William Whitelaw – McKeen's Hockey

MCKEEN’S 2026 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – #19 Columbus Blue Jackets – Organization Overview – Top 15 Prospects

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 22:00:00 +0000

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - NOVEMBER 22: Penn State Nittany Lions defensemen Jackson Smith (7) motions to the Minnesota student section after scoring the go-ahead goal on the power play during the third period of a college hockey game between the Minnesota Golden Gophers and Penn State Nittany Lions on November 22, 2025, at 3M Arena at Mariucci in Minneapolis, MN. (Photo by Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire)

Prospect System Ranking – 19th (Last Year - 19th)
GM: Don Waddell Hired: May 2024
COACH: Rick Bowness Hired: January 2025

Despite missing the playoffs, the Columbus Blue Jackets are beginning to show signs of progress. A growing group of young NHL contributors has started to hit its stride, with players such as Adam Fantilli and Kirill Marchenko emerging as key offensive drivers. Meanwhile, Kent Johnson, Denton Mateychuk, Cole Sillinger, Luca Pinneli (188th) and Luca Del Bel Belluz (94th) continue to develop into important complementary pieces of the roster. Slowly but surely, Columbus is assembling a more competitive and well-rounded lineup. The organization also signalled its intent to accelerate that progress during the 2025–26 season, acquiring veteran forwards Mason Marchment and Conor Garland. Those additions suggest the Blue Jackets are ready to move beyond the rebuilding phase and begin pushing toward meaningful contention.

Behind the NHL roster, the prospect system continues to develop across multiple leagues. A significant portion of the organization’s high-end talent is currently playing in the NCAA, with several top prospects gaining valuable collegiate experience. Defenseman Jackson Smith, ranked 30th in McKeen’s prospect rankings, has enjoyed an impressive freshman season at Penn State and currently sits among the top-producing defenders in the NCAA. Forward Cayden Lindstrom (52nd), meanwhile, is healthy and progressing through his freshman campaign after injury concerns. William Whitelaw has emerged as a breakout performer at Western Michigan, producing at nearly a point-per-game pace. In Russia, the Blue Jackets also have promising depth in goal. Sergei Ivanov, 21, has spent most of his time at the KHL level, posting an impressive .928 save percentage with three shutouts. Meanwhile, 2025 first-round selection Pyotr Andreyanov (75th) has split his season between the VHL and MHL, with most of his success coming at the junior level.

Another encouraging sign for Columbus is its intact draft capital. The organization has managed to maintain selections in every round of the 2026 NHL Draft, providing additional opportunities to strengthen the system. Regardless of how the current season ultimately unfolds, the Blue Jackets appear to be trending in a positive direction both at the NHL level and throughout their prospect pipeline.

NHL	RNK	PLAYER	POS	AGE	HT/WT	2024-25 TM	GP	G(W)	A(L)	PTS(GAA)	PIM(SPCT)
CBJ	1	Jackson Smith	D	19	6-4/200	Penn State (NCAA)	35	11	15	26	40
CBJ	2	Cayden Lindstrom	C	20	6-3/215	Michigan State (NCAA)	31	3	7	10	94
CBJ	3	Pyotr Andreyanov	G	19	6-0/205	Krasnaya Armiya Moskva (MHL)	26	13	8	2.59	0.919
CBJ	4	Luca Del Bel Belluz	C	22	6-1/185	Cleveland (AHL)	55	22	36	58	2
CBJ	4	Luca Del Bel Belluz	C	22	6-1/185	Columbus (NHL)	14	0	1	1	4
CBJ	5	Luca Marrelli	D	20	6-2/185	Cleveland (AHL)	32	4	12	16	10
CBJ	6	Luca Pinelli	C	21	5-9/165	Cleveland (AHL)	68	14	32	46	66
CBJ	6	Luca Pinelli	C	21	5-9/165	Columbus (NHL)	3	0	0	0	0
CBJ	7	Jordan Dumais	RW	22	5-8/165	Cleveland (AHL)	46	7	11	18	8
CBJ	8	William Whitelaw	RW	21	5-9/173	Western Michigan (NCAA)	39	19	15	34	51
CBJ	9	Sergei Ivanov	G	22	5-11/165	SKA St. Petersburg (Rus)	29	13	11	2.50	0.928
CBJ	10	Evan Gardner	G	20	6-0/175	Saskatoon (WHL)	52	25	16	2.96	0.902
CBJ	11	Charlie Elick	D	20	6-4/200	Tri-City (WHL)	63	6	14	20	46
CBJ	11	Charlie Elick	D	20	6-4/200	Cleveland (AHL)	2	0	1	1	0
CBJ	12	Guillaume Richard	D	23	6-2/180	Cleveland (AHL)	70	7	11	18	20
CBJ	13	Oiva Keskinen	C	22	6-0/180	Tappara (Fin-Liiga)	49	20	17	37	14
CBJ	14	Jack Williams	RW	24	5-11/185	Cleveland (AHL)	72	15	23	38	14
CBJ	14	Jack Williams	RW	24	5-11/185	Notre Dame (NCAA)	2	0	0	0	0
CBJ	15	Corson Ceulemans	D	23	6-2/200	Cleveland (AHL)	64	8	16	24	43

Jackson Smith, D, Penn State University (NCAA)

The standout Penn State defenseman joined the team this year after being selected fourteenth overall by the Blue Jackets in the summer of 2025. Smith brings not only a decent size to the blue line, standing at 6’4”, but also some high end skating combined with great stickhandling skills and creativity. It showed in his point production, where he finished the NCAA season with 26 points in 35 games, tops among defenseman on the team. The freshman did not look out of place playing collegiate hockey and transitioned easily into his role as an offensive threat for the Nittany Lions. The one aspect of Smith’s game that stands out right away is his elite skating for his size. From his separation speed, to his four-way mobility and easy transitions, it is no wonder he was highly sought after during the NHL draft. You combine that with his puck control skills and high end shot, Smith will always be a high-end offensive threat every time he steps on the ice. And the defensive part of his game has also been evolving, making him a dual threat from the backend. The Blue Jackets will be very happy once Smith joins the club full time down the road.
Cayden Lindstrom, C, Michigan State University (NCAA)

After missing a good amount of time during the past two seasons owing to injury, Lindstrom finally made his hockey debut for the Spartans this year and took a little time to get the cobwebs loose and adjust to the speed of college hockey. He responded with a decent freshman outing, putting up 10 points in 31 games. Now the numbers don’t tell the full story, as Lindstrom plays a power forward style game and he is best suited for those battles along the boards and in front of the net. He seemed to embrace his role for Michigan State and helped them become one of the best, if not the best, team in the NCAA. Lindstrom provides some added toughness and grit to the Blue Jackets pipeline and will most likely wreak havoc to opposing teams once he makes the jump to the big club. There may still be some time spent in the NCAA for him to develop and return to top form, but the reward will be worth the wait. The big power forward will also need to get his offensive mojo back if he wants to make an impact at the NHL level. His struggles on the scoresheet this season are hopefully just a one-off and expect him to increase on those totals next year. Columbus is surely hoping Lindstrom can develop into a reliable NHL power forward for their team at some point.
Pyotr Andreyanov, G, Zvezda Moscow (VHL)

Andreyanov has taken a slight step back this season after his outstanding campaign last year. He started the year in the VHL, but his subpar play got him demoted back to the MHL, where his GAA has taken a significant hit. He is still the uber athletic, explosive and dexterous goalie that Columbus picked at 20 last draft, making difficult plays look easy and producing highlight reel saves when necessary. His ability to anticipate play and track pucks through traffic is excellent as well, adding to his impressive toolkit. The weaknesses in his game come from poor angles when he is forced to move laterally across his crease. He leaves the short side open and has had issues with stopping low glove shots in those situations. He is also slightly on the heavier side. If he can shed some weight while adding muscle, the athleticism could be otherworldly as he is already very gifted. Some slight tweaks to his positioning and techniques could turn him into a star, and he has plenty of time in an excellent goalie developmental system with Krasnaya to get him there.
Luca Del Bel Belluz, C, Cleveland Monsters (AHL)

For Del Bel Belluz, it’s all about finding a way to breakthrough offensively at the NHL level. He has proven that he can be an impact offensive player at the AHL level with Cleveland. However, that same consistency has not yet carried over to the NHL level. He had a strong cup of coffee last year with the Jackets, but this year’s run was significantly less effective. As he inches closer to the end of his waiver exemption, he will need to prove to Columbus that he can be a top nine player for them. The skill and touch are there. Del Bel Belluz is a skilled play creator who protects the puck well and operates with a quick strike mentality. However, he needs to find a way to discover more success playing through the middle and in higher traffic areas at the NHL level to take that next step. The Jackets have three key top nine forwards entering this offseason as UFA’s and that could create room for LDBB to finally breakthrough next year. He still has terrific upside to be an offensive contributor, even if some tweener concerns are creeping in.
Luca Marrelli, D, Cleveland Monsters (AHL)

Offseason shoulder surgery delayed Marelli’s pro debut until only recently, but the former Oshawa General standout has been quick to make an impact with the Cleveland Monsters.
Marrelli’s best asset is unquestionably his brain; he’s an extremely intelligent defender. Marrelli rarely turns the puck over and is calm under pressure, making him a high-end facilitator and powerplay quarterback. He’s not a physical player, but he is effective in the defensive end too, because of his good four-way mobility and defensive instincts. While the Jackets will likely take his development slow the rest of the season given his injury recovery, he has the potential to move quickly through the organization and into a main club role. It’s not inconceivable to see him up with the Jackets full time next year in a third pairing role. He projects as a serviceable two-way second pairing type who can operate as a Swiss Army knife, plying his trade on both special team’s units.
Luca Pinelli, C, Cleveland Monsters (AHL)

Given his lack of size and elite physical tools, there was some concern over the translatability of Pinelli’s skill set to the pro game. He had improved over four years with the Ottawa 67’s, but concerns lingered. However, his first pro season has been solid so far, with Pinelli even earning a cup of coffee with the Jackets as an injury fill in. He’s such a competitive player; he never stops moving his feet and he’s always in attack mode. That gives him an advantage and allows him to overcome a lack of size/speed. Pinelli is also a skilled playmaker who protects the puck well through traffic despite his smaller stature. Not likely to become a premier offensive player at the NHL level, Pinelli should be able to carve out a long career playing through the middle of a lineup. Given the aforementioned Jackets’ forwards who are UFA’s, Pinelli might have the opportunity to secure a bottom six spot next season with a good offseason and training camp. Danton Heinen’s replacement perhaps?
Jordan Dumais, RW, Cleveland Monsters (AHL)

Injuries have not been kind to Dumais the last few seasons. The former QMJHL scoring star had struggled to stay on the ice for the last few years, missing time due to hernia surgery, upper body injuries, and hip issues. However, he’s been healthy this year and that’s the main positive as he tries to find his footing at the pro level. The Blue Jackets are going to have to be patient with his development given all the time missed. So, while his production this year with the Monsters has been somewhat disappointing, it’s important to remember the context. An extremely skilled and intelligent offensive player, Dumais’ ceiling is extremely high. However, his lack of size and dynamic skating ability has always brought forward questions regarding the probability of his NHL success. It’s still too early to come to any concrete conclusions; Dumais remains a high upside player. Next season will be the big one for him as he will need to prove that he can be an offensive leader at the AHL level first.
William Whitelaw, RW, Western Michigan University (NCAA)

The 33rd overall selection of the Blue Jackets in the 2023 NHL draft, joined Western Michigan after two seasons in the NCAA on different teams, and his involvement with the reigning collegiate champs has been nothing but remarkable. Whitelaw popped off offensively this year, posting an impressive 34 points in 39 games, good enough for third on the team in scoring. His ability to help out on the scoresheet is a testament to his development and WMU’s trust in his overall game. The third-year player has elite speed and can easily navigate through the toughest tight areas, owing to his high level four-way mobility and balance. Whitelaw also possesses some great scoring skills and racked up 19 goals for the Broncos, which was second best on the team. He is a gritty player for his size, listed at 5-foot-9 and not afraid to battle down low or along the wall. The question is, will all of these attributes translate into an NHL career? Only time will tell, but Whitelaw’s development curve so far has been positive, and he could one day push for a Blue Jackets roster spot.
Sergei Ivanov, G, St. Petersburg (KHL)

Ivanov has had an up and down career in the Russian pro leagues. After loans to Sochi and Vladivostok, he has returned to St.Petersburg and is playing well. He is on pace to have his best record and the GAA and SV% has come back to par. He makes up for his smaller size with high-end athleticism and quick lateral mobility. Strong going post to post and covers the bottom of his net well by utilizing the butterfly and his ability to adjust in tight. He is still struggling to fight through screens and has a tendency to lose pucks in scrums, scrambling to follow the play. His ability to read the game is inconsistent but his aggressive nature and strong pushoffs help make up for his poor positioning. There is a tendency to overcommit though, skating himself out of his crease and leaving backdoor passes or rebounds wide open. There is a strong base here and a move to North America to work on his technical play and tightening up his positioning could see him making the NHL one day.
Evan Gardner, G, Saskatoon Blades (WHL)

By this point it's fair to say that things haven't quite gone as expected for Gardner or the Blue Jackets since the goaltender was selected by Columbus 60th overall in 2024. The Blades were a stalwart defensive club that season and that might have painted a misleading picture of their then-rookie netminder, particularly through his sky-high save percentage, which has been free-falling ever since. His performances in the playoffs have also lagged behind his regular season results, which is another bad sign. There aren't any specific or serious concerns about his game, necessarily. He's about as balanced and well-rounded as goalies his age come. But rather, the problem is that nothing about him truly stands out. His technique, reflexes, puck tracking, rebound control and mental acuity are all more good than they are great, and that's not an ideal makeup for a goalie who doesn't have an abundance of natural size to fall back on. Gardner has already signed his entry-level contract, so Columbus will try to develop him as much as possible in the coming years.
Charlie Elick, D, Tri-City Americans (WHL)

At this point, you have to operate under the assumption that the offensive game will never really be a strength. However, his size, mobility, and physicality do make him a potentially elite shutdown defender, which is why he was an early second round selection.
Guillaume Richard, D, Cleveland Monsters (AHL)

Richard is a lot like Elick, but perhaps with a little less upside because his physical tools are not as elite. He’s already proven to be a strong defensive presence in the AHL as a rookie and he is tracking towards being a quality third pairing type for the Jackets.
Oiva Keskinen, C, Tappara (Liiga)

Keskinen is looking like a solid pick by the Jackets when they took him as an overager late in 2023. He’s improved every year in Liiga and has emerged as one of the top young forwards in Finland.
Jack Williams, RW, Cleveland Monsters (AHL)

The former Northeastern star was signed as a free agent by the Jackets last year and his first year in the AHL has been largely solid. He’s been one of the Monsters’ top offensive performers and has been solid away from the puck too.
Corson Ceulemans, D, Cleveland Monsters (AHL)

Columbus has been very patient with their 2021 first round pick out of the AJHL. Since leaving Wisconsin Ceulemans has struggled to be a fairly impactful defender at the pro level, but he’s having his best season to date at both ends, providing some hope that he can at least be a solid depth defender in the near future.

MCKEEN’S 2025-26 NHL YEARBOOK – COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS – Top 15 Prospect Profiles – Organizational Rank #19

Fri, 26 Sep 2025 19:01:34 +0000

Prospect System Ranking – 19th (May 2025 - 13th)
GM: Don Waddell Hired: May 2024
COACH: Dean Evason Hired: July 2024

Another year, another missed postseason for the Columbus Blue Jackets. Although, 2024-25 carried a spark of optimism. The team battled until the final day despite falling just short of a playoff spot, buoyed by breakout seasons from a few young stars.

Kirill Marchenko nearly doubled his career high with 74 points, Kent Johnson (22) closed in on 60, and 2023 third-overall pick Adam Fantilli hit the 50-point plateau in his sophomore campaign. Together, they form the core of a group aiming to shift the fortunes of a franchise that has reached the playoffs just six times in 24 years.

On the back end, Denton Mateychuk split time between the NHL and AHL, averaging 18 minutes per game in Columbus and cementing his reputation as a poised two-way defender and power-play distributor. In the AHL, forwards Luca Del Bel Belluz, Jordan Dumais, and Owen Sillinger each flashed offensive upside, while defensemen Stanislav Svozil and Corson Ceulemans continued to develop in Cleveland, positioning themselves as future contributors on the Blue Jackets’ blue line.

Top prospect Cayden Lindstrom missed the entire 2024-25 season due to injury but will return next year at Michigan State and will be looking to reassert himself as one of the most promising young power forwards in the game.

Columbus moved on from Gavin Brindley but bolstered its future at the draft. With two picks in the first round, they selected defenseman Jackson Smith 14th overall and later addressed their long-term goaltending depth with Pyotr Andreyanov—though the Russian netminder is signed overseas for the foreseeable future.

After years of frustration, Columbus now boasts a loaded depth chart at both the NHL and AHL levels. If their emerging core continues to progress and the next wave arrives as expected, the Blue Jackets could soon move from hopeful to dangerous in the Eastern Conference.

Columbus Blue Jackets Top-15 Prospects

1 - Cayden Lindstrom

Lindstrom’s entire 2024-25 season was limited to just seven games, and those appearances never would have happened at all if his Medicine Hat Tigers team wouldn’t have gotten all the way to the WHL finals, won the league championship, then played for the Memorial Cup. This is due to him receiving back surgery in November that was meant to address a nagging issue that had been lingering since the prior season. And yet, if you were to candidly ask the Blue Jackets if they would choose to go a different direction with the fourth overall pick in the 2024 draft if given the opportunity, they would likely still decline. That's because Lindstrom truly is that exciting of a hockey player and still maintains such an enticing long-term ceiling that he is well worth the wait and the slower development path. He's a huge center with menacing physicality, explosive skating ability, sublime puck skill and infectious determination, which is a blend of traits that is highly rare and highly valuable. If everything goes right for him then the sky's the limit.

2 - Jackson Smith

The young and rebuilding Blue Jackets went into the 2025 draft with a clear need for another blue-chip defender in their system, especially after their relationship with former sixth overall pick David Jiricek went south, and he was dealt to Minnesota. Knowing that, they must have been pretty thrilled when Smith was still available for them at 1fourth, because he has a realistic chance of becoming one of the true superstars to come out of this year's class. What makes him such a special prospect is his tremendous upside on both the offensive and defensive sides of the puck, thanks to his explosive skating ability, finely tuned athleticism, energetic demeanor, and his proficiency handling the puck at breakneck speeds. It still remains to be seen, though, just how much of that raw potential Smith will be able to convert into actual results, which has been the knock on him for a while now and surely would have been the reason why Columbus got him where they did.

3 - Luca Del Bel Belluz

Luca Del Bel Belluz has been a huge success story this past year and looks like he’ll compete for a lengthy stint in the NHL this year. In 2024-25, he tore up the AHL, building on his success from the previous season, and carried that production into his call-up with Columbus. After that trial run, Del Bel Belluz returned to the AHL, where his scoring pace dipped in February due to a team-wide slump. Del Bel Belluz generates dangerous chances thanks to his smart timing and off-puck positioning. He always seems to find open ice, readjusting in the zone and using his slick release to beat goalies. While he’s not going to be a play driver and still lacks high-end pace, he projects as a complementary scorer who can bring skill and finishing in a depth role. Del Bel Belluz looks well on his way to becoming a useful piece in Columbus’s bottom six should he continue on his current trajectory.

4 - Pyotr Andreyanov

Andreyanov is one of the most athletic, quickest, and best-skating goalies drafted in the past 5 years, akin to Shesterkin. He plays at a very high intensity, never giving up on a play, and is willing to do whatever it takes to make a save. His stance can be very compact, and his hands are weaker, which can be harmful for an NHL projection. However, his cognition sets him apart. Andreyanov reads the play well, showing a high level of anticipation and predicting play at high speeds and chaos. Combine that with his level of athleticism and skating, and there is a serious potential starting goalie in the making. The area he will have to work on, like most hyper athletic undersized goalies, is his poise. Shesterkin didn’t win a Vezina on raw talent alone. His control, precision, and calmness are what got him there. Andreyanov is a chaotic goalie; he will require refinement to reach his potential, but with Shesterkin as a comparison, it makes sense why he was the 20th overall pick.

5 - Luca Marrelli

Intelligence is the name of the game here. Marrelli is one of the OHL’s smartest defenders. He’s rarely out of position defensively. He rarely turns the puck over. He consistently makes smart plays and stabilizes the offensive attack when he’s on the ice. Best of all for Columbus, he does this from the right side. As a power play quarterback, he walks the line well and gets pucks on net, although a significant amount of his offensive production this year has come at even strength. Marrelli’s upside may not be significant; we’re not likely talking about a future first pairing defender. However, the consistency and efficiency of his game should play well at the pro level as long as he continues to improve his physical intensity. He’ll turn pro next year and should work his way up the lineup over a few years before being ready for a role with the Jackets.

6 - Jet Greaves

Jet Greaves is a technical goalie who has had early success at the NHL level. He is a great skater who uses short, efficient routes through the crease and positions himself perfectly. He manages his depth well, balancing aggression and reservation. He’s very controlled in his movement, keeping the same stance, never moving his upper body or throwing his hands around, he is all about stability and precision. This isn’t to say he lacks athleticism. Greaves is adept at exploding laterally and stretching out to make a big backdoor save when needed to. Where he falls short is his tracking. His hands often get beat anywhere above the pad, and he can be seen failing to track the shot into his hands, and sometimes just moving the hand to the wrong location. It’s especially seen when a high shot comes after Greaves moves laterally. One shouldn’t expect him to put up the same NHL numbers in a prolonged season, but he’s still capable of being an effective goalie with enough high-level tools that could propel him to a bigger role.

7 - Jordan Dumais

Once again, Jordan Dumais missed a significant portion of the season, returning from a lingering lower-body injury on January 31st. Dumais has now appeared in just 39 league games over the past two seasons, but he jumped back into action with four points in his first four games before falling victim to Cleveland’s offensive struggles in February. Throughout his junior career, Dumais has faced criticism for his lack of size, speed, and strength, but he’s consistently proven doubters wrong by producing points wherever he plays. The skills and hockey sense are clearly there. The million-dollar question now is: where does he fit in an NHL lineup? And if it’s not in the top six, can he adapt his game to meet the needs of the Blue Jackets? This season will no doubt be a “prove it” year where Dumais must remain in the lineup and produce. Columbus is in dire need of depth scoring, and Dumais must seize the opportunity.

8 - Luca Pinelli

The Ottawa 67’s did not make the playoffs this past year for the first time in over a decade, so as you might expect, many of their players had down years, including Pinelli. A workhorse in all three zones, Pinelli’s compete level can never be questioned. He may not be big, but he is consistently successful in his pursuit of the puck, and he executes well in the middle of the ice and near the crease by outthinking and outworking bigger defenders at the junior level. He certainly has a measure of skill too, in particular a quick and powerful wrister. The big question mark is whether he can continue to find success as an offensive player at the pro level, despite not being the quickest or the biggest. Additionally, if that’s not the case, does he fit the profile of the kind of player Columbus would want to play a fourth line, penalty killing kind of role? Pinelli will turn pro next year and there could be some growing pains in his first season, but his work rate should endear him to his coaches.

9 - Guillaume Richard

Guillaume Richard was a fourth-round pick by the Blue Jackets in 2021 and just finished a full four-season career in the NCAA with the Providence Friars. Richard was once a highly touted QMJHL prospect, a top 10 draft pick who ultimately decided to go the USHL - NCAA route instead of playing in the CHL. Richard is not going to be a difference maker offensively (his highest scoring NCAA season was three goals, 18 points) but could turn into a useful defensive defenceman. He uses plus skating and efficient stickwork to suffocate opponents in the defensive zone. He is decent on retrievals and can move the puck quickly but needs to clean up his decision making when he does decide to hold onto the puck. At times he can try to do too much with the puck on the rush, which ends up in turnovers with him out of position defensively. Richard will likely season his game in Cleveland with the Monsters for the next couple years.

10 - Charlie Elick

The past few seasons haven’t exactly been easy sledding for Elick, who started out in the WHL with an underachieving Brandon team before being traded to the similarly underachieving Tri-City Americans. And those sorts of situations can be extra difficult for prospects like him who are always asked to do a lot of heavy lifting, such as killing penalties, defending late leads, and matching up against the best opponents on other teams. The good news for Elick is that these trials and tribulations are presenting great opportunities for him to hone his craft, especially since he’s being used in ways that play to his strengths, and it’s not like the work ever gets any easier for players after they turn pro. Getting to spend time playing international hockey for Canada, and winning a couple of gold medals along the way, probably helps make things more palatable too. Elick has undeniable NHL upside as a stay-at-home shutdown defender, and there won’t be any deviation from that kind of role as he continues to develop.

11 - Stanislav Svozil

After a noticeable rookie season in the AHL, Svozil wasn’t really able to do anything but put in a repeat performance in 2024-25, even if it still saw him be the Monsters’ top overall defenceman aside from Denton Mateychuk. This said, there was progress in the areas of decision making with the puck, timing, and joining the attack. We also saw a considerable cutdown on turnovers over the latter half of the season. His NHL prospects are still uncertain.

12 - William Whitelaw

Will the third time be the charm for the undersized, yet sneaky talented Whitelaw? After almost identical freshman and sophomore seasons for Wisconsin and Michigan respectively, there’s no denying Whitelaw’s offensive upside and now Western Michigan looks to be the team ready to tickle the breakout out of him. Dynamic in transition, Whitelaw’s variable set of shot releases makes him a goal scoring threat that overshadows how well he can set up teammates.

13 - Evan Gardner

After a big 2023-24 season for Saskatoon of the WHL, including taking over between the pipes in the playoffs (10-1 record!), Gardner’s 2024-25 season for Saskatoon continued to display developmental positives although he couldn’t quite repeat his feats of the previous season. The starting job was his to lose and despite his team lacking the defensive wherewithal of the previous season, he ultimately finished top 10 in the WHL in wins, goals against average, and save percentage. He has signed his ELC.

14 - Corson Ceulemans

Getting long in the tooth as a prospect, Ceulemans is entering the final year of his ELC and we’re still waiting to see the promise he displayed in his heavily pandemic-shortened draft season. Last season began much like the previous growing-pain-filled season ended before upper body surgery in January ended his season prematurely. Even though Ceulemans has shown improvement in closing gaps and winning puck races, Columbus is busy narrowing down which blueline prospects it wants to plan with.

15 - Jack Williams

Columbus won the Williams sweepstakes, signing the college free agent to a two-year ELC last spring after the Massachusetts native completed his third straight season of offensive improvement. Despite his solid numbers and sometimes eyebrow-raising offensive flair, Williams has made himself noticeable as a feisty player who causes turnovers and wins puck battles before showing strong reads. The hard-working Williams will look to put his name on the pro map already this season.

2025 NHL PROSPECTS REPORT: #13 COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS – Top 15 NHL Affiliated Prospects

Tue, 27 May 2025 15:37:28 +0000

OTTAWA, ON - APRIL 06: Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Denton Mateychuk (5) passes the puck during first period National Hockey League action between the Columbus Blue Jackets and Ottawa Senators on April 6, 2025, at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, ON, Canada. (Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire)

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Columbus 25 Prospects

MCKEEN’S 2024-25 NHL YEARBOOK – COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS – Top 15 Prospect Profiles – Organizational Rank #11

Introduction - Dave Hall, Profiles - Derek Neumeier — Sun, 22 Sep 2024 18:00:39 +0000

_{ALLENTOWN, PA - MARCH 26: Michigan Wolverines Forward Gavin Brindley (4) skates with the puck during the first period of the 2023 NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Regional Final between the Penn State Nittany Lions and the Michigan Wolverines on March 26, 2023, at the PPL Center in Allentown, PA. (Photo by Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire)}

Prospect System Ranking – 22nd (Previous Rank - 11th)
GM: Don Waddell Hired: May 2024
COACH: Dean Evason Hired: July 2024

The Columbus Blue Jackets have ushered in a new regime this summer, with former Carolina Hurricanes GM Don Waddell and newly appointed Head Coach Dean Evason taking the helm. This marks the third head coach in as many years for the Blue Jackets, as Evason takes over with a mandate to set a ship that has floundered at times straight.

Luckily, he inherits a strong youth movement fueled by an influx of high-end prospects. Over the last four drafts, Columbus has selected seven players in the first round, six of whom were chosen 12th overall or higher. Anchored by an already established veteran group of Boone Jenner, Zach Werenski and Ivan Provorov, the club managed to graduate a total of five (5!) youngsters last year. Those names include: David Jiricek, Adam Fantilli, Cole Sillinger, Kent Johnson, and Yegor Chinakhov. All five will push for major roles on the team this season after showing their readiness at various levels.

Looking to join this group in 2024-25 is standout defenceman Denton Mateychuk (49th), fresh off an incredible season with the Moose Jaw Warriors, where he earned WHL Defenceman of the Year, WHL Playoff MVP, and WHL (East) First All-Star Team honors. While Mateychuk may see some time in Cleveland, he feels ready to make the leap to the NHL. Gavin Brindley (85th), who signed his pro papers after being named NCAA (B1G) Player of the Year at Michigan as the Conference scoring champion, is another promising young forward expected to make his debut soon.

The farm system in Cleveland is also strong, with several key prospects developing steadily. Defencemen Stanislav Svozil (101st) and Corson Ceulemans (128th) have recently completed their AHL rookie seasons, while Samuel Knazko is now considered a two-year veteran presence in the AHL.

On the forward side, Jordan Dumais (136th), fresh off a spectacular junior career of 325 points in 193 QMJHL games, joins the ranks. He’ll be joined by already established AHL pros like Luca Del Bel Belluz (238th) and James Malatesta. In just a few years’ time, you can add 2024 first rounder, Cayden Lindstrom (14th) to this list of reinforcements.

In their 23-year history, the Blue Jackets have made the playoffs only six times and have won just two series. However, with a major influx of young talent and several high-pedigree prospects in the pipeline, Columbus’s window that has been left ajar could be broken open in short order.

Columbus Blue Jackets Top-15 Prospects

1. Cayden Lindstrom

Lindstrom missed half of his draft-eligible season due to injury, but he just looked so utterly tantalizing in the games he was able to play in that it became undeniable that he deserved to get picked as high as he did. He's an incredibly rare kind of player, who is able to blend great footwork, soft hands and imposing physicality, sometimes all within the same shift. When all the cylinders are firing for him at once he is an unstoppable force who leaves a significant impact in different ways. His Tigers team is poised to run roughshod over the WHL over the next two seasons and challenge for back-to-back league titles, and that kind of experience should help provide an additional boost to his development. Between him and Adam Fantilli the Blue Jackets could be downright scary down the middle for the next decade or more.

2. Denton Mateychuk

Moose Jaw really leaned into their high-flying, run-and-gun style this season, to impressive results, and Mateychuk had the best seat in the house as their number one defenceman. Therein lies the secret to his success: his ability to see and break down the ice in front of him. He’s not the biggest, fastest, or most purely talented blueliner out there, and he likely never will be, but only a tiny fraction of his peers can understand the sport and feel its flow as well as he can. It also helps that he’s as competitive as they come, with an intense drive to win that is worth its weight in gold at the NHL level but is far from universal. He’ll still need to put in more work with his strength and conditioning before he’s ready for full-time duty in Columbus, but once that happens, he’ll be primed to shine.

3. Gavin Brindley

It's impossible to not root for Brindley, who is usually both the smallest player out on the ice and, simultaneously, the hardest worker. He is an absolute menace who always loves to push the pace and be right in the middle of the action. He's far from brainless or reckless, though, and is very aware and methodical with his decisions, pinpointing his pressure in ways that force turnovers and win pucks. His game is all about controlling the chaos that he creates, and he is an expert at it. There's no shortage of skill on display either, as he can weave through traffic with his skating and puck skills, and he is precise with his shooting and passes. He seems inevitably destined for the NHL with how consistently effective his presence is, but some questions remain about how high his ceiling will go.

4. Stanislav Svozil

Svozil’s scoring totals from his final year in Regina were undeniably admirable, but the help of a little-known teammate of his — some kid named Connor Bedard — might have given Blue Jackets fans the wrong idea about what his game is really about. He’s far less of an offensive generator or powerplay specialist, and moreso an even-strength puck rusher and game manager, but that’s OK, because there is value in both kinds of defensemen. He has quick feet and a pesky attitude, and he uses them in tandem to help him dodge forecheck pressure on retrievals and zone exits, as well as close gaps and provide sticky man-to-man coverage when defending. It would be nice if he was bigger or flashier with the puck, but neither of those things should prevent him from eventually carving out a spot for himself in the NHL.

5. Corson Ceulemans

The Columbus organization is overflowing with young defensemen right now, and Ceulemans feels like a bit of a forgotten man, despite being a recent 1st-round pick of the team. He missed most of his draft year due to COVID, then found himself stuck in an unexpectedly bad situation at the University of Wisconsin for two seasons, and then the situation he found himself mired in next with AHL Cleveland wasn’t much better due to extreme roster turnover and drama with the parent club. Simply put, it hasn’t been a conducive few years for a prospect who was always a bit boom-or-bust, even going back to his AJHL days. Regardless, he’s a rangy right-shot defenseman who can play with both power and finesse, and at times he’s shown flashes of just how good he can be. The Blue Jackets would be wise to continue being patient with him.

6. Jordan Dumais

Dumais is one of the most interesting case studies in the prospect world right now. He is an exceptionally smart winger who is also a dazzling magician with the puck. Using those gifts he absolutely torched the QMJHL over the past two seasons, scoring at a torrid pace of two points per game. So then why wasn’t he selected until 96th overall in the 2022 draft? It’s because he’s small, lacks strength, and is not a particularly proficient skater, and players with that combination of deficiencies rarely find success in the NHL. His chances of making it aren’t zero, and he was fully deserving of getting picked at some point in the draft, but his gaudy point totals don’t truly reflect his NHL potential. Are his strengths elite enough to fully overcome his weaknesses? That’s the big question that we’ll see play out with him moving forward.

7. Charlie Elick

Elick was a frustrating and bewildering player to scout at times last year, but Columbus was nevertheless surely thrilled to draft him where they did, because he can still become a truly impactful NHL defenceman one day. There's more than enough raw material here to work with, it just needs to be heavily and carefully refined. He's a masterful skater for a defender of his stature, and there's an old-school flavour to his toughness and penchant for laying thunderous body checks. His game will probably always be one-dimensional, because there are major limitations to his puck-handling and decision-making that are still too deep-rooted to be sufficiently removed. However, if everything else clicks for him he could turn out to be one of the best shutdown specialists in the NHL, able to systematically get stops against both the rush and the cycle.

8. William Whitelaw

The University of Michigan seems like it's becoming an unofficial farm team of the Blue Jackets, with Kent Johnson, Adam Fantilli, Gavin Brindley, and Nick Blankenburg all having played there recently. You can now add Whitelaw to the list too, after he recently used the NCAA transfer portal to leave the University of Wisconsin for new pastures that he believes will be greener for him. On paper it seems like a good fit for the two sides, as both the Wolverines and the dangerous winger prioritize mercilessly inflicting offensive damage. Whitelaw is an aggressive, menacing attacker who shoots the puck in bunches because he knows, correctly, that his shot is good enough to beat goalies from almost anywhere, but he also has the skill and the will to cut into prime shooting real estate to give himself better looks.

9. Luca Del Bel Belluz

Del Bel Belluz had an impressive freshman season as a professional hockey player, transitioning out of junior more cleanly and effectively than some might have expected. Not only were there big questions coming in about whether his skating ability would be good enough or not for him to keep up at the AHL level, he had to endure the ongoing turbulence afflicting the Blue Jackets organization, which has had a spillover effect to their farm team and has been quite disruptive for some of his young compatriots. So then, give him high marks on both fronts, for elevating his skating to another level and for successfully tuning out the noise around him. He’ll still always be more of a slow-things-down kind of forward, though, who uses his size and reach to drive possession and lug pucks to the net down in the cycle.

10. Luca Pinelli

Pinelli is an interesting case study for a prospect, because the limitations in size and skating ability are prominent and would be highly limiting at the NHL level, but he's just so solid in other areas that it's hard to doubt him. He's the primary conduit for OHL Ottawa's offense, using exceptional sense and feel to consistently be one step ahead of the opposition, and he's a deadly finisher around the net when the puck finds its way to him. He's also good at bearing down and being strong and enduring in puck protection, which is important, because that will probably be his most effective means of driving play at the professional levels, finding pucks along the boards and carrying them into more dangerous areas. The leadership role he's still growing into right now could provide a boost for his promotion chances, too.

11. James Malatesta

Malatesta is already becoming a new fan favourite in Columbus because of his infectious personality and extreme tenacity. He is a relentless buzzsaw of a player, with a motor that never seems to run out of gas. He was a big part of the Quebec Remparts team that won the 2023 QMJHL championship and then the Memorial Cup as well. A natural-born pest, opposing NHLers are going to get sick of him before he even plays a full season.

12. Guillaume Richard

Richard will be heading back to Providence College in the fall for his fourth season with the Friars, which could be considered a questionable decision. He hasn’t exactly proven that he’s ready for the professional levels, but at the same time, his development has seemingly plateaued in his current environment. As far as stay-at-home defenders go, he’s not among the biggest, fastest, or meanest, so he’ll need to find some other dimension that he can bring into his game.

13. Andrew Strathmann

Strathmann is as feisty as they come, as evidenced by three straight seasons with 100 penalty minutes or more. Unfortunately, he also has a bad habit of crossing the line with his physical play and he was suspended five separate times in 2023-24 alone. He’s not big or an especially talented skater or puck mover, so the edge that he plays with is what sets him apart, and he’ll need to walk a fine line with how he applies it.

14. Jet Greaves

Greaves is The Little Engine That Could of hockey goalies. He went undrafted and missed a full year in the OHL due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but turned pro anyway, immediately started succeeding, and hasn’t looked back since. He’s fast, focused, driven, and endlessly self-assured. Smaller goalies like him always have an uphill battle, but Columbus will be happy to keep him around so long as he continues finding ways to stop pucks and win games.

15. Evan Gardner

Gardner led the WHL in save percentage last year and won the starting job for Saskatoon during their big playoff push. Those are both incredibly impressive feats for a draft-eligible goalie who was in his rookie season in the league. However, the Blades were rock solid defensively, so he didn’t get challenged as much as other netminders. Is his upside legitimately high, or was it a one-time mirage caused by his environment?

MCKEEN’S 2024 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – #22 Columbus Blue Jackets – Organization Overview – Top 15 Prospects

Player Profiles - Derek Neumeier, Team Overview - Robert Howard — Mon, 03 Jun 2024 14:55:22 +0000

ANN ARBOR, MI - FEBRUARY 23: Michigan Wolverines forward Gavin Brindley (4) looks to pass during a college hockey game between the Michigan Wolverines and Notre Dame Fighting Irish on February 23, 2024 at Yost Ice Arena in Ann Arbor, MI. (Photo by Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire)

Change finally arrived after eleven years of management by Jarmo Kekalainen, and he was relieved of his duties while President of Hockey Operations, John Davidson, looks for a replacement in the offseason. Pascal Vincent was promoted from associate coach, after the short-lived Mike Keenan tempest that embarrassed the organization. Another futile season netted them yet another high draft pick for the 2024 NHL Draft at fourth overall. They have drafted six times in the first round in the last three drafts, five of those picks were 12th or higher. So, how does an organization fall from 11th to 22nd with that many opportunities? Columbus is one of the better teams in the league with five graduated prospects as David Jiricek (6th overall) and Adam Fantilli (3rd) joined Cole Sillinger (12th), Kent Johnson (5th) and Yegor Chinakhov (21st). The team has tended to push prospects into the NHL early, and you can debate whether that hurt development as none have had a breakout yet.

As of this writing, Davidson is looking at General Manager candidates. That choice will set the direction for the organization, but with the wealth of young players, all drafted high, in their roster they will want to bolster the depth around their potential young stars. The Johnny Gaudreau free agent signing is now an isolated incident, apart from a deal for Ivan Provorov last summer that cost a first and second round pick. Those moves signaled a willingness to accelerate the timeline, but since then management has been quiet. The team does have three prospects that ranked within our top 100 in Denton Mateychuk, Gavin Brindly (34th in 2023) and Stanislav Svozil. Another defenseman in Corson Ceulemans just missed the top 100 along with the high scoring Jordan Dumais. There are some solid pieces for the new GM to work with. A fresh start will be welcomed all around.

RNK	PLAYER	POS	AGE	HT/WT	TM	Acquired	GP	G(W)	A(L)	PTS(GAA)	PIM(SPCT)
1	Denton Mateychuk	D	19	5-11/190	Moose Jaw (WHL)	`22(12th)	52	17	58	75	31
2	Gavin Brindley	C	19	5-9/165	Michigan (B1G)	`23(34th)	40	25	28	53	28
3	Stanislav Svozil	D	21	6-1/180	Cleveland (AHL)	`21(69th)	57	5	18	23	24
4	Corson Ceulemans	D	20	6-2/200	Cleveland (AHL)	`21(25th)	47	3	9	12	12
5	Jordan Dumais	RW	20	5-8/165	Halifax (QMJHL)	`22(96th)	21	16	31	47	6
6	Luca Del Bel Belluz	C	20	6-1/185	Cleveland (AHL)	`22(44th)	58	9	22	31	12
7	Luca Pinelli	C	19	5-9/165	Ottawa (OHL)	`23(114th)	68	48	34	82	44
8	William Whitelaw	RW	19	5-9/173	Wisconsin (B1G)	`23(66th)	37	10	7	17	17
9	James Malatesta	LW	20	5-9/190	Cleveland (AHL)	`21(133rd)	56	12	10	22	79
					Columbus (NHL)	`21(133rd)	11	2	2	4	5
10	Hunter McKown	C	21	6-1/205	Cleveland (AHL)	FA(3/23)	53	9	15	24	26
11	Guillaume Richard	D	21	6-2/175	Providence (HE)	`21(101st)	35	3	15	18	27
12	Samuel Knazko	D	21	6-1/198	Cleveland (AHL)	`20(78th)	44	2	10	12	12
13	Andrew Strathmann	D	19	5-11/190	Youngstown (USHL)	`23(98th)	48	7	32	39	120
14	Jet Greaves	G	23	6-0/184	Cleveland (AHL)	FA(2/22)	46	29	12	2.93	0.910
15	Mikael Pyyhtia	C	22	6-0/175	Cleveland (AHL)	`20(114th)	60	7	21	28	6
					Columbus (NHL)	`20(114th)	17	0	2	2	0

1. Denton Mateychuk, D, Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL)

Moose Jaw really leaned into their high-flying, run-and-gun style this season, to impressive results, and Mateychuk had the best seat in the house as their number one defenseman. Therein lies the secret to his success: his ability to see and break down the ice in front of him. He’s not the biggest, fastest or most purely talented blueliner out there, and he likely never will be, but only a tiny fraction of his peers can understand the sport and feel its flow as well as he can. It also helps that he’s as competitive as they come, with an intense drive to win that is worth its weight in gold at the NHL level but is far from universal. He’ll still need to put in more work with his strength and conditioning before he’s ready for full-time duty in Columbus, but once that happens he’ll be primed to shine.

2. Gavin Brindley, C, University of Michigan (NCAA)

It's impossible to not root for Brindley, who is usually both the smallest player out on the ice and, simultaneously, the hardest worker. He is an absolute menace who always loves to push the pace and be right in the middle of all of the action. He's far from brainless or reckless, though, and is very aware and methodical with his decisions, pinpointing his pressure in ways that force turnovers and win pucks. His game is all about controlling the chaos that he creates, and he is an expert at it. There's no shortage of skill on display either, as he can weave through traffic with his skating and puck skills, and he is precise with his shooting and passes. He seems inevitably destined for the NHL with how consistently effective his presence is, but some questions remain about how high his ceiling will go.

3. Stanislav Svozil, D, Cleveland Monsters (AHL)

Svozil’s scoring totals from his final year in Regina were undeniably admirable, but the help of a little-known teammate of his — some kid named Connor Bedard — might have given Blue Jackets fans the wrong idea about what his game is really about. He’s far less of an offensive generator or powerplay specialist, and moreso an even-strength puck rusher and game manager, but that’s OK, because there is value in both kinds of defensemen. He has quick feet and a pesky attitude, and he uses them in tandem to help him dodge forecheck pressure on retrievals and zone exits, as well as close gaps and provide sticky man-to-man coverage when defending. It would be nice if he was bigger or more flashy with the puck, but neither of those things should prevent him from eventually carving out a spot for himself in the NHL.

4. Corson Ceulemans, D, Cleveland Monsters (AHL)

The Columbus organization is overflowing with young defensemen right now, and Ceulemans feels like a bit of a forgotten man, despite being a recent 1st-round pick of the team. He missed most of his draft year due to COVID, then found himself stuck in an unexpectedly bad situation at the University of Wisconsin for two seasons, and then the one he went to next with Cleveland in the AHL wasn’t much better due to extreme roster turnover and drama with the parent club. Simply put, it hasn’t been a conducive few years for success for a prospect who was always a bit boom-or-bust, even going back to his AJHL days. Regardless, he’s a rangy right-shot defenseman who can play with both power and finesse, and at times he’s shown flashes of just how good he can be. The Blue Jackets would be wise to continue being patient with him.

5. Jordan Dumais, RW, Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL)

6. Luca Del Bel Belluz, C, Cleveland Monsters (AHL)

Del Bel Belluz had an impressive freshman season as a professional hockey player, transitioning out of junior more cleanly and effectively than some might have expected. Not only were there big questions coming in about whether or not his skating ability would be good enough for him to keep up at the AHL level, he had to endure the ongoing turbulence afflicting the Blue Jackets organization, which has had a spillover effect to their farm team and has been quite disruptive for some of his young compatriots. So then, give him high marks on both fronts, for elevating his skating to another level and successfully tuning out the noise around him. He’ll still always be more of a slow-things-down kind of forward, though, who uses his size and reach to drive possession and lug pucks to the net down in the cycle.

7. Luca Pinelli, C, Ottawa 67's (OHL)

Pinelli is an interesting prospect case study, because the limitations in size and skating ability are prominent and would be highly limiting at the NHL level, but he's just so solid in other areas that it's hard to doubt him. He's the primary conduit for OHL Ottawa's offense, using exceptional sense and feel to consistently be one step ahead of the opposition, and he's a deadly finisher around the net when the puck finds its way to him. He's also good at bearing down and being strong and enduring in puck protection, which is important, because that will probably be his most effective means of driving play at the professional levels, finding pucks along the boards and carrying them into more dangerous areas. The leadership role he's still growing into right now could provide a boost for his promotion chances, too.

8. William Whitelaw, RW, University of Wisconsin (NCAA)

The University of Michigan seems like it's becoming an unofficial farm team of the Blue Jackets, with Kent Johnson, Adam Fantilli, Gavin Brindley and Nick Blankenburg all having played there recently. You can now add Whitelaw to the list too, after he recently used the NCAA transfer portal to leave the University of Wisconsin for a new pasture that he believes will be greener for him. On paper it seems like a good fit for the two sides, as both the Wolverines and the dangerous winger prioritize mercilessly inflicting offensive damage. Whitelaw is an aggressive, menacing attacker who shoots the puck in bunches because he knows, correctly, that his shot is good enough to beat goalies from almost anywhere, but he also has the skill and the will to cut into prime shooting real estate to give himself better looks.

9. James Malatesta, LW, Cleveland Monsters (AHL)

Malatesta is already becoming a new fan favourite in Columbus because of his infectious personality and extreme tenacity. He is a relentless buzzsaw of a player, with a motor that never seems to run out of gas. He’s also feisty as can be, rarely backing down from physical challenges against bigger opponents. It must be impossible to be a teammate of his who wants to take a night off, because he sets such a high standard that others have to try to match it. He was a big part of the Quebec Remparts team that won the 2023 QMJHL championship and then the Memorial Cup as well, as him getting to play under a fiercely competitive coach like Patrick Roy was a match made in heaven. A natural-born pest, opposing NHLers are going to get sick of him before he even plays a full season.

10. Hunter McKown, C, Cleveland Monsters (AHL)

McKown played on a pretty bad, pretty thin Colorado College team all three years that he was in the NCAA, which meant that he had to work a little extra hard to get results. In a fortuitous twist, leaning further into that blue-collar identity is exactly what scouts wanted to see more of with him, and would have been a huge reason why Columbus offered him a contract as an undrafted free agent. Sure, he's pretty pigeonholed into being a meat-and-potatoes kind of forward, but there are always some jobs in the NHL for guys who are the cream of that particular crop. If he keeps working on his physical presence, penalty killing and ability to chip in greasy goals on a semi-regular basis he will give himself a realistic chance to stick around the league for a long time.

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

MCKEEN’S 2023-24 NHL YEARBOOK – COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS – Top 20 Prospect Profiles – Organizational Rank #14

Brock Otten, Derek Neumeier, Chapin Landvogt and Josh Bell — Thu, 28 Sep 2023 19:19:31 +0000

Top 20 Columbus Blue Jacket Prospects

1. Adam Fantilli - C

You couldn’t ask for a better season from an NCAA freshman. Adam Fantilli stepped onto the Michigan Wolverines roster and absolutely dominated the league last season, taking home the Hobey Baker Award - a rarity for a draft-eligible player. His 1.81 points per game was the best pace for a draft-eligible since Paul Kariya in 1990. Fantilli is an all-around, franchise-altering prospect. He plays with a confidence that obviously grew over the course of his draft year, especially after the World Juniors, finishing his collegiate season with 38 points in the final 19 games. His passing is sharp and crisp, and his shot looks ready for the NHL. He plays hard, he plays fast, and he plays smart. He can play in any situation and rise to the call. You have to really nitpick to find a flaw in his game, particularly considering where he is in his development. For that reason Columbus has already signed him away from college and he will be turning pro immediately. Expectations are sky high as he looks to secure an immediate top six role in the Columbus lineup.

2. David Jiricek - D

If the 2022 NHL Draft were to be redone today, it’s hard to imagine Jiricek not hearing his name called in the top two. The Czech defender made the transition from his homeland to the AHL immediately following the draft. He was one of the best rookies and one of the most productive defenders in the entire league last season, even getting his first taste of NHL action, appearing in two games. He takes charge in transition, leading exits and entries for his team thanks to his strong crossovers and mobility. He has an absolute cannon of a shot, can play with a physical edge, and tends to dictate play every time he hits the ice. He can get caught taking risks, but not to an extreme level considering the level that he’s playing at his age. There’s lots of time for development in front of him. Jiricek is making it very easy to project him as a top pairing defender.

3. Denton Mateychuk - D

Not long after selecting Jiricek at sixth overall, the Blue Jackets were back up to the podium to call another defender’s name, in Denton Mateychuk. The defender has since completed his second full season in the WHL with the Moose Jaw Warriors, this time as the team’s captain. He is an excellent skater, not afraid to jump up into the rush as a fourth attacker for his team. You’ll rarely see him make a mistake or turn the puck over. He’s just so matter of fact and confident in his play. Even on the defensive side of the puck, he is incredibly difficult to beat thanks to his positioning and active stick. Like Jiricek, it’s not hard to picture Mateychuk in the NHL, considering his build and style are perfect for the modern defender. Projecting him as a top four, PP1 rearguard seems like a safe bet and the top two is very much within reach.

4. Corson Ceulemans - D

The Blue Jackets have put a large focus into drafting defenders recently, looking especially at high upside. Ceulemans is just that, a defenseman with a very high ceiling. Selected 25th overall in 2021 out of the AJHL, he made the jump to the NCAA in 2021-22, where he stepped in very well as an offensive rearguard. He especially stood out as a top player last season on a struggling Wisconsin team. Two seasons were enough for Ceulemans, who signed with the Blue Jackets and joined the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters to end 2022-23. He’s an athletic, aggressive defender who loves to get involved in the play and take risks. He can get caught often though and relies on his long stride to catch up - which likely won’t bail him out as much as he moves up. If he can pick his opportunities better, he could be a strong, offensive top four D.

5. Stanislav Svozil - D

Yet another exciting defender in this farm system, Svozil has had an up-and-down development path, including a dip in his stock during his draft year. That worked out well for the Blue Jackets, selecting him 69th overall in 2021. Since then, he joined WHL’s Regina Pats and his stock has been rising substantially. He was a top defender at the 2023 World Juniors and a large part of why Team Czechia earned a silver medal. Even while playing with Connor Bedard, Svozil has shown ability to dictate play, leading the rush from his own end. His confidence has been increasingly growing, not afraid to join the transition or jump up into the play. His defensive game and decision-making look better and better with each game, putting him in position to be a future top four NHL defender.

6. Gavin Brindley

It’s hard to miss Brindley on the ice, as he brings a highly competitive game. He plays with fierce intensity, diving into puck battles, fighting hard on the forecheck, and working to force turnovers. He’s fearless in his work despite his diminutive frame. He never takes his foot off the gas, and he gets results due to that effort. On top of this competitiveness, he brings excellent hands, allowing him to navigate traffic with ease and get the puck into the high-danger areas himself. He also has top-notch speed and deception to his game, consistently changing direction when attacking. He’s a strong playmaker too, doing very well to create offense for his teammates. He’s almost equally effective defensively as he is offensively. The biggest knocks against him are his size and strength, as he does need to put on some muscle in order to see his style of play succeed at the next level. It would also be important to see him shoot a little more, as he’s very much a pass-first player. He has the foundation in place to become a reliable middle-six winger who moves up and down the lineup as needed.

7. Dmitri Voronkov - LW

Voronkov might be one of the most NHL-ready forwards out there. At 6- 4”, 190 pounds, the Russian forward knows how to utilize his size well after already having pushed men around in the KHL for four seasons. On top of that, he has already participated in the World Juniors, World Championship, and Olympics for Team Russia. He plays hard with and without the puck, making his presence felt whenever he’s on the ice. There’s nothing spectacular about his game, as he is just a well-rounded player. And to further that, nothing is glaring that will hold him back from making the NHL. His skating isn’t the prettiest, and his overall ceiling isn’t that high, but he still seems like a safe bet. He’s not going to be a highlight-reel or top-offensive player but likely fits into a consistent bottom six role.

8. Jordan Dumais - RW

The Blue Jackets might have hit a home run in the 2022 NHL Draft when they selected Dumais 96th overall. He was coming off a 109-point sophomore season with the QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads. Still, there were concerns about his 5-foot-9, 174-pound frame and his skating mechanics, but Dumais continued to push forward, capping off a league-leading 140-point season last year, second behind only Connor Bedard in the entire CHL. There’s no question that the skill is there. There’s also no question that the work ethic is there, which more often than not can carry a skilled player to the NHL. He has an excellent shot, great hands, and solid vision to go with it. The skating issues in his stride can be improved with development - it’s not a deal breaker. He should be a middle-six contributor in the NHL if he doesn’t reach the top six.

9. William Whitelaw - RW

Whitelaw is a volume shooter with few peers. What's truly remarkable though, is how many of his shots are consistently high quality. He has a serpentine ability to navigate through traffic and get closer to the net, and it's almost unnatural how well he can unload dangerous shots from unfavourable angles and body positions. He can strike quickly and accurately even in the heaviest traffic. His release is truly a sight to behold, coming off his stick with lightning quickness and sending pucks to their targets at blazing speeds. Guys with smaller stature like Whitelaw’s need to work extra hard to succeed, and that's not something you'll ever have to worry about in his case. He is feisty as hell and plays with a massive chip on his shoulder. He usually doesn't go around the ice looking for trouble, but anyone bringing it to him does so at their own peril. There is a fire inside him that never stops burning, and you can tell how it also helps heat up those that he plays with. Players who can score goals with this kind of proficiency are rare, and his supporting intangibles and character strongly suggest that his net-filling talents will scale up to the NHL level.

10. Luca Del Bel Belluz - C

Del Bel Belluz has been a bit of a polarizing prospect ever since his draft year. Selected 44th overall in in the 2022 NHL Draft, there must be something that has stood out to the Blue Jackets because not only did they draft him, but they signed him to his entry-level deal not long after. Del Bel Belluz spent two and half seasons with the OHL’s Mississauga Steelheads (it would have been three and a half if not for the cancelled season), before being traded to the Sarnia Sting last season. He’s been a solid contributor and plays a fine game. There doesn’t seem to be that one, high-end quality to pin on him that most prospects need to excel at the higher levels. He has quick hands and shows off strong passing, but there’s a lack of flow in his game that is concerning. A ceiling of a middle-six contributor is there as a high-end might reasonable outcome.

11. James Malatesta - LW

A stocky scoring winger, Malatesta is coming off a tremendous year in the QMJHL that saw him win a Memorial Cup with Quebec. He was the MVP of both the QMJHL playoffs and the Memorial Cup. It will be interesting to see how his game translates to the pro level this year.

12. Samuel Knazko - D

Already an accomplished international player, Knazko has played for Slovakia at both the Olympics and the World Championships in recent years. Not bad for a young defender who only recently turned 21. A strong skating, two-way defender, Knazko should be close to earning a full-time spot on the Blue Jackets.

13. Guillaume Richard - D

Richard is far from a sexy prospect. He’s not the most skilled defender. However, his mature defensive approach will likely play well at the pro level, which puts him in high regard by Columbus. Richard will return to Providence for his junior season this year in hopes of improving his offensive play.

14. Andrew Strathmann - D

Strathmann, a recent fourth round pick, is expected to repeat the USHL level next year before heading to North Dakota. The talented powerplay quarterback has great mobility, but Columbus will be looking to see improvements made to his decision making at both ends.

15. Jake Christiansen - D

After signing out of the WHL as a free agent, Christiansen has put together back-to-back strong pro seasons. His offensive prowess has yet to translate to the NHL level, but he’ll likely be given another opportunity this year as he is out of options and is no longer exempt from waivers.

16. Marcus Bjork - D

A very pleasant surprise for Columbus after signing last season out of Sweden. Bjork came in and was a steady presence at both the AHL and NHL level. The crowded nature of the system may push him out, but he has shown an ability to quarterback the powerplay and provide solid depth.

17. Mikael Pyyhtia - C

Pyyhtia is a goal scoring winger who took a step backwards last season split between pro in North America and Finland. He will be playing full time in the AHL this coming season and that should give Columbus a better indication of his upside.

18. Trey Fix-Wolansky - RW

A fan favourite in the AHL and with the Columbus fan base, everyone seems to be cheering for Fix-Wolansky to earn a full-time role in the NHL. His breakout year in the AHL helped his cause and he plays a fearless game that could make him a valuable checking line player this year.

19. Kirill Dolzhenkov - RW

Dolzhenkov is a mammoth winger who loves to bring it physically, imposing his will to help create space and chances. Columbus will be hoping that he can see more time at the KHL or VHL level this season, playing against men, to help him improve his pace and skating.

20. Hunter McKown - C

After improving each of his three NCAA campaings at Colorado College, the former USNTDP member signed with Columbus late last seasons. McKown is a solid defensive center with good goal scoring potential. After getting some NHL time late last year, he likely plays out this year at the AHL level.

2023 NHL DRAFT: A Review

Chase Rochon — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 14:10:53 +0000

Another long year of amazing hockey has come and passed as we oficially end the 2023 scouting season and shift from the star-studded offensive draft class to the defensive-heavy 2024 NHL draft. This year's class was super fun and had the potential to bring the big stars and deep depth that we saw in the 2015 draft. This makes it very difficult to rank the winners and losers as every team acquired some very talented athletes in their organization that should make an impact for many years to come. Some teams acquired some elite star players at draft positions they didn't think would be possible at lower picks and later rounds. Those picks make the difference between good and great drafting by ﬁnding those diamonds in the rough.

NHL hockey operations departments are made up of the best of the best in the industry and have been through more drafts and different case studies over more years than I have been alive, which creates some hesitation in handing out grades for teams that we felt drafted poorly or passed on talent or upside. It is important to remember that teams take into consideration so many intangibles and factors outside any eye test or analytics can tell us. They have considerable resources and information networks public scouting teams can only dream of.

Most importantly, people need to remember these young athletes are human beings that just had the best week of their lives and treating them disrespectfully and pre-judging a young man that has yet to fully develop mentally and physically is completely unfair. I think every fan base should be showing love and support for the future players that are going to put in blood sweat and tears for the team you cheer for and go to war against the opposition.

With all that in mind, here is how I think all 32 teams performed at the 2023 NHL Draft based on my own rankings as well as the wonderful team at McKeen’s that I have the pleasure working alongside.

HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA - DECEMBER 29: Canada's Connor Bedard #16 backhands the puck while Austria's Tim Geifes #21 defends during Preliminary Round - Group A action at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship at Scotiabank Centre on December 29, 2022 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. (Photo by Matt Zambonin/IIHF)

#1 Chicago Blackhawks (A+)

1 Connor Bedard (F)

19 Oliver Moore (F)

35 Adam Gajan (G)

44 Roman Kantserov (F)

55 Martin Misiak (F)

67 Nick Lardis (F)

93 Jiri Felcman (F)

99 Alex Pharand (F)

131 Marcel Marcel (F)

167 Milton Oscarson (F)

195 Janne Peltonen (D)

It feels very ﬁtting that the number one ranked team had the number one pick this year in the generational talent of Connor Bedard, who is expected to make an immediate impact. Kyle Davidson clearly agrees by bringing in some veteran support this summer in Taylor Hall, Nick Foligno and Corey Perry. This pick was obvious. What makes the Blackhawks stand out is what might be my favourite selection of the entire draft in Oliver Moore at 19th overall, where I, alongside Davidson, was in shock this player was still on the board—followed by selecting one of if not one of the best goaltenders in Adam Gajan. We absolutely loved Nick Lardis at McKeens, and we ﬁnd this to be amazing value in the early third round. Roman Kantserov, Martin Misiak, Alex Pharand and Marcel Marcel are other great pickups to round out the real depth of this draft class for the Blackhawks as they build the next generation in Chicago.

#2 Columbus Blue Jackets (A)

3 Adam Fantilli (F)

34 Gavin Brindley (F)

66 William Whitelaw (F)

98 Andrew Strathmann (D)

114 Luca Pinelli (F)

156 Melvin Strahl (G)

194 Oiva Keskinen (F)

224 Tyler Peddle (F)

The Blue Jackets' dreams came true when Adam Fantilli was still waiting for them at third overall, as the rookie Hobey Baker winner would have been selected ﬁrst overall in any other draft. Followed up by his Michigan teammate Gavin Brindley who we at McKeens had ranked #26. William Whitelaw ranked at #39 by McKeen’s, and Andrew Strathmann, ranked #39 by me, are amazing values. I really like Luca Pinelli at #114 and thought it was a great move to trade for the last pick in the draft and select Tyler Peddle, who was in attendance and should have been selected much higher. This will be the draft that could really put the Blue Jackets over the top to be a future contender in the Metro.

#3 Philadelphia Flyers (A)

7 Matvei Michkov (F)

22 Oliver Bonk (D)

51 Carson Bjarnason (G)

87 Yegor Zavragin (G)

95 Denver Barkey (F)

103 Cole Knuble (F)

120 Alex Ciernik (F)

135 Carter Sotheran (D)

172 Ryan MacPherson (F)

199 Matteo Mann (D)

The Flyers got a player with arguably the highest upside in the class in 7th overall in Matvei Michkov alone, which is enough to rank them this high. Aside from whether there is any truth to rumours that he somehow orchestrated his way to Philadelphia, he was genuinely excited to be drafted by the organization. The possibility that he will be coming to play in North America perhaps sooner rather than later could completely alter the landscape of the rebuild for GM Daniel Briere. They followed up by selecting Oliver Bonk, who our Ontario scouts adore at McKeens, including myself. Bonk will continue to develop in London. The Carson Bjarnson pick could age very well as a good young goaltender with a long road of development ahead. Denver Barkey and Alex Cienik are great value picks at 95th and 120th.

#4 Seattle Kraken (A-)

20 Eduard Sale (F)

50 Carson Rehkopf (F)

52 Oscar Fisker Mølgaard (F)

57 Lukas Dragicevic (D)

84 Caden Price (D)

116 Andrei Loshko (F)

148 Kaden Hammell (D)

168 Visa Vedenpää (G)

180 Zeb Forsfjäll (F)

212 Zaccharya Wisdom (F)

Seattle has been consistently one of the better drafting teams since they entered the league, and they continued that streak in Nashville. Eduard Sale is very much a gamble with questions about his compete lvel and lack of production against pros. However, he possesses elite ﬁnishing ability and was dominant against players his own age. He has a very high ceiling that I believe can be developed properly in the OHL, followed by the development team in Seattle. At the end of the day, with such a great prospect pool, you can take a swing for upside at #20 overall and can add a true top-line ﬁnisher for Shane Wright or Matty Beniers. The Kraken continues to favour the CHL and loaded up with more players in Carson Rehkopf, Lukas Dragicevic and Caden Price in the late second round. They had all been viewed as late ﬁrst/early second round talents. Oscar Fisker Mølgaard has the potential to bring some real energy to the bottom six and PK and become a really good role player for the team. I had him ranked at #30th betting on his high motor and relentless pressure with some ﬁnishing ability.

#5 Carolina Hurricanes (A-)

30 Bradly Nadeau (F)

62 Felix Unger Sörum (F)

94 Jayden Perron (F)

100 Alexander Rykov (F)

126 Stanislav Yarovoy (F)

139 Charles-Alexis Legault (D)

158 Ruslan Khazheyev (G)

163 Timur Mukhanov (F)

190 Michael Emerson (F)

222 Yegor Velmakin (G)

Bradley Nadeau was the highest player selected from the BCHL after having a monster year. He was ranked #27 by McKeens, which makes for a good pick late in the ﬁrst. Where Carolina impressed us was how well they drafted in the later rounds picking up some of the biggest steals of the draft in Jayden Perron who we ranked 34th and Timur Mukhanov ranked 98th. As they typically do, Carolina drafted great to add to the loaded prospect pool.

#6 Buffalo Sabres (A-)

13 Zach Benson (F)

39 Anton Wahlberg (F)

45 Maxim Strbak (D)

86 Gavin McCarthy (D)

109 Ethan Miedema (F)

141 Scott Ratzlaff (G)

173 Sean Keohane (D)

205 Norwin Panocha (D)

Draft after draft Buffalo ﬁnds themselves selecting some great players but I think Zach Benson could be the final elite piece they need to take them back to the playoffs and end the long drought. Benson is the smartest player in the draft after Connor Bedard. They followed up with good picks in Anton Wahlberg and Maxim Strbak. I really like the value of Ethan Miedema and Scott Ratzlaff in rounds 4 and 5.

#7 St. Louis Blues (B+)

10 Dalibor Dvorský (F)

25 Otto Stenberg (F)

29 Theo Lindstein (D)

74 Quinton Burns (D)

76 Juraj Pekarcik (F)

106 Jakub Stancl (F)

138 Paul Fischer (D)

170 Matthew Mayich (D)

202 Nikita Susuyev (F)

Dalibor Dvorský and Otto Stenberg could be an amazing one-two punch down the middle in the near future as the Blues shift towards the future and away from the team that won them the 2019 Stanley Cup. I think Dvorsky and Stenberg both have been underrated as they tend to be looked at as “safe picks” - a term that I sometimes hate because it shouldn’t discount the true skill these players have. Because they are viewed as having lower ceilings than some other top names in the class they fell at the draft, and St. Louis took full advantage and selected the best player available. The rest of the Blues draft was very average, not making any poor selections but also not taking any swings on some big names with upside.

#8 Washington Capitals (B+)

8 Ryan Leonard (F)

40 Andrew Cristall (F)

104 Patrick Thomas (F)

136 Cameron Allen (D)

200 Brett Hyland (F)

206 Antoine Keller (G)

The Capitals may not have had the luck they had hoped for in having Michkov fall to them, but they were very quick to the podium to select the NTDP gritty winger in Ryan Leonard. He brings a hard game and that’s no slight on the raw skill this kid has. After this year’s playoffs, NHL teams are looking to mold their roster after the Florida Panthers and Vegas Golden Knights and Leonard ﬁts that profile. Many, including myself, expected Andrew Cristall to fall on draft day but to 40th overall was quite surprising and Washington took full advantage, taking some risk on a junior perimeter player. Going into the draft year we expected Cameron Allen to be the ﬁrst OHL player off the board, but after a brutal season his stock plummeted. It’s hard to believe this talented young player entirely forgot how to play hockey and I think the Caps were willing to take this bet at 136.

#9 Colorado Avalanche (B)

27 Calum Ritchie (F)

31 Mikhail Gulyayev (D)

155 Nikita Ishimnikov (D)

187 Jeremy Hanzel (D)

219 Maros Jedlicka (F)

The Avalanche wouldn’t have expected to select Calum Ritchie and Mikhail Gulyayev with these very late ﬁrst rounders who we ranked 19th and 24th. This is great value at these picks. I ﬁnd it very interesting that they went with a very smart player who has a low ceiling and a high ﬂoor in Ritchie but then took a bit of a gamble on Gulyayev who is the polar opposite with a high ceiling and low ﬂoor. Not having many picks, and not many high ones, they can consider it a win if Colorado can get a couple NHLers from such minimal selections.

#10 Los Angeles Kings (B)

54 Jakub Dvorak (D)

78 Koehn Ziemmer (F)

118 Hampton Slukynsky (G)

150 Matthew Mania (D)

182 Ryan Conmy (F)

Jakub Dvorak has been such an underrated player all season long because he hasn’t been playing due to injury and is not flashy and doesn’t have much of a highlight reel but he might be the best defensive defenseman to come from this draft class. Big frame players like Dvorak are rare and hard to ﬁnd and are typically viewed as underrated even in the NHL because they are never noticeable with the puck. Dvorak shut down all the top players in the U.S. NTDP top line, Dvorsky, Michkov and even Connor Bedard at international competitions. He makes life so hard for attackers and will be a nightmare for goal scorers in the NHL and people will wonder how he was selected so late. The Kings followed this up with good picks in Koehn Ziemmer and Matthew Mania.

#11 Florida Panthers (B)

63 Gracyn Sawchyn (F)

127 Albert Wikman (D)

159 Olof Glifford (G)

191 Luke Coughlin (D)

198 Stepan Zvyagin (F)

Florida was another team that capitalized on an underrated player who slid on draft day in Gracyn Sawchyn. He played on a star-studded Seattle Thunderbirds team and didn’t get the opportunity to play top minutes but that didn’t stop him from putting up over a point per game. He will continue to grow under a great development program as he gains more ice time and expect him to put up monster numbers in the WHL for the next two seasons.

#12 Dallas Stars (C+)

61 Tristan Bertucci (D)

79 Brad Gardiner (F)

125 Aram Minnetian (D)

157 Arno Tiefensee (G)

189 Angus MacDonell (F)

221 Sebastian Bradshaw (F)

Dallas had very minimal draft capital and made the absolute most of it to no one's surprise as they usually do. Amazing value in Tristan Bertucci and Aram Minnetian.

#13 Vegas Golden Knights (B-)

32 David Edstrom (F)

77 Mathieu Cataford (F)

96 Arttu Kärki (D)

192 Tuomas Uronen (F)

Vegas selecting David Edstrom almost felt destined to happen as the last pick of the first round as we expected him to be selected in the ﬁrst round. Great pick for the Stanley Cup winners. Arttu Karki was also my favorite Finnish defense this year and I think 96 is excellent value for a player of his skill.

#14 San Jose Sharks (B-)

4 Will Smith (F)

26 Quentin Musty (F)

36 Kasper Halttunen (F)

71 Brandon Svoboda (F)

123 Luca Cagnoni (D)

130 Axel Landén (D)

132 Eric Pohlkamp (D)

196 David Klee (F)

203 Yegor Rimashevsky (F)

The Sharks drafted the highly skilled forward Will Smith very high, and I know he has gained some real hype over the past few months to get into the top 5 but personally having him just outside the top 10 makes it very hard to justify so much talent and other options at pick 4. This is a take that really could come back to bite me but I just don't love what Smith and Musty bring to the table outside of the high offensive skill that they clearly both have. In terms of value picks I think Halttunen is the Sharks best pick. If he played in London last season, he would have been called on day one of the draft and still has the opportunity to come over next season and be one of the best players in the league right away. The Sharks drafted very well but 13 other teams just did better.

#15 Calgary Flames (B-)

16 Samuel Honzek (F)

48 Étienne Morin (D)

80 Aydar Suniev (F)

112 Jaden Lipinski (F)

176 Yegor Yegorov (G)

208 Axel Hurtig (D)

The Flames had a solid draft and got a player we can expect the be a safe NHLer in Samuel Honzek that was expected in this range. I think Etienne Mornin could be the steal for them. This is a player that is extremely intelligent, and I personally have a lot of faith will continue to have success in his own development each season and could be viewed as a late ﬁrst rounder in the near future. Aydar Suniev at 80th overall is also great value.

#16 Montréal Canadiens (B-)

5 David Reinbacher (D)

69 Jacob Fowler (G)

101 Florian Xhekaj (F)

110 Bogdan Konyushkov (D)

128 Quentin Miller (G)

133 Sam Harris (F)

144 Yevgeni Volokhin (G)

165 Filip Eriksson (F)

197 Luke Mittelstadt (D)

Montréal might be the most talked about team post draft for all the wrong reasons so being dead in the middle at 16 may come as a surprise to most. The dislike for me comes from picks 101-197 where they took seven guys they could have gotten in rounds 6 or 7, and unfortunately some of those picks were in rounds 4 and 5. Jacob Fowler is a good goalie that could be huge for them, with the organization having such little depth in that department. Now Reinbacher who is the talk of Twitter and unfortunately for terrible reasons. The only argument I can understand against him is that Michkov should have been the pick, but there were many question marks surrounding the Russian and his intentions, leaving the Habs in a situation with lots of uncertainty at pick #5. So, they understandably took a player with a lot of certainty in elite defenseman David Reinbacher. He has been the only player under 18 shutting down grown professional athletes and ex-NHLers for two years. If that's not impressive enough he didn't just defend, he also produced higher than anyone in their DY-2 and DY-1 ever.

David has a good head on his shoulders and will develop all the necessary skills to round out his game to become a high-end defenseman who will eat lots of minutes and make a huge impact. He may not put up great offensive numbers or make highlight reel plays. That's ok, he plays defense for a reason. Leave that for the loads of talented players you already have and let Reinbacher make the other team's life a living hell and win hockey games, because that's what it's all about.

#17 Arizona Coyotes (B-)

6 Dmitri Simashev (D)

12 Daniil But (F)

38 Michael Hrabal (G)

70 Jonathan Castagna (F)

72 Noel Nordh (F)

81 Tanner Ludtke (F)

88 Vadim Moroz (F)

102 Terrell Goldsmith (D)

134 Melker Thelin (G)

160 Justin Kipkie (D)

162 Samu Bau (F)

166 Carsen Musser (G)

Arizona may have not drafted our best player available in their slots, but they took an interesting strategy to this year's draft that might have been the best option based on the current state of the team. Dmitri Simashev was our number one ranked defenseman in the class while Danill But has displayed shades of Evgeni Malkin at times. Both played on the same team this past season. This put Arizona in a safer situation to swing on upside and internally develop them together and could very well be a big payoff. Hrabal is the pick that gives some extra value as my personal favorite goaltender in the class. Drafting all players over 6'0" is another interesting strategy that is hard to disagree with. Middle of the pack supports my mixed feelings on the drafting of the Coyotes.

#18 Winnipeg Jets (C)

18 Colby Barlow (F)

82 Zachary Nehring (F)

146 Jacob Julien (F)

151 Thomas Milic (G)

210 Connor Levis (F)

Winnipeg is facing a lot of potential turnover on their roster this season. Colby Barlow makes an excellent pick for the Jets, bringing in a character Canadian guy, on and off the ice, as a key piece to build upon. You can expect Barlow to score lots of goals in the near future. The rest of the picks are very average, so they receive an average grade.

#19 New York Rangers (C)

23 Gabe Perreault (F)

90 Drew Fortescue (D)

152 Rasmus Larsson (D)

178 Dylan Roobroeck (F)

183 Ty Henricks (F)

Gabe Perreault was good value at 23rd as I thought his production this season would lead to him going much higher than he should have and I think this was a good range for him. A smart player who can be a great complement to some high-end skill just like he did with the NTDP. The rest of the picks were not very average.

#20 Detroit Red Wings (C)

9 Nate Danielson (F)

17 Axel Sandin Pellikka (D)

41 Trey Augustine (G)

42 Andrew Gibson (D)

47 Brady Cleveland (D)

73 Noah Dower Nilsson (F)

117 Larry Keenan (D)

137 Jack Phelan (D)

147 Kevin Bicker (F)

169 Rudy Guimond (G)

201 Emmitt Finnie (F)

Detroit's draft was very interesting to me because I find it hard to criticize Steve Yzerman’s picks which have been excellent in the past with some home runs to show for it. Nate Danielson and Axel-Sandin Pellika are great players who will be NHLers and good ones. They just didn't strike me as the types of players Detroit has recently drafted with some hard nose battlers that are going to be warriors. I think it might take a while for either to become impact playoff players relative to some of the skill still left on the board, such as Oliver Moore at pick #9 and still available at #17. They pass with a C as most other picks were good, but just that they were good and not great, where teams ahead of them made some great picks.

#21 Edmonton Oilers (C)

56 Beau Akey (D)

184 Nathaniel Day (G)

216 Matt Copponi (F)

Beau Akey is a good pick that has a good path in front of him to reﬁne his offensive talents and become a threat from the point for the Colts over the next couple of seasons and get a real chance to make the Oilers. Hard to judge a team with such little options at the draft.

Leo Carlsson of Sweden at a practice session during the 2023 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship on May 25, 2023 in Riga.
Photo: Joel Marklund / BILDBYRÅN /

#22 Anaheim Ducks (C-)

2 Leo Carlsson (F)

33 Nico Myatovic (F)

59 Carey Terrance (F)

60 Damian Clara (G)

65 Coulson Pitre (F)

85 Yegor Sidorov (F)

97 Konnor Smith (D)

129 Rodwin Dionicio (D)

161 Vojtech Port (D)

I think passing on Fantilli will be something that will haunt Anaheim for a long time and really hurts their grade even though they are getting a great talent in Leo Carlsson. Unfortunately, I have a hard time seeing Carlsson being the 2nd best player that comes from this class and when they are a top team in the league soon this selection might be the difference between a contender and a champion. Other than that, Myatovic, Terrance and Pitre are solid picks.

#23 Vancouver Canucks (D+)

11 Tom Willander (D)

75 Hunter Brzustewicz (C-)

89 Sawyer Mynio (D)

105 Ty Mueller (F)

107 Vilmer Alriksson (F)

119 Matthew Perkins (F)

171 Aiden Celebrini (D)

Willander was ranked 23rd by us at McKeens and is a great defenseman who happens to be in a star studded offensive heavy draft. I think the Canuks were guilty of drafting for need rather than best player available and that affected the grade. Other than that, there isn’t too much to like in the class other than Hunter Brzustewicz at 75 was a great selection.

#24 Nashville Predators (C-)

15 Matthew Wood (F)

24 Tanner Molendyk (D)

43 Felix Nilsson (F)

46 Kalan Lind (F)

68 Jesse Kiiskinen (F)

83 Dylan MacKinnon (D)

111 Joseph Willis (F)

121 Juha Jatkola (G)

143 Sutter Muzzatti (F)

175 Austin Roest

218 Aiden Fink

Nashville was the host of this year’s draft and advised by new GM Barry Trotz in an interview to take some swings on high upside to add some high-end skill to the prospect pool. Well, they just didn’t do any of that and delivered a mediocre draft outside of top prospect Matthew Wood. What makes their draft so disappointing is that after 10 consecutive picks, the next best value pick was David Poiles last pick in Aiden Fink in the 7th round. Expectations were high and far from reached.

#25 Tampa Bay Lightning (D)

37 Ethan Gauthier (F)

115 Jayson Shaugabay (F)

179 Warren Clark (D)

193 Jack Harvey (F)

211 Ethan Hay (F)

Tampa will ﬁnd a way to develop these players, especially Ethan Gauthier, because that’s what they do best within their system. I just believe they could have done it with the better options available and left talent on the table with every pick.

#26 New Jersey Devils (D+)

58 Lenni Hämeenaho (F)

122 Cam Squires (F)

154 Chase Cheslock (D)

164 Cole Brown (F)

186 Daniil Karpovich (D)

New Jersey was very inactive and didn’t take many swings this year and they are in a situation where they didn’t need to. Lenni Hameenaho was ranked 84 for us at McKeens and was a bit of a reach.

#27 Ottawa Senators (D)

108 Hoyt Stanley (D)

140 Matthew Andonovski (D)

204 Owen Beckner (F)

207 Vladimir Nikitin (G)

215 Nicholas VanTassell (F)

Ottawa did not have many picks and none very high. Hoyt Stanley is the only pick which has had some hype going into the draft and been noticeable this season. I wouldn’t expect anyone from the class to make the roster.

#28 Pittsburgh Penguins (D-)

14 Brayden Yager (F)

91 Emil Pieniniemi (D)

142 Mikhail Ye. Ilyin (F)

174 Cooper Foster (F)

217 Emil Järventie (F)

223 Kalle Kangas (D)

Another situation where good players were selected but when I look at this class, and Emil Jarventie is the best value pick in the 7th round, that is an issue for me. Yes, Brayden Yager is an excellent player with a deadly shot and a good head on his shoulders. It’s hard to give high grades when top 5-10 talents were still available where he was picked. This strikes me as more of a situation where the Penguins scouting staff were left to make the pick, more so than Dubas, and they went with the guy they targetted going into the draft rather than the best player available.

#29 Toronto Maple Leafs (D-)

28 Easton Cowan (F)

153 Hudson Malinoski (F)

185 Noah Chadwick (D)

The Easton Cowan pick is very difficult to grade because it really could go both ways. I understand the pick because you’re getting, debatably, the hardest working player in the class whose development is skyrocketing at a high pace under the teachings of the Hunters in London. You can expect this growth to continue over the next couple seasons. It woudl appear the Leafs aren’t selecting the 28th best player currently and are banking on Cowan being a ﬁrst round talent in 3-5 years, an approach I agree with. The issue I have with this pick is I really think you could have selected him later, and possibly much later. The 2nd round Is still a reach but at least you’re not leaving talent on the table in this deep draft and getting the maximum value out of each pick. I just think this was some poor asset management and the Leafs just focused on getting their guy. Time will be the true indicator.

#30 New York Islanders (D)

49 Danny Nelson (F)

113 Jesse Nurmi (F)

145 Justin Gill (F)

177 Zach Schulz (D)

209 Dennis Good Bogg (D)

Islanders drafted some good leadership in a pair of Captains in Danny Nelson and Zach Shulz. When that is the best thing to be said about the selections that is an issue.

#31 Boston Bruins (F+)

92 Christopher Pelosi (F)

124 Beckett Hendrickson (F)

188 Ryan Walsh (F)

214 Casper Nässén (F)

220 Kristian Kostadinski (D)

Beckett Hendrickson is the only reason they aren’t ranked 32nd.

#32 Minnesota Wild (F)

21 Charlie Stramel (F)

53 Rasmus Kumpulainen (F)

64 Riley Heidt (F)

149 Aaron Pionk (D)

181 Kalem Parker (D)

213 Jimmy Clark (F)

The Wild are the only team that gets an F grade. It’s not because I don't like the players in Charlie Stramel and Rasmus Kumpulainen because they are prospects I had on my personal board, but it’s very hard to justify these picks with the options still available on the board at the time of the picks. These are just too far off the board to not trade back and still get the player you want. We at McKeens ranked both these players as 3rd round talents.

MCKEEN’S 2023 NHL DRAFT GUIDE – Two Round Mock Draft

Brock Otten — Wed, 21 Jun 2023 22:05:22 +0000

First Round

1 - Chicago Blackhawks - Connor Bedard (Regina, WHL)

Regardless of whether you believe that the Hawks deserved to win the first overall selection…it did happen. And the timing for the Chicago organization couldn’t have been better as they transition from the Patrick Kane/Jonathan Toews era to the Connor Bedard era. This is a game changer that should accelerate the Blackhawk’s rebuild.

2 - Anaheim Ducks - Adam Fantilli (Michigan, NCAA)

Talk about power down the middle. By selecting the University of Michigan star, the Ducks can now boast a one/two punch at center of Mason McTavish and Adam Fantilli. That likely pushes Trevor Zegras to the wing long term, which might not be a terrible thing considering his struggles at the faceoff circle and defensively. Fantilli is one of the most polished two-way forwards in the league and his speed and strength should allow him to jump into the NHL immediately.

3 - Columbus Blue Jackets - Leo Carlsson (Orebro, SHL)

This is where things get really interesting. Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen doesn’t draft a ton out of Sweden (Finnish bias?...lol), however I believe that this would be the best pick for the organization. Carlsson is the most ready to make an immediate impact in the NHL and he would give the Jackets a potential two-way rock to build their forward group around. This is a team who wants to compete soon and turn their fortunes around.

4 - San Jose Sharks - Will Smith (USNTDP)

For the life of me, I just can’t see Mike Grier going with Michkov here. Smith would give San Jose a highly skilled playmaker to continue to build around. He could help to elevate the play of some of the team’s complementary players. He may take a few years in College with BC, but the end product should be a high-end offensive player. Question…would it be shocking to see the Sharks reach for a defender like David Reinbacher here?

5 - Montreal Canadiens - Ryan Leonard (USNTDP)

It really seems like the Canadiens would pass on Michkov should he be available to them. It could be smoke and mirrors, but all signs do point to that fact. So, who do they select? Lots of hype around Reinbacher. I think they’re happy with their defensive depth right now. IMO. I truly believe that Ryan Leonard could be their target. Here’s a forward who can make an impact in a lot of different ways and who plays the power game that Montreal really seems to want to play in the future. Obviously Dalibor Dvorsky could be an option here too.

6- Arizona Coyotes - Matvei Michkov (HK Sochi, KHL)

I just can’t see Michkov falling that far. Yes, there is inherent risk. But the reward is so great. Arizona wants to become relevant again, but they also want to have sustainability. They haven’t shied away from drafting Russians in recent years, and this is a big fish. The timing of his arrival in the NHL should be perfect for Arizona’s inevitable resurgence.

7- Philadelphia Flyers - David Reinbacher (Kloten, NL)

A big, right shot defender, it seems like a sure thing that he’ll be drafted in the top ten, even if he’s our third ranked defender. The Flyers seem like a really good fit for him. Reinbacher is a potential two-way force from the right side who could develop into an all-situations player for Philadelphia and would complement other young defenders like Cam York and Emil Andrae exceptionally well.

8 - Washington Capitals - Oliver Moore (USNTDP)

Would it be shocking to see Moore drafted ahead of Ryan Leonard? I don’t think so. NHL teams put such a premium on true centers and Moore is just that. Watching the Capitals in recent years, it’s obvious that they need to focus on upgrading the speed quotient of this team again and Moore is the best skating player available this year. The range of outcomes for him runs the gamut of Dylan Larkin to Andrew Cogliano, but Moore should play and would fit in well with this roster, perhaps better than some of the power wingers slated to go here. Nate Danielson could be an option here too, especially given Washington’s Western bias.

9 - Detroit Red Wings - Dalibor Dvorsky (AIK, Allsvenskan)

I think one thing Detroit proved at last year’s draft was that they wanted to focus on getting back to being difficult to play against in the future. There is a desire for the full rebuild to be over and it’s now time to focus on getting players who can be strong playoff performers. Dvorsky is raw, but as we have seen internationally, he is a big game player who can potentially grow into an all-situations type.

10 - St. Louis Blues - Axel Sandin Pellikka (Skelleftea, SWEJ20)

One of the top offensive defenders available this year, Sandin Pellikka proved at this year’s U18’s that he can defend too. The progression in his game over the course of the year should have teams lining up to select him given the weakness of the defense crop. St. Louis needs to inject new life into their blueline, specifically in the puck moving department.

11 - Vancouver Canucks - Nate Danielson (Brandon, WHL)

Lots to like here for the Canucks. Danielson is a strong candidate to be an all situations top six center for them in the future. And let’s face it, the center depth in the organization isn’t amazing right now. There is a need for a player like Danielson. He’s really the last player in this grouping of ranked players who is likely to stick down the center, so I’d expect all these guys to go high.

12 - Arizona Coyotes (via Ottawa) - Matthew Wood (UConn, NCAA)

Skating concerns be darned, someone is going to bite on Matthew Wood early in the first round. He’s just been too good the last few years. As we’ve seen with Jason Robertson, skating development can occur as conditioning improves. Wood has so many other good qualities and he would be the perfect complementary player for them in the future.

13 - Buffalo Sabres - Dmitri Simashev (Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, KHL)

Our top ranked defender, can you imagine a future where the Sabres have both Owen Power and Dmitri Simashev? The massive defender skates well and should at least develop into a high end stay at home type. The Sabres haven’t been scared off by taking Russian players too. This seems like a great fit.

14 - Pittsburgh Penguins - Daniil But (Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, KHL)

One of the things Pittsburgh needs to do at the draft this year is focus on selecting players with upside. For far too long, the focus was on safer prospects and the combination of that, plus a lack of first round selections, has left the system in disarray. Insert Daniil But, a big winger who could end up being an Evgeni Malkin kind of player thanks to his combination of power and skill. The Penguins have had some success drafting out of Russia, so I don’t see it scaring them off.

15 - Nashville Predators - Tom Willander (Rögle, SWE J20)

One of the draft's biggest risers, Willander was so good in the second half, and it has caused many (including us) to shift their opinion of his potential. He now looks like a lock to be a top four, right shot defender. I see Nashville looking at adding a potential defender at this spot and perhaps they go more offensively oriented with Gulyayev or Dragicevic, but the well-rounded profile seems to fit them more.

16 - Calgary Flames - Zach Benson (Winnipeg, WHL)

The fall for Benson ends here with Calgary selecting him. We love Benson, but there’s definitely some concern that NHL scouts are concerned with the fact that he’s undersized and not a dynamic athlete. However, his playmaking ability would really help the Flames moving forward and I think they need to gamble on his upside. I could also see Calgary opting for an offensively oriented defender here too.

17 - Detroit Red Wings (via New York Islanders) - Mikhail Gulyayev (Avangard Omsk, KHL)

One of the top skating defenders available this year, Gulyayev would be a great fit in the Detroit system. The Red Wings have a lot of solid young defenders in their system, but none have the skating ability, shot, and powerplay quarterbacking potential that Gulyayev possesses. Getting him and Ryan Leonard in the first round would be terrific for an organization trying to take that next step and sustain it.

18 - Winnipeg Jets - Colby Barlow (Owen Sound, OHL)

Obviously, there are a lot of different routes that the Jets could take here, but Barlow makes a lot of sense. The high-end goal scorer is also very versatile and plays a powerful North/South game. Maybe there are some similarities between him and Rutger McGroarty, but this Jets team wants to have multiple players of that ilk on their roster.

19 - Chicago Blackhawks (via Tampa Bay) - Gabe Perreault (USNTDP)

Where Perreault goes on draft day will be really interesting. His athletic tools aren’t terrific, but you can’t argue with the success he had this year. He’s just such an intelligent and creative player. With your new team identity forming around Connor Bedard, Perreault seems like an amazing fit to play with him in the future. Plus, Perreault is a bit of a local kid, having grown up as part of the Chicago Mission program.

20 - Seattle Kraken - Samuel Honzek (Vancouver, WHL)

The Kraken wouldn’t have had to travel far to get a good look at Honzek this year. After using their top picks on centers in their first two drafts, they opt for a big, skilled winger to play with them in 2023. Honzek’s upside is excellent, and he is actually someone who could go much higher than this.

21 - Minnesota Wild - David Edstrom (Frölunda, SWE J20)

Doesn’t this just scream a Minnesota Wild selection. Edstrom was a late season riser thanks to the progression he showed over the year from an offensive perspective. He has both a solid floor and a high ceiling and given the draft’s lack of true centers, I expect him to go pretty high on draft day.

22 - Philadelphia (via Columbus, via Los Angeles) - Eduard Sale (HC Kometa Brno, Czechia)

Philly is up for the second pick of the first round, acquired in the Provorov trade. After adding a defenseman to replace him with the seventh pick, they opt for the best forward available on the board. That is a quality playmaking winger with size in Eduard Sale, currently ranked #17 by McKeen's. Sale could definitely go higher than this too, so the value is terrific.

23 - New York Rangers - Cal Ritchie (Oshawa, OHL)

Cal Ritchie grew up playing for the Oakville Rangers, so this just seems like a great story. Tons of pictures of him wearing Rangers gear at a young age! But this would be a great pick for New York for a lot of reasons. Ritchie is one of the most intelligent forwards available this year and while his OHL season wasn’t outstanding, his international performances were.

24 - Nashville Predators (via Edmonton) - Brayden Yager (Moose Jaw, WHL)

Maybe Yager goes higher than this. We’re certainly lower on him than the consensus in the scouting community. However, he seems like the kind of player that Nashville would love to add into their system; the kind of player they’ve been drafting for the last decade or so, helping them to remain consistently strong.

25 - St. Louis Blues (via Toronto) - Quentin Musty (Sudbury, OHL)

We’ve got Musty outside of the first round because of concerns over his feet and wavering compete levels, but given his size and skill package, it seems unlikely that he falls out of the first. St. Louis would be a good place for Quentin, and I could see them being quite interested in him. There’s a need to inject new skill and life into the wing group in St. Louis and Musty has one of the higher offensive ceilings in the draft.

26 - San Jose Sharks (via New Jersey) - Bradly Nadeau (Penticton, BCHL)

The Sharks have focused on drafting some pretty good playmakers in recent years and they took Will Smith fourth overall earlier in this mock. So why not take a chance on a high-end finisher like Brad Nadeau. Nadeau also brings a strong compete level and is someone with a good upside, so long as you believe that the BCHL competition was good enough to truly challenge him this year.

27 - Colorado Avalanche - Ethan Gauthier (Sherbrooke, QMJHL)

A solid complementary goal scorer, Gauthier has a good motor too. There is a need for him to get quicker and consistency was an issue at times this year. However, the Avs are going to want a player who can jump into their lineup in a few years and help them win and Gauthier has a lot of strong pro level attributes already. He scores from between the dots and Colorado missed that a bit this year with so many injuries to those types of players.

28 - Toronto Maple Leafs (via Boston) - Gavin Brindley (Michigan, NCAA)

Kyle Dubas is no longer at the helm, but for now it looks like the scouting staff will remain the same under Brad Treliving. Brindley is the type of player that the Leafs organization has been targeting lately at the draft. His compete level and skating are at the top of this draft class and his offensive upside might be a tad underrated. This is someone who is going to play through the middle six for years to come.

29 - St. Louis Blues (via Dallas) - Oliver Bonk (London, OHL)

The Blues have the luxury of three first round picks this year and that gives them a ton of flexibility. So far in our mock they’ve taken Sandin Pellikka and Musty, so grabbing a safer defender like Bonk could make a lot of sense. A highly intelligent two-way player, Bonk has the bloodlines and the work ethic to help him improve.

30 - Carolina Hurricanes - Anton Wahlberg (Malmö, SHL)

The Hurricanes always seem to align their draft ideals with the amateur scouting community, often selecting independent scout darlings in recent years. Insert Anton Wahlberg. Much like Swedish teammate David Edstrom, he improved massively over the course of the year, learning to use his size and quickness to be a very effective player inside the offensive zone. The athletic tools are going to be very intriguing to Carolina.

31 - Montreal Canadiens (via Florida) - Riley Heidt (Prince George, WHL)

Coming into the year, this pick would have been seen as a steal, but this is sort of where Heidt is projected to go now. I could see Montreal being very interested in Heidt as he possesses similar qualities to other forwards they have drafted recently. How his game ultimately comes together at the pro level remains a mystery, but he has a lot of interesting tools.

32 - Vegas Golden Knights - Tanner Molendyk (Saskatoon, WHL)

Molendyk is not only one of the smarter defenders available this year, but he’s also one of the better skaters. That combination will be very intriguing to a team like Vegas. He’s way more athletic than the defenders they have been selecting the last five or so years and would give the organization a bit of a different look on the back end.

Second Round

33 - Anaheim Ducks - Michael Hrabal (Omaha, USHL)

If we don’t have a goalie taken in the first round, I would suspect that we see a huge run on them early in the second. The Ducks haven’t drafted a goalie since Lukas Dostal. He’s turned into a great prospect, but there’s a need to look further down the road. Hrabal is raw, but he might have the best upside of the goalies available.

34 - Columbus Blue Jackets - Carson Bjarnason (Brandon, WHL)

The goalie run continues with the Jackets taking Carson Bjarnason. He has number one upside as he continues to learn to harness his athleticism and he helps fill an organizational need in the future.

35 - Chicago Blackhawks - Lukas Dragicevic (Tri-City, WHL)

It could be surprising if Dragicevic drops out of the first round considering the talent he brings from the back end, but there are definitely concerns over how good he can become defensively. The Hawks are swinging for true upside here and hope that he can be a strong powerplay quarterback for them in the future.

36 - San Jose Sharks - Carson Rehkopf (Kitchener, OHL)

One thing that the Sharks really seem to be focusing on as a scouting team is drafting athletes. They’re looking for guys who can play fast, who bring size, and who have a large runway to improve. Rehkopf had a very inconsistent year, but the talent is there. With all the graduations in Kitchener this year, it’ll be his team to run moving forward.

37 - Montreal Canadiens - Trey Augustine (USNTDP)

We know how commonly the Canadiens have gone to the U.S. Development program in recent years and Augustine was the rock for that team in net, helping them capture gold at the U18’s. It seems likely that Montreal will look to draft a goalie fairly high this year because Primeau hasn’t really developed according to plan, and they let Dichow’s rights expire.

38 - Arizona Coyotes - Otto Stenberg (Frölunda, SHL)

I really like Stenberg. I think he’s a lot better than he showed in the SHL and when playing outside of international competition. Part of me doesn’t believe that he falls, but players with his profile have fallen outside of the first many times. This would be a great selection for Arizona, adding speed and skill to their forward group in the future.

39 - Buffalo Sabres (via Philadelphia) - Danny Nelson (USNTDP)

One of the most improved players in this draft class from start to finish this year, Nelson is an intriguing athlete. There’s a chance that he might not be more than an Adam Lowry type. But it will be interesting to see how his offensive game develops outside of the shadow of Smith and Moore. The Sabres system is stacked, but this type of center is something that they could focus in on.

40 - Washington Capitals - Adam Gajan (Chippewa, NAHL)

I fully expect someone to jump on Gajan pretty early. He was so good at the U20’s this year and he has the athletic tools needed to reach a high ceiling as an NHL starting netminder. The Capitals haven’t focused a ton of attention on goaltenders at the draft in recent years, but there is a need to add one into the system. Additionally, they have been an organization that does not shy away from drafting re-entry players.

41 - Detroit Red Wings - Kasper Halttunen (HIFK, Liiga)

The first of three consecutive selections for the Wings, look for variance in these selections. In Halttunen, the Wings get a high upside goal scoring winger who struggled playing against men this year, but who dominated his own age group. He could easily go higher than this.

42 - Detroit Red Wings - Maxim Strbak (Sioux Falls, USHL)

Strbak would be a great selection for the Wings in this area as a potential top four, defensively oriented defender. He is a fierce competitor, and his offensive skill set might be a tad underrated. If the feet can improve more at Michigan State, he could be quite the player.

43 - Detroit Red Wings - Charlie Stramel (Wisconsin, NCAA)

There is a significant chance that Stramel will go in the first round even after a poor year at Wisconsin. NHL teams love his profile; that big power center with middle six upside. For the Wings, I believe that this would be a no- brainer if he is still available. Stramel is a little more athletic than Rasmussen and has better physical tools than Veleno.

44 - Chicago Blackhawks (via Ottawa) - Nick Lardis (Hamilton, OHL)

One thing that the Hawks really focused on last year at the draft was adding speed and strong skaters to their prospect group. I’m sure that this was extremely intentional and there aren’t many better skaters than Nick Lardis available this year. His second half explosion has vaulted him up into this kind of territory thanks to his combination of speed and goal scoring ability.

45 - Buffalo Sabres - Andrew Cristall (Kelowna, WHL)

Quite the fall for Cristall, but there is real concern inside the NHL scouting community around his size and skating combination. He is so reliant on using his edges and lacks the linear quickness to gain separation against better skating defenders. But the upside is so significant because of his creativity, skill, and IQ. Well worth the risk in this area of the draft, especially for an organization with a deep talent pool.

46 - Nashville Predators (via Pittsburgh) - Nico Myatovic (Seattle, WHL)

This is the kind of player that the Predators have won with previously, that hardnosed, physical, strong two-way forward out of the CHL. Myatovic improved a lot in the second half with the Thunderbirds and he is the type of player that I believe NHL scouts are going to like a lot more than independent, amateur ones.

47 - Nashville Predators - Arttu Karki (Tappara U20, U20 SM-sarja)

After taking Willander in the first, the Predators take Karki, a strong puck moving defender who was excellent in Finland this past season. Lots to like about his skating ability and offensive upside. He’s almost like a more athletic version of Kulonummi, who they took last year.

48 - Calgary Flames - Beau Akey (Barrie, OHL)

After taking Zach Benson in the first round, the Flames opt for an athletic blueliner from the OHL in the second, taking Akey. He is one of the better skating defenders in the draft and is still learning how to use that mobility to his advantage at both ends. Shades of a young TJ Brodie here, waiting to be unlocked and that worked out well for the Flames in 2008.

49 - New York Islanders - Jayden Perron (Chicago, USHL)

This is the fourth straight year that the Islanders don’t have a first-round selection and their talent pool is hurting because of it. So, the focus needs to be on selecting a player with significant upside. The highest upside player remaining is probably Perron, an undersized, but skilled forward with the Chicago Steel. He excels playing with pace and would immediately become one of the better prospects in their system.

50 - Seattle Kraken (via Winnipeg) - Andrew Gibson (Sault Ste. Marie, OHL)

One of the better defensive defenders available in the draft this year, Gibson would give the Kraken a type of player that they haven’t really drafted yet in their two years of existence; a staunch, physical defender with reach. He had a really good U18’s for Canada and we know how much Seattle loves drafting from the OHL.

51 - Chicago Blackhawks (via Tampa Bay) - William Whitelaw (Youngstown, USHL)

This just seems like the type of player that Chicago scouts would really love. Again, we have the speed component. But we also have a competitive player who can score goals. There are concerns over his size and IQ, but he had a great playoff for Youngstown in helping them capture a Clark Cup.

52 - Seattle Kraken - Jacob Fowler (Youngstown, USHL)

Personally, I believe Fowler is the top goaltender in this class. But I think that because his physical/athletic tools aren’t quite as strong as the likes of Hrabal and Bjarnason, he probably ends up more in this range. His performance in the Clark Cup playoffs was a masterpiece. Yes, Seattle did draft Niklas Kokko early last year, but when you’re trying to build out a strong prospect group, you need good goaltending depth.

53 - Minnesota Wild - Coulson Pitre (Flint, OHL)

Pitre is exactly the kind of player that the Wild could use in their system; a competitive power winger who can play in all situations. Pitre is one of the most physical forwards available this year and he is that rare kind of power forward who also has good vision with the puck. He’s the perfect complementary piece.

54 - Los Angeles Kings - Oscar Fisker Mølgaard (HV71, SHL)

The second straight draft that the Kings don’t have a first-round selection and they have to be very happy to see Oscar Fisker Mølgaard still available here. The Kings love players like him. He’s a competitive two-way forward with versatility who can probably move through their system pretty quickly.

55 - Chicago Blackhawks (via New York Rangers) - Tristan Bertucci (Flint, OHL)

At this point, the Blackhawks have about half the picks in the first two rounds it seems like. Here they nab Tristan Bertucci, a player who improved substantially in the second half at both ends. He has intriguing physical and athletic tools and could project as a John Marino kind of player with the right development.

56 - Edmonton Oilers - Koehn Ziemmer (Prince George, WHL)

It seems like Edmonton has been searching for this kind of player at the draft for several seasons now. They took Reid Schaefer last year but then dealt him in the Ekholm deal. Ziemmer is a pure goal scorer, but he also brings a competitive edge. The only thing holding him back is a lack of dynamic skating ability.

57 - Seattle Kraken (via Toronto) - Carey Terrance (Erie, OHL)

Speed is the name of the game for Terrance. But versatile is a word that also fits. He showed at the U18’s with the U.S. team that won gold, that he can play a complementary role different from the play driving role that he fills in Erie. He is already a committed two-way player too. Lots to like here.

58 - New Jersey Devils - Gracyn Sawchyn (Seattle, WHL)

Definitely a bit of a fall for Sawchyn, at least compared to where a lot of independent scouting agencies have him ranked (including us). But there are concerns over his slight frame and lack of dynamic skating. That said, this is a great selection for a New Jersey team that doesn’t have a first this year. Sawchyn has great offensive upside and the Devils haven’t shied away from taking players with skating weaknesses in recent years.

59 - Anaheim Ducks (via Colorado) - Easton Cowan (London, OHL)

Have to think that there were quite a few NHL scouts impressed with Cowan’s playoff performance for London in the OHL playoffs where he transformed into a much more assertive offensive player. He has speed to burn and he’s tenacious to boot. This is a future high character, middle six guy for the Ducks.

60 - Anaheim Ducks (via Boston) - Aram Minnetian (USNTDP)

Pretty rare to see the first U.S. NTDP defender off the draft board this late, but it’s an odd group. Minnetian seems like the most likely to go in the second-round range (or Fortescue). This is a solid upside pick for the Ducks because of how well Minnetian skates. Consistency was an issue for him, especially in the defensive end, but he’ll be given time to grow.

61 - Dallas Stars - Martin Misiak (Youngstown, USHL)

It took some time for Misiak to adjust to the USHL, but as the USHL playoffs rolled around, he was firing on all cylinders along with Will Whitelaw. He was a huge piece of that Phantoms’ Clark Cup winning team. He plays a two-way power game and projects as a solid middle six option for Dallas in the future.

62 - Carolina Hurricanes - Jakub Dvorak (Bili Tygri Liberec, Czechia)

It wasn’t the easiest season for Dvorak, as he battled through injuries. However, he returned in time to play at the U18’s, giving scouts a taste of what he can bring to the table as a future top four, stay at home defender. The Hurricanes love raw, toolsy types like Dvorak and they’ve drafted players out of Czechia the last two drafts.

63 - Florida Panthers - Felix Nilsson (Rögle, SHL)

It was really unfortunate that Nilsson had to miss the U18’s due to a wrist injury. He was shooting up draft lists with his strong second half. Ain intelligent and high energy playmaking center, Nilsson fits the Florida Panthers MO at the draft and would be a great pick for a team without a first-round selection this year.

64 - Minnesota Wild (via Los Angeles) - Drew Fortescue (USNTDP)

No defender on the U.S. U18 team improved as much as Fortescue did this year. His athletic tools are through the roof and at the very least, he looks like he could be a solid #5, safe, stay at home type. But what if his game continues to improve at a rapid rate? The Wild have targeted similar kinds of defenders at the draft in recent years.

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

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

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

Standouts

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

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

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

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

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

Top 10 from each category;

VO2 Max

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

Wingate Test

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

Pull Ups

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

Pro Agility (Right)

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

Pro Agility (Left)

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

Bench Press (50% of Body Weight)

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

Standing Long Jump

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

Vertical Jump

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

No Arm Jump

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

Squat Jump

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

Heights & Weights

Name Height /Weight

Beau Akey 6’0”/175

Cameron Allen 6’0”/192

Trey Augustine 6’1.25”/190

Denver Barkey 5’8.75”/155

Colby Barlow 6’0.5”/195

Connor Bedard 5’9.75”/185

Zach Benson 5’9.75”/170

Tristan Bertucci 6’1.75”/175

Carson Bjarnason 6’3.25”/190

Oliver Bonk 6’1.5”/180

Gavin Brindley 5’8”/168

Hunter Brzustewicz 5’11.75”/190

Luca Cagnoni 5’9”/182

Jonathan Castagna 6’2.25” /195

Mathieu Cataford 5’11”/190

Alex Ciernik 5’10.25”/174

Brady Cleveland 6’4.75”//210

Easton Cowan 5’10.5”/170

Andrew Cristall 5’9.5”/175

Nate Danielson 6’1.5”/186

Noah Dower Nilsson 5’11.75 “/185

Lukas Dragicevic 6’1”/194

Jakub Dvorak 6’5”/210

Dalibor Dvorsky 6’1”/200

David Edstrom 6’3”/185

Paul Fischer 6’1”/200

Drew Fortescue 6’1”/176

Adam Gajan 6’2.75”/180

Brad Gardiner 6’1”/184

Ethan Gauthier 5’11.5”/183

Andrew Gibson 6’2.75”/202

Terrell Goldsmith 6’4”/220

Kasper Halttunen 6’3.25”/215

Lenni Hameenaho 6’1”/185

Riley Heidt 5’10.5”/180

Beckett Hendrickson 6’1.5”/174

Samuel Honzek 6’3.25”/195

Michael Hrabel 6’6.75”/215

Larry Keenan 6’3.25”/186

Jesse Kiiskinen 6’0.25”/190

Rasmus Kumpulainen 6’2.75”/190

Nick Lardis 5’11”/168

Ryan Leonard 5’11.75 “/190

Kalan Lind 6’0.5”/158

Theo Lindstein 6’0”/185

Jaden Lipinski 6’3.75”/210

Dylan MacKinnon 6’2”/190

Matteo Mann 6’5.5”/230

Gavin McCarthy 6’1.5”/186

Ethan Miedema 6’4”/208

Aram Minnetian 5’11”/195

Martin Misiak 6’1.5”/200

Tanner Molendyk 5’11”/181

Oscar Fisker Molgaard 5’11.75“/166

Oliver Moore 5’11”/195

Etienne Morin 6’0”/180

Carsen Musser 6’4”/212

Quentin Musty 6’1.5”/200

Nico Myatovic 6’2.5”/180

Sawyer Mynio 6’0.5”/163

Bradly Nadeau 5’10.25”/160

Zach Nehring 6’2.75”/182

Danny Nelson 6’3”/212

Felix Nilsson 6’0.5”/187

Noel Nordh 6’1.5”/200

Jesse Nurmi 5’11”/168

Tyler Peddle 6’1”/204

Gabriel Perreault 5’10.75”/163

Jayden Perron 5’9”/166

Alex Pharand 6’2.5”/205

Emil Pieniniemi 6’2.25”/175

Luca Pinelli 5’8.75”/167

Aaron Pionk 6’0.75”/173

Coulson Pitre 6’0.75”/170

Caden Price 6’0.5”/190

Scott Ratzlaff 6’0.5”/175

Carson Rehkopf 6’2.5”/195

David Reinbacher 6’2.25”/194

Eduard Sale 6’1.75”/175

Axel Sandin-Pellikka 5’11”/180

Gracyn Sawchyn 5’10.75”/155

Zachary Schulz 6’1”/197

Jayson Shaugabay 5’9.25”/165

William Smith 5’11.75 “/180

Jakub Stancl 6’3”/202

Otto Stenberg 5’11”/185

Charlie Stramel 6’3”/222

Andrew Strathmann 5’10.75”/185

Maxim Strbak 6’1.25”/198

Aydar Suniev 6’1.5”/192

Brandon Svoboda 6’3.25”/209

Carey Terrance 6’0.25”/178

Jordan Tourigny 5’11.25”/165

Anton Wahlberg 6’3.25”/192

William Whitelaw 5’8.75”/175

Tom Willander 6’1”/180

Matthew Wood 6’4”/197

Brayden Yager 5’11”/170

Koehn Ziemmer 6’0.25”/210

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

William Whitelaw – McKeen's Hockey

MCKEEN’S 2026 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – #19 Columbus Blue Jackets – Organization Overview – Top 15 Prospects

Prospect System Ranking – 19th (Last Year - 19th) GM: Don Waddell Hired: May 2024 COACH: Rick Bowness Hired: January 2025

Jackson Smith, D, Penn State University (NCAA)

Cayden Lindstrom, C, Michigan State University (NCAA)

Pyotr Andreyanov, G, Zvezda Moscow (VHL)

Luca Del Bel Belluz, C, Cleveland Monsters (AHL)

Luca Marrelli, D, Cleveland Monsters (AHL)

Luca Pinelli, C, Cleveland Monsters (AHL)

Jordan Dumais, RW, Cleveland Monsters (AHL)

William Whitelaw, RW, Western Michigan University (NCAA)

Sergei Ivanov, G, St. Petersburg (KHL)

Evan Gardner, G, Saskatoon Blades (WHL)

Charlie Elick, D, Tri-City Americans (WHL)

Guillaume Richard, D, Cleveland Monsters (AHL)

Oiva Keskinen, C, Tappara (Liiga)

Jack Williams, RW, Cleveland Monsters (AHL)

Corson Ceulemans, D, Cleveland Monsters (AHL)

MCKEEN’S 2025-26 NHL YEARBOOK – COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS – Top 15 Prospect Profiles – Organizational Rank #19

Columbus Blue Jackets Top-15 Prospects

1 - Cayden Lindstrom

2 - Jackson Smith

3 - Luca Del Bel Belluz

4 - Pyotr Andreyanov

5 - Luca Marrelli

6 - Jet Greaves

7 - Jordan Dumais

8 - Luca Pinelli

9 - Guillaume Richard

10 - Charlie Elick

11 - Stanislav Svozil

12 - William Whitelaw

13 - Evan Gardner

14 - Corson Ceulemans

15 - Jack Williams

2025 NHL PROSPECTS REPORT: #13 COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS – Top 15 NHL Affiliated Prospects

MCKEEN’S 2024-25 NHL YEARBOOK – COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS – Top 15 Prospect Profiles – Organizational Rank #11

Columbus Blue Jackets Top-15 Prospects

1. Cayden Lindstrom

2. Denton Mateychuk

3. Gavin Brindley

4. Stanislav Svozil

5. Corson Ceulemans

6. Jordan Dumais

7. Charlie Elick

8. William Whitelaw

9. Luca Del Bel Belluz

10. Luca Pinelli

11. James Malatesta

12. Guillaume Richard

13. Andrew Strathmann

14. Jet Greaves

15. Evan Gardner

MCKEEN’S 2024 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – #22 Columbus Blue Jackets – Organization Overview – Top 15 Prospects

1. Denton Mateychuk, D, Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL)

2. Gavin Brindley, C, University of Michigan (NCAA)

3. Stanislav Svozil, D, Cleveland Monsters (AHL)

4. Corson Ceulemans, D, Cleveland Monsters (AHL)

5. Jordan Dumais, RW, Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL)

6. Luca Del Bel Belluz, C, Cleveland Monsters (AHL)

7. Luca Pinelli, C, Ottawa 67's (OHL)

8. William Whitelaw, RW, University of Wisconsin (NCAA)

9. James Malatesta, LW, Cleveland Monsters (AHL)

10. Hunter McKown, C, Cleveland Monsters (AHL)

MCKEEN’S 2023-24 NHL YEARBOOK – COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS – Top 20 Prospect Profiles – Organizational Rank #14

Top 20 Columbus Blue Jacket Prospects

1. Adam Fantilli - C

2. David Jiricek - D

3. Denton Mateychuk - D

4. Corson Ceulemans - D

5. Stanislav Svozil - D

6. Gavin Brindley

7. Dmitri Voronkov - LW

8. Jordan Dumais - RW

9. William Whitelaw - RW

10. Luca Del Bel Belluz - C

11. James Malatesta - LW

12. Samuel Knazko - D

13. Guillaume Richard - D

14. Andrew Strathmann - D

Prospect System Ranking – 19th (Last Year - 19th)
GM: Don Waddell Hired: May 2024
COACH: Rick Bowness Hired: January 2025