04 Slovakia Vancouver (WHL) 43-23-33-56
19 Mikhail Gulyayev D 5-11/170 26-Apr-05 Russia Omskie Yastreby (MHL) 22-2-23-25
20 Lukas Dragicevic D 6-1/190 25-Apr-05 Canada Tri-City (WHL) 68-15-60-75
21 Gabe Perreault RW 5-11/165 7-May-05 USA USN U18 (USDP) 62-53-79-132
22 Otto Stenberg C 5-11/180 29-May-05 Sweden Frolunda (Swe J20) 29-11-15-26
23 Tom Willander D 6-1/180 9-Feb-05 Sweden Rogle (Swe J20) 39-4-21-25
24 Calum Ritchie C 6-2/185 21-Jan-05 Canada Oshawa (OHL) 59-24-35-59
25 Andrew Cristall LW 5-9/165 4-Feb-05 Canada Kelowna (WHL) 54-39-56-95
26 Gavin Brindley C 5-8/165 5-Oct-04 USA Michigan (B1G) 41-12-26-38
27 Bradly Nadeau LW 5-10/165 5-May-05 Canada Penticton (BCHL) 54-45-68-113
28 Anton Wahlberg C 6-3/195 4-Jul-05 Sweden Malmo (Swe J20) 32-14-13-27
29 Riley Heidt C 5-10/180 25-Mar-05 Canada Prince George (WHL) 68-25-72-97
30 Brayden Yager C 5-11/165 3-Jan-05 Canada Moose Jaw (WHL) 67-28-50-78
31 David Edstrom C 6-3/185 18-Feb-05 Sweden Frolunda (Swe J20) 28-15-13-28
32 Nick Lardis LW 5-10/165 8-Jul-05 Canada Pbo-Ham (OHL) 69-37-28-65
33 Kasper Halttunen RW 6-3/205 7-Jun-05 Finland HIFK (Fin-Liiga) 27-0-1-1
34 Jayden Perron RW 5-9/165 11-Jan-05 Canada Chicago (USHL) 61-24-48-72
35 Oliver Bonk D 6-2/175 9-Jan-05 Canada London (OHL) 67-10-30-40
36 Quentin Musty LW 6-2/200 6-Jul-05 USA Sudbury (OHL) 53-26-52-78
37 Trey Augustine G 6-1/185 23-Feb-05 USA USN U18 (USDP) 28-1, 2.14, 0.925
38 Tanner Molendyk D 5-11/185 3-Feb-05 Canada Saskatoon (WHL) 67-9-28-37
39 William Whitelaw RW 5-9/170 5-Feb-05 USA Youngstown (USHL) 62-36-25-61
40 Ethan Gauthier RW 5-11/175 26-Jan-05 Canada Sherbrooke (QMJHL) 66-30-39-69
41 Gracyn Sawchyn C 5-11/160 19-Jan-05 USA Seattle (WHL) 58-18-40-58
42 Carson Bjarnason G 6-3/185 30-Jun-05 Canada Brandon (WHL) 21-19, 3.08, 0.900
43 Aram Minnetian D 5-11/190 19-Mar-05 USA USN U18 (USDP) 61-7-24-31
44 Michael Hrabal G 6-6/210 20-Jan-05 Czech Omaha (USHL) 9-13, 2.86, 0.908
45 Jacob Fowler G 6-1/215 24-Nov-04 USA Youngstown (USHL) 27-9, 2.28, 0.921
46 Oscar Fisker Molgaard C 6-0/165 18-Feb-05 Denmark HV 71 (SHL) 41-4-3-7
47 Carson Rehkopf LW 6-1/195 7-Jan-05 Canada Kitchener (OHL) 68-30-29-59
48 Beau Akey D 5-11/170 11-Feb-05 Canada Barrie (OHL) 66-11-36-47
49 Danny Nelson C 6-3/200 3-Aug-05 USA USN U18 (USDP) 61-20-26-46
50 Etienne Morin D 6-0/180 9-Mar-05 Canada Moncton (QMJHL) 67-21-51-72
51 Felix Nilsson C 6-0/175 22-Jun-05 Sweden Rogle (Swe J20) 36-19-22-41
52 Maxim Strbak D 6-1/205 13-Apr-05 Slovakia Sioux Falls (USHL) 46-5-13-18
53 Jakub Dvorak D 6-5/205 25-May-05 Czech Bili Tygri Liberec (Czechia) 24-0-2-2
54 Carey Terrance C 6-0/175 10-May-05 USA Erie (OHL) 67-30-17-47
55 Jesse Kiiskinen RW 5-11/180 23-Aug-05 Finland Pelicans (Fin-U20) 31-20-23-43
56 Mathieu Cataford C 5-11/185 1-Mar-05 Canada Halifax (QMJHL) 68-31-44-75
57 Roman Kantserov RW 5-9/175 20-Sep-04 Russia Stalnye Lisy Magnitogorsk (MHL) 45-27-27-54
58 Tristan Bertucci D 6-1/170 12-Jul-05 Canada Flint (OHL) 63-11-39-50
59 Andrew Gibson D 6-3/195 13-Feb-05 Canada Soo Greyhounds (OHL) 45-7-14-21
60 Caden Price D 6-0/185 24-Aug-05 Canada Kelowna (WHL) 65-5-35-40
61 Charlie Stramel C 6-3/215 15-Oct-04 USA Wisconsin (B1G) 33-5-7-12
62 Coulson Pitre RW 6-0/170 13-Dec-04 Canada Flint (OHL) 59-25-35-60
63 Adam Gajan G 6-2/165 6-May-04 Slovakia Chippewa Steel (NAHL) 19-12, 2.57, 0.917
64 Hoyt Stanley D 6-2/185 4-Feb-05 Canada Victoria (BCHL) 53-4-34-38
65 Andrew Strathmann D 5-10/190 27-Feb-05 USA Youngstown (USHL) 56-3-35-38
66 Hunter Brzustewicz D 5-11/185 29-Nov-04 USA Kitchener (OHL) 68-6-51-57
67 Luca Pinelli C 5-8/165 5-Apr-05 Canada Ottawa (OHL) 67-29-34-63
68 Cam Allen D 6-0/195 7-Jan-05 Canada Guelph (OHL) 62-5-20-25
69 Tanner Ludtke C 6-0/185 27-Nov-04 USA Lincoln (USHL) 57-32-34-66
70 Theo Lindstein D 6-0/180 5-Jan-05 Sweden Brynas (SHL) 32-1-1-2
71 Koehn Ziemmer RW 6-0/205 8-Dec-04 Canada Prince George (WHL) 68-41-48-89
72 Carter Sotheran D 6-3/195 26-Jun-05 Canada Portland (WHL) 68-4-19-23
73 Arttu Karki D 6-1/175 8-Dec-04 Finland Tappara (Fin-U20) 36-13-26-39
74 Albert Wikman D 6-0/190 10-Mar-05 Sweden Farjestads (Swe J20) 43-2-10-12
75 Quinton Burns D 6-1/180 14-Apr-05 Canada Kingston (OHL) 54-2-27-29
76 Nico Myatovic LW 6-2/180 1-Dec-04 Canada Seattle (WHL) 68-30-30-60
77 Jeremy Hanzel D 6-0/190 27-Feb-03 Canada Seattle (WHL) 66-13-35-48
78 Easton Cowan RW 5-10/170 20-May-05 Canada London (OHL) 68-20-33-53
79 Juraj Pekarcik LW 6-2/185 12-Sep-05 Slovakia HK Nitra (Slovakia) 30-0-3-3
80 Denver Barkey C 5-8/160 27-Apr-05 Canada London (OHL) 61-22-37-59
81 Martin Misiak RW 6-2/195 30-Sep-04 Slovakia HC Nove Zamky (Slovakia) 29-1-9-10
82 Drew Fortescue D 6-1/175 28-Apr-05 USA USN U18 (USDP) 61-1-25-26
83 Felix Unger Sorum RW 5-11/170 14-Sep-05 Sweden Leksands (Swe J20) 42-10-36-46
84 Lenni Hameenaho RW 6-0/175 7-Nov-04 Finland Assat (Fin-Liiga) 51-9-12-21
85 Kalan Lind LW 6-0/160 25-Jan-05 Canada Red Deer (WHL) 43-16-28-44
86 Rasmus Kumpulainen C 6-2/190 8-Aug-05 Finland Pelicans (Fin-U20) 41-11-23-34
87 Alex Ciernik LW 5-11/175 8-Oct-04 Slovakia Sodertalje-Vasterviks (HockeyAllsvenskan) 25-3-9-12
88 Alexander Rykov RW 6-0/175 14-Jul-05 Russia Chelmet Chelyabinsk (VHL) 20-4-7-11
89 Scott Ratzlaff G 6-0/175 9-Mar-05 Canada Seattle (WHL) 25-8, 2.15, 0.918
90 Yegor Rimashevsky RW 6-3/200 1-Feb-05 Belarus MHK Dynamo Moskva (MHL) 29-13-13-26
91 Jesse Nurmi LW 5-10/165 7-Mar-05 Finland KooKoo (Fin-U20) 41-21-29-50
92 Kaden Hammell D 6-1/175 12-Mar-05 Canada Kam-Evt (WHL) 67-8-18-26
93 Jayson Shaugabay RW 5-9/155 4-May-05 USA Warroad (USHS-MN) 31-33-63-96
94 Noel Nordh RW 6-2/195 25-Jan-05 Sweden Brynas (Swe J20) 38-13-14-27
95 Gavin McCarthy D 6-1/180 2-Jun-05 USA Muskegon (USHL) 42-8-19-27
96 Tyler Peddle LW 6-0/195 28-Jan-05 Canada Drummondville (QMJHL) 64-24-17-41
97 Francesco Dell'Elce D 6-0/165 23-Jun-05 Canada St. Andrew's (CHS-O) 51-20-42-62
98 Timur Mukhanov LW 5-8/170 17-Jun-05 Russia Omskie Krylia (VHL) 31-4-4-8
99 Larry Keenan D 6-3/185 15-Mar-05 Russia Culver Academy (USHS-IN) 49-11-26-37
100 Emil Jarventie LW 5-9/165 4-Apr-05 Finland Ilves (Fin-U20) 21-8-11-19
101 Matthew Mania D 6-1/180 11-Jan-05 USA Sudbury (OHL) 67-10-28-38
102 Juha Jatkola G 6-1/175 12-Sep-02 Finland KalPa (Fin-Liiga) 20-11, 2.16, 0.903
103 Zach Nehring RW 6-3/180 7-Mar-05 USA Shattuck-SM (USHS-MN) 48-34-40-74
104 Austin Roest C 5-9/175 22-Jan-04 Canada Everett (WHL) 60-32-46-78
105 Hedqvist, Isac C 5-10/165 22-Mar-05 Sweden Lulea (Swe J20) 41-14-20-34
106 Stephen Peck G 6-2/170 18-Jan-05 USA Avon Old Farms (USHS-CT) 28GP, 1.26, 0.948
107 Yegor Klimovich RW 5-9/160 14-May-05 Russia Sibirskie Snaipery Novosibirsk (MHL) 36-19-30-49
108 Nikita Susuyev RW 6-0/170 6-Feb-05 Russia MHK Spartak Moskva (MHL) 38-11-17-28
109 Ethan Miedema LW 6-4/205 22-Mar-05 Canada Wsr-Kgn (OHL) 68-20-32-52
110 Luca Cagnoni D 5-9/180 21-Dec-04 Canada Portland (WHL) 67-17-47-64
111 Jakub Stancl LW 6-3/200 10-Apr-05 Czech Vaxjo Lakers (Swe J20) 35-11-6-17
112 Aydar Suniev LW 6-1/200 16-Nov-04 Russia Penticton (BCHL) 50-45-45-90
113 Ty Henricks LW 6-4/205 28-Jun-05 USA Fgo-Mus (USHL) 47-9-10-19
114 Yegor Vinogradov C 6-2/180 17-Apr-03 Russia Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL) 53-7-10-17
115 Yegor Sidorov RW 5-11/180 18-Jun-04 Belarus Saskatoon (WHL) 53-40-36-76
116 Will Vote RW 5-8/155 22-Feb-05 USA USN U18 (USDP) 60-16-29-45
117 Brandon Svoboda C 6-3/210 4-Feb-05 USA Youngstown (USHL) 59-16-10-26
118 Axel Landen D 6-1/185 29-Mar-05 Sweden HV 71 (Swe J20) 44-10-6-16
119 Alexander Hellnemo G 6-2/180 5-Jan-04 Sweden Skelleftea (Swe J20) 15-8, 2.32, 0.916
120 Nikita Nedopyokin C 5-10/185 22-Mar-05 Russia SKA-1946 St. Petersburg (MHL) 37-14-18-32
121 Brady Cleveland D 6-5/210 1-Apr-05 USA USN U18 (USDP) 54-0-6-6
122 Ondrej Molnar LW 5-10/170 8-Feb-05 Slovakia Erie (OHL) 34-4-15-19
123 Noah Dower Nilsson LW 6-0/175 25-Apr-05 Sweden Frolunda (Swe J20) 37-26-28-54
124 Jordan Tourigny D 5-10/165 28-Feb-05 Canada Shawinigan (QMJHL) 67-6-35-41
125 Cole Knuble C 5-11/175 1-Jul-04 USA Fargo (USHL) 57-30-36-66
126 Erik Pahlsson C 6-0/170 9-Apr-04 Sweden HV 71 (Swe J20) 46-26-37-63
127 Eric Pohlkamp D 5-10/200 23-Mar-04 USA Cedar Rapids (USHL) 59-16-35-51
128 Dylan MacKinnon D 6-1/185 12-Jan-05 Canada Halifax (QMJHL) 61-6-17-23
129 German Tochilkin LW 6-2/180 24-Sep-03 Russia Kunlun Red Star (KHL) 21-4-2-6
130 Jake Fisher C 6-1/180 27-Mar-05 USA Cretin-Durham Hall (USHS-MN) 29-34-29-63
131 Damian Clara G 6-6/215 13-Jan-05 Italy Farjestads (Swe J20) 17-17, 2.79, 0.903
132 Aiden Fink RW 5-9/155 24-Nov-04 Canada Brooks (AJHL) 54-41-56-97
133 Bogdan Konyushkov D 5-11/175 20-Dec-02 Russia Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL) 64-2-23-25
134 Yegor Zavragin G 6-2/185 23-Aug-05 Russia Mamonty Yugry (MHL) 11-6, 2.49, 0.920
135 Ty Halaburda C 5-11/175 22-Apr-05 Canada Vancouver (WHL) 66-21-16-37
136 Cole Burbidge LW 6-1/160 26-Aug-05 Canada Saint John (QMJHL) 68-19-31-50
137 Daniil Karpovich D 6-3/210 6-Dec-04 Belarus Avto Yekaterinburg (MHL) 47-10-25-35
138 Andrei Loshko C 6-1/175 7-Oct-04 Belarus Chicoutimi (QMJHL) 67-22-48-70
139 Beckett Hendrickson C 6-1/175 24-Jun-05 USA USN U18 (USDP) 51-13-21-34
140 Alex Pharand C 6-3/205 1-May-05 Canada Sudbury (OHL) 67-18-21-39
141 Zeb Forsfjall C 5-9/170 16-Jan-05 Sweden Skelleftea (Swe J20) 34-8-14-22
142 Joe Connor C 5-9/170 31-Mar-05 USA Avon Old Farms (USHS-CT) 28-21-23-44
143 Samuel Urban G 6-1/195 1-May-05 Slovakia Team Slovakia U18 (Svk2) 1-13, 4.51, 0.897
144 Mazden Leslie D 6-0/195 15-Apr-05 Canada Vancouver (WHL) 66-12-38-50
145 Maxim Fedotov D 5-10/170 22-Jan-02 Russia Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL) 64-9-17-26
146 Joey Willis C 5-10/170 14-Mar-05 USA Saginaw (OHL) 68-15-29-44
147 Artyom Kashtanov C 6-6/190 9-Dec-04 Russia Avto Yekaterinburg (MHL) 43-15-25-40
148 Angus MacDonell C 5-9/180 11-May-05 Canada Sar-Mis (OHL) 64-29-12-41
149 Konstantin Volochko D 6-0/170 19-Jun-05 Belarus Dinamo-Shinnik Bobruysk (MHL) 46-8-12-20
150 Hannes Hellberg LW 6-0/175 19-Jun-05 Sweden Leksands (Swe J20) 42-34-23-57
151 Carsen Musser G 6-4/215 19-May-05 USA USN U18 (USDP) 14-6, 3.07, 0.890
152 Yaroslav Tsulygin D 6-0/160 19-May-05 Russia Salavat Yulaev Ufa (KHL) 44-0-2-2
153 Thomas Milic G 6-0/180 14-Apr-03 Canada Seattle (WHL) 27-3, 2.08, 0.928
154 Arno Tiefensee G 6-4/190 1-May-02 Germany Adler Mannheim (DEL) 13-10, 2.43, 0.910
155 Quinn Mantei D 5-11/180 23-Apr-05 Canada Brandon (WHL) 67-2-23-25
156 Matthew Soto RW 5-10/180 31-Aug-05 Canada Kingston (OHL) 54-15-27-42
157 Matt Copponi C 5-10/165 3-Jun-03 USA Merrimack (HE) 37-14-15-29
158 Vojtech Port D 6-2/170 3-Aug-05 Czech RD-Edm (WHL) 48-4-13-17
159 Michael DeAngelo LW 5-11/180 19-Nov-04 USA Green Bay (USHL) 52-11-24-35
160 Matteo Mann D 6-5/225 31-Dec-04 Canada Chicoutimi (QMJHL) 45-0-5-5
161 Paul Fischer D 6-1/190 30-Jan-05 USA USN U18 (USDP) 55-4-17-21
162 Hudson Malinoski C 6-0/175 19-May-04 Canada Brooks (AJHL) 44-16-53-69
163 Brad Gardiner C 6-0/180 6-Mar-05 Canada Ottawa (OHL) 68-19-20-39
164 Zaccharya Wisdom RW 6-0/175 29-Apr-04 Canada Cedar Rapids (USHL) 59-28-20-48
165 Jonathan Castagna C 6-1/185 20-Apr-05 Canada St. Andrew's (CHS-O) 50-29-43-72
166 Tanner Adams RW 5-11/185 2-Sep-05 USA Tri-City (USHL) 49-12-21-33
167 Grayden Siepmann D 5-10/185 26-May-04 Canada Calgary (WHL) 61-9-34-43
168 Axel Hurtig D 6-3/200 10-Jun-05 Sweden Rogle (Swe J20) 34-2-6-8
169 Ian Scherzer C 6-0/180 3-Jul-05 Austria Rogle (Swe J20) 30-3-4-7
170 Ryan Conmy RW 5-9/190 23-Oct-04 USA Sioux City (USHL) 60-33-29-62
171 Ethan Hay C 6-1/190 15-Jan-05 Canada Flint (OHL) 64-17-11-28
172 Rodwin Dionicio D 6-2/205 30-Mar-04 Switzerland Nia-Wsr (OHL) 50-15-35-50
173 Josh Van Mulligen D 6-2/180 26-Jul-05 Canada Medicine Hat (WHL) 68-1-8-9
174 Nikita Ishimnikov D 6-3/195 21-Apr-05 Russia Avto Yekaterinburg (MHL) 41-11-7-18
175 Justin Kipkie D 6-4/190 28-Jul-05 Canada Victoria (WHL) 67-8-25-33
176 Sawyer Mynio D 6-1/175 30-Apr-05 Canada Seattle (WHL) 68-5-26-31
177 Brady Stonehouse RW 5-9/180 6-Aug-04 Canada Ottawa (OHL) 68-37-20-57
178 Hunter Anderson LW 5-9/175 28-Apr-05 USA Shattuck-SM (USHS-MN) 48-52-47-99
179 Spencer Sova D 6-0/185 10-Jan-04 Canada Erie (OHL) 68-16-23-39
180 Oliver Tulk C 5-7/170 19-Jan-05 Canada Calgary (WHL) 68-24-36-60
181 Isac Born C 5-11/165 7-Jul-04 Sweden Frolunda (SHL) 36-2-3-5
182 Beau Jelsma C 5-9/175 28-Apr-04 Canada Barrie (OHL) 67-31-30-61
183 Carmelo Crandell RW 5-11/170 2-Mar-05 Canada Sherwood Park (AJHL) 49-17-37-54
184 Stanislav Yarovoy LW 6-2/195 26-Aug-03 Russia Vityaz Moscow Region (KHL) 45-9-7-16
185 Elliot Stahlberg LW 6-0/185 29-Mar-05 Sweden Farjestads (Swe J20) 35-9-12-21
186 Ivan Anoshko C 5-11/170 7-Oct-04 Belarus Dinamo-Shinnik Bobruysk (MHL) 53-21-32-53
187 Jake Livanavage D 5-10/175 6-May-04 USA Chicago (USHL) 48-6-30-36
188 Adrian Carnebo D 6-2/185 1-May-04 Sweden Djurgardens (Swe J20) 43-7-28-35
189 Jaden Lipinski C 6-3/205 2-Dec-04 USA Vancouver (WHL) 66-19-32-51
190 Ian Blomquist G 6-2/185 29-Mar-03 Sweden Vasteras (HockeyAllsvenskan) 4-11, 2.97, 0.904
191 Emil Pieniniemi D 6-2/170 2-Mar-05 Finland Karpat (Fin-U20) 31-1-12-13
192 Oskar Asplund D 5-11/175 18-Nov-03 Sweden Almtuna (HockeyAllsvenskan) 49-6-24-30
193 Daniil Davydov C 5-11/165 6-Mar-04 Russia MHK Dynamo St. Petersburg (MHL) 47-11-35-46
194 Victor Sjoholm D 5-9/175 8-Jul-03 Sweden HV 71 (Swe J20) 37-2-8-10
195 Aron Jessli LW 5-11/185 29-Oct-04 Norway Pickering (OJHL) 52-25-43-68
196 Adam Dybal G 6-1/165 2-Sep-05 Czech Karlovy Vary (Czechia U20) 29-15, 1.85, 0.942
197 Jonathan Fauchon C 5-10/170 13-Jan-04 Canada Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL) 53-25-40-65
198 Luke Mittelstadt D 5-11/175 22-Jan-03 USA Minnesota (B1G) 38-5-16-21
199 Owen Beckner C 6-1/175 27-Feb-05 Canada Salmon Arm (BCHL) 53-17-33-50
200 Ilya Kanarsky G 6-2/165 6-Dec-04 Russia AKM-Junior Tula Region (MHL) 4-19, 3.59, 0.919
201 Braeden Bowman RW 6-1/205 26-Jun-03 Canada Guelph (OHL) 54-33-39-72
202 Luke Coughlin D 5-9/170 11-Apr-05 Canada Rimouski (QMJHL) 37-5-14-19
203 Norwin Panocha D 6-1/185 24-Feb-05 Germany Eisbaren Juniors Berlin (DNL U20) 34-6-16-22
204 Cole Brown LW 6-2/180 27-Apr-05 Canada Hamilton (OHL) 60-17-25-42
205 Tomas Suchanek G 6-0/180 30-Apr-03 Czech Tri-City (WHL) 27-14, 3.05, 0.912
206 Vadim Moroz RW 6-2/185 20-Nov-03 Belarus Dinamo Minsk (KHL) 39-5-9-14
207 Davis Burnside RW 5-11/175 22-Sep-03 USA Ohio State (B1G) 40-14-7-21
208 Maros Jedlicka C 6-1/185 23-Oct-02 Slovakia HKM Zvolen (Slovakia) 39-17-18-35
209 Gavyn Thoreson RW 5-8/180 30-Oct-04 USA Andover High (USHS-MN) 31-41-56-97
210 Austin Burnevik RW 6-3/200 3-Jan-05 USA USN U18 (USDP) 43-6-13-19
211 Elmeri Laakso D 6-1/185 19-Jul-04 Finland SaiPa (Fin-Liiga) 32-4-7-11
212 Frantisek Dej C 6-4/200 28-Feb-05 Slovakia HC Modre Kridla Slovan (Slovakia2) 24-8-13-21
213 Matvei Maximov C 6-0/175 18-Jan-05 Russia MHK Dynamo Moskva (MHL) 48-18-19-37
214 Connor Levis RW 6-1/190 5-Oct-04 Canada Kamloops (WHL) 68-27-40-67
215 Teddy Townsend C 5-10/160 2-Sep-05 USA Eden Prairie (USHS-MN) 27-14-25-39
216 Petter Vesterheim C 5-11/165 30-Sep-04 Norway Mora (Swe J20) 41-12-27-39
217 Justin Gill C 6-1/190 27-Jan-03 Canada Sherbrooke (QMJHL) 68-44-49-93
218 Alex Weiermair C 6-0/190 10-May-05 USA USN U18 (USDP) 55-11-15-26
219 Jan Sprynar RW 6-1/175 26-Feb-05 Czech Rimouski (QMJHL) 60-23-17-40
220 Ty Higgins D 6-0/185 26-Sep-04 Canada Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL) 68-13-28-41
221 Tom Leppa C 6-0/175 31-Jul-05 Finland Jokerit (Fin-U20) 45-19-12-31
222 Aaron Pionk D 6-1/175 16-Jan-03 USA Waterloo (USHL) 60-12-24-36
223 Hampton Slukynsky G 6-1/180 2-Jul-05 USA Warroad (USHS-MN) 28-1, 1.47, 0.941
224 Noah Erliden G 5-10/170 9-Sep-05 Sweden HV71 (Swe J20) 10-8, 2.93, 0.912
HM Matthew Andonovski D 6-1/200 14-Mar-05 Canada Kitchener (OHL) 67-0-16-16
HM Gleb Artsatbanov G 6-2/170 2-Mar-04 Ukraine Sparta Praha (Czechia U20) 13-10, 1.95, 0.938
HM Cale Ashcroft D 5-10/200 5-Aug-04 Canada Tri-City (USHL) 62-8-29-37
HM Alex Assadourian LW 5-8/170 24-Jul-05 Canada Sby-Nia (OHL) 66-12-29-41
HM Arvid Bergstrom D 5-11/160 12-Jun-05 Sweden Djurgardens (Swe J20) 41-2-21-23
HM Kevin Bicker LW 6-0/175 29-Jan-05 Germany Jungadler Mannheim (DNL U20) 20-10-11-21
HM Philippe Blais-Savoie D 6-0/185 10-Jun-05 USA Tri-City (USHL) 61-2-9-11
HM Linus Brandl C 5-11/185 1-Apr-05 Germany Jungadler Mannheim (DNL U20) 32-25-22-47
HM Finn Brink LW 5-9/180 6-Apr-05 USA Maple Grove (USHS-MN) 31-31-38-69
HM Yaroslav Busygin D 6-3/185 14-Feb-03 Russia Vityaz Moscow Region (KHL) 42-1-2-3
HM Kalle Carlsson C 6-0/175 2-Mar-05 Sweden Orebro (Swe J20) 44-11-24-35
HM Adam Cedzo RW 5-10/165 23-Feb-05 Slovakia HC Ocelari Trinec (Czechia U20) 39-23-23-46
HM Aiden Celebrini D 6-1/185 26-Oct-04 Canada Brooks (AJHL) 47-5-16-21
HM Andon Cerbone C 5-8/150 13-Apr-04 USA Oma-Yng (USHL) 64-24-39-63
HM Chase Cheslock D 6-3/210 25-Oct-04 USA Rogers High (USHS-MN) 28-4-27-31
HM Sam Court D 5-10/180 7-Jan-04 Canada Brooks (AJHL) 52-13-59-72
HM Adam Csabi LW 5-10/160 17-Feb-05 Czech SaiPa (Fin-U18) 28-16-15-31
HM Nathaniel Davis D 6-1/185 15-Nov-04 Canada Burlington (OJHL) 45-10-26-36
HM Nathan Day G 6-2/180 4-Feb-05 Canada Flint (OHL) 17-10, 3.91, 0.874
HM Kocha Delic C 5-10/185 11-Mar-04 Canada Sudbury (OHL) 46-22-30-52
HM Tyler Duke D 5-8/180 19-Jul-04 USA Ohio State (B1G) 40-4-8-12
HM Filip Eriksson C 6-0/170 5-Nov-04 Sweden Vaxjo Lakers (Swe J20) 11-5-5-10
HM Jiri Felcman C 6-4/190 17-Apr-05 Czech Langnau U20 (Sui-U20-Elit) 40-10-21-31
HM Samuel Fiala C 6-1/170 9-Apr-05 Czech Bili Tygri Liberec (Czechia U20) 44-19-9-28
HM Mans Forsfjall D 6-0/180 30-Jul-02 Sweden Skelleftea (SHL) 52-2-12-14
HM Cooper Foster C 5-11/170 4-Jun-05 Canada Ottawa (OHL) 63-19-17-36
HM Salvatore Guzzo RW 6-0/185 17-Apr-05 USA USN U18 (USDP) 58-17-11-28
HM Michael Hagens D 5-11/170 18-Feb-05 USA Chicago (USHL) 60-9-17-26
HM Sam Harris LW 5-11/190 14-Oct-03 USA Sioux Falls (USHL) 56-30-26-56
HM Jack Harvey C 5-10/175 31-Mar-03 USA Chicago (USHL) 62-40-34-74
HM Bogdans Hodass D 6-2/200 13-Apr-03 Latvia Medicine Hat (WHL) 56-11-24-35
HM Ryan Hopkins D 6-1/180 15-Apr-04 Canada Penticton (BCHL) 48-10-39-49
HM Ewan Huet G 6-0/170 8-Feb-05 Switzerland Lausanne (Sui U20-Elit) 14-12, 2.73  
HM Gustaf Kangas C 6-0/175 27-Jul-05 Sweden Vasteras (Swe J20) 27-7-13-20
HM Sean Keohane D 6-3/180 4-Nov-04 USA Dexter Southfield(USHS-MA) 32-4-12-16
HM Oiva Keskinen C 6-0/175 28-Feb-04 Finland Tappara (Fin-U20) 38-20-21-41
HM Ruslan Khazheyev G 6-4/200 20-Nov-04 Russia Belye Medvedi Chelyabinsk (MHL) 8-8, 2.38, 0.923
HM Matteo Koci D 6-0/165 7-Jun-05 Czech HC Energie Karlovy Vary (Czechia U20) 36-7-13-20
HM Ryan Koering D 6-3/185 11-Feb-05 USA Eden Prairie (USHS-MN) 27-6-10-16
HM Cameron Korpi G 6-2/150 26-May-04 USA Tri-City (USHL) 13-4, 2.52, 0.911
HM Sergei Kosovets D 6-5/250 17-Jul-02 Russia HK Sochi (KHL) 26-2-2-4
HM Artyom Kudashov D 6-0/160 10-Jan-05 Russia MHK Dynamo Moskva (MHL) 42-2-7-9
HM Roman Kukumberg LW 6-0/185 21-Mar-05 Slovakia HC Modre Kridla Slovan (Slovakia2) 33-5-6-11
HM Emil Kuusla LW 5-9/165 11-Jan-05 Finland Jokerit (Fin-U20) 36-18-17-35
HM Jani Lampinen G 6-2/185 14-Feb-03 Finland Kiekko-Espoo (Fin-Mestis) 15-6, 2.35, 0.902
HM Charles-Alexis Legault D 6-3/205 5-Sep-03 Canada Quinnipiac (ECAC) 40-2-7-9
HM Aiden Long LW 6-3/190 13-Mar-05 Canada Whitecourt (AJHL) 50-19-27-46
HM Connor MacPherson RW 6-0/170 2-Mar-05 Canada Leamington (GOJHL) 43-28-35-63
HM Matthew Mayich D 6-2/185 21-Dec-04 Canada Ottawa (OHL) 64-5-17-22
HM Donovan McCoy D 6-0/200 11-Oct-04 Canada Peterborough (OHL) 65-2-11-13
HM Cole Miller C 6-4/175 4-Feb-05 Canada Edmonton (WHL) 61-10-9-19
HM Lucas Moore D 5-9/180 7-Jun-05 Canada Hamilton (OHL) 65-3-25-28
HM Josh Nadeau RW 5-7/145 22-Oct-03 Canada Penticton (BCHL) 54-44-66-110
HM Alexei Noskov G 6-2/205 13-Nov-04 Russia Taifun Primorsky Krai (MHL) 7-26, 3.86, 0.905
HM Owen Outwater LW 6-2/160 4-Jan-05 Canada Kingston (OHL) 62-16-25-41
HM Joe Palodichuk D 6-0/165 26-Feb-03 USA Fargo (USHL) 44-8-21-29
HM Petr Pavelec LW 6-0/200 10-Feb-05 Czech HC Vitkovice (Czechia U20) 46-8-5-13
HM Oliver Peer RW 6-0/165 9-Mar-03 Canada Windsor (OHL) 63-22-45-67
HM Chris Pelosi C 6-1/180 6-Mar-05 USA Sioux Falls (USHL) 43-13-6-19
HM Matthew Perkins LW 5-11/175 21-Jan-04 Canada Youngstown (USHL) 60-15-29-44
HM Nico Pertuch G 6-2/200 29-Jul-05 Germany EV Landshut (DNL U20) 15GP, 3.57  
HM Dominik Petr C 6-2/165 30-Apr-05 Czech Lukko (Fin-U20) 18-1-0-1
HM Chase Pietila D 6-1/180 3-Mar-04 USA Youngstown (USHL) 60-7-29-36
HM Chase Pirtle RW 6-2/185 8-Mar-05 USA Mount St. Charles 18U AAA (USHS-RI) 47-20-24-44
HM Benjamin Poitras C 5-10/175 18-Jul-05 Canada Sioux City (USHL) 61-14-24-38
HM Connor Punnett D 6-1/200 16-Jun-03 Canada Barrie (OHL) 66-14-34-48
HM Ivan Remezovsky D 6-1/165 8-Feb-05 Russia SKA-1946 St. Petersburg (MHL) 45-0-13-13
HM Charlie Robertson G 6-3/165 2-Apr-05 Canada North Bay (OHL) 12-6, 3.17, 0.892
HM Pier-Olivier Roy D 5-9/175 5-Mar-04 Canada Victoriaville (QMJHL) 68-6-62-68
HM Rainers Rullers C 6-4/195 11-Dec-04 Latvia Zemgale (Fin-Mestis) 46-4-6-10
HM Bennett Schimek RW 5-11/180 15-Apr-03 USA Providence (HE) 37-11-9-20
HM Zach Schulz D 6-1/195 14-Jun-05 USA USN U18 (USDP) 51-1-9-10
HM Magomed Sharakanov D 6-1/200 11-Oct-04 Russia MHK Dynamo Moskva (MHL) 44-7-25-32
HM Cam Squires RW 5-11/165 11-Apr-05 Canada Cape Breton (QMJHL) 67-30-34-64
HM Julius Sumpf C 6-1/175 11-Jan-05 Germany RB Hockey Juniors (AlpsHL) 23-9-9-18
HM Alexander Suvorov RW 5-9/160 30-Nov-02 Belarus Severstal Cherepovets (KHL) 47-13-11-24
HM Gabriel Szturc C 5-11/185 24-Sep-03 Czech Kelowna (WHL) 56-24-55-79
HM Nikita Telegin C 6-1/155 21-Jun-05 Russia Belye Medvedi Chelyabinsk (MHL) 22-6-4-10
HM Patrick Thomas C 5-11/160 21-Aug-04 Canada Hamilton (OHL) 66-17-39-56
HM Hudson Thornton D 5-11/180 4-Nov-03 Canada Prince George (WHL) 68-23-51-74
HM Jiri Tichacek D 5-9/170 30-Jan-03 Czech Rytiri Kladno (Czechia) 39-0-6-6
HM Djibril Toure D 6-6/200 5-Jun-03 Canada Sudbury (OHL) 57-5-11-16
HM Tuomas Uronen RW 5-11/180 19-Mar-05 Finland HIFK (Fin-U20) 39-20-23-43
HM Noa Vali G 6-0/160 19-Apr-05 Finland TPS (Fin-U20) 17-8, 2.38, 0.912
HM Nicholas Vantassell RW 6-4/195 18-Apr-04 USA Green Bay (USHL) 62-19-18-37
HM Visa Vedenpaa G 6-2/170 11-May-05 Finland Karpat (Fin-U20) 31GP, 0.886
HM Evgeny Volokhin G 6-3/170 6-Apr-05 Russia Mamonty Yugry (MHL) 20-6, 2.12, 0.927
HM Declan Waddick C 5-10/170 24-Jan-05 Canada Niagara (OHL) 64-28-21-49
HM Saige Weinstein D 6-0/180 30-May-05 Canada Spokane (WHL) 57-4-14-18
HM Ethan Whitcomb LW 6-4/190 13-May-04 Canada Muskegon (USHL) 53-24-24-48
HM Raul Yakupov RW 6-1/180 21-Jun-04 Russia Reaktor Nizhnekamsk (MHL) 49-32-29-61
]]> https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/mckeens-2023-nhl-draft-final-rankings-top-224-honourable-mentions/feed/ 0 2023 NHL DRAFT: SECOND CHANCES PART TWO – UNITED STATES – 2nd and 3rd year NHL draft re-entry candidates https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2023-nhl-draft-chances-part-united-states-2nd-3rd-year-nhl-draft-re-entry-candidates/ https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2023-nhl-draft-chances-part-united-states-2nd-3rd-year-nhl-draft-re-entry-candidates/#respond Sun, 12 Mar 2023 13:30:22 +0000 https://www.mckeenshockey.com/?p=180509 Read More... from 2023 NHL DRAFT: SECOND CHANCES PART TWO – UNITED STATES – 2nd and 3rd year NHL draft re-entry candidates

]]> In a normal year, scouting hockey is marred by imperfection. Every year high end players get skipped over at the NHL draft for various reasons. Maybe they suffered through injuries. Maybe their team struggled, and it prevented scouts from getting a good read on them. Maybe their team was too good, forcing them down the depth chart with limited minutes and exposure opportunities. Or...maybe they just were not good enough. But thankfully human development is nonlinear and therefore unpredictable. Teenage hockey players are far from a finished product on the ice as their games mature just as the rest of their body and mind does. That is why it is critical to track players as they move through their second and third years of draft eligibility (or fourth years of eligibility for some European players).

The million-dollar question is…are we still playing catch-up as a scouting community following the resumption of play post pandemic? Last year, this was definitely the case as leagues returned to full seasons. But are certain players still growing exponentially as they try to recover lost development time? This is particularly true of players in the CHL and in Europe, where most junior leagues halted.

For those unfamiliar, North American players with birth dates from January 1st to September 15th, will be eligible for three NHL drafts. Players with birth dates from September 16th to December 31st, will be eligible for two NHL drafts. And for European players (in European leagues), extend that eligibility by one year in both cases. Recently, NHL scouts have increased the rate with which they are selecting “re-entry” candidates, or players previously passed over. Contract limits have made it critical for teams to spread out where they select players from, in addition to their age. This has made second- and third-year eligible U.S. and European based players especially attractive. However, these players have had a lot of success in recent years too. Look around the league and you see these players everywhere. For example, Calgary Flames standout defender Mackenzie Weegar was one. Ottawa Senators standout forward Drake Batherson was one. So too was Winnipeg Jets starter Connor Hellebuyck. Standout Tampa Bay Lightning rookie defender Nick Perbix was one.

Last year, four “re-entry” candidates went in the Top 100; Dmitri Buchelnikov, Lucas Edmonds, Mikey Milne, and Aidan Thompson. In our “second chances” article last year (Part 1): (Part 2): (Part 3): We wrote about three of those four. In total there were 42 taken, right around the trend of other recent drafts (roughly about 20% of all players selected). Additionally, of those 42, we identified and wrote about 25 (over half of them) in our aforementioned second chances series. Just like in previous editions of this annual report, we aim to identify more.

In 2023, we have some very interesting candidates. Adam Gajan stole the show at this year’s WJC’s for Slovakia and has been a standout in the NAHL and USHL this year. Eric Pohlkamp was one of the MVP’s of the WJAC and has been at the top of the USHL defenseman scoring race all year. Austin Roest has been top ten in WHL scoring all year long and has taken huge strides forward. This article intends to highlight them and many other candidates who could be part of that 20% this year.

Cole Knuble. Photo courtesy of the USHL.

USHL

Aaron Pionk - Defense - Waterloo Blackhawks

Passed over in the last two NHL drafts, Pionk’s performance so far in his first and only season in the USHL leaves him a solid candidate to finally be selected this summer. The six-foot-two left-shot blueliner comes from a true hockey family — his brother, Neal, is a top-four defenseman for the Winnipeg Jets and his father was a USHL head coach in the 1990s — and Aaron is headed to a top college program for next season at Minnesota State. It’s been a long development track for Pionk, who spent his first season of draft eligibility playing in the Minnesota high school circuit. He’s really starting to put things together, though, and while the points don’t jump off the page there’s a lot to like in his game. He’s more skilled than he might seem to be based on his production, and he plays with an edge and the type of snarl that Winnipeg Jets fans have come to appreciate in his older brother. He is also a great skater, which is becoming more and more of an important tool for modern blueliners to have.  It’s easy to see him heading to college, becoming a fan favorite, and then becoming a coveted signing for the teams that passed up on him at the NHL draft. There’s still work for him to do in refining his offensive game and improving the consistency in his defensive game, but the tools are all there for him to continue his development and become a solid professional. (Ethan Hetu)

Zaccharya Wisdom - Wing - Cedar Rapids Roughriders

The younger Wisdom brother took a different development route than Zayde, the Philadelphia Flyers prospect. While his older brother chose to take the OHL route for his development and take the chance to play with Shane Wright, Zaccharya instead took the USHL route and is now in his second season with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders. Ranked 144th last year in our rankings, Wisdom’s improved play this season leaves him a solid candidate to be drafted after being passed over in 2022. He’s showing that his lackluster point production from last season was more about opportunity than Wisdom’s talent. Similar to his brother, Wisdom is a winger who plays a powerful game. Not only is Wisdom an engaged participant on defense in his own zone, he’s also an enthusiastic competitor along the boards and always willing to throw the body. His combination of power and speed is extremely intriguing, but his offensive approach lacks the sort of deceptive elements that make top scorers pop at more challenging levels of hockey. Even without further development in that area, Wisdom is still a solid bet to be a quality pro due to his value away from the puck and his strong work rate. (Ethan Hetu)

Nicholas Vantassell - Center - Green Bay Gamblers

A rangy six-foot-four center, Vantassell was passed over in his first season of draft eligibility in large part due to how raw he often looked in his first season of USHL action. While Ryan Greene and Cameron Lund, among others, soaked up most of the attention on the Green Bay Gamblers, Vantassell was left to improve his game in relative anonymity. Outside the shadow of those bigger-name prospects, Vantassell’s second season in Green Bay has been an improvement, although there is still a lot of work for him to do. While he shows a willingness to use the inside of the ice and attack the net, the aggression Vantassell sometimes plays with has not resulted in tangible, consistent production. Moreover, his skating needs work, although that’s admittedly what one might expect from someone of his size profile. Vantassell has a solid shot and has shown usefulness in a net-front/bumper role, but he doesn’t create enough chances for himself to actually show off that shot on a consistent game-to-game basis. At this point, Vantassell’s case to be drafted lies more in what a team might believe he can be than what he actually is at the moment. Still, he represents an intriguing, toolsy bet for a team hoping the longer development track afforded by the college route can eventually mold Vantassell into a quality pro. (Ethan Hetu)

Cole Knuble - Wing/Center - Fargo Force

After a relatively impressive rookie season in the USHL where he was instantly one of Fargo’s top performers, it was somewhat surprising that Knuble didn’t hear his name called at the 2022 NHL draft. On paper, it feels as though a player of Knuble’s production profile who also brings the NHL bloodlines that still seem to be valued. (his father, Mike, played over 1,000 NHL games for six prominent franchises) The main drawback with Knuble lies in his feet. He may not be a bad skater on his edges but he doesn’t have the speed you’d like to see from someone of his size profile whatsoever. His main calling card is a strong commitment to two-way hockey combined with some strong offensive tools. He has a quality set of hands that are a major help to his offensive toolset, and it will be interesting to see how he adjusts to playing in the NCAA at Notre Dame, where he’s less likely to be so heavily relied upon as an offensive generator. Knuble is likely to finish his season as one of the top scorers in the USHL and has a strong chance to hear his name called this go-around at the 2023 NHL draft, especially after a dominating performance at the World Junior A Challenge, but he needs to improve his skating for him to have similar success at more challenging levels of hockey. (Ethan Hetu)

Eric Pohlkamp - Defense - Cedar Rapids Roughriders

After scoring just 18 points in 61 games last season, it was no surprise that Pohlkamp ultimately went undrafted in his first year of eligibility. As a later birthdate, the USHL proved to be a decently steep challenge, but so far this season all he has done is rise to the occasion. Pohlkamp’s points production has exploded, and he’s now a contender to lead the USHL in scoring by a defenseman. There are nights when he looks like an entirely different player from the one that often struggled as a USHL rookie. He plays with quiet confidence from the back end, and he has all the tools to make an impact on both ends of the ice. He’s not the tallest, but he’s well filled out for the 5-10 frame he possesses. He’s a solid skater who does a good job at facilitating zone exits and moving his team up the ice, and when he’s in the offensive zone he’s smart about making his reads and choosing when to play aggressively. Pohlkamp is also armed with a massive point shot and has a desire to play aggressively defensively. A late addition to the U.S.’ World Junior A Challenge team, he ended up as one of the top defenders in the tournament. He's headed to Bemidji State next season and would be an intriguing player for a team to select and then track over the course of his collegiate career. (Ethan Hetu)

Sam Harris - Wing - Sioux Falls Stampede

A University of Denver commit, Harris was an older birthdate for last year’s draft and ended up ranked #136 by NHL Central Scouting. This year, he’s at 131 in their mid-season rankings, and his production, as one would expect, has leaped up despite Sioux Falls remaining near the bottom of the USHL standings. Everything the team does offensively flows through Harris, and there’s some bite to his game, with him showing an eagerness to finish checks and engage opponents in the physical side of the game. The defensive side of Harris’ game needs some work, although his willingness to play with physicality is a decent start. You’d like for him to get more engaged defensively at times and help his projection by adding some more balance to his game. He’s also not the best skater, and in lacking the type of skating talent that could help him separate at the next level his overall projection becomes cloudy.  Right now, he’s relied on chiefly as an offensive generator, but he may not have the skills or skating ability to remain in that role as a professional. For him to be a safer bet for an interested NHL team, he’ll need to round out his overall profile and develop the sort of professional habits that will carry him beyond college. (Ethan Hetu)

Jack Harvey - Center/Wing - Chicago Steel

Jack Harvey is hardly the main attraction for the Chicago Steel, who boast potential 2024 number-one pick Mack Celebrini and 2023 first-round candidate Jayden Perron, who is one of the USHL’s most electrifying players. But after he was passed over twice already, Harvey is still at work with the Chicago Steel. He’s now one of the top scorers in the USHL as he nears his 20th birthday, and is readying himself to head to Boston University on solid footing. He has a decent set of skills and has molded himself into a real offensive difference-maker in his final year at this level. Harvey’s skating isn’t bad, and if he has trouble translating his scoring to the college level there still could be a future for him if he changes up his style. There’s an intriguing package of tools here for Harvey to work on in Boston, but it may not be enough to justify a draft pick over other players at this stage in his development. Still unclear whether he’s skilled enough to have a pro future as an offensive player, and it remains to be seen if he’ll be able to morph himself into more of a pro-ready two-way player as he develops in college. (Ethan Hetu)

Michael Emerson - Wing - Chicago Steel

After scoring just seven points in 36 games in his first season of draft eligibility, it should not have come as any great surprise that Michael Emerson was not drafted at the 2022 NHL draft. This season, though, Emerson’s numbers have exploded as he’s played a larger role with some extremely talented teammates. The six-foot-two winger can be a lethal shooter at times, capable of finishing the many scoring chances he’s afforded. He’s got a nose for the net and has scored quite a few goals in tight, and the aggression with which he attacks the net serves him well playing with such good players. Could he stand to create more for himself and be more of a self-starter rather than an opportunist on offense? Absolutely, but opportunists who can often find themselves in the right place at the right time when placed next to quality teammates can go far, too. Emerson is headed to Notre Dame in the fall, and it’s definitely possible that a team wants to stake their claim on him before he gets there and potentially pops on an even bigger stage. (Ethan Hetu)

Jake Livanavage - Defense - Chicago Steel

Despite strong production and a growing reputation around the USHL as a quality power play specialist, the positive qualities in Livanavage’s game were not enough to get him selected at the 2022 draft. Livanavage has picked up this season right where he left off, and his production has held steady from where it was last year, albeit not the leap up some might have hoped for. There are positive qualities to Livanavage’s game, most often displayed on the power play. Livanavage has the skill to help the bevy of talented forwards he plays with, showing himself to be a quality passer and reader of the game on the man advantage. The issue with Livanavage largely centers on his lack of size, strength, and unimpressive defensive play. He’s simply too easy to play against in his own end, and this is an area he’ll need to improve in his game at higher levels. Something that could help him in his own end, though, is his strong skating, as his wheels can help him be an asset in creating the type of zone exits that are so crucial for defensive success. As long as the focus on evaluating defensive value remains squarely on physicality, puck battles, and the more traditional aspects of defense that are generally held in high regard, Livanavage will struggle with the perception of being a liability in his own end. And without a standout offensive profile to make up for it beyond his feet and abilities on the man advantage, the issues in his game could keep him from being drafted once again, although there’s definitely enough that he offers to make teams give him a second look. (Ethan Hetu)

Matthew Perkins - Center - Youngstown Phantoms

After spending his draft season as a point-per-game scorer with the Humboldt Broncos in Junior A hockey in Saskatchewan, Perkins made the choice to head to the USHL to prepare himself to eventually head to the University of Minnesota-Duluth. For the Youngstown Phantoms, Perkins has been a solid contributor, scoring at a steady rate. There are a few tools where one can notice the upside Perkins has for the next level, specifically his playmaking and two-way ability. He’s an all-situations forward for the Phantoms, contributing on both special teams’ units. That’s a testament to his intelligence on the ice, as he’s one of the smarter players in the USHL. While he doesn’t offer the size or skating profile that would make teams drool, Perkins is the type of pivot every coach hopes to have on their roster, a solid end-to-end contributor who elevates his linemates and brings a degree of reliability that many other young players can’t offer. It’s easy to see him occupying the same role in college, but one wonders if his lack of box score numbers that jump off the page will hurt his odds of getting selected at the draft. (Ethan Hetu)

Max Lundgren - Goaltender - Des Moines Buccaneers

The Merrimack commit has come to the USHL as a rookie and become one of the league’s best netminders this season. Although a 2002 born (and a USHL overager), Lundgren is still eligible for the draft similar to how Lucas Edmonds and Andrei Buyalsky were previously; NHL Central Scouting deemed them as “European players” despite playing in North America. The 6’5, 230lbs Lundgren is a mammoth in the net. He likes to play deep in the crease and maintains good posture to take away space from shooters and attackers. He competes for sightlines and battles hard to make second and third chance saves. The focus for him will be on getting quicker, but his size and performance are going to intrigue a lot of NHL scouts. (Brock Otten)

Cale Ashcroft - Defense - Tri-City Storm

Ashcroft has come to the USHL this year from the AJHL and immediately become a top four workhorse for one of the better teams in the USHL in Tri-City. When he was passed over last year, he was one of the youngest players eligible (with an August birthday) and has since added mass to his 5’10 frame to help him be a more effective and consistent player. Ashcroft, a University of Denver commit, is a terrific skater and his ability to keep pucks in at the line and create at the point is impressive. Once upon time, Ashcroft was a highly touted prospect coming out of St. Albert, but it appears he has turned things around and could be someone NHL teams look at late in the draft this year. (Brock Otten)

Joe Palodichuk - Defense - Fargo Force

It’s been quite the breakout year for Palodichuk, a strong skating, puck moving defender and University of Wisconsin commit. Now in his second season in the USHL, he has emerged as one of the league’s top defenders, even earning a spot on the U.S.’ World Junior A Challenge roster. At that event, his ability to start the breakout and control the point were standout qualities against top notch competition. While his defensive play has improved this year, his overall awareness and effectiveness will still need to improve further. That said, his mobility and offensive gifts are going to play really well at the NCAA level and an NHL team may try to secure his rights this year in his final year of draft eligibility. (Brock Otten)

Andon Cerbone - Wing/Center - Youngstown Phantoms

Cerbone was a great role player for the Steel last year in his first year of draft eligibility, but ultimately a lack of consistent production, combined with his lack of size, caused him to slide through the draft. This year, he started the year well as a leader on a weak Omaha team, but it was a move to Youngstown that really ignited him. Cerbone has been one of the best players in the USHL in the second half, operating at well over a point per game with the Phantoms. Cerbone is skilled, intelligent, and competitive. He makes up for his lack of size by consistently outworking opposing defenders to pucks and to space. The only issue is that he’s not a dynamic skater and that muddles his projection. Heading to Quinnipiac (after decommitting from Michigan) next year, Cerbone is the type of player who will need three or four years of college to prepare for the pro level, but the Bobcats program should be perfect for that.

Cameron Korpi - Goaltender - Tri-City Storm

Once upon a time, Korpi was considered to be one of the best ‘04 born goaltenders in the United States. He came into his draft year with really high expectations, but he really struggled in the USHL with Muskegon and found himself out of the league to start this season. Rather than sulk, he went to work in the NAHL, performing extremely well with Oklahoma. This has resulted in Korpi getting another crack at the USHL with Tri-City and thus far the results have been outstanding. After growing a lot over the last few years, it seems Korpi has finally found more control over his athleticism, refining his technical approach to create more consistent results. If he can close out the year well for Tri-City, the Western Michigan University commit may have a real shot of being selected this time through. (Brock Otten)

Ethan Whitcomb - Wing - Muskegon Lumberjacks

Whitcomb comes into the 2022-2023 season having not heard his name called at the 2022 NHL Draft last summer. In his first season with the Lumberjacks, he registered 16 points in 44 games as a rookie and has followed it up with 30 points in 35 games, good enough for second on the team in scoring. The 18-year-old Whitcomb is solid and listed at 6’4” and 195 pounds, and is a decent skater, with good hands. He participated at the World Junior A Challenge at the beginning of this season finishing with five points in six games to help Team USA bring home the gold medal. Whitcomb then joined team Blue at the 2023 Biosteel All-American prospect game, where he went pointless, but had a handful of opportunities that missed the mark. The St. Catharines, Ontario native is a May baby and because of his big frame, may take some time to develop, so there may be a possibility of an NHL team taking a chance on him in the later rounds of the draft. (Mark Dube)

Chase Pietila - Defense - Youngstown Phantoms

Pietila is a product of the Honeybaked program out of Michigan, where he skated alongside Frank Nazar (Chicago Blackhawks) and Cole Spicer (Boston Bruins) during his U15 AAA season. During that year, he was highly touted because he posted 64 points in 61 games from the back end. Pietila is a mobile and physical two-way defenseman with decent size, listed at 6’1” and 181 pounds. The Michigan Tech commit has spent the last two seasons with the Phantoms and is having a successful outing, putting up 26 points in 43 games thus far. Pietila will be hard pressed to get selected at the 2023 NHL Draft but may make a name for himself with a more offensive role playing for the Huskies (at Michigan Tech) next year, much like his brothers did before him. (Mark Dube)

NCAA

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - OCTOBER 01: Minnesota Gophers defenseman Luke Mittelstadt (20) shoots the puck during the college hockey game between the Lindenwood Lions and the Minnesota Gophers on October 1st, 2022, at 3M Arena at Mariucci in Minneapolis, MN. (Photo by Bailey Hillesheim/Icon Sportswire)
Tyler Duke - Defense - Ohio State

Ranked 132nd by McKeen’s hockey last cycle, Duke didn’t hear his name called at the 2022 NHL draft, and just taking one look at his profile it’s easy to see why. While size is becoming less and less of a relevant factor when projecting the NHL viability of defensemen, it remains an extremely important consideration for most NHL teams and evaluators. There simply is not a long enough track record of players who play like Duke making the NHL at his size. It’s unfortunate because there are a ton of elements to Duke’s game to enjoy. He’s a hard-working, engaged defender who doesn’t let his stature stop him from being an impactful defenseman in his own end. He’s more than willing to engage physically, and his willingness to play a hard game despite physical limitations at the college level is reminiscent of Columbus Blue Jackets blueliner Nick Blankenburg, who at five-foot-nine has turned himself into a viable NHL option despite a similar size profile to Duke. If Duke can follow the Blankenburg path to the NHL and retain his intelligence, value in transition, and defensive effort, he can find his way to higher levels of hockey. But where the NHL draft is concerned, there are few defensemen of his size with his scoring numbers to be selected, especially in their second year of eligibility. While Duke may have to go another year without hearing his name called, there are definitely far less worthy investments to make with a draft pick than investing it in Duke and Duke’s continued development. (Ethan Hetu)

Luke Mittelstadt - Defense - University of Minnesota

Another brother of an NHL talent, Luke Mittelstadt’s play has steadily improved since the draft season he spent with his high school. Mittelstadt spent his first year as an undrafted player in the USHL, leading the Madison Capitals in scoring. He then went to his brother Casey’s old stomping grounds for this season and has excelled as a Minnesota Gopher. Now, in his final season of draft eligibility, Mittelstadt stands his best chance of being drafted yet. At five-foot-eleven, 175 pounds Mittelstadt isn’t bringing rare size to a team’s blueline, but he’s a smart, quick defenseman who is of particular value in the areas of generating zone exits. While he may not fit the traditional view of a defensively valuable defenseman, Mittelstadt fits the more modern expectations of how blueliners can contribute in their own end. Offensively, Mittelstadt isn’t without some skill, but he’s not shown himself to be an overwhelming talent with the puck on his stick. He can make the right reads and fire off quality passes in order to support his teammates but expecting him to create for himself or deceive opponents on his own would be folly. Important to note is that Mittelstadt’s game has developed enough for him to be selected to represent his country at the 2022 World Junior Championships, and his overall profile suggests he could become a reliable if decidedly unflashy bottom-pairing defenseman if things break right. (Ethan Hetu)

Matt Copponi - Center - Merrimack College

Just as Merrimack has surprised many to become one of the better teams in Hockey East this season, Matt Copponi has been quite the surprise, surging in both productivity and role to become a viable draft prospect in his third year of eligibility to be selected. After COVID-19 cost Copponi his final season of high school hockey, which left him with virtually no chance at selection at the 2021 draft. Last season, Copponi’s missed season seemed to have cost him on the ice, as he wasn’t nearly the type of difference-maker he is as a sophomore as a freshman. This year, as 2020 New York Islanders pick Alex Jefferies has stolen the show, Copponi has more quietly placed himself among Merrimack’s better offensive players. Despite not being the biggest or strongest center, Copponi attacks the net and uses the inside of the ice more frequently than one might expect. He’s a diligent hunter of any opportunity he can find, and while he was relatively anonymous in his first year, his hard work is finally paying off. Will it result in being selected at the draft in the summer? Hard to say, as his size and strength profile combined with only so-so skating will conspire to hurt him in the eyes of many pro evaluators, but the offensive skill is definitely there, and he’s starting to pop. He’s having exactly the type of season he needed to have to enter the draft conversation, but it remains to be seen if there’s a team willing to take the leap on him. (Ethan Hetu)

Davis Burnside - Wing - Ohio State

As of writing this, Burnside is among the nation’s leaders in freshman goal scoring with the Buckeyes this year. His transition to the NCAA level has been seamless. His profile is an extremely complete one. He skates well. He competes hard. He is an intelligent two-way player who can kill penalties. There was some concern that his offensive abilities wouldn’t translate well to the NCAA level, but that obviously hasn’t been the case. There is definitely a chance that Burnside could develop into a capable bottom six player at the NHL level and there is no doubt that NHL scouts may circle back to him similar to how they did with Dominic James last year. (Brock Otten)

Bennett Schimek - Wing - Providence College

A skilled and elusive attacker, Schimek has become a go-to offensive player for the Friars in his freshman year. He has clearly worked hard to improve his quickness and has become a more focused and determined player off the puck. He has developed into an excellent forechecker and Schimek has found a way to attack inside the dots at the NCAA level too. Armed with an excellent release and the puck skill to beat defenders one on one, NHL scouts should be extremely impressed with how quickly he has become a top six forward on a strong program, outperforming several NHL draft picks. (Brock Otten)

Charles-Alexis Legault - Defense - Quinnipiac University

Legault is unquestionably an enigma. He has bounced around a whack of teams over the last few years and there is no question that the pandemic affected his development in a negative way. We’ve written about Legault before at McKeen’s Hockey because his combination of size, mobility, and physical aggressiveness from the right side makes him extremely intriguing. However, consistency has always been an issue for this former highly touted minor hockey prospect. This year feels a bit different. He’s playing well as a freshman for one of the top teams in the NCAA and he seems to finally understand how to refine his game to be a consistent asset in the defensive end. The athletic tools are so good. If he’s not drafted, you just know that teams will be lining up to sign him in three years when he has figured it out further. (Brock Otten)

Jacob Guevin - Defense - University of Nebraska-Omaha

The 20-year-old Guevin enters this 22-23 season playing at the collegiate level for the Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks after having been passed up in the last two NHL Drafts, although having made the NHL Central Scouting final rankings at 56 in 2021 and 173 in 2022. He is second among defensemen in scoring on his team with 15 points in 31 games. Guevin is a smooth skating and agile right-handed defender, with offensive upside to his game. In his draft year 20-21, he was named to the USHL All-Rookie team while playing for the Muskegon Lumberjacks and recorded an impressive 45 points in 53 games, good enough to lead his team among defensemen. The Drummondville, Quebec native followed up that rookie campaign notching 57 points in 59 games in his second season for the Lumberjacks, earning him a spot on the USHL 2nd All-Star Team. Time is running out for Guevin to be selected for the NHL Draft, but like his overager counterparts there’s a good chance he finds success in some professional hockey league at the lower levels. (Mark Dube)

NAHL

Adam Gajan - Goaltender - Chippewa Steel

Spending most of his year of first draft eligibility in Slovakia’s junior circuit, Gajan didn’t exactly have the brightest stage to show off what he could do. He finally got exactly that at the World Juniors, where he stole the show for Slovakia, posting a .936 save percentage in four games, winning the award for Best Goaltender. He had officially announced his commitment to Minnesota-Duluth earlier that month and has slowly raised his standing to the point where it seems highly unlikely that he won’t hear his name called at this next NHL draft. Gajan offers the size teams covet from their goalies and moves surprisingly well for someone that big. He’s confident in his net, able to square up to shooters and challenge them. While it was admittedly a small sample of games, the World Juniors showed that Gajan was able to take a significant moment and rise up to it, which is an important aspect of the mental side of goaltending. There’s still so much development that needs to happen here before his pro future is even a consideration, but he’ll thankfully have a long runway to work with in the NCAA. Teams are always in need of an infusion of talent to their goaltending pipeline, so at this point, it would be quite a surprise for Gajan to go undrafted once again, even though he’s spending most of this season in the NAHL rather than the USHL. (Ethan Hetu)

 

]]> https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2023-nhl-draft-chances-part-united-states-2nd-3rd-year-nhl-draft-re-entry-candidates/feed/ 0 2022 NHL DRAFT: The Best of the Rest – 20 undrafted players to keep an eye on https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2022-nhl-draft-rest-20-undrafted-players-eye/ https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2022-nhl-draft-rest-20-undrafted-players-eye/#respond Sat, 23 Jul 2022 16:30:51 +0000 https://www.mckeenshockey.com/?p=177228 Read More... from 2022 NHL DRAFT: The Best of the Rest – 20 undrafted players to keep an eye on

]]> Every year the NHL draft comes and goes and around 220 players are drafted to NHL teams. However, there are always players who do not get drafted that many believe should have been. This year we are going to highlight 20 undrafted players and what their next steps should be. This year was a good example of why it pays to continue to work hard and improve even if you go undrafted, as many overaged draft eligible players were selected throughout rounds 2-7.

Now to get the list started:

Cole Knuble, F

McKeen’s Hockey Rank for 2022: 90

Scouting report:

Cole is the son of former NHLer Mike Knuble and possesses similar qualities to his father. He may not have gained the size of his father, but he inherited his offensive awareness and finishing ability. Knuble has a strong motor which he applies in all three zones often showing his willingness to forecheck and backcheck consistently.  Knuble can improve on his lateral quickness, his strength and physicality and his explosiveness in his first step.

What’s next?

Knuble has been invited to the Red Wings’ development camp, the same team who drafted his father Mike in 1991. He will attend the University of Notre Dame next year and look to round out his two-way game. Notre Dame has been known to help players develop a strong two-way game while improving their physicality. He should be a strong candidate for a re-entry selection next year if he can improve with Notre Dame.

Niks Fenenko, D

McKeen’s Hockey Rank for 2022: 99

Scouting report:

Niks Fenenko was the former first overall selection in last year’s CHL import draft, and that move turned out to be rewarding as he finished with 40 points in 62 games as a defenceman. Fenenko has some raw physical tools and has shown promise on both sides of the ice. Offensively, he exhibits good playmaking vision, a strong shot and solid four-way mobility to allow him to maneuver on the blueline. Defensively, he uses his tall frame to tighten gaps well, while combining it with his ability to generate power with his stride.

What’s next?

It is unclear if Fenenko will attend any development camp. Next year, Fenenko will look to continue to gain confidence as an offensive defender for Baie-Comeau of the QMJHL. As a late-August birthday, there is still so much room for Fenenko to grow into his 6’1” frame and enhance his ability to use his body to defend as well as protect the puck. If he is able to grow physically and gain more confidence handling the puck, Fenenko will be a sought-after re-entry selection.

Yoan Loshing, F

McKeen’s Hockey Rank for 2022: 106

Scouting report:

Loshing is an undersized forward who has a strong ability to push pace and a wickedly powerful wrist shot, paired with a shot first mentality. His style of play resonates with a high energy forward, always looking to pounce on turnovers and use his speed to advance play. His strong motor and tenacity make up for his lack of size. In order to take the next step in his development, he needs to add strength to his frame, so he can win more board battles and protect the puck longer, hopefully unlocking more of his playmaking ability that was exhibited this year.

What’s next?

Loshing looks to step into a more prominent role for the somewhat rebuilding Moncton Wildcats. If he is able to add strength and be more active in all three zones, there is a chance he will be able to hear his name called in the 2023 entry draft.

Markus Vidicek, F

McKeen’s Hockey Rank for 2022: 109

Scouting report:

Like many undrafted forwards, Vidicek is another undersized winger with speed and intelligence to slow the game down. After struggling to produce at the start of the year, a strong second half really boosted the stock of Vidicek entering the draft. Vidicek is a consistent hard worker with strong intensity and effort level. Although he may not have size, Vidicek always looks to attack the middle of the ice and position himself in high-danger areas of the ice. His ability to scan the ice and identify the optimal passing lane is something that stands out when watching Vidicek. If he is able to strengthen his frame and add some more explosiveness to his skating, he could enjoy a strong DY+1 season.

What’s next?

There are rumours that Vidicek declined an invitation to Arizona’s development camp in order to focus on preparing for the upcoming season for the Halifax Mooseheads. If Vidicek is able to build off the strong second half of last season and improve his strength and speed, Vidicek would be fairly sought after as a re-entry selection.

Marcus Nguyen, F

McKeen’s Hockey Rank for 2022: 110

Scouting report:

Nguyen stood out this year on a strong Portland team, while playing in a depth role. He is another high energy winger who excels using his combination of speed and tenacity. Nquyen is one of the fastest draft eligible players out of the WHL this year, as he is able to generate power with his first few strides, be active in the forecheck and push pace in transition. On top of his speed, Nguyen is not afraid to attack the dirty areas of the ice, often engaging in physical battles even as someone who is 5’10. Finally, his goal scoring ability is a plus-attribute of his, he has a strong shot, good shot selection and the offensive instincts to be in dangerous shooting lanes.

What’s next?

Nguyen has been invited to the Toronto Maple Leafs’ development camp and looks to showcase his talent. He will be playing another season with Portland Winterhawks, this time hopefully in a larger role to display his speed and goal scoring ability. Nguyen has an August birthday, meaning he was one of the youngest prospects in this draft. A larger sample size and another year of development could be enough for a team to take a flyer on Nguyen in next year’s entry draft.

Beau Jelsma of the Barrie Colts. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Beau Jelsma, F

McKeen's Hockey Rank for 2022: 112

Scouting Report:

Jelsma is a high energy forward who is always on the attack. He uses his strong skating ability to apply pressure on the forecheck and the backcheck, in addition to pushing the pace with the puck on his stick in transition. He has a good shot and profiles as a solid, pesky, complementary goal scorer. A lack of size and strength prevented him from being more consistent this year for an underwhelming Barrie Colts team.

What's Next?

Jelsma will attend the Toronto Maple Leafs’ development camp as a camp invitee. He will then return to Barrie of the OHL next season and will receive top six ice time. This should give him a shot to seriously improve his production and put himself back on the draft radar.

Brayden Schuurman, F

McKeen's Hockey Rank for 2022: 115

Scouting Report:

Schuurman is another undersized scoring forward, who finished with 54 points in 68 games for a struggling Victoria Royals team. Schuurman’s game is reliant on his ability to anticipate play in the offensive zone and use his offensive awareness to find the soft area of the ice. He is a strong shooting threat in high-danger areas both in the slot and around the crease. His hockey intelligence allows him to compete in all three zones, projecting him as a middle-six scorer if he can overcome his lack of size.

What’s next?

Schuurman was invited to join the Edmonton Oilers’ development camp. The hope is for Schuurman to continue to lead a young Royals team and aim for a playoff spot this year. Schuurman will have a large role cut out for him and should help his draft stock next year.

Ilya Kvochko, F

McKeen's Hockey Rank for 2022: 118

Scouting Report:

Kvochko, while undersized, is an energetic, creative and smart two-way centre. Kvochko has a good motor and never takes a shift off. His edgework is refined and he has good linear speed to help push the pace of play. His intelligence allows him to read the ice well and position himself to alter momentum in his team’s favour. Like almost every undersized forward, Kvochko could use some growth in his strength.

What’s next?

The Russian factor this year has really harmed Russian players’ chances of being selected in the NHL entry draft. It does not help that Russians are currently banned from being selected in the CHL Import draft as it would have been beneficial for Kvochko to come over to North America and develop. The Russian factor brings an uncertainty as to whether Kvochko will be selected, however if he is not selected in the following years, he could be an interesting UDFA down the line.

Maxim Arefyev, G

McKeen's Hockey Rank for 2022: 121

Scouting Report:

Arefyev is a re-entry prospect from the 2021 NHL entry draft. Over the span of this past year, he has grown in height to an impressive 6’4”. He played the entire year for poor Sakhalinskiye Akuly of the MHL, finishing the year with a 3.27 GAA, .916 SV% and an 11-30 record. The SV% is indicative that he played better than his record and GAA may show. If he was in front of a better team maybe he would have had stronger numbers. That being said, at times he can take himself out of position in net and he overcommits consistently. He is still very raw and has good athleticism for a goaltender his size.

What’s next?

There is a chance Arefyev gets a shot in the VHL next year against tougher competition and potentially with a better team. On top of his stats, there is also an added Russian Factor and who knows if that will still be as prominent going into the draft nest year. If he goes undrafted, he will be someone to keep an eye out for a potential UDFA signing as goalies are always unpredictable.

RED DEER, ALBERTA - DECEMBER 26: USA vs Slovakia preliminary round action at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship at WP Centrium on December 26, 2021 in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Matt Zambonin/HHOF-IIHF Images)

Maros Jedlicka, F

McKeen's Hockey Rank for 2022: 124

Scouting Report:

Another re-entry candidate, Jedlicka absolutely boosted his draft stock after spending a full year playing against men in the Slovak top league against men. The 19-year-old winger produced 38 points in 44 games, topping number 2 overall pick Simon Nemec in points. Jedlicka is like a jack of all trades, using his intelligence, speed and physicality to help in all situations. He is surprisingly quick given his size and has enough puck skills to complement his speedy-power forward build.

What’s Next?

All signs point to Jedlicka spending another year in the top Slovak men’s league. If he can stay healthy for a full season, unlike last year when his season unfortunately ended due to a knee injury, we could see Jedlicka generating more draft buzz. Another factor is his international play, if he can produce more in competitions like the World Juniors, teams may be more inclined to dig into his game.

Spencer Sova, D

McKeen's Hockey Rank for 2022: 126

Scouting Report:

While Sova may have underproduced this year in the OHL, he still has some intriguing attributes. One of the top four-way mobility skaters in the draft this year, Sova uses his smooth skating to catch up to attackers and quickly transition the puck. Sova played for Team Canada in the U18’s this year and showed his ability to use his speed to defend and transition. There is still work needed to be done on his offensive game, only producing 28 points in 64 OHL games this year.

What’s Next?

Spencer Sova was invited to the Buffalo Sabres’ development camp, looking to be given an opportunity to sign as a free agent. Sova will be back in Erie, looking to build on his season last year. He was already given a large role, maybe too early and hopefully he can capitalize on the large role this year. If there are signs of improvement in his offensive game, teams may be willing to take a flyer on him as a re-entry next year.

Owen Van Steensel, F

McKeen's Hockey Rank for 2022: 130

Scouting Report:

Van Steensel is a high-energy winger who possesses good speed and tenacity. He fits the mold of the ideal modern-day bottom-six winger. He is very physical, an aggressive forechecker and plays solid defensively in his own end. The downside of Van Steensel is his lack of offensive production. While he provides a ton of value and could carve out a bottom-six role at the next level, there is hope he can elevate his offensive game, specifically his ability to create for himself. He has a strong motor and good speed but cannot create in tight spaces.

What’s Next?

Van Steensel exceled in the high-energy role for North Bay last year. If he can step up offensively and drive some offence himself, it could lead to many teams being interested in his services. He has all the tools to become a bottom-six winger in the NHL.

Tyler Duke, D

McKeen's Hockey Rank for 2022: 132

Scouting Report:

Duke is one of the unsung heroes of the USNTDP team. Often overshadowed by bigger names such as Seamus Casey, Ryan Chesley and Lane Hutson, Duke provided a ton of value in both the defensive end and in transition. The biggest caveat with Duke is his lack of size, standing at 5’9”. While he may be small, his game stands out whenever someone is watching him. His best attribute is high-end awareness in both areas of the ice, often able to read play a couple steps ahead. He is the perfect complementary defender. If he is able to grow and refine his offensive skill, only producing 18 points in 54 games, Duke may be a hot commodity in the later rounds of next year’s draft.

What’s Next?

Duke was invited to the Toronto Maple Leafs’ Development camp. The Leafs often look for players with high-end awareness. There is a chance he is given a contract out of development camp if they see enough that they like. There is currently speculation on where he will end up playing for the 2022-2023 season. Will it be in the NCAA route playing for Ohio State or will he go to the OHL?

Kocha Delic, F

McKeen's Hockey Rank for 2022: 134

Scouting Report:

Delic is an all-around two-way forward who can be utilized both down the middle and on the wing. A tad over shadowed by David Goyette this year in Sudbury, Delic showed improvement to his off-puck game often relying on his good stick and awareness. He constantly disrupts passing lanes in both transition and the defensive zone. He has decent quickness and can make an impact in all three zones. His playmaking has also seen some improvement, especially when his chemistry with Goyette improved. If he can improve his puck skills, he has the ceiling of a middle-six forward.

What’s Next?

Delic is set to return to Sudbury where he will continue to play alongside David Goyette. As a rookie, Delic put up under a point per game, with his playmaking and assist numbers picking up near the end. As Sudbury is going to improve this year, Delic should also improve. If his production can get to around a point per game, while continuing to show his strong two-way game, Delic will be in the conversation for the 2023 entry draft.

Matthew Ward, F

McKeen's Hockey Rank for 2022: 137

Scouting Report:

Ward is an undersized skilled forward, standing at 5’7”. He utilizes his puck skills and offensive awareness to open up lanes for himself and his teammates. On top of his skills, he also is a decent skater with good agility and edge work. Ward makes up for his lack of size but outworking and outhustling the oppositions. While he started off the WHL season hot, he really hit a wall in the second half and struggled to produce. This ultimately lowered his draft stock and resulted in him going undrafted.

What’s Next?

Ward was invited to the Toronto Maple Leafs’ development camp. The Leafs are usually not afraid to sign and look at undersized forwards. Expectations for Ward is for him to return to Swift Current and grow as an athlete. If he can add more strength to his frame and show consistency with his production, there is a chance a team will take a late round flyer on him.

Brady Stonehouse, F

McKeen's Hockey Rank for 2022: 139

Scouting Report:

Standing at 5’9”, Stonehouse is a real pest and a pain in the side of opposing teams. While he may be undersized it does not stop him from grinding in the pesky corners and battling for pucks. Stonehouse brings a ton of versatility to the plate as a high-energy winger. He is always in attack mode, hunting for the puck and has proven to be valuable off the puck. Stonehouse can also transition the puck, showing he can play both with pace and hesitation. His offensive skills do need improvement if he wants to make it to the NHL, especially his shot.

What’s Next?

Stonehouse was invited to the Stanley Cup Champion’s Colorado Avalanche’s development camp. Stonehouse is likely going back to Ottawa, where he will look to take a larger role on his team. If he can show improvement in the offensive zone, while keeping his high-energy play, it is possible a team will take a flyer and bank on him becoming a strong bottom-six option.

Pano Fimis, F

McKeen's Hockey Rank for 2022: 164

Scouting Report:

Entering the year, Fimis was in conversation of being a 2nd round selection in this NHL draft. However, inconsistent play this year for Niagara, made teams shy away from him. Fimis is a skilled playmaking centre who excels with his vision in transition. Even while attacking, Fimis always has his head up to scan the ice for the right play. The concern for Fimis is his speed and explosiveness are only average and he can be easily muscled off the puck.

What’s Next?

Fimis was invited to the Toronto Maple Leafs’ development camp. He will most likely be back in Niagara, looking to improve on his rookie OHL season. If he can add some strength to his frame and improve his explosiveness and puck protection, Fimis could be a re-entry selection.

Hugo Havelid, G

McKeen's Hockey Rank for 2022: 167

Scouting Report:

Hoping to hear his name like his twin brother Mattias, Hugo Havelid unfortunately did not. Havelid had a remarkable season in the Swedish Junior league posting a 1.82 GAA and .920 SV% while winning 21 of 28 games. On top of his success in Sweden, he was also by far the best goalie at the U18 tournament and won the award for top goaltender. So why didn’t he get selected? He is only 5’10” which means he is on a do not draft list for majority of NHL teams.

What’s Next?

Hugo Havelid will go back to Sweden and continue to improve on his amazing season this year. Hopefully he will get the opportunity to play in the SHL and prove that despite his size he can play against men. If he has another strong season, it would be a shock to see him go undrafted for a second time.

Lukas Gustafsson, D

McKeen's Hockey Rank for 2022: 170

Scouting Report:

Gustafsson is already a re-entry player being eligible for the 2021 NHL Draft. There was some hope that after getting an increasingly larger role with Chicago Steel he would be selected but unfortunately, he has gone undrafted once again. Gustafsson thrived in his increased role this year showing how his skating and playmaking ability can combine for a strong transition and offensive defenceman. He put up 38 points in 59 games as a defenceman for the Steel. He showed his ability to quarterback a power play as well as be relied on in the defensive end with his active stick. His lack of size is a reason why NHL teams are scared off on selecting him.

What’s Next?

Gustafsson is committed to Boston College and will go there in hopes to strengthen his frame and grow as a defenceman. He has one last year to show why an NHL team should take a late flyer on him, however even if he is not selected, he could become a coveted UDFA later on.

Jere Lassila, F

McKeen's Hockey Rank for 2022: 185

Scouting Report:

Lassila lit it up in international competition this year. Most notably finishing the U18’s with 8 points in 6 games. Lassila is known mostly for his skills and smarts, often scanning the ice and having the skills to finish off the play he reads. He has great poise with the puck, understanding where the play needs to be. The limitation on his ability is his poor physicality and speed. Standing at 5’9”, Lassila could afford to strengthen up to improve his explosiveness and his puck protection.

What’s Next?

It is likely that Lassila will spend another season in the U20 Finnish league. If he can add strength to his frame he may get a promotion to JYP’s Liiga team. There is always a chance a high skilled forward like Lassila will explode and make teams wonder why they didn’t select him in the previous draft.

]]> https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2022-nhl-draft-rest-20-undrafted-players-eye/feed/ 0 2022 NHL DRAFT: USA – Tyler Duke, D, U.S. NTDP https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2022-nhl-draft-usa-tyler-duke-d-u-s-ntdp/ https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2022-nhl-draft-usa-tyler-duke-d-u-s-ntdp/#respond Sun, 03 Jul 2022 18:00:20 +0000 https://www.mckeenshockey.com/?p=177061 Read More... from 2022 NHL DRAFT: USA – Tyler Duke, D, U.S. NTDP

]]> Tyler Duke has not been a major point producer on a talented NTDP blueline, but his intelligence in the transition game has made him an important piece of this year’s U18 team. His 5’9” frame is likely to detract from his draft stock, but Duke handles himself very well in physical battles and has no trouble going back to retrieve pucks. His ability to read the forecheck, find space for himself, and break the puck out effectively could make him a useful NHL defenceman, even if he never logs big minutes or handles top opposition. He could become a fixture in the lower half of a team’s top-six defensive corps, roles which are increasingly dedicated to skillful players with transition acumen rather than the physical defenders of years past.

Lane Hutson, a teammate with the NTDP, is an inch shorter than Duke and about thirty pounds lighter but is considerably more of an offensive weapon: Hutson has over a point per game for the U18s this season, compared to Duke’s 16 points in 46 games. Considering their similarity in height, Hutson may serve as a ceiling for Duke’s hopes at the draft. Hutson provides similar transitional skill and increased offensive output, so it seems unlikely that he would be drafted later than his teammate. With Hutson not tracking as a first-round calibre prospect at this point in time, we may not see Duke drafted until the third round or later in June.

Duke’s redeeming factor may just be his physicality, a surprising factor for a 5’9” defenceman. His ability to knock opposing players around in both USHL and NCAA fields has been impressive and provides hope that, despite his frame, Duke could be a very serviceable defender in the NHL. His aggressive neutral zone defence could prove to be an integral part of his overall influence during the minutes that he plays: if Duke can consistently force opponents to dump the puck in against him and then use his intelligence to go back and break that puck out of his zone, he should be able to find a role in the NHL.

Tyler Duke. Photo by Rena Laverty.

Tyler Duke Date of Birth: 2004-07-19
Position: D, Shoots: L H/W: 5'9", 179lbs
Stats to Date: (GP-G-A-PTS-PIMS) NTDP U18, (46-3-13-16-91)

Skating

Duke’s skating projects to be fairly average. He’s not a poor skater, by any means, and he has some evasive ability from forecheckers, but his top speed isn’t particularly good, and it limits his ability to separate from backcheckers in the neutral zone. Duke likes to activate offensively and finds himself carrying the puck into the offensive zone quite frequently, but he poses little threat to push defenders back or beat them wide and so he generally looks to move possession to a teammate as soon as he gains the line.

He achieves a bit of separation with his first few steps here, but is unable to sustain it and gets caught by the backchecker.

This one is an excellent breakout play to create a controlled entry. Duke activates into a supporting location, gets the puck, and manages to enter the zone wide. He doesn’t have the speed to continue down the wall, so he drops the puck back to a teammate.

And another very similar looking play:

Duke is mobile enough. He’s able to make the initial play, using agility and horizontal movement to wind his way through the neutral zone. He’s fairly effective at generating controlled entries at the USHL level. It is clear, though, that the threat of Duke’s skating does not extend past the entry. He won’t beat defenders wide or skate circles around the offensive zone– he’s just not fast enough.

Grade: 50

Shot

Duke doesn’t have a particularly powerful shot– no real surprise considering his stature. Going back to 2017-18, the most goals he’s scored in a season is five, so he’s not much of a scorer. Duke does deserve credit for how he employs his shot though. He’s mobile on the blueline, able to move laterally to open shooting lanes and eager to take as much space in front of him as the defence will give him. As a result, some of his “point shots” end up being much closer to the ringette line than the blue.

Duke has a nice release too, often dragging the puck into his skates to try to find that little bit of extra deception that can sufficiently compensate for his lack of power. This is a terrific goal: Duke receives a pass, walks it in about as far as he can go, and then shoots out of that stickhandling motion as he sneaks it in far side.

 

This release was impressive. He opens up to the pass, receives it, stickhandles once as he moves around the defender, then shoots once the lane opens up.

Even then, Duke struggles to beat goaltenders cleanly. This is an impressive play, going right into the core of the defending team as he takes as much space as he can, but he still requires a little bit of luck to get this one past the goalie.

Duke won’t score much in the NHL, but he does demonstrate intelligent techniques to maximize the utility of his shot. Additional strength could yield improvements in power, but Duke’s already built quite well for his height.

Grade: 45

Smarts

Duke is an intelligent player who employs his skills very well. We just saw an example of that in how he utilizes his shot, smartly getting as close to the net as he can before shooting to compensate for a lack of power. He carries a similarly thoughtful approach to other elements of his game. He has a strong command of the breakout game, largely due to his ability to read an opposing forecheck. Here, he sees all three forecheckers in the middle of the ice and so he reverses course and exits up the wall.

Here’s the inverse: Duke recognizes that F1 and F2 are both on the wall, so he exits up the wide-open middle.

He calmly draws two forecheckers to him, then distributes to his winger. When you can get multiple forecheckers to pursue you, you will more than likely have a very open pass option. Duke finds that option here.

Duke plays a fast-paced game. A lot of defencemen will be quite stationary as they assess their options, which actually ends up limiting their choices as the forecheck can easily enclose them. Duke gets his feet moving as soon as he receives the puck, forcing the forecheck to respond to a moving puck carrier. Even as the last man with a forechecker on his back, Duke immediately turns up ice and gets the puck moving towards the opposing goal.

That high pace creates counter opportunities for his team when the opposition isn’t expecting such a quick turn-around.

Grade: 60

Skills

Duke has a pretty decent set of hands; that is evident from some of the release clips in the shooting section. However, he’s not much of a dangler.

There are some evasive qualities to Duke’s game though, largely powered by his deceptiveness. It’s not puck moves that he’ll use to beat you, but he’ll employ agile changes of direction, head fakes, and other misdirection to sneak past opposing players. This quick stop-and-turn loses the forechecker.

This crafty pass-fake allows Duke to just barely squeeze past the defender on the boards, giving him a lane towards the slot.

Just a slight feint towards the middle is enough to put the forechecker on his heels and give Duke a lane on the outside.

It doesn’t take more than a slight misdirection to lose a forechecker or beat a defender, and that often holds true in the NHL too. With how rush-oriented today’s game is, NHL teams don’t want forecheckers getting caught deep in the offensive zone and so even the slightest fake pass can often be enough to cause a forechecker to sweep right past the defenceman carrying the puck. It’s extremely difficult to find space on the breakout without consistently employing some type of deception to counter forecheckers. Duke uses it well, and will have to continue using it if he wants to find space against bigger forecheckers at higher levels.

Grade: 50

Physicality/Compete

Duke has a surprising physical element to his game, impacting the game significantly more in that category than you would expect given his height. Duke is built quite solid and poses a fair amount of resistance to oncoming puck-carriers, especially in transition. He plays a tight gap through the neutral zone and is more interested in eliminating the puck-carrier from the play than he is in the puck, allowing him to line opponents up along the boards with impressive

He recognizes the importance of winning body position in puck battles. Duke seals his opponent into the boards here, earning himself free access to the loose puck.

It’s quite impressive for a 5’9” player to be throwing hits like this one.

This uber-aggressive rush defence mindset is really cool to see: Duke wants to stamp out opposing rush attempts before they get to dangerous areas, and he’s capable of using his body to enforce that strategy.

Duke will almost undoubtedly be less active in the physical game at the NHL level, where the size and strength gap between him and the field will only widen. He is already nearly 180 pounds and there’s likely not too much additional weight that can be added without his mobility being affected. Still, the aggressive mindset is there and Duke has demonstrated that he is not one to shy away from a physical confrontation.

Grade: 50

OFP: 52.25

Skating 50; Shot 45; Smarts 60; Skills 50; Physicality/Compete 50

A note on the 20-80 scale used above. 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

]]> https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2022-nhl-draft-usa-tyler-duke-d-u-s-ntdp/feed/ 0 MCKEEN’S 2022 NHL DRAFT GUIDE – 15 TOP SLEEPERS – McKeen’s team choice https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/mckeens-2022-nhl-draft-guide-15-top-sleepers-mckeens-team-choice/ https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/mckeens-2022-nhl-draft-guide-15-top-sleepers-mckeens-team-choice/#respond Wed, 22 Jun 2022 23:50:36 +0000 https://www.mckeenshockey.com/?p=176886 Read More... from MCKEEN’S 2022 NHL DRAFT GUIDE – 15 TOP SLEEPERS – McKeen’s team choice

]]> One of the questions consistently asked of us on social media is “who are your favourite sleepers this year?” The concept of a draft “sleeper,” or a player currently flying under the radar is something that fascinates many draft followers. Everyone has their favourite, so we asked our scouting team to supply theirs!

Director of Scouting - Brock Otten

George Fegeras

George Fegaras – D - North York Rangers, OJHL (52GP-13G-35A-48PTS)

Rank: 100

I remember watching Fegaras in his OHL draft year with Richmond Hill of the GTHL and thinking he had some terrific potential as a two-way blueliner once his athleticism improved to match his size. Two years later he was one of the best defenders in the OJHL as a U18 player. The four-way mobility has improved a lot. He is way less stiff now. He can quarterback a powerplay with a heavy point shot. He applies himself physically in the defensive end. The decision making and skill application are still raw, but the upside is pretty high. Like any player drafted out of the OJHL, patience will be required. He is going to play in the USHL next year and then head to Cornell the year after. But, I think he has a really unique skill set and profile.

Jake Richard – RW - Muskegon, USHL (56GP-18G-29A-47PTS)

Rank: 111

The fact that NHL Central Scouting chose not to rank him is mind boggling to me. He was one of the most improved players in the USHL from start to finish. The hands and skill down low are really high-end. He is terrific at creating time and space for himself. He was invisible in the first half but was one of the most productive draft eligible players from the USHL down the stretch. A lot of that has to do with how much his skating has already improved. It still has a way to go, but what he can do offensively is innate. The upside is there as the physical profile matures.

Brady Stonehouse – RW – Ottawa 67’s, OHL (68GP-18G-17A-35PTS)

Rank: 139

There are a lot of undersized, but high energy forwards available this year and Stonehouse is my favourite of them. He fits the exact mould of a Cal Clutterbuck type who can carve out a long NHL career. He skates well. He is a real pest who loves engaging physically and playing through the middle. He has a good shot and scoring instincts. He also has more individual skill than people give him credit for; he can create scoring chances in transition. As the Ottawa 67’s become a dominant force over the next few years, he’ll be right in the thick of that success. Stonehouse just screams longtime pro to me.

Grayson Badger – RW – Dexter Southfield School, USHS-Prep (24GP-9G-23A-32PTS), Southshore Kings 18U AAA (23GP-7G-9A-16PTS)

Rank: 158

He might be one of the better skating forwards available this year. Problem is, he plays in the prep loop and not a lot of people have seen him or read about him. How he applies his quickness gives him the profile of a strong bottom six forward at the NHL level. However, he can dazzle with skill at times too. The hands need to catch up to his feet. If they do, he could play way higher in the lineup. The upside here is tremendous if the right development team can unlock his athletic tools.

LANDSHUT, GERMANY - MAY 1: Czech Republic's Ondrej Becher #21 celebrates after scoring a first period goal against Finland during bronze medal game action at the 2022 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship at Fanatec Arena on May 1, 2022 in Landshut, Germany. (Photo by Chris Tanouye/HHOF-IIHF Images)

Ondrej Becher – C – AZ Havirov U20, Czechia U20 (45GP-22G-14A-36PTS)

Rank: 192

Becher was terrific at this year’s U18’s for Czechia and it made me go back and watch some of his games from back in the Czech leagues. What I see is a player with a real projectable frame and skill set. He has a real attacking mentality with the puck and his skating/quickness has the potential to be a standout quality. Consistency is an issue, but in terms of “diamonds in the rough” from Europe this year, Becher would be my favourite. He would really benefit from coming to play in the CHL next year. His game would translate really well, and I believe it would have a real positive affect on his development.

Central Europe Regional Scout - Chapin Landvogt

EDMONTON, ALBERTA - DECEMBER 27: Germany vs Czech Republic preliminary round action at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship at Rogers Place on December 27, 2021 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Andrea Cardin/HHOF-IIHF Images)

Alexander Blank – C – Krefield Pinguine, DEL  (48GP-5G-11A-16PTS)

Rank: Honorable Mention

Yes, the 5'11", 180-pounder is definitely an overager. Yes, he's relatively unknown to even the most studious prospect followers in North America. And yes, he's not been a big scorer since he was underwhelmed as a 17-year-old while tearing apart a B-level junior league simply to stick with the program his former national team father was coaching in. But the well-rounded Blank spent the 20-21 season putting his name on the map as one of the most effective U19 players in Germany's DEL. He then saw his role increase this season and made his way onto the WJC team, where he had three points in Germany's two games before the tourney was canceled. He's been with the men's national team along the way, even if he's rarely made the final cut. Now it's time to see if a team is ready to roll the dice on a kid who already has a ton of pro and international experience, while getting better and better every season, already a capable 3-zone player. No need to draw a blank if your favorite team takes this one with a later round pick. Just look forward to what he might bring to your organization's table.

Russian Regional Scout - Viktor Fomich

Ilya Rogovskiy

Ilya Rogovskiy – C – Loko Yaroslav, MHL (47GP-13G-14A-27PTS)

Rank: 151

Back in August 2021, during the Hlinka-Gretzky tournament, a slightly undersized center named Ilya Rogovskiy was among the top guys on the U18 Team Russia and certainly wasn’t under the radar, but as the MHL season started he has found himself buried in the depths of his team’s forward roster, which lead to people not talking too much about him. I’d say it shouldn’t be a reason to overlook his talents: to start, he is pretty mobile and has no issues with separating himself from a defenseman and pretty often he will use that space to fire a precise right-handed wrister. With that being said I would call Rogovskiy more of a pass-first player, as he possesses good vision, quick hands and overall understands the attacking game well enough to be a competent playmaker, not to mention that he is always willing to go to the dirty areas. There are things to work on though, such as defensive game, face-offs and, of course, getting stronger, but the offensive package here is something I see as totally worth the risk.

Slovak Regional Scout - Matej Deraj

RED DEER, ALBERTA - DECEMBER 26: USA vs Slovakia preliminary round action at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship at WP Centrium on December 26, 2021 in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Matt Zambonin/HHOF-IIHF Images)

Maroš Jedlička – C – HKM Zvolen, Slovakia (44GP-17G-21A-38PTS)

Rank: 124

If it wasn't for a knee injury, he would probably have made his presence known at the Men's World Championship in Finland, alongside three top prospects from his country. Juraj Slafkovský, Šimon Nemec, and Adam Sykora. Slafkovsky and Nemec are likely top five picks, but Maroš Jedlička aims to be selected in the middle rounds. As a first year overager, he had a great season in the Slovak top tier league. He's become the leading scorer among all U20 players in the league (including 1st round prospects Nemec and Filip Mešár) and his PPG is the 6th highest in history among junior players. Jedlička is a versatile forward able to play all three positions; he's a fast skater with great work ethic and plays rough. He is able to kill penalties and play in the bottom-six, but he can also create dangerous plays and be a threat in the offensive zone. His all-around abilities and mature game should be a good reason for him to be selected somewhere in the mid rounds. Jedlička projects as a middle-six physical winger who might be really useful for his team in various situations.

Quebec Regional Scout - Éloi Biondo

Samuel Savoie

Samuel Savoie – LW _ Gatineau Olympiques, QMJHL (64GP-18G-15A-33PTS) 

Rank: 133

My sleeper pick for this year’s class would be Samuel Savoie. The 5’10”, 190lbs centerman didn’t ink his name a ton on the scoresheet this year (33 points in 64 games), but he makes up for it with the smaller details of his game. The small forward is everywhere on the ice; he goes into traffic, battles hard in the corners, forechecks well, and complements these attributes with tremendous speed. The energy he brings to a team is precious, as he always seems to always have a smile on his face when he’s on the ice and constantly communicates and looks to motivate his teammates in more challenging moments. Sam also plays like a wrecking ball, as he won’t hesitate to lay out opponents on open ice despite his smaller frame. With the efforts and combativity that he displays night in and night out, I could see Savoie grind himself a spot into an NHL team’s bottom six in the future.

Video Scout - Sam Happi

Tyler Duke – D – U.S. National U18 Team, USDP (54GP-3G-15A-18PTS), USNTDP Juniors, USHL (24GP-2G-9A-11PTS)

Rank: 132

Duke is fighting an uphill battle as a 5’9” defenceman without spectacular offensive results, but he plays a surprisingly well-rounded game and can really make some plays in transition. He reads the forecheck very well, effectively diagnosing pressure and moving the puck away from it, allowing Duke to transport the puck forwards in an efficient and controlled manner. The defenceman isn’t an easy target on defence either, packing an impressive physical punch for his size. His physicality and aggressive defensive play is actually one of the highlights to his game. Duke doesn’t skate well enough or possess enough puck skill to strike anyone as a future top-pair defenceman, but there is room now for these efficient two-way puckmovers in the bottom half of a team’s blueline, even if they are small. That outcome would be a strong value for where Duke is projected to land at the draft.

Ontario Regional Scout - Dylan Krill

Owen Van Steensel of the North Bay Battalion. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Owen Van Steensel – LW – North Bay Battalion, OHL (66GP-10G-24A-34PTS) 

Rank: 130

Owen Van Steensel has been my favourite late-riser in the OHL. He started in the bottom six, bringing energy and playing a defensive role well, but he gained his coaches trust by taking advantage of offensive opportunities and became a regular in the top six, playing heavy minutes and in key situations, both on the power play and penalty kill. Despite his slow start, he was able to finish strong. In the new calendar year, he produced eight goals and 20 assists in the remaining 35 games of the season. Van Steensel plays with a bite and gets under the skin of opponents, but he’s very disciplined, only taking six penalties in 66 games. There’s a real possibility that he slips into the late rounds due to his lower point totals and the fact that he wasn’t listed on the final NHL Central Scouting Rankings. However, a team could come away with a steal if he drops too far.

Western Canada Regional Scout - Adam Girard

Bowden Singleton - Oktoks Oilers

Bowden Singleton – RW – Okotoks Oilers, AJHL (60GP-20G-39A-59PTS) 

Rank: Honorable Mentions

Reiger Lorenz tends to get most of the attention among NHL draft-eligible prospects in the AJHL, and rightfully so with the way he was able to be a dominant force in the league as a 2004-born forward. However, when watching Lorenz, it’s hard not to notice his Okotoks Oilers teammate and fellow draft-class member Bowden Singleton. Singleton kept pace with the offensive production of Lorenz for parts of the season, even though by the end of the year, the top ranked AJHL prospect was able to build more of a gap between the two.

Singleton's elusive skating and high-end playmaking abilities grab the attention of any spectator's eyes from the moment he hits the ice. He has continued to build on these abilities throughout his tenure in the AJHL, which allowed him to be among the top scorers in the league at just 17 years old. His top-end speed and strength may keep him out of going in the first three rounds, but a player with his instinct to find open ice and natural offensive abilities make him worth keeping on the radar for the later rounds of the NHL draft. While he may not be as NHL ready as other players available in this class, Singleton boasts great value in this range due to his NCAA eligibility and commitment to the University of North Dakota. This will allow him to continue to hone his skills toward building a pro-level style of game while playing for one of the top development programs in the NCAA. By the time Singleton comes out of university, he could be ready to make an impact for the organization that decides to target him on draft day this July.

Video Scout - Zack Szweras

Devin Kaplan – RW - U.S. National U18 Team, USDP (53GP-13G-35A-38PTS), USNTDP Juniors, USHL (22GP-8G-10A-18PTS)

Rank: 69

For my sleeper pick, I decided to go with USNTDP winger Devin Kaplan. The major hindrance on Kaplan’s game is his still raw skating ability and slow pace. However, what Kaplan lacks in quickness, he more than makes up for in his hockey sense, puck skills and physicality. He has played the role of a complementary two-way winger this season and has provided much needed defensive pressure and awareness to a team with loads of talented offensive-minded forwards. As an offensive player, Kaplan can bring a strong net-front presence, while helping out with puck battles down low using his large frame. On top of net-front, he also excels in the cycle, drawing pressure from oppositions before cycling the puck to his teammates. Any team, with the mindset of helping Kaplan improve his skating stride, should be eager to take a flier on this impactful two-way player in hopes of getting a middle-six winger who can play a large role on both special teams.

Head of Video Scouting - Will Scouch

Kenta Isogai – F – Youngstown Phantoms, USHL (59GP-10-12-22)

Rank: Honorable Mention

I absolutely adore this guy. He’s slender and can be soft under pressure at times, but I’m convinced if he were just a bit stronger and more built, he’d be highly regarded in the draft this year. He has been stuck with the Youngstown Phantoms battling for ice time, but Isogai brings speed, skill and confidence to the centre position that you just can’t ignore. He’s one of the more defensively involved and reliable forwards I’ve tracked, constantly hunting down puck carriers, applying pressure, and using skill and vision to turn play around. The production wasn’t there in the first part of the season, but I constantly feel like he’s “almost a thing” every time I see him play. He isn’t huge, but he’ll drop a shoulder and attack the net, and in full stride, he has the skill to embarrass USHL defenders. A player I’d love to nurture and let develop for years, Isogai is a pure skill/speed combo that may need to get stronger, but past a certain point in the draft becomes one of the more exciting names you could take a swing on, especially considering his relative youth with a late-August birthday.

Western Canada Regional Scout - Arlo Schulz

Hudson Thornton – D – Prince George Cougars, WHL (65GP-14G-31A-45PTS)

Rank: 182

Thornton quietly had a great season, posting 14 goals and 45 points in just 65 games from the blueline. Although undersized, Thornton is your prototypical new-era defenseman who skates and moves the puck well. He is a weapon in transition and loves to jump up into the play. He is adept at running the powerplay and is equally comfortable scoring or distributing the puck. As is usually the case with these kinds of prospects, Thornton's game in his own zone is rife with questionable decision making and a lack of strength. Unfortunately, Prince George has a poor track record of prospect development so it remains to be seen if Thornton can round out his game in the next couple of seasons, but there's no denying the talent is there. An exciting boom/bust prospect that represents plus value at the draft table for NHL teams in the middle rounds.

 

]]> https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/mckeens-2022-nhl-draft-guide-15-top-sleepers-mckeens-team-choice/feed/ 0 2022 IIHF U18 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP: Notes and Quotes – USA vs. Sweden, Gold Medal Game – Havelid leads composed Swedes to a championship https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2022-iihf-u18-world-championship-notes-quotes-usa-vs-sweden-gold-medal-game-havelid-leads-composed-swedes-championship/ https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2022-iihf-u18-world-championship-notes-quotes-usa-vs-sweden-gold-medal-game-havelid-leads-composed-swedes-championship/#respond Mon, 02 May 2022 20:13:05 +0000 https://www.mckeenshockey.com/?p=176204 Read More... from 2022 IIHF U18 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP: Notes and Quotes – USA vs. Sweden, Gold Medal Game – Havelid leads composed Swedes to a championship

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LANDSHUT, GERMANY - MAY 1: Sweden's Hugo Havelid #35 makes a against USA’s Gavin Brindley #16 during Gold Medal game action at the 2022 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship at Fanatec Arena in Landshut, Germany on May 1, 2022 (Photo by Matt Zambonin/HHOF-IIHF Images)

Notes & Quotes – SWE vs USA – Gold Medal Game

NOTES:

USA vs SWE for GOLD

Making a statement: The US came out firing on all cylinders and had Sweden back on their heels right from the get-go. The Ryan Leonard (2023) 1-0 goal at the 2:24 mark was absolute textbook, from the Devin Kaplan pass to the resounding force of that typical USNDTP determination. The goal followed several top-flight opportunities. At that point in time, it looked like this was going to be a long night for the Swedes.

Weathering the storm: What may arguably have ended up giving the Swedes the confidence they needed to win this game was how they not only persisted after allowing that first goal but calmed down the US momentum. You saw the calming influence of the Mathias Havelids, Calle Odelius’, and Jakob Norens of the world (all 2022). You saw the intelligent play of all three lines that were getting the bulk of the action. There was no throwing pucks away needlessly. The concentration was there. By the time the period had ended, it didn’t matter that a late US goal had tied it at two. It was clear to everyone in the stadium that the USA was not simply going to have its way with Sweden like it did so many other opponents throughout the tournament.

Right place, right time: Arguably the save of the day came from US defenseman Ryan Chesley, who otherwise had his least effective game of the tournament, like many of his colleagues. A high puck came bouncing into the US zone from afar and goalie Trey Augustine took a step out of the crease to engage. It slipped through. Had it not been for Chesley’s late stick pulling it out on the goal-line, we would have seen the tournament’s oddest goal.

Doin’ it Lekkerimaki style: The 1-1 goal was a heck of a wrist shot. It was such a ripper, that plenty in the stadium must have been surprised to see it come from a righty shot not named Jere Lekkerimaki (2022). Indeed, it was Oskar Pettersson (2022) that riffled it to the upper right-hand corner from a good 10-12 yards out. Truth be told, it wasn’t the type of goal you can allow when you’re going for gold.

Murphy’s Law: The USA had two clear-cut breakaways and a partial breakaway before the halfway mark of the game. In each instance, a shot was taken. There was no attempt made to deke out Hugo Havelid, who measures in at 5’10”, 175 pounds. There was no attempt to make him have to put his acrobatic athleticism on display. Noah Ostlund (2022), however, had a partial breakaway that led to a fluky, yet beautiful, goal (2-1) and then Liam Ohgren (2022) got a breakaway and deked out US goaltender Trey Augustine (2023) for another lovely goal, giving Sweden a 5-3 lead at that point. How often do you see one team fail to capitalize on such huge opportunities, only to the see the other then capitalize on theirs?

Pulling a Bedard: US forward Frank Nazar (2022) tied things up at two on a great pass from Tyler Duke (2022). He entered the zone with speed and after somewhat flubbing a drop pass, took a shot from an almost impossible angle around the right face-off circle that went in, well, pretty much in the same manner as several Connor Bedard (2023) goals in this tournament.

Instant karma is gonna get you: Lane Hutson (2022) told the press after the 6-1 victory over the Czech Republic that the US was a 2nd period team. With the score tied at two heading into the second, the US not only couldn’t gain an edge despite a full out effort, but it then also found itself needlessly in the penalty box several times in succession, eventually leading to a 4-2 lead for the Swedes. One could say that this game’s second period is what cost them the game – and a gold medal.

The all or nothing game: For those who watched most of this tournament, we saw one of the strongest offensive outputs by a US team, perhaps ever. It started with the 8-3 victory over Canada and the US boys marched right through to the final, never scoring less than six goals. Then of all nights, they faced their greatest challenge and suddenly weren’t up to it. I think few would have a problem theorizing what would be in a Best-of-7 or Best-of-5 or even a Best-of-3 series. But the beauty of these tournaments is that gold goes to the one team that wins that one last game.

Top effort goes to waste: US captain Rutger McGroarty (2022) had arguably his best game of the tournament. He ended the day with two goals, both in comeback efforts, but he had the opportunity to be the day’s hero on several occasions. Not only was there a breakaway, but he was fed pucks for several more one-timers and a number of goalmouth scrambles could have seen him double his output. Unlike many of his teammates, he decided to make the most important game his best yet. But it was a performance that would have to settle for silver.

Sheer determination: By golly, this game hasn’t been decided by happenstance. This Swedish club didn’t just find a way to be victorious and take gold, it’s willed its way to this victory. It’s made use of just about every dangerous opportunity it’s had and then some. And the kids have thrown themselves into shots, fought around the net to protect their goalie, made intelligent decisions when it comes to moving the puck and simply getting it out of dangerous areas. There’s been no crumbling and feeling the pressure when the US has made a short and cut the lead. The composure has been convincing and extremely telling of the mental fortitude of these young men.

That important to his team: You may have noticed that top-scorer Lekkerimaki scored the empty-net goal to make it 6-4. But what does that say about coach Havelid’s faith in this mercurial scorer to have him out on the ice protecting a one-goal lead that late in the game. Maybe we’ve just been used to seeing him in all critical offensive situations, but we can’t pretend he doesn’t have the faith of his coach to be one of the guys protecting a lead. The proof was here tonight.

Hands of gold: We need to take this opportunity to talk about Noah Ostlund (2022) and just what he is. You see that he’s a bit smaller and weighs in at roughly 165 pounds. Then you watch him play hockey. Words like cerebral make pop into your mind. For good reason. He does things with rhyme and reason. All the time. He’s made amazing offensive plays and looks like a set-up man, but clearly knows how to score goals as well, having potted another two tonight. He creates and establishes zone control. He makes setting up the power play in the offensive zone very easy. And it feels like he takes every halfway important face-off his team has. Effectively, at that. He’s a cool, calm, and collective player. And he spent this gold medal game confirming what we had seen to date, namely that he’s a first round talent and just has “it”. Ironically, his performance today was everything we all expected of Logan Cooley (2022). These two don’t play all that differently, but the former outshined the latter on this evening.

MVPing it: Not much needs to be said about the performance goaltender H. Havelid had today – and in essence, with each and every game. He absolutely stood on his head and never crumbled despite repeated onslaughts. He looked like a wall, and one could easily tell that he was bringing his opponents to doubt themselves. He was just everything you want to see from a goaltender in a gold medal game. These tournaments are not just about seeing the talent, but seeing what talent steps up to the plate. And no-one stepped up to the plate here in Landshut more than Hugo.

Player of the game for Sweden: Hugo Havelid

Player of the game for the USA: Rutger McGroarty

QUOTES:

Press conference Gold Medal game

US forwards Cutter Gauthier and Rutger McGroarty

On his strong game, which didn’t result in a gold medal…

McGroarty: Obviously right now, it’s tough. You’re asking yourself what could have been done different. What if I had scored on this or that opportunity? You know what, we have a great team

On the team’s good start…

Gauthier: At the start, we were trying to force their defense to turn over the puck and get some good efforts on their goalie. He ended up being awesome. He’s a stud. But I felt that we had our legs today and the energy. The outcome sucks.

On cutting the deficit to 4-3 heading into the second intermission…

Gauthier: In the locker room, we talked about staying on them. I think we were ready for it. I felt like we had a lot of opportunities in the third and that particular goal definitely gave our team some juice and some energy. The guys were fired up in the locker room, but the puck didn’t end up bouncing our way.

On being physical from the get-go and putting a lot of pressure on the goalie, also physically…

Gauthier: Yes, it’s a key part of my game and I’ve been working on it all year. I use it when I can and in a big game like this, that’s what I’m trying to do. But their goalie had a really great game tonight.

US coach Adam Nightingale

On the shot clock being 51 to 15 in favor of the US…

Nightingale: I’m super proud of our guys. They should have no regrets. That’s our sport, a little bit. Hats off to the Swedes. They’ve got a good power play and they got a couple of goals with that. And then their goaltender played pretty well. It’s tough in a single-game elimination tournament, but that’s what it is and what we’ve trained for. It’s what you sign up for. This experience will pay off for this group of kids in the future. Because this is a group of kids that is going to win a lot for USA Hockey in the future.

On his feelings about the outcome…

Nightingale: There’s not much to say. It’d be crazy to think that I have words to help them here. They’ve done everything we’ve asked. Can’t say that we, as a staff, did everything perfect, but we don’t have any regrets. But the boys have nothing to hang their heads about. It’s just standard how we do things as a team, as a staff. How we interact with people on the road. How we treat support staff. How we approach things with humility. I think that’s important, especially when you’re talking about the top talent, to have that humility. This is a great example why. They should be super proud about what they’ve done the past two years.

On what the organization can take away from this tournament…

Nightingale: Like I said, no regrets. I think we’re the best team here from a conditioning standpoint, from a skills standpoint, from a play standpoint… It’s a credit to the guys. This is a tough, tough pill to swallow. But I did tell the guys after the game that when they look in the mirror, they shouldn’t just see the hockey player, they should see the person. We have a locker room full of great people with great parents who are supportive of what we do. It’s really critical in development. My words can’t make them feel better, I understand that.

On maybe learning something about his team in the course of the tournament…

Nightingale: You know, I thought we showed a ton of resiliency. With a group like this, your often up on teams early. We play in a really good league in the USHL, and we play a tough college schedule. I look at this tournament and look back to when we played Canada. That was a really good team, and we were up 2-0. The Canadians came back to tie it. But we did our thing, and nobody panicked. We made it 4-2. They made it 4-3. We still stayed with it. In both games against Czechia, we were down 1-0. And then today, I thought the guys really stayed with it. We probably just ran out of time, to be honest with you. But I’m just super proud of our guys.

Swedish players D Elias Salomonsson, LW Liam Ohgren, and G Hugo Havelid

On if we can now refer to Hugo Havelid as Hugo Boss…

  1. Havelid: Maybe not yet, but hopefully soon. But not quite yet.

On what was going through Havelid’s mind during the game…

  1. Havelid: It was a tough game for me physically. The USA put a lot of pressure on me. I had to put up with a lot and hold out, but the gold medal was on the line. So, I played for my life.

On the US’s attempts to get under his skin right from the beginning…

  1. Havelid: It doesn’t faze me when they try to get me out of focus. It’s just fun. These are the games I live to play for, you know, semifinals and finals. Amazing games to play.

On when it started to set in that the Swedes were going to be able to win this game…

Ohgren: Maybe I’d say in the last 10 minutes when we had the 5-3 lead. I started to ask myself, “Is this really happening?” But you can never relax. The US has a very good team. They have a lot of great players, and you just have to keep bringing your best hockey out there. Thanks to Hugo, we were able to do that.

On the success of the power play in the second period when Sweden gained a 4-2 lead…

Ohgren: The power play has been good the whole tournament and luckily it was again today as well. We had some luck with the officiating today. We got some power plays and we had to kill some off too. But yes, our power play was really good.

On his two-goal night…

Ohgren: For the power play goal, I really am not on that side all that often. I’m usually positioned behind the net. But when I came up and got the puck from Mathias Havelid, I faked the pass and took the shot, which found a way in.

On how Elias Salomonsson felt to get back into game action after being suspended in the last game…

Salomonsson: I think it’s hard to watch your team play from the stands. I was more nervous up there than when I’m on the ice. It was great to back and we had quite a team effort today. We fought for 60 minutes, and Hugo was unbelievable. And now it’s time to party!

On the game Noah Ostlund had, including a surreal goal in the first period, one of his two…

Ohgren: Oh yes, he had a really great game and he’s had a really great overall tournament. He’s a fantastic player and I love playing with him. He’s an unbelievable playmaker and as you saw today, he can score too. So, yes, that first goal was a really big play.

On any possible advantage due to the fact that a number of these Swedish U18 team members got into pro action this past winter…

Ohgren: Yes, for sure. I think it’s really great to have that experience of playing against pro men. They are stronger, faster, and more physical. That experience is certainly of benefit for a number of players on our team.

Swedish coach Magnus Havelid

On his team’s achievements…

  1. Havelid: Their effort was great. I mean, look at everything they went through. When we had that 4-3 lead after two, I told the guys that we are in a good position, especially considering that we’re the underdog. We knew we could get that effort, energy, and team spirit we needed for the third period and that of course helped a lot. And Hugo certainly had a great game. You need a good goalie. And we needed some goal-scorers as well. My best players played their best. The whole team put in the effort. Some players naturally had a lot of ice time, but some others didn’t get that many minutes, but they’re still so important. We had to do so much penalty killing, especially there at the end of the game in the third period. And we achieved that. That was the key. We have some very proud players and team staff. You have to believe you can do it.

On the US’s furious play to kick things off, including its first goal before Sweden had even taken a shot…

  1. Havelid: Yes, the important thing was not to be too negative. We knew they were going to jump on us. You have to handle the situation on the ice. And you know that if you are something like two goals back, it’s going to turn into a long game. You’ve got to focus on the next shift, and you’ll eventually get your own goals as well. Otherwise, it gets to be too tough a situation if you allow too many goals against. You know that one team can be very good while the other plays in its own zone defensively. That second period…. We took some steps forward and scored some goals. That gave us energy.

On sharing this gold medal with his very own nephews…

  1. Havelid: Yes, of course. That’s special. And my two daughters are here as well. But honestly, now I’ve got all these messages arriving on my phone and they’re from a lot of the coaches back in Sweden. Many of them coach these young men in their club teams and now they too are so proud of what we’ve done. We work so close together. I travel a lot in Sweden and visit the coaches. It’s a form of teamwork. Otherwise, it’s tough to get a team together that can perform here. I’m very happy for them.

On Sweden now having won two of the last three U18 tournaments…

  1. Havelid: I think it’s a mix of immense work and good luck. When you win, you start to believe in it. That’s when you’re talking about a winning culture. But hey, it’s tough to win. Once it happens, you can start to believe in it. That was important because we started to win a couple of years ago. And that can be a lot of pressure for the coaches, because then you start to analyze everything too much and the negativity shows up. It’s so easy for that to become a factor. It’s such a fine line between a positive thing and a negative thing. As a nation, you work with development all the time. But you have to believe in what you do. And when you win, then everything thinks you’re doing the right thing.

 

]]> https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2022-iihf-u18-world-championship-notes-quotes-usa-vs-sweden-gold-medal-game-havelid-leads-composed-swedes-championship/feed/ 0 2022 NHL DRAFT: SCOUCHING #3 – Tyler Duke – LHD – U.S. National U18 Team – The Other Duke of Cuyahoga County https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2022-nhl-draft-scouching-3-tyler-duke-lhd-u-s-national-u18-team/ https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2022-nhl-draft-scouching-3-tyler-duke-lhd-u-s-national-u18-team/#respond Sun, 24 Apr 2022 14:18:41 +0000 https://www.mckeenshockey.com/?p=176063 Read More... from 2022 NHL DRAFT: SCOUCHING #3 – Tyler Duke – LHD – U.S. National U18 Team – The Other Duke of Cuyahoga County

]]> Tyler Duke - LHD - U.S. National U18 Team #5 - Avg. Rnk - 51.43

43GP - 3G+12A - 1.54% G% 7.70% INV% - 8.45 NHLeS

Last season, two players I profiled that I really enjoyed watching went completely undrafted in Jiri Tichacek and Jake Martin. First, I’m okay with that. Lots of players don’t get drafted immediately, and still have great careers. Second, I’m still a fan of both, and while the player profiled today may not even be drafted if you take NHL’s central scouting bureau as gospel, he’s still a player I’ll have my eye on throughout his career. Tyler Duke is the brother of Dylan, and for reasons we’ll get into, it’s absolutely clear that these two are related, and I’m a fan of both.

Tyler Duke. Photo by Rena Laverty/USA Hockey

If you haven’t read the background on my work and approach, please read the embedded article before continuing below.

Once you have read the article, or are familiar with Scouching, here is the full video. Powered by Instat.com

Duke caught my eye last season with the US National Team, and while he’s dropped out of my first round over the course of this season, his strength and weaknesses make him a fascinating prospect for this year’s upcoming draft. With Duke on the ice, no other defender was on the ice for more dangerous chances than Duke was. In fact, he and teammate Lane Hutson were 16% higher than #3 in that metric. He also sat top 5 in individual dangerous shot attempts for defenders, 10th in total transition involvement, and 10th in offensive threat generation, all while suppressing nearly 75% of defensive transitions he was involved in, approaching 80% when you focus on stick checks and physical challenges. Not bad for an unranked defender standing 5’9”. Lots of good things were happening with Duke on the ice, but how much could really be attributed to him, is it projectable, and most curious of all, where was all the production if he drove all this offensive output?

In short, Tyler Duke is a player where you’re going to have to give and take and hope for development. On one hand, he’s one of the shiftiest, sneakiest puck handlers of any defender this year. On the other hand, sometimes he can face pressure and completely lose control at inopportune times. On one hand, he dives into the offensive zone for extended offensive cycles and can use complex pass angles and draw pressure around the ice to open space. On the other hand, it feels like he can get a step too far ahead of himself and send passes off target and end possessions when things are starting to get interesting. Most curious of all is Duke’s off-puck game. At times, just like his brother, he activates extremely well in the neutral zone to close gaps and stick check extremely well.

Most worrisome of all, Duke’s gap control on defensive rushes can be completely mystifying, especially when projecting to higher levels. He can sit in inside lanes, being too passive, and while he may pressure players towards the boards with his positioning, he doesn’t have the quickness to projectably close those gaps quickly. He swings inside, looking like he’s trying to build speed to close gaps out towards the boards again, but can take himself completely out of play when you really wouldn’t like him to do so. Speed is also a large issue with Duke, as a rush a step past him is basically home free too often. He can fall asleep at the wheel and allow players behind him into dangerous space. Even when play is nowhere near the dangerous areas of the defensive zone, Duke’s sense of positioning and ability to clear out that area is inconsistent and frustrating at times. But that’s enough for questioning his game, because I think there’s a ton to be interested about with Duke.

His footwork in open space to create speed with his crossovers and the fluidity with which he can carry a puck at times is impressive. At his best, he can carry pucks up the ice with his skill and feet and I’d like to see this more often. There’s deception in transition as well, and with refinement to his footwork, he could be quite an exciting puck carrier. He may have a somewhat low defensive transition involvement rate, but he uses his brain, feet and stick together defensively to be involved in play before those transitions happen. His pass vision is impressive at times quarterbacking rushes, and if he can improve his footwork and get more consistent with his puck skill, there’s tons of potential as an offensive quarterback. In the offensive zone, he drives offensive potential for a reason. Multiple reasons, in fact. He was top 15 in shot assists and rarely took low percentage chances from the blueline himself. Duke is also an impressive shooter, rifling shots and being willing to step into the offensive zone to get them off. You can see clear signs of potential with his talents as they are, but it just hasn’t all come together yet. He’s agile, shifty, and creative, able to get passes through lanes into the middle of the ice. There’s a lot of good, but a lot of work to be done as well. His impressive moments, especially with the puck in the offensive zone are almost impossible to ignore.

The Best Part - Dual-Threat Offense

Duke has offensive potential that’s hard to deny and should come out as he improves his speed and puck control, and that offensive potential comes from a variety of sources. He can chain multiple chances together, floating into dangerous space to get shots on net from dangerous areas. Even when he finds some space to get the puck up the ice himself, he can be an effective transporter, leading to offensive creation entirely driven on his own. Similar to many young players, there are moments where Duke is barely clinging to possession, but you know where his head is at, and some refinement and quickness could help catch up with what he’s thinking of trying on the ice.

The Good Part - Close Quarters Defense

Duke knows how to get in the way of puck carriers and use his stick to knock down pucks and pressure opponents. There are constant examples of when Duke is in close quarters, he challenges opponents well. Like his brother, he’s got a tenacious streak as well, not backing down from pressure and establishing strong body positioning. Sometimes the execution when play is coming his direction was… less than ideal. But he drove good defensive results on the rush for a reason, and if players got in tight on him, he created many turnovers often.

The Not-So Good Part - Gap Management

Duke is going to need to get more comfortable and mobile, especially on defensive rushes. When he commits to a lane, he can create way too much space for opponents to make plays without the strength and speed to cover multiple lanes. I love his tendency to pinch on loose pucks and stifle breakouts, but if you’re a small defender and that play doesn’t work, there’s going to need to be more quickness to get there faster, and more strength to fend off opponents at the next level.

Final Thoughts

I can’t lie that Duke is a bit of a longshot with a ways to go in order to be what he could be in the NHL. He is small, and there are hurdles to overcome for defenders of his size, largely revolving around physically not taking up as much space as his peers, and in a game of inches, those negative moments can pile up. But he’s usually a smart positional neutral zone defender with a strong stick that can help him clog breakouts. His pass vision through traffic and using skill to make those passes easier is impressive as well. He’s a great shooter with flashes of excellent mobility on his edges to move laterally and attack the middle of the ice. He can smoothly receive passes across his body and survey play through the neutral zone with the odd breakout pass, following it up with strong offensive zone play.

Quickness is going to be key for Duke’s development. I see shades of what I remember about Domenick Fensore, but the pure skating ability isn’t quite there at the same age, and it can cost Duke. Execution isn’t always perfect with the puck, and he did struggle to consistently move the puck across bluelines with accurate passing, succeeding just 47.6% of the time, but he often shows flashes of having the right idea to navigate pressure and create easier lanes, again often limited by strength and quickness. The Duke Family never seems to panic under pressure from larger players, and Duke displaying that trait at the defensive position gives me hope for his future.

There’s the possibility that Duke either gets drafted well after where I have him ranked in the 2nd round, if he gets drafted at all, but I think there are enough flashes of talent that stand out in this class. He’s going to need multiple seasons at Notre Dame to primarily build on his quickness to get himself around the ice as well as he likely will need to in order to hit his potential. But the flashes of high level deception, skill, shiftiness and offensive output are really impressive when they come out. If he’s in a comfort zone in close quarters, he can be a real pain to get through, which is great, but the issue with opening and failing to close large defensive gaps remains an issue for now. The ingredients are there, and he drives excellent results for now, but things haven’t been refined to a projectable level. I certainly think they could with an involved, patient NHL development program who isn’t afraid of his size and instead sees his offensive potential, and the potential of his profile defensively. I’m a fan, and will certainly keep my eye on him, even if it’s a learning experience for defenders like Duke and their projection.

Final Ratings: Think - 2C, Move - 2D, Get - 2D, Pass - 2B, Shoot - 1C, Overall - 2B

]]> https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2022-nhl-draft-scouching-3-tyler-duke-lhd-u-s-national-u18-team/feed/ 0 2022 NHL DRAFT MIDSEASON RANKING: TOP 100 PLAYER PROFILES WITH VIDEO – #51 thru #60 https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2022-nhl-draft-midseason-ranking-top-100-player-profiles-video-51-60/ https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2022-nhl-draft-midseason-ranking-top-100-player-profiles-video-51-60/#respond Mon, 14 Feb 2022 20:50:31 +0000 https://www.mckeenshockey.com/?p=175240 Read More... from 2022 NHL DRAFT MIDSEASON RANKING: TOP 100 PLAYER PROFILES WITH VIDEO – #51 thru #60

]]> In case you missed it, we updated our 2022 NHL Draft rankings recently. You can find that here. Shane Wright still headlines the list but the gap is unquestionably closing as other candidates elevate their play.

With this piece our intention is to briefly introduce you to each of the players that fill out the rest of the Top 100 (ranked 50-100), after previously looking at the Top 50. Below you will find a short summary of their games in addition to a top highlight. In the coming months you will see in-depth scouting reports published by our regional scouts on each of these players (like this one on Shane Wright).

Paul Ludwinski of the KIngston Frontenacs. Photo by Robert Lefebvre/OHL Images.

  1. Paul Ludwinski - Center/Wing - Kingston Frontenacs (OHL)

Early on in the OHL season, Ludwinski, a former high draft pick in the OHL priority selection, was being used as the third wheel on the team’s first line with Shane Wright and Martin Chromiak. The fit just wasn’t right. Since shifting back to center in a middle six role, Ludwinski has been more noticeable as someone who can lead the attack into the offensive zone and not simply support it. His skating, specifically his quickness, is a major asset and Ludwinski puts it to good use at both ends. His energy level is consistently high as he works to apply back pressure or retrieve loose pucks. There are moments where he flashes high-end skill and creativity, especially when attacking the offensive zone. There are others where his hands seem to lag behind his feet, and he fails to execute which leads to a loss of possession or a missed opportunity. At the very least Ludwinski profiles as a quality bottom six center at the NHL with his two-way awareness and energy. At best, some of those flashes become more consistent and Ludwinski becomes a play driver with his attacking tendencies.

  1. Jordan Dumais - Wing - Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL)

The track record for players like Dumais is not terrific. He is a smaller forward (5’9) who also happens to lack dynamic qualities in his stride and quickness. If he is not able to improve his skating, he probably tops out as a high end AHL player or European pro player. However, if he does, he has the skill, sense, and creativity to be a very good offensive player in the NHL; the kind of guy who we reflect on in five years and say, “how on earth did this guy get drafted where he did.” Dumais has consistently been among the QMJHL’s leading scorers this year and was on fire prior to the league’s shutdown due to the east coast’s pandemic restrictions. Even as is, his maneuverability in tight is strong and it allows him to be elusive and escape pressure in the offensive zone. He is, simply put, a puck magnet. Many players in recent years have proven that skating, especially quickness, can be improved. But the things that Dumais does well are much harder to upgrade.

  1. Aleksanteri Kaskimaki - Wing - HIFK (Fin U20)

A strong skating, attacking winger, Kaskimaki has had a very strong statistical season in the Finnish junior leagues this year. He is exceptionally dangerous on the counter and in transition because of his linear quickness and ability to catch defenders flat footed. Kaskimaki also shows strong awareness as a playmaker and does well to scan the ice when at full speed to find open teammates before pressure collapses around him. Physicality is not really a large component to his game, but he does show well as a two-way player at the junior level with his positioning and active stick. Similar to some other players ranked in this range, currently there are some skill limitations to what Kaskimaki can accomplish. His hands do not always operate as quickly as his feet, especially as he attempts to alter pace or direction to evade traffic. If he can add some other layers to his game, or perform well at the Liiga level, he could move up this list by season’s end.

  1. Luca Del Bel Belluz - Center - Mississauga Steelheads (OHL)

Unquestionably, LDBB (as OHL scouts have come to know him) has been one of the most improved players this year. A former teammate of Adam Fantilli in the GTHL, DelBelBelluz struggled with the pace of the OHL game in his rookie year two years ago (he is a late born ‘03). However, he is now stronger, quicker, and more confident. The results speak for themselves. He is the first line center on one of the best teams in the OHL and has emerged as one of the league’s premier two-way pivots. DelBelBelluz solves problems so efficiently in the offensive zone because of his quick hands; he is a tough player to pin down. For all his strengths, his skating ability remains an area requiring growth, especially given that much of his game is predicated on his ability to lead the attack and maneuver through traffic. That said, his agility and quickness out of pivots already looks much improved from the start of the year. DelBelBelluz is a player who just seems to be getting better and better and he is majorly trending upwards.

Ryan Chesley. Photo by Rena Laverty/USA Hockey

  1. Ryan Chesley - Defense - USNDP (USHL)

Admittedly, Chesley is a player that we have ranked lower than our contemporaries. There is a lot to like about Chesley’s game. He is an absolute workhorse in the defensive end and one of the more physically punishing and suffocating defenders available this year. He is as strong as an ox down low. Chesley is also a high-end skater who shows quickness in bursts as he escapes pressure to lead the breakout. He occasionally quarterbacks the powerplay of the U.S. U18 team and does show an ability to use his four-way quickness to open up lanes for him or teammates to exploit. Our concern revolves around his awareness and vision. For every positive play Chesley makes, he can make a negative one with the puck by skating into traffic or telegraphing a pass that gets picked off. Because of his physical tools, he should become an NHL defender. However, we question his upside as a two-way defender and wonder if he is better suited to play a simple, stay at home role similar to former NHL defender Tim Gleason, who had similar issues and strengths as a junior player.

  1. Danny Zhilkin - Center - Guelph Storm (OHL)

It is hard not to appreciate the physical tools that Zhilkin brings to the table. He can be a dynamic transitional attacker with his speed and hands. It seems like every game he is able to break through on a rush by beating one or two defenders to the net in order to get a look in tight. Zhilkin has also transformed his game to become a quality two-way player whose effort and physical intensity in the defensive end is strong. The disconnect is that Zhilkin can have tunnel vision as an offensive player, which makes you question just how well he processes the game at full speed. He does not show a consistent ability to make his attacks unpredictable by altering pace and, as a result, he can be turnover prone. As a late born 2003 player, there is a little less room for improvement too, even if he has shown considerable growth as a player this year. The physical shell of an NHL center is present, but one has to wonder if the processing ability is good enough to be a top six player.

  1. Isaiah George - Defense - London Knights (OHL)

Everyone knows the London Knights are a development factory. This year is no different with several players likely to be drafted inside the Top 100. The best of the bunch according to us is mobile defender Isaiah George. Early on, George showed well as a simple stay at home defender who consistently squashed transitional attacks with his ability to maintain close gaps. However, he has slowly gained confidence in his ability to use his quickness to be a difference maker offensively. He now leads the attack out of the defensive zone and is consistently pushing deep in the offensive zone. He won’t wow you with skill, but there is a real efficiency to his game. Despite the return of Logan Mailloux and import Kirill Steklov, he continues to see significant minutes from Dale Hunter and has really earned his trust. It is easy to see George becoming an NHL defender in some capacity because of his elite mobility, especially under the watchful eye of the Knights’ development staff.

  1. Rieger Lorenz - Wing - Okotoks Oilers (AJHL)

Lorenz received a first-round grade from us early in the season, however now finds himself rated a little lower to no fault of his own. It is more of a case of others stepping up to surpass him, rather than Lorenz playing poorly. He has remained one of the highest scoring players in the AJHL and consistently produces every time he hits the ice. He does a lot of things well. He has a good combination of size, quickness, and skill and is consistently able to work his way into the slot at the AJHL level to create scoring chances. He competes hard away from the puck and is eager to be a difference maker away from the puck. Like any tier two prospect, the question is, what is the upside? How skilled is Lorenz really? The University of Denver commit would have benefited greatly from the World Junior A Challenge occurring, but sadly it was axed again this year. So, scouts (us included) will have to wait and see if Lorenz ends up making the Canadian U18 team this year to give them a comparison and a true assessment of his abilities and potential. Is there an elite quality in his game?

Tyler Duke. Photo by Rena Laverty, USNTDP

  1. Tyler Duke - Defense - USNDP (USHL)

Duke is the kind of player you have to see play to truly appreciate how greatly he impacts the game. His production has been modest, especially for an undersized defender. No question, it would be great to see him be a little more aggressive offensively to be more of a game breaker. But his game is so efficient. A breakout machine, Duke rarely gets pinned in the defensive zone and has such terrific scanning habits and instincts under pressure. His four-way mobility is good and it allows him to create space so that he can make those clean exits. It is rare to see Duke turn the puck over or fail to exit the zone. His overall game management skills are terrific, as he holds the line and keeps pucks in or communicates in the defensive end to ensure zone coverage holds up. He will lose marks for his lack of size and game breaking offensive skill set; however his measure of dependability has to be worth something. One has to wonder if he were placed in a different role and received more powerplay time, would we see his offensive confidence blossom?

  1. Mattias Havelid - Defense - Linkoping (SHL)

Another undersized defender, Havelid is an intelligent and impressive two-way player. The son of former Anaheim Ducks defender Niclas Havelid, Mattias was one of the best defensemen at last summer’s Hlinka/Gretzky cup. His poised and mature approach has also earned him a long look at the SHL level this season. Havelid manages the powerplay well with quick feet and a big point shot, and he shows well as an overall puck mover thanks to his vision. His defensive zone awareness is also solid, and it makes him a very competent and dependable all situations defender. However, does Havelid do anything at an elite or above average level that would see him project as a true top four defender? He’s mobile, but he could be quicker given his lack of size. He is skilled, but is he skilled enough to be a top unit powerplay QB in the NHL? The jack of all trades mantra can be a kiss of death for undersized defenders. That said, Havelid does have pedigree and a solid IQ, which should carry him to a pro career in some capacity. All eyes will be on him at the U18’s as he tries to replicate his success from the Hlinka/Gretzky.

]]> https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2022-nhl-draft-midseason-ranking-top-100-player-profiles-video-51-60/feed/ 0 2022 NHLDRAFT: MCKEEN’S MID-SEASON RANKING – TOP 100 https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2022-nhldraft-mckeens-mid-season-ranking-top-100/ https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2022-nhldraft-mckeens-mid-season-ranking-top-100/#respond Fri, 21 Jan 2022 20:59:29 +0000 https://www.mckeenshockey.com/?p=175057 Read More... from 2022 NHLDRAFT: MCKEEN’S MID-SEASON RANKING – TOP 100

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RED DEER, ALBERTA - DECEMBER 26: USA vs Slovakia preliminary round action at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship at WP Centrium on December 26, 2021 in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Matt Zambonin/HHOF-IIHF Images)

A new year means a new draft ranking at McKeen’s Hockey, as we expand our list at mid-season to a Top 100. Back in mid-November, we released our preliminary ranking, a top 32, so this serves not only as an update, but an expansion too.

Like many, we were disappointed with the abrupt ending of the World Junior Championships, not just because it robbed us of some terrific hockey, but because it prevented a high-quality look at some of the best talents in this draft year. While a poor showing at the World Juniors is often dismissed, a strong showing can really help elevate a player’s standing. Ultimately, the decision to stop the tournament was the correct one, given the circumstances, however, hopefully the World Under 18’s can occur in Germany as planned in April.

At this point Kingston Frontenacs center and former CHL exceptional status player Shane Wright remains at the top of our rankings, however the gap is admittedly closing between him and some of the other players inside of our top five. Defenseman Simon Nemec is having a historically good season in the Slovak men’s league and will play for Slovakia at the Olympics. Center Logan Cooley is proving to be a dynamic two-way threat and is fresh off a terrific performance at the Biosteel All American Game. Center Matthew Savoie of the Winnipeg Ice continues to lead the WHL in scoring on the top ranked team in the Canadian Hockey League. A year ago, it was unfathomable to imagine anyone else but Wright being selected first overall. That concept is not as far-fetched today. Without question, Wright will need to pick up his play in the second half to withstand his competitors.

Looking specifically at those ranked inside our first round (top 32), the positional breakdown is as follows: 10 defenders, 22 forwards, and zero goaltenders. In fact, we do not have a single goaltender ranked inside the first two rounds. Tyler Brennan and Topias Leinonen are our top goaltenders, ranked 84th and 87th, respectively. The quality and depth of goaltenders available this year may be the worst that we have ever seen as a scouting staff.

Regionally, the breakdown is as follows: ten players from the CHL, seven players from the USHL (more specifically the NTDP), four players in Sweden, four players in Russia, three players in Finland, two players in Slovakia, and two players in Czechia. The U.S. National Development program is extremely well represented with ten players inside of our first two rounds.

This top 100 was formed in consultation with our regional scouts and our video scouting team. Now that we have our midseason list formed, look for our annual, in-depth individual scouting reports to start being published in the very near future.

Shane Wright of the KIngston Frontenacs. Photo by Robert Lefebvre/OHL Images.
RANK PLAYER POS TEAM HT/WT DOB GP-G-A-PTS
1 Shane Wright C Kingston (OHL) 6-1/190 5-Jan-04 25-12-19-31
2 Simon Nemec D HK Nitra (Svk) 6-1/190 15-Feb-04 28-0-19-19
3 Matthew Savoie C Winnipeg (WHL) 5-9/180 1-Jan-04 35-19-34-53
4 Logan Cooley C USN U18 (USDP) 5-10/180 4-May-04 25-15-20-35
5 Danila Yurov RW Metallurg Magnitogorsk (KHL) 6-1/175 22-Dec-03 21-0-0-0
6 Joakim Kemell RW JyP (Fin-Liiga) 5-11/175 27-Apr-04 21-12-6-18
7 Juraj Slafkovsky LW TPS (Fin-Liiga) 6-4/225 30-Mar-04 20-1-3-4
8 Conor Geekie C Winnipeg (WHL) 6-4/205 5-May-04 35-11-27-38
9 Brad Lambert C JyP (Fin-Liiga) 6-0/180 19-Dec-03 24-2-4-6
10 Ivan Miroshnichenko LW Omskie Krylia (VHL) 6-1/185 4-Feb-04 30-9-6-15
11 David Jiricek D HC Plzen (Cze) 6-3/190 28-Nov-03 29-5-6-11
12 Filip Mesar C HK Poprad (Svk) 5-10/165 3-Jan-04 22-6-5-11
13 Pavel Mintyukov D Saginaw (OHL) 6-1/190 25-Nov-03 31-6-17-23
14 Denton Mateychuk D Moose Jaw (WHL) 5-11/190 12-Jul-04 35-7-24-31
15 Marco Kasper C Rogle BK (SHL) 6-1/185 8-Apr-04 27-4-2-6
16 Alexander Perevalov LW Loko Yaroslavl (MHL) 6-0/190 16-Apr-04 29-19-20-39
17 Seamus Casey D USN U18 (USDP) 5-10/160 8-Jan-04 31-5-13-18
18 Frank Nazar C USN U18 (USDP) 5-10/175 14-Jan-04 33-15-23-38
19 Noah Ostlund C Djurgardens J20 (Swe J20) 5-10/160 11-Mar-04 19-6-18-24
20 Cutter Gauthier C USN U18 (USDP) 6-2/190 19-Jan-04 33-20-12-32
21 Jonathan Lekkerimaki C Djurgardens J20 (Swe J20) 5-11/170 24-Jul-04 25-19-15-34
22 Tristan Luneau D Gatineau (QMJHL) 6-2/175 12-Jan-04 26-5-10-15
23 Nathan Gaucher C Quebec (QMJHL) 6-3/205 6-Nov-03 30-15-11-26
24 Ty Nelson D North Bay (OHL) 5-9/195 30-Mar-04 33-5-21-26
25 Vladimir Grudinin D Krasnaya Armiya Moskva (MHL) 5-10/160 9-Dec-03 15-2-7-9
26 Owen Beck C Mississauga (OHL) 5-11/190 3-Feb-04 33-13-16-29
27 Simon Forsmark D Orebro (SHL) 6-2/195 17-Oct-03 22-0-1-1
28 Mats Lindgren D Kamloops (WHL) 5-11/175 26-Aug-04 34-2-19-21
29 Rutger McGroarty LW USN U18 (USDP) 6-1/205 30-Mar-04 27-15-17-32
30 Jiri Kulich C Karlovy Vary (Cze) 6-0/175 14-Apr-04 31-7-4-11
31 Isaac Howard LW USN U18 (USDP) 5-10/180 30-Mar-04 33-15-24-39
32 Jimmy Snuggerud RW USN U18 (USDP) 6-1/185 1-Jun-04 33-16-22-38
33 Filip Bystedt C Linkopings (SHL) 6-4/185 4-Feb-04 14-1-1-2
34 Brandon Lisowsky LW Saskatoon (WHL) 5-8/175 13-Apr-04 35-19-10-29
35 Jagger Firkus RW Moose Jaw (WHL) 5-10/155 29-Apr-04 38-23-21-44
36 Maveric Lamoureux D Drummondville (QMJHL) 6-7/195 13-Jan-04 30-3-8-11
37 Matthew Poitras C Guelph (OHL) 5-11/175 10-Mar-04 29-10-13-23
38 Adam Ingram C Youngstown (USHL) 6-2/165 14-Oct-03 27-16-20-36
39 Liam Ohgren LW Djurgardens (SHL) 6-0/185 28-Jan-04 21-1-1-2
40 Calle Odelius D Djurgardens J20 (Swe J20) 6-0/185 30-May-04 28-4-17-21
41 Sam Rinzel D Chaska (USHS-MN) 6-4/180 25-Jun-04 13-3-13-16
42 Ludwig Persson LW Frolunda J20 (Swe J20) 6-0/180 8-Oct-03 24-16-19-35
43 Artyom Duda D Krasnaya Armiya Moskva (Rus) 6-1/180 8-Apr-04 36-11-20-31
44 Jani Nyman RW KOOVEE (Fin-Mestis) 6-3/210 30-Jul-04 23-14-9-23
45 Matyas Sapovaliv C Saginaw (OHL) 6-3/180 12-Feb-04 31-10-16-26
46 Kevin Korchinski D Seattle (WHL) 6-1/185 21-Jun-04 32-4-24-28
47 Gleb Trikozov RW Omskie Yastreby (MHL) 6-1/185 12-Aug-04 17-9-8-17
48 David Goyette C Sudbury (OHL) 5-11/170 27-Mar-04 32-12-18-30
49 Owen Pickering D Swift Current (WHL) 6-3/180 27-Jan-04 34-6-15-21
50 Lian Bichsel D Leksands (SHL) 6-5/215 18-May-04 13-0-1-1
51 Paul Ludwinski LW Kingston (OHL) 5-11/175 23-Apr-04 28-6-13-19
52 Jordan Dumais RW Halifax (QMJHL) 5-8/165 15-Apr-04 30-16-31-47
53 Aleksanteri Kaskimaki LW HIFK (Fin U20) 6-0/185 6-Feb-04 22-15-14-29
54 Luca Del Bel Belluz C Mississauga (OHL) 6-1/180 10-Nov-03 33-18-27-45
55 Ryan Chesley D USN U18 (USDP) 6-0/195 27-Feb-04 32-2-5-7
56 Danny Zhilkin C Guelph (OHL) 6-2/185 19-Dec-03 27-10-14-24
57 Isaiah George D London (OHL) 6-0/195 15-Feb-04 29-1-9-10
58 Rieger Lorenz LW Okotoks (AJHL) 6-1/185 30-Mar-04 43-28-39-67
59 Tyler Duke D USN U18 (USDP) 5-8/180 19-Jul-04 27-1-7-8
60 Mattias Havelid D Linkopings (SHL) 5-9/170 1-Jan-04 12-0-0-0
61 Arseni Koromyslov D SKA-1946 St. Petersburg (MHL) 6-3/180 3-Nov-03 22-0-8-8
62 Jack Hughes 2 C Northeastern (NCAA-HE) 6-0/165 2-Nov-03 22-5-4-9
63 Lane Hutson D USN U18 (USDP) 5-8/150 14-Feb-04 33-4-25-29
64 Gavin Hayes RW Flint (OHL) 6-1/175 14-May-04 30-8-9-17
65 Otto Salin D HIFK (Fin-Liiga) 5-11/185 7-Mar-04 5-0-1-1
66 Hunter Haight C Barrie (OHL) 5-10/175 4-Apr-04 24-8-6-14
67 Antonin Verreault LW Gatineau (QMJHL) 5-8/165 28-Jul-04 29-8-18-26
68 Cameron Lund RW Green Bay (USHL) 6-2/185 7-Jun-04 30-11-9-20
69 Bryce McConnell-Barker C Soo Greyhounds (OHL) 6-1/185 4-Jun-04 34-11-12-23
70 Brennan Ali C Lincoln (USHL) 6-1/195 9-Feb-04 2-0-0-0
71 David Spacek D Sherbrooke (QMJHL) 6-0/170 18-Feb-03 27-5-20-25
72 Angus Booth D Shawinigan (QMJHL) 6-0/175 27-Apr-04 30-1-20-21
73 Jake Livanavage D Chicago (USHL) 5-9/160 6-May-04 32-2-25-27
74 Markus Vidicek C Halifax (QMJHL) 5-10/160 21-Mar-04 30-9-18-27
75 Matthew Seminoff RW Kamloops (WHL) 5-10/160 27-Dec-03 30-15-18-33
76 Kasper Kulonummi D Jokerit (Fin U20) 6-0/175 1-Mar-04 25-2-16-18
77 Vinzenz Rohrer RW Ottawa (OHL) 5-10/160 9-Sep-04 30-9-14-23
78 Elias Salomonsson D Skelleftea J20 (Swe J20) 6-1/170 31-Aug-04 24-8-9-17
79 Liam Arnsby C North Bay (OHL) 5-10/180 20-Nov-03 32-8-10-18
80 Daniil Orlov D Sakhalinskiye Akuly (MHL) 6-2/180 21-Dec-03 44-8-18-26
81 Quinn Finley LW Madison (USHL) 6-0/170 8-Aug-04 14-5-5-10
82 Topi Ronni C Tappara (Fin U20) 6-1/180 5-May-04 21-7-11-18
83 Jordan Gustafson C Seattle (WHL) 5-11/180 20-Jan-04 29-13-18-31
84 Tyler Brennan G Prince George (WHL) 6-4/190 27-Sep-03 8-11-2, 3.34, .902
85 Cole Spicer C USN U18 (USDP) 5-10/175 13-Jun-04 31-10-12-22
86 Ryan Greene C Green Bay (USHL) 6-1/175 21-Oct-03 28-10-16-26
87 Topias Leinonen G JyP (Fin U20) 6-4/215 19-Jul-04 17GP, 2.17, .919
88 Alexander Suzdalev LW HV 71 J20 (Swe J20) 6-2/175 5-Mar-04 31-11-22-33
89 Pano Fimis C Niagara (OHL) 5-10/175 17-Jun-04 27-5-14-19
90 Spencer Sova D Erie (OHL) 6-1/185 10-Jan-04 30-2-12-14
91 Yoan Loshing C Moncton (QMJHL) 5-9/160 29-Feb-04 19-8-5-13
92 Jack Devine RW Denver (NCHC) 5-11/175 1-Oct-03 19-2-12-14
93 Ruslan Gazizov RW London (OHL) 5-11/185 21-Jan-04 20-5-11-16
94 Jackson Dorrington D Des Moines (USHL) 6-2/190 13-Apr-04 27-3-7-10
95 Jorian Donovan D Hamilton (OHL) 6-1/180 5-Apr-04 31-3-9-12
96 Jere Lassila C JyP (Fin U20) 5-9/170 8-Mar-04 13-7-4-11
97 Tucker Robertson C Peterborough (OHL) 5-11/190 22-Jun-03 31-19-23-42
98 Noah Warren D Gatineau (QMJHL) 6-5/215 15-Jul-04 29-3-9-12
99 Zakary Lavoie RW Mississauga (OHL) 5-11/170 15-Mar-04 31-10-15-25
100 Boston Buckberger D Brooks (AJHL) 5-10/175 1-Jun-03 42-11-9-20
]]> https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2022-nhldraft-mckeens-mid-season-ranking-top-100/feed/ 0 2022 NHLDRAFT: MCKEEN’S MID-SEASON RANKING – TOP 32 https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2022-nhldraft-mckeens-mid-season-ranking-top-32/ https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2022-nhldraft-mckeens-mid-season-ranking-top-32/#respond Fri, 21 Jan 2022 20:58:52 +0000 https://www.mckeenshockey.com/?p=175064 Read More... from 2022 NHLDRAFT: MCKEEN’S MID-SEASON RANKING – TOP 32

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RED DEER, ALBERTA - DECEMBER 26: USA vs Slovakia preliminary round action at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship at WP Centrium on December 26, 2021 in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Matt Zambonin/HHOF-IIHF Images)

A new year means a new draft ranking at McKeen’s Hockey, as we expand our list at mid-season to a Top 100. Back in mid-November, we released our preliminary ranking, a top 32, so this serves not only as an update, but an expansion too.

Like many, we were disappointed with the abrupt ending of the World Junior Championships, not just because it robbed us of some terrific hockey, but because it prevented a high-quality look at some of the best talents in this draft year. While a poor showing at the World Juniors is often dismissed, a strong showing can really help elevate a player’s standing. Ultimately, the decision to stop the tournament was the correct one, given the circumstances, however, hopefully the World Under 18’s can occur in Germany as planned in April.

At this point Kingston Frontenacs center and former CHL exceptional status player Shane Wright remains at the top of our rankings, however the gap is admittedly closing between him and some of the other players inside of our top five. Defenseman Simon Nemec is having a historically good season in the Slovak men’s league and will play for Slovakia at the Olympics. Center Logan Cooley is proving to be a dynamic two-way threat and is fresh off a terrific performance at the Biosteel All American Game. Center Matthew Savoie of the Winnipeg Ice continues to lead the WHL in scoring on the top ranked team in the Canadian Hockey League. A year ago, it was unfathomable to imagine anyone else but Wright being selected first overall. That concept is not as far-fetched today. Without question, Wright will need to pick up his play in the second half to withstand his competitors.

Looking specifically at those ranked inside our first round (top 32), the positional breakdown is as follows: 10 defenders, 22 forwards, and zero goaltenders. In fact, we do not have a single goaltender ranked inside the first two rounds. Tyler Brennan and Topias Leinonen are our top goaltenders, ranked 84th and 87th, respectively. The quality and depth of goaltenders available this year may be the worst that we have ever seen as a scouting staff.

Regionally, the breakdown is as follows: ten players from the CHL, seven players from the USHL (more specifically the NTDP), four players in Sweden, four players in Russia, three players in Finland, two players in Slovakia, and two players in Czechia. The U.S. National Development program is extremely well represented with ten players inside of our first two rounds.

This top 100 was formed in consultation with our regional scouts and our video scouting team. Now that we have our midseason list formed, look for our annual, in-depth individual scouting reports to start being published in the very near future.

Shane Wright of the KIngston Frontenacs. Photo by Robert Lefebvre/OHL Images.
RANK PLAYER POS TEAM HT/WT DOB GP-G-A-PTS
1 Shane Wright C Kingston (OHL) 6-1/190 5-Jan-04 25-12-19-31
2 Simon Nemec D HK Nitra (Svk) 6-1/190 15-Feb-04 28-0-19-19
3 Matthew Savoie C Winnipeg (WHL) 5-9/180 1-Jan-04 35-19-34-53
4 Logan Cooley C USN U18 (USDP) 5-10/180 4-May-04 25-15-20-35
5 Danila Yurov RW Metallurg Magnitogorsk (KHL) 6-1/175 22-Dec-03 21-0-0-0
6 Joakim Kemell RW JyP (Fin-Liiga) 5-11/175 27-Apr-04 21-12-6-18
7 Juraj Slafkovsky LW TPS (Fin-Liiga) 6-4/225 30-Mar-04 20-1-3-4
8 Conor Geekie C Winnipeg (WHL) 6-4/205 5-May-04 35-11-27-38
9 Brad Lambert C JyP (Fin-Liiga) 6-0/180 19-Dec-03 24-2-4-6
10 Ivan Miroshnichenko LW Omskie Krylia (VHL) 6-1/185 4-Feb-04 30-9-6-15
11 David Jiricek D HC Plzen (Cze) 6-3/190 28-Nov-03 29-5-6-11
12 Filip Mesar C HK Poprad (Svk) 5-10/165 3-Jan-04 22-6-5-11
13 Pavel Mintyukov D Saginaw (OHL) 6-1/190 25-Nov-03 31-6-17-23
14 Denton Mateychuk D Moose Jaw (WHL) 5-11/190 12-Jul-04 35-7-24-31
15 Marco Kasper C Rogle BK (SHL) 6-1/185 8-Apr-04 27-4-2-6
16 Alexander Perevalov LW Loko Yaroslavl (MHL) 6-0/190 16-Apr-04 29-19-20-39
17 Seamus Casey D USN U18 (USDP) 5-10/160 8-Jan-04 31-5-13-18
18 Frank Nazar C USN U18 (USDP) 5-10/175 14-Jan-04 33-15-23-38
19 Noah Ostlund C Djurgardens J20 (Swe J20) 5-10/160 11-Mar-04 19-6-18-24
20 Cutter Gauthier C USN U18 (USDP) 6-2/190 19-Jan-04 33-20-12-32
21 Jonathan Lekkerimaki C Djurgardens J20 (Swe J20) 5-11/170 24-Jul-04 25-19-15-34
22 Tristan Luneau D Gatineau (QMJHL) 6-2/175 12-Jan-04 26-5-10-15
23 Nathan Gaucher C Quebec (QMJHL) 6-3/205 6-Nov-03 30-15-11-26
24 Ty Nelson D North Bay (OHL) 5-9/195 30-Mar-04 33-5-21-26
25 Vladimir Grudinin D Krasnaya Armiya Moskva (MHL) 5-10/160 9-Dec-03 15-2-7-9
26 Owen Beck C Mississauga (OHL) 5-11/190 3-Feb-04 33-13-16-29
27 Simon Forsmark D Orebro (SHL) 6-2/195 17-Oct-03 22-0-1-1
28 Mats Lindgren D Kamloops (WHL) 5-11/175 26-Aug-04 34-2-19-21
29 Rutger McGroarty LW USN U18 (USDP) 6-1/205 30-Mar-04 27-15-17-32
30 Jiri Kulich C Karlovy Vary (Cze) 6-0/175 14-Apr-04 31-7-4-11
31 Isaac Howard LW USN U18 (USDP) 5-10/180 30-Mar-04 33-15-24-39
32 Jimmy Snuggerud RW USN U18 (USDP) 6-1/185 1-Jun-04 33-16-22-38
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