Zachary L’Heureux – McKeen's Hockey

NHL: Victor Nuño – DYNASTY STOCK WATCH – Nashville Predators Edition

Victor Nuño — Tue, 06 Jan 2026 15:30:43 +0000

McKeen’s Hockey: Dynasty Stock Watch

Nashville Predators Edition

Team Outlook

The Nashville Predators remain in a complicated transition phase, attempting to balance short-term competitiveness with the need for meaningful internal growth. The summer of 2024 signings of Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault were meant to accelerate a winning culture and stabilize the roster but instead preceded one of the worst seasons in franchise history, surpassed only by their inaugural campaign. Despite those struggles, Nashville has not fully pivoted toward a rebuild. Their roster still skews toward the middle of the league in average age, 15th overall, and the organization continues to signal a desire to compete rather than reset. That approach puts added pressure on their prospect pipeline to deliver impact contributors sooner rather than later.

There are still legitimate pillars in place. Luke Evangelista has taken another step forward and looks like a clear bright spot in the forward group, while Roman Josi’s health issues have fortunately not limited his overall effectiveness this season. Juuse Saros has also rediscovered his form, stabilizing the crease after some uncertainty. For dynasty managers, this is a critical evaluation window, identifying which young players are positioned to graduate into real roles, and which may struggle to find long-term fantasy relevance in a franchise still searching for its next true competitive identity.

Buy Candidates

NASHVILLE, TN - APRIL 16: Nashville Predators right wing Matthew Wood (52) is shown during the NHL game between the Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars, held on April 16, 2025, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Danny Murphy/Icon Sportswire)

Matthew Wood (RW, 20)

Why Buy?
Wood’s blend of size, skill, and shooting ability continues to make him one of the most intriguing assets in Nashville’s pipeline. At 6-foot-4, he protects the puck well, finishes from dangerous areas, and owns a heavy, accurate release that already looks like an NHL weapon. He has earned opportunities at the NHL level this season and has shown flashes as a legitimate scoring threat, particularly with his shot. While his overall impact has been uneven, his vision and playmaking remain underrated, and his game still projects best as a power forward who can create offense both off the rush and from set plays.

From a fantasy perspective, this is a classic buy window. According to Hockey Viz, Wood has not yet made Nashville’s offense more dangerous at either even strength or on the power play, which may cause some managers to cool on him prematurely. That data can be used as leverage in trade talks, even though it also shows that his shot is already well above league average in danger. Nashville lacks long-term top six wingers with size and finishing ability, and Wood has a clear path to filling that role once the coaching staff learns how to properly integrate him, particularly on the power play. With patience and the right deployment, he still carries legitimate 30-goal and top power play upside, making now an ideal time to acquire him before the results catch up to the tools.

Yegor Surin (C, 19)

Why Buy?
Surin is a strong example of a player whose box score alone undersells his overall impact. He plays with relentless energy, attacks the middle of the ice, and has the hands and creativity to make plays in traffic. His compete level is consistently high, and he has shown the ability to produce against older competition in the KHL. Surin can play both center and wing, contributes on the penalty kill, and generates offense through pace, pressure, and effort rather than relying on open ice. After flashing promise during his draft season, he has taken a meaningful step forward this year, raising his production to 27 points in 39 games for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, a notable jump given his role and usage in a strong KHL lineup.

From a fantasy perspective, Surin remains undervalued because he is not yet a household name and has not posted eye-catching totals, but the projection is compelling. Hockey Prospecting continues to peg him at a 45% chance of becoming a star, reflecting a profile that blends offensive upside with strong peripheral contributions in shots and hits. He looks like the type of player whose value could spike quickly once he transitions to North America and adjusts to the smaller ice surface. For dynasty managers, this is exactly the kind of player to acquire before the broader market catches up to the underlying indicators.

Ryker Lee (LW, 19)

Why Buy?
Lee is an emerging prospect on the rise. Despite being younger and less proven than other names on this list, his combination of processing speed, offensive awareness, and two-way responsibility makes him a fascinating long-term target. He has shown advanced play-driving ability for his age, with refined decision-making and improving skating that consistently puts him in the right areas to generate offense. Lee has been fantastic at Michigan State this season, posting thirteen points in sixteen games and establishing himself as a dynamic offensive presence capable of attacking off the rush and creating in tight spaces while remaining defensively reliable.

At a disappointing Under 20 World Junior Championship (U20WJC) for the Americans, Lee was a bright spot in spurts, scoring two goals and adding an assist in a depth role. His pNHLe in the NHL Rank King application is a bit down this season, but that should not be discouraging, as his usage and age context matter more than raw translation numbers at this stage. In dynasty formats, this is an ideal speculative buy. A slightly subdued U20WJC showing could allow savvy managers to acquire him at a discount, and Nashville’s patient approach with high-IQ prospects gives Lee a clear path to meaningful opportunity. Getting in early could yield significant return on investment as he continues to climb toward legitimate top six upside.

Sell Candidates

Zachary L’Heureux (LW, 22)

Why Sell?
L’Heureux plays a high-energy, physical style that makes him a fan favorite. He hits, agitates, and can score in tight areas, which has fueled the perception of him as a future impact winger. However, his offensive game has not progressed at the pace Nashville likely hoped. He relies more on effort than creativity, and discipline remains an ongoing concern. While his penalty minutes and physical edge can be attractive in certain fantasy formats, undisciplined play often limits ice time and trust at the NHL level.

From an analytics standpoint, his 2024–25 Evolving Hockey player card paints a clear picture: strong defensive impact but limited offensive contribution. He averages over three hits per game in just over twelve minutes of ice time, providing excellent peripheral coverage, but his playmaking, skating, and offensive processing do not project to consistent top six usage. With Nashville continuing to add more skilled forwards, L’Heureux increasingly looks like a bottom-six energy winger rather than a Tom Wilson–type difference maker. There is still value here, so do not sell him for nothing, but the odds of a true breakout are slim. With his name value remaining relatively high, this is an ideal window to move him before his role fully solidifies and his fantasy ceiling becomes clearer.

Brady Martin (C, 18)

Why Sell?
Martin’s draft stock rose on the back of his physical maturity and flashes of offensive upside. Making the Predators out of camp was certainly a feather in his cap. That said, his early NHL opportunity appears to be driven more by his strong defensive game than by high-end offensive acumen. While he plays a mature, responsible game, he has not consistently shown the pace or creativity typically associated with impact fantasy scorers.

From a fantasy perspective, the projection remains cloudy. His pNHLe via the NHL Rank King application has dipped this season, which more accurately reflects his likely points ceiling rather than his overall usefulness as a player. Martin profiles as someone who could provide solid peripherals (currently only 50th percentile for blocks, shots, and hits in the OHL) and reliable middle-six minutes, but not necessarily the type of scorer who moves the needle in dynasty formats. This sell recommendation is not an indictment of his NHL future, he looks like a safe bet to play meaningful games, but rather a recognition that his upside may be capped. With optimism still high around a recent draftee who cracked an NHL roster early, now is a good window to move him before the perception of breakout potential gives way to a clearer, more modest fantasy role.

Aiden Fink (RW, 21)

Why Sell?
Fink has one of the more entertaining offensive skill sets in the Predators’ system, built around quick edges, deceptive puck handling, and strong playmaking instincts. After dominating the AJHL, he transitioned smoothly to the NCAA and showed that his creativity and vision translate against higher-end competition. He reads defenders well, attacks off movement, and is effective facilitating offense rather than driving it alone. While he missed a significant portion of this season with a broken thumb, he is expected back soon, and a potential pairing with Gavin McKenna could boost his production and visibility down the stretch.

From a fantasy perspective, Fink profiles more as a high-end complementary piece than a true offensive driver at the NHL level. His pNHLe via the NHL Rank King application currently projects to be under 60 points, which suggests meaningful secondary offense rather than star-level production. Because he was not a high draft pick and has developed largely outside the spotlight, his dynasty cost remains affordable, but expectations should be managed. He may need time and the right deployment to carve out a role, likely as a top-six supporting winger with power-play utility. For deeper leagues, he remains a reasonable stash, especially if his production rebounds quickly upon return, but he is better viewed as a value add than a future centerpiece.

Summary

Player	Role	Key Insight
Matthew Wood	Buy	Power winger with size, scoring touch, and top six upside
Yegor Surin	Buy	High-motor, skilled forward with multi-cat potential
Ryker Lee	Buy	Smart, rising prospect with long-term top six potential
Aiden Fink	Sell	Intelligent winger that profiles more as a complementary piece
Zachary L’Heureux	Sell	Physical winger with limited offensive ceiling
Brady Martin	Sell	Safe projection but lacks high-end fantasy upside

MCKEEN’S 2024-25 NHL YEARBOOK – NASHVILLE PREDATORS – Top 15 Prospect Profiles – Organizational Rank #10

Introduction - Dave Hall, Profiles - Brock Otten — Mon, 23 Sep 2024 13:00:56 +0000

240824 Frölundas David Edstrom under ishockeymatchen i Strömstad Hockey Classic mellan Färjestad och Frölunda den 24 augusti 2024 i Skee.
Foto: Michael Erichsen / BILDBYRÅN / COP 89 / MI0707

Prospect System Ranking – 10th (Previous Rank - 6th)
GM: Barry Trotz Hired: July 2023
COACH: Andrew Brunette Hired: May 2023

Big things are happening in Music City, with Barry Trotz now guiding the ship. In his first full season as GM, the former bench boss made significant splashes during the 2024 free agency period, locking up big fish like Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei.

In a somewhat surprising move, the Predators also re-signed veteran goaltender Juuse Saros to an eight-year contract. While securing a cornerstone in net makes sense in most cases, it threw a wrench in the future plans of McKeen’s top-rated goaltending prospect, and Nashville’s top prospect, Yaroslav Askarov, resulting in a trade to San Jose. The return included 109th ranked prospect David Edstrom, who slots in at the fifth ranked prospect for the Predators. They also acquired a conditional first round pick (previously acquired from Vegas) and goaltending prospect Magnus Chrona. For Trotz it did add to potential future stock but the prospects and pick also offer trade alternatives for an organization that has gone all in to win now.

Down on the farm, the Predators boast several prospects on the verge of making the leap to the NHL. Joakim Kemell (52nd), Fyodor Svechkov (159th), and Zach L'Heureux (82nd) are all coming off respectable rookie campaigns and have shown they can handle the pro ranks. Reid Schaefer (162nd), Ryan Ufko (171st), and newly acquired Jeremy Hanzel are also set to step into full-time roles with the Milwaukee Admirals.

Further from home, the Predators continue to develop a few intriguing names. Matthew Wood, playing at the University of Connecticut, Tanner Molendyk (107th), dominating at the WHL level, and recently drafted first-rounder Yegor Surin (133rd), who tore up the MHL last year and is now set to graduate to the KHL for the 2024-25 season, all represent exciting future pieces.

With recent gradations to Philip Tomasino, Juuso Parssinen, and Luke Evangelista, the process of retooling a team which has made the postseason nine out of the last 10 years is in full effect.

Nashville Predators Top-15 Prospects

1. Joakim Kemell

It’s becoming more and more common to see U20 players in the AHL these days, and it’s also becoming even more commonplace to see them performing well. Kemell left Finland to join Milwaukee two years ago and was an immediate impact player for the Admirals during their playoff run (with 8 goals in 14 playoff games). In his first full year in North America last year, Kemell was very solid, right there with the likes of Shane Wright and Jiri Kulich among the top U20 scorers in the AHL. In December, the Predators took a lot of heat for not allowing Kemell to go to the WJC’s to play for Finland, but perhaps it was best to allow him to have an uninterrupted first full year. The results spoke for themselves. Kemell’s best two attributes would be his shot and his quickness. He is absolutely dynamic in transition and he is right at home on the flank on the powerplay where he can hammer pucks with his lethal one timer. The focus moving forward remains strength on the puck so that Kemell can be more inside driven. The gains that he can make in the strength department likely dictate whether he is a full time Predator next season or not.

2. Matthew Wood

Wood, the 15th overall pick in the 2023 draft, shocked the hockey world when he announced that he was heading to the transfer portal this offseason, following a rather lateral development year with UConn as a sophomore. Now headed to the University of Minnesota, Wood will try to get things back on track with the Golden Gophers. The 6-foot-4, 200 pound forward is an absolute load to handle for defenders when he’s attacking in transition because his top speed has improved and because he protects the puck so well. Wood also dominates near the crease because of his quick hands and quick release. Moving forward, the focus will continue to be on his quickness in order to be more explosive to gaps and coming off the wall. Additionally, there’s still a lot of room for Wood to improve as a two-way player. The Predators will be looking for his physical intensity level to become more consistent and that would take his game to another level. One would expect that Wood will turn pro following his junior season at Minnesota and depending on how next year goes, he could make an immediate impact in Nashville.

3. Zachary L'Heureux

Coming into the year, if someone had told you that L’Heureux would be second in the AHL in penalty minutes in his first pro season, would you have been surprised? We certainly wouldn’t have. However, it should also be noted that he finished first in the AHL playoffs in goal scoring, an extremely impressive accolade. L’Heureux is at his best when he’s playing on the edge…or even crossing it, and it’s the combination of his pest-like qualities with his skill and offensive zone awareness that makes him a bit of a unicorn these days. L’Heureux is very much on track to be a quality middle six player for Nashville and that could happen as early as next season if he can continue to learn to rein things in a bit to stay out of the box. The former Halifax Mooseheads standout and 27th overall pick is right on track developmentally and Nashville has to be happy with his performance as a first-year pro.

4. Tanner Molendyk

Molendyk’s draft plus one year went extremely well as he has emerged as one of the WHL’s top two-way defenders. He was one of six defenders to average over one point per game and his Saskatoon Blades finished the regular season with the most wins in the league. Just as was the case when he was drafted, Molendyk’s best asset is his mobility. A phenomenal and effortless four-way skater, Molendyk’s skating ability makes up the foundation of his game. He’s aggressive in attacking the offensive zone and leading the charge in transition. He quarterbacks the powerplay well by consistently beating the initial layer of pressure. His rush defense is excellent because of his terrific gap control and ability to keep the action ahead of him. Would it be shocking at all to see Molendyk copy Kevin Korchinski’s development path by making the NHL next season? Stranger things have happened, especially after Tyson Barrie was allowed to walk. However, Ryan Ufko would probably be ahead of him on the depth chart.

5. David Edstrom

There probably isn't a hockey coach in the world who wouldn't fall in love with Edstrom almost immediately. He is about as consistent, versatile, and low-maintenance as hockey players come, and there is a ton of plug-and-play value to him, especially as a center. He can play the game any way you like and fit anywhere in a team's lineup. He’s already so wise and mature as a hockey player, and as a teenager this season in the SHL he looked like someone who could have already been in the league for 10 years. He's reminiscent of another former Frolunda center in Lars Eller, in the sense that he'll likely never be a superstar, but it's easy to foresee him as someone who plays 1,000 games in the NHL and is always great to have on your roster come playoff time.

6. Yegor Surin

Can you imagine Zachary L'Heureux and Yegor Surin on the same line? The Predators sure could. Absolute chaos. That’s why the Predators used the 22nd overall pick on him this year. Surin plays the game on (or even over) the edge consistently. It’s even fair to say that his physicality knows no bounds. He is a Tasmanian devil on the ice. However, like L'Heureux, Surin is also a skilled player who can make plays with the puck and who is capable of playing alongside other skilled players in an offensive role. That’s what makes him unique. We saw how valuable he can be in this past season’s MHL playoffs, where Surin was one of the top performers. The only real question is, how well does he process the game? That’s yet to be determined. The answer will dictate his future place in an NHL lineup. For now, he’ll return to Russia and look to earn more time in the KHL this season with Lokomotiv.

7. Fyodor Svechkov

After a few tumultuous post draft years in Russia, the Predators have to be very happy with the development of Svechkov this past season in Milwaukee. Not only did he continue to be a strong defensive presence, which was part of his allure as a draft eligible player in 2021, but his offensive game translated nicely too. He was right in the mix with the other top young forwards on Milwaukee’s roster and his attention to detail and versatility are sure to make him a coaches’ favourite during his likely long NHL career. He looks like a safe bet to at least become a very good third line forward for the Predators in the near future, although at this point, he would appear to be behind Kemell and L’Heureux in the pecking order. Returning to Milwaukee next year as an AHL sophomore would actually be best for his development, especially considering the likelihood that one of those other top young forwards gets promoted, which would open up even more ice time and responsibility for him.

8. Reid Schaefer

One of the prize pieces of the Mattias Ekholm trade with Edmonton, Schaefer is a former first round selection by the Oilers, and he just completed his first pro season with AHL Milwaukee. Given the depth of Nashville’s talent pool at the pro level, Schaefer played more of a bottom six role for the Admirals. Considering his play style as a two-way, power winger, that’s been a great fit for him, easing him into the increased pace of the pro game. He wasn’t able to find his way to the net to create scoring chances with the same sort of consistency as he did in the WHL, but he proved to be sound away from the puck and brought it physically despite being a younger player. He definitely did not look overwhelmed at the AHL level. Schaefer is likely to receive more playing time and responsibility this season and that will give us a better indication of his offensive upside as an NHL player. As is, he looks like a future NHL’er in some capacity, but he’s just further behind in his development compared to the other young star forwards in the system.

9. Ryan Ufko

The captain of UMass last season, Ufko signed at the end of the college season and immediately became an impact player at the AHL level for Milwaukee. He was an integral part of their playoff run and that has Nashville fans excited about his prospects for the future. Ufko’s biggest knock has always been his size, but he’s worked hard to improve his overall skating profile and his strength away from the puck. He’s more than just a powerplay quarterback, as he is a strong, heady, two-way defender. He has proven that he could be a potential top four fixture for Nashville in the future. What’s in store for him this year? Likely a full year in Milwaukee, so that he can continue to gain confidence. However, as mentioned with Tanner Molendyk, there’s a strong chance that Ufko could see NHL time this year based on how he looked to close out the last AHL season.

10. Teddy Stiga

Based on his rapid improvement over the course of his draft season, Stiga entered the draft as one of our favourite targets in the late first round, early second round range. Needless to say, we feel that Nashville made a great selection at 55th overall. Stiga is one of those players who is designed to be a tremendous complement to other skilled players. He proved that this past year playing with potential 2025 first overall pick James Hagens. He’s tenacious. He’s intelligent. He’s skilled. His skating has already improved a lot and should continue to do so. Sure, he’s not huge, but neither is a guy like Jake Guentzel, and he just earned himself a lot of money this offseason for being the perfect complementary piece. Stiga will attend Boston College this coming season as a freshman, and we expect his production to be immediately solid. Look for him to slot in alongside Hagens in BC’s top six.

11. Semyon Chistyakov

The Nashville Predators have been patient with their 2019 draft pick and that patience will need to continue given that his KHL contract runs another two years. But good things come to those that wait. Chistyakov is already one of the top young defenders in the KHL and he should most definitely be NHL ready by that time. A mobile, puck mover, Chistyakov projects as a solid second or third pairing two-way defender who can help manage the puck and even quarterback the secondary powerplay unit.

12. Andrew Gibson

Acquired from the Detroit Red Wings this past offseason, Gibson is a competitive, defensively oriented defender from the OHL. The big right shot blueliner is physically assertive and he makes opposing forwards earn their touches when he’s on the ice. Gibson blocks shots, clears the crease, and is generally just a solid defensive presence. This past year, his offensive game took a nice jump with Sault Ste. Marie, but his calling card will likely be in the defensive end at the next level.

13. Felix Nilsson

Nilsson was very much a draft favourite of many members of the McKeen’s Hockey scouting staff for last year’s NHL Draft, however his post draft year wasn’t a tremendous step forward. When he plays at the J20 level, he’s a key offensive contributor. When he plays at the SHL level, like he did most of the season with Rogle, he is a non-factor due to limited ice time as well as strength deficits. Nilsson is tenacious and a strong playmaker, but there’s a need to get quicker and stronger to perform well against men.

14. Adam Ingram

Ingram will be returning to St. Cloud State for his junior season and the expectation is that he continues to improve. He’s shown growth through both of his first two NCAA years, improving his skating and strength on and off the puck. The well-rounded pivot projects as a versatile pro as long as Nashville continues to be patient with him.

15. Kalan Lind

For the second straight year, Lind battled injuries with the Red Deer Rebels of the WHL as he dipped below the point per game mark. The physical winger plays an aggressive North/South game and projects as a quality bottom six player. The coming season will be a big one for him as he tries to play a full year and aims to take his goal scoring to the next level.

MCKEEN’S 2024 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – #6 Nashville Predators – Organization Overview – Top 15 Prospects

Player Profiles - Brock Otten, Team Overview - Robert Howard — Sat, 08 Jun 2024 18:00:29 +0000

MONTREAL, QC - JANUARY 12: Yaroslav Askarov (30) of the Nashville Predators tends net during the warmup period of the NHL game between the Nashville Predators and the Montreal Canadiens on January 12, 2023, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by Vincent Ethier/Icon Sportswire)

In their first full season in charge, GM Barry Trotz and Coach Andrew Brunette surprised everyone by qualifying for the playoffs. They lost to Vancouver in the first round, but the possibility of a quick return to relevance seems possible. They have a solid core in veterans Filip Forsberg, Roman Josi and Juuse Saros. Forsberg managed to stay healthy and fired 48 goals. Josi was once again among the best defenders in the game with 85 points in 82 games. Saros did not play up to his usual standard but has been one of the league’s best for a few years. Those are building blocks to win now. Trotz is typically cagey about his intentions, but he did move Ryan McDonagh back to Tampa Bay to clear salary space for another potential high-end player. While he added some pieces at the 2024 deadline, they were minor, and included no future capital, perhaps an indication of what to expect.

While they have hung on to their picks over the last five years, it was only last season that they gathered a lot of picks, picking eight times in the first four rounds. They own a crazy nine picks in the first four rounds of the 2024 draft and two firsts and five picks in the first three rounds in 2025. This will be Trotz first draft in which his team is responsible for the picks. While likely to stay the course, Trotz could nonetheless be very active on the trade front and in free agency. They have a deep pool of nine picks ranked within our top 200, but the only blue-chip prospect is Yaroslav Askarov in net. Juuse Saros is a free agent following the season, and Askarov is the future. Saros name has already popped up in trade rumours, and Askarov elevating his play could only intensify speculation. One of the more curious organizations in the league in which direction it could take in the coming weeks.

RNK	PLAYER	POS	AGE	HT/WT	TM	Acquired	GP	G(W)	A(L)	PTS(GAA)	PIM(SPCT)
1	Yaroslav Askarov	G	21	6-3/175	Milwaukee (AHL)	`20(11th)	44	30	13	2.39	0.911
2	Joakim Kemell	RW	20	5-10/185	Milwaukee (AHL)	`22(17th)	67	16	25	41	23
3	Matthew Wood	RW	19	6-3/195	Connecticut (HE)	`23(15th)	35	16	12	28	43
4	Zachary L'Heureux	LW	20	5-11/195	Milwaukee (AHL)	`21(27th)	66	19	29	48	197
5	Tanner Molendyk	D	19	5-11/185	Saskatoon (WHL)	`23(24th)	50	10	46	56	18
6	Egor Afanasyev	LW	23	6-3/205	Milwaukee (AHL)	`19(45th)	56	27	27	54	60
7	Fyodor Svechkov	C	21	6-0/185	Milwaukee (AHL)	`21(19th)	57	16	23	39	18
8	Reid Schaefer	LW	20	6-3/215	Milwaukee (AHL)	T(Edm-2/23)	63	7	14	21	39
9	Semyon Chistyakov	D	22	5-11/180	Avangard Omsk (KHL)	`19(117th)	59	4	20	24	16
10	Felix Nilsson	C	18	6-0/175	Rogle (SHL)	`23(43rd)	41	1	2	3	2
11	Ryan Ufko	D	20	5-10/180	Massachusetts (HE)	`21(115th)	37	10	16	26	14
12	Adam Ingram	C	20	6-2/165	St. Cloud State (NCHC)	`22(82nd)	38	10	18	28	18
13	Kalan Lind	LW	19	6-0/160	Red Deer (WHL)	`23(46th)	46	16	29	45	73
14	Jeremy Hanzel	D	21	6-0/190	Seattle (WHL)	T(Col-3/24)	66	17	43	60	40
15	Jesse Kiiskinen	RW	18	5-11/180	Pelicans (Fin-Liiga)	`23(68th)	38	4	6	10	8

1. Yaroslav Askarov, G, Milwaukee Admirals (AHL)

For a bit there, it looked like the Yaroslav Askarov era in Nashville was about to begin. Juuse Saros was the subject of heavy trade rumours and the Predators were nearly playoff after thoughts. But a second half surge saved their season and Saros remains a Nashville Predator…for now. Askarov, one of the top young netminders outside of the NHL, continues to play well in the AHL and has even performed well in a few appearances in Nashville this year. He’s ready to take that next step. At the very least, he will be Saros’ likely back-up next year with Kevin Lankinen being a pending UFA. However, there’s still a chance Saros moves this offseason, and the keys get handed to Askarov, which would make him a Calder favourite next year. The 6’ 4” Russian netminder has it all; the athleticism, reaction time, technique, and play reading ability. Simply put, he has the potential to be one of the premier netminders in the NHL.

2. Joakim Kemell, RW, Milwaukee Admirals (AHL)

It’s becoming more and more common to see U20 players in the AHL these days and becoming even more commonplace to see them performing well. Joakim Kemell left Finland to join Milwaukee late last season and was an immediate impact player for the Admirals during their playoff run (with eight goals in 14 playoff games). In his first full year in North America, he has been very solid, right there with the likes of Shane Wright and Jiri Kulich among the top U20 scorers in the AHL. His best two attributes would be his shot and his quickness. He is absolutely dynamic in transition, and he is right at home on the flank on the powerplay where he can hammer pucks with his lethal one timer. The focus moving forward remains strength on the puck so that he can be more inside driven. The gains that he can make in the strength department likely dictates whether he is a full time Predator next season or not.

3. Matthew Wood, RW, University of Minnesota (NCAA)

The 15th overall pick in the 2023 draft shocked the hockey world recently when he announced that he was heading to the transfer portal this offseason, following a rather lateral development year with UConn as a sophomore. None of this has changed Wood’s projection as a top six NHL winger. The 6’ 4”, 200 lbs forward is an absolute load to handle for defenders when he’s attacking in transition because his top speed has improved and because he protects the puck so well. He also dominates near the crease because of his quick hands and quick release. Moving forward, the focus will continue to be on his quickness in order to be more explosive to gaps and coming off the wall. Additionally, there’s still a lot of room for him to improve as a two-way player. The Predators will be looking for his physical intensity level to become more consistent and that would take his game to another level.

4. Zach L'Heureux, LW, Milwaukee Admirals (AHL)

Coming into the year, if someone had told you that Zach L’Heureux would be third in the AHL in penalty minutes in his first pro season, would you have been surprised? We certainly wouldn’t have. L’Heureux is at his best when he’s playing on the edge…or even crossing it, and it’s the combination of his pest-like qualities with his skill and offensive zone awareness that makes him a bit of a unicorn these days. He is very much on track to be a quality middle six player for Nashville and that could happen as early as next season if he can continue to learn to rein things in a bit to stay out of the box. The former Halifax Mooseheads standout and 27th overall pick is right on track developmentally and Nashville has to be happy with his performance as a first year pro.

5. Tanner Molendyk, D, Saskatoon Blades (WHL)

Tanner Molendyk’s draft plus one year has gone extremely well as he has emerged as one of the WHL’s top two-way defenders. He was one of six defenders to average over one point per game. Just as was the case when he was drafted, his best asset is his mobility. A phenomenal and effortless four-way skater, his skating ability makes up the foundation of his game. He’s aggressive in attacking the offensive zone and leading the charge in transition. He quarterbacks the powerplay well by consistently beating the initial layer of pressure. His rush defense is excellent because of his terrific gap control and ability to keep the action ahead of him. Would it be shocking at all to see Molendyk copy Kevin Korchinski’s development path by making the NHL next season? If the Predators move on from Tyson Barrie, a spot will open up for him to prove his worth. Either way, Molendyk looks the part of a future top four mainstay.

6. Yegor Afanasyev, LW, Milwaukee Admirals (AHL)

Next season is shaping up to be a make-or-break year for Yegor Afanasyev. He’ll be waivers eligible after three pro seasons and Nashville will have to make a decision on the former second round pick. The good news? Afanasyev has had, by far, his best pro season to date this year. He’s been consistently dialed in physically and that has led to more consistent offensive production. He’s always been at his best when he plays that power game and is driving the net to create opportunities, in addition to being active in puck pursuit. That has been the case this year. He still has the good top gear. He still has the lethal shot release. But everything else is starting to come together and he looks ready to take that next step. He’ll have to battle some of the teams’ other top young forwards (like the aforementioned Kemell and L’Heureux) for a roster spot, but he likely has a leg up given his waiver status.

7. Fyodor Svechkov, C, Milwaukee Admirals (AHL)

After a few tumultuous post draft years in Russia, the Predators have to be very happy with the development of Fyodor Svechkov this year in Milwaukee. Not only has he continued to be a strong defensive presence, which was part of his allure as a draft eligible player, but his offensive game has translated nicely too. He’s been right in the mix with the other top young forwards on Milwaukee’s roster and his attention to detail and versatility are sure to make him a coaches’ favourite during his likely long NHL career. He looks like a safe bet to at least become a very good third line forward in the near future, although at this point he would appear to be behind Kemell, L’Heureux, and Afanasyev in the pecking order. Returning to Milwaukee next year as an AHL sophomore would actually be best for his development, especially considering the likelihood that a few of those other top young forwards get promoted, which would open up even more ice time and responsibility.

8. Reid Schaefer, LW, Milwaukee Admirals (AHL)

One of the prize pieces of the Mattias Ekholm trade with Edmonton, Reid Schaefer is a former first round selection by the Oilers, and in the midst of his first pro season with Milwaukee. Given the depth of Nashville’s talent pool, Schaefer has been playing more of a bottom six role for the Admirals. Given his play style as a two-way, power winger, that’s been a great fit for him, easing him into the increased pace of the pro game. He hasn’t been able to create scoring chances with the same sort of consistency as he did in the WHL, but he’s been sound away from the puck and has brought it physically despite being a younger player. Next year, he is likely to receive more playing time and responsibility and that will give a better indication of his offensive upside. As is, he looks like a future NHL’er in some capacity, but he’s just further behind in his development compared to the other young star forwards in the system.

9. Semyon Chistyakov, D, Avangard Omsk (KHL)

The Nashville Predators have been patient with their 2019 draft pick and that patience will need to continue given that his KHL contract runs another two years. If at all, Semyon Chistyakov won’t be a Nashville Predator until at least the 2026-2027 season when he is 25. But good things come to those that wait. Chistyakov is already one of the top young defenders in the KHL and he should most definitely be NHL ready by that time. A mobile puck mover, He projects as a solid second or third pairing two-way defender who can help manage the puck and even quarterback the secondary powerplay unit. Over the next two seasons in the KHL, he should continue to bulk up to make him more effective in the defensive end. As is, his strong four-way mobility gives him a defensive advantage already.

10. Felix Nilsson, C, Rogle BK (SHL)

Felix Nilsson was very much a draft favourite of many members of the McKeen’s Hockey scouting staff for last year’s NHL Draft. His post draft season can probably best be described as neutral. That’s certainly not a great thing, but it’s not a bad thing either. When he’s played at the J20 level, he’s been a key offensive contributor. When he’s played at the SHL level, he’s been a non-factor due to limited ice time and strength deficits. He is at his best when he’s able to be a hound on the puck, using his energy to earn touches so that he can best utilize his terrific vision and passing ability to make his teammates better. He’s not a burner, but he has quick feet and strong agility. However, upgrading his top speed and linear quickness will be the focus next season. The 10th spot in this deep Nashville pool could have gone to several players, but we’re big fans of Nilsson’s potential to be a solid middle six contributor.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Subscribers can link to the full top 200 listing here

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

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

Risers

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

Logan Stankoven (27 to 5) - Dallas Stars

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

Ryan Leonard (32 to 6) – Washington Capitals

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

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

Josh Roy (63 to 35) – Montreal Canadiens

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

Conor Geekie (68 to 18) – Utah

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

Mavrik Bourque (79 to 23) – Dallas Stars

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

Gabe Perreault (86 to 19) – New York Rangers

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

Bradly Nadeau (109 to 34) – Carolina Hurricanes

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

Jagger Firkus (112 to 47) – Seattle Kraken

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

Gavin Brindley (122 to 66) – Columbus Blue Jackets

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

Quentin Musty (125 to 51) – San Jose Sharks

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

Jani Nyman (135 to 81) – Seattle Kraken

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

Logan Mailloux (145 to 45) – Montreal Canadiens

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

Josh Doan (153 to 55) - Utah

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

Riley Heidt (157 to 44) – Minnesota Wild

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

Ville Koivunen (165 to 71) – Pittsburgh Penguins

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

Ethan Del Mastro (169 to 73) – Chicago Blackhawks

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

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

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

Carson Rehkopf (201 to 69) – Seattle Kraken

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

Easton Cowan (204 to 67) – Toronto Maple Leafs

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

Seamus Casey (214 to 63) – New Jersey Devils

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

Jacob Fowler (222 to 52) – Montreal Canadiens

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

Fraser Minten (226 to 84) – Toronto Maple Leafs

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

Jackson Blake (277 to 117) – Carolina Hurricanes

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

Erik Portillo (Unranked to 118) – Los Angeles Kings

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

Rodwin Dionicio (Unranked to 139) – Anaheim Ducks

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

Fallers

EDM - Xavier Bourgault

Xavier Bourgault (from 48 to 113) – Edmonton Oilers

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

Eduard Sale (72 to 140) – Seattle Kraken

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

Jack Rathbone (96 to not ranked) – Pittsburgh Penguins

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

Jacob Perreault (127 to not ranked) – Montreal Canadiens

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

Jan Jenik (156 to not ranked) - Utah

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

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

2024 NHL PROSPECTS REPORT: TOP 200 NHL PROSPECTS

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

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

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

Subscribers can link to the listing here

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

MCKEEN’S 2022-23 NHL YEARBOOK – NASHVILLE PREDATORS – Top 20 Prospects

Sun, 18 Sep 2022 19:22:52 +0000

EDMONTON, ALBERTA - DECEMBER 26: Finland's Joakim Kemell #37 skates with the puck while Germany's Florian Elias #7 defends during preliminary round action at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship at Rogers Place on December 26, 2021 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Andrea Cardin/HHOF-IIHF Images)

1 - Yaroslav Askarov G

A huge amount of the natural goaltending talent in Yaroslav Askarov is clearly still there and that is good news for Predators fans. Another bit of good news for them is that he has recently signed his NHL entry-level contract. Unfortunately, here is where the good news ends, as we have to face the fact that Askarov’s performance since being drafted with the 11th pick in 2020 has been subpar at best. He has been very inconsistent, frequently mixing good games with really bad ones, has been notably playing without confidence, not to mention that his stick usage has become a punchline. One of the biggest factors in his slide has been the way his KHL team has shuffled him between different levels of Russian hockey; all the while his callups to the Russian U20 team were an additional interruption. None of this could have been easy to the netminder psyche, but it is not enough to excuse his disappointing play. Now safely within the Nashville organization, we can expect him to receive an abundance of ice time in the AHL, and a steadier developmental track as well, although the psychological component of his game may be trickier to fix. He is still more than young enough to expect a good chunk of the elite talent he displayed in his pre-draft performances to remain, but Nashville is staring down more question marks with Askarov than they would have reasonably thought possible when they drafted him two short years ago. - VF

2 - Joakim Kemell RW

It’s been quite a year for Nashville’s 2022 1^st first rounder. Things began with a boom scoring five goals in five Hlinka Gretzky Cup games which was followed by an explosion out of the gates in Liiga play. By the 16-game mark of the season, Kemell lead the league in goals with 12 (and 18 points). Alas, a shoulder injury in November led to lost time and contributed to a statistical lull upon is return, including a 14-game scoring drought. A late season resurgence was followed by a strong U18s with 6 G, 2 A for the bronze medalists. While his production had many thinking he would be selected in the top 10, the Predators were overjoyed to get him 17^th. Kemell’s ability to score has only been fortified since draft day, as he put up a remarkable 4 G, 8 A run at the 2022 summer WJC, finishing the tournament second overall in scoring, coming home with a silver medal for his efforts. Slick, burly, opportunistic, and constantly finding ways to display his offensive prowess, he is already signed to an ELC, with the plan for the upcoming season being to loan him back out to JYP in Finnish Liiga. For a franchise that has often found itself starving for more offense up front, the front office can’t be blamed for feeling Kemell could one day make the same organizational impact as current top-scorer Filip Forsberg. - CL

3 - Luke Evangelista RW

The 42nd overall selection in the 2020 NHL Draft, Luke Evangelista is coming off of a breakout year and will look to stay hot going back to the AHL. The former 14th overall selection in the 2018 OHL Draft didn’t have the most successful rookie season, finishing with only two points (2A) in 27 games. During the 2019-2020 season, Evangelista took a big step forward and produced 61 points (23G,38A) in 62 games. In the 2020-2021 season, Evangelista got the opportunity like some others to play in the AHL, which was an exception made because of the OHL being shutdown. During his time in the AHL, Evangelista finished with four points (4A) in 14 games. During the 2021-2022 season, Evangelista made the return to the OHL and came back very hot, having a breakout year and producing 111 points (55G,56A) in 62 games, which was 4th in the league for points, 1st in the league for goals, 8th in the league for assists, and 1st on the team in all categories. Evangelista’s best assets are his hockey sense and playmaking. He’s so smart in all three zones, reading and anticipating plays and being able to consistently have great positioning. He understands the how to manipulate defenders with deception, making him a threat with the puck, especially one-on-one, or in open space. He’s able to find teammates through traffic with ease and is able to make plays when in-tight and when under pressure, having great poise with the puck. Going into the 2022-2023 season, Evangelista will make his return to the AHL and look to bring his confidence from last year with him. - DK

4 - Fyodor Svechkov C

Fedor Svechkov, selected No. 19 in the 2021 draft by the Nashville Predators, is showing well at the KHL level this pre-season after performing strongly in the VHL (men’s second league) last season. He was traded from SKA to Spartak after the 2021-22 season, becoming part of a big deal that included other talented players. This will absolutely increase his playing time and therefore the quickness of his progression. Svechkov is a talented forward with great promise on offense, and a highly efficient work ethic in the defensive zone. He has a great understanding of the game and vision on the ice. He constantly creates opportunities for his teammates with his accurate and intelligent passing. He's got terrific long arms, can make great passes and shots, but also very effective at recovering the puck in pursuit. Another thing that makes Svechkov dangerous is that he is a fairly quick skater who is also balanced and sturdy, allowing him to play through contact. He projects as a future middle six forward. Svechkov's contract in Russia expires after the 2022-23 season. He could play in the NHL right after that if he continues his development and consistent play. - DB

5 - Zachary L'Heureux LW

“Chaotic” is a good word to describe L’Heureux’s previous season with the Halifax Mooseheads. What made him the 27^th overall pick by the Nashville Predators at the 2021 NHL Draft is his overwhelming physicality. He always gets under the opponents' skin and sometimes his lack of discipline can hurt his team. Zach had a lot of suspensions this season and considering his prominent role on the Mooseheads, that really hurt Halifax. However, L’Heureux is still a very impactful player that knows how to produce by getting to the greasy areas of the ice and by using smart passing skills. When he gets to his top speed (despite some minor deficiencies in his skating), he can really get going. Skilled and tenacious, there is still a projection that sees him become a quality middle six player for Nashville, or at the very least, a strong bottom six player who can bring consistent energy. L’Heureux will return to Halifax again this season and expectations are quite high for him. He needs to take that next step as a skilled producer and become one of the scoring leaders in the QMJHL, all while avoiding suspension and staying out of the box. - EB

6 - Yegor Afanasyev RW

After spending the pandemic bouncing around various Russian leagues (including 16 games in the KHL), Afanasyev made his North American pro debut with Milwaukee last year playing a middle six role. The Admirals had a veteran-laden roster, which pushed him down the depth chart a bit, but he did the best with his ice time and finished third on the team in shots on goal. The big power winger can be a highly dangerous goal scorer with his heavy shot and his soft hands in tight. He also can bring an element of physicality, striving to drive the net, using his surprising explosiveness to play through contact. Coming out of the OHL, there were concerns about his two-way play and overall effectiveness away from the puck, but these two areas apparently took nice strides forward in the AHL last year. It is critical that Afanasyev learn to use his size and speed to help track down pucks and for him to earn consistent puck touches. The other areas of concern are shot selection and overall decision making in the offensive end. As such, the Predators are likely to send Afanasyev back to the AHL for another season so that he can figure prominently in their offense and work to round out his offensive profile. He has the potential to be a consistent 30 goal scorer in the NHL and may not be far off from reaching that. - BO

7 - Semyon Chistyakov D

Semyon Chistyakov is a very interesting case, as he is an undersized defenseman, yet he loves to play physically and aggressively, while seemingly having enough strength to pull it off. Aside from that he looks mobile both with and without the puck, reliable and has a very strong shot from the blue line. Positive accolades aside, it has to be noted that during the last two KHL seasons he wasn’t able to convince his coach that was ready for fulltime KHL duties. Now with a new coach, Chistyakov should have more opportunities, although he is starting at a deficit with an injury keeping him out at least through the KHL preseason. Regardless of role, getting a full-time roster spot is the goal here, especially bearing in mind that this is the final year of his KHL contract. While doubtful that Chistyakov would be ready for the NHL after this season, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he will choses to join the Predators organization and spend some time in the AHL in short order. It is still not easy for the smaller blueliner to make the NHL, but Chistyakov may just be the rare one who what it takes. - VF

8 - Adam Ingram C

Adam Ingram parlayed a solid rookie USHL season into a third-round selection by the Nashville Predators at the 2022 draft, going 82nd overall. Ingram scored at just above a point-per-game rate for the Youngstown Phantoms, routinely impressing with his skill and shooting ability. Standing at six-foot-two, Ingram has some filling out to do, but that didn’t stop him from finding success in the USHL. Right now, Ingram’s best tool is his shot. He scored 26 goals for the Phantoms last season and should be a goal scoring threat next season at St. Cloud State. Ingram’s offensive game isn’t limited to his work as a shooter, though, and he has flashed upside as a playmaker. Like many goal scorers, Ingram can be a bit streaky, and he’ll need to improve his consistency in order to reach the heights he’s capable of reaching in college. Ingram’s play away from the puck wasn’t outright bad, but he didn’t show enough consistent engagement in the defensive game for me to confidently project him as a center as a pro. Additionally, Ingram’s skating is in a similar boat. It’s not bad by any means, but he lacks the quickness to project as a separator in the pro ranks. If Ingram can fill out his frame and add a more physical dimension to his game, that would do wonders to round out his pro projection and add a higher floor to his profile. If he can become more of a consistent two-way player than he showed in the USHL, he could be a solid secondary goal scorer who makes his presence felt on both ends of the ice. But in order to get there, he’ll have some growth to do at the collegiate level. - EH

9 - Kasper Kulonummi D

A defensive prospect of decent size and unassuming three-zone efficacy quietly doing just about everything right is always a fit for the Nashville Predators. That was the case with Kulonummi, who heard his name called 84^th overall this summer. The right shooting defender plays a game with a very low rate of error, covering all angles and generally refraining from taking unnecessary risks. His safe and effective play rarely results in unnecessary giveaways. His game is about minimizing mistakes and minimizing the opponent’s puck possession. Overall, Kulonummi features a package of skating, stickhandling, passing, and hockey sense that makes him very projectable as a future bottom four, defensively oriented NHL defender who can still excel on the breakout, a trait that seems to be more and more common among modern Finnish defensemen. Still slight of frame, the careful blueliner put up 29 points in 42 U20 league games with the Jokerit program but proved offensively adept in international play collecting 11 assists in 11 combined U18 Worlds and Hlinka Gretzky Cup games. He also got into three games of pro Mestis play last season, seeing little ice time, but has signed on with Tappara of Liiga for the upcoming season to continue his development. Having proven capable of logging plenty of ice time in U20 play and very economical in how he exerts his effort, Nashville can afford to take a wait-and-see approach, especially in light of how packed their system is with defensive prospects. – CL

10 - Alexander Campbell LW

Alexander Campbell was a third-round pick of the Predators back at the 2019 draft, getting chosen just outside of the second round at #65 overall. Campbell was coming off of a productive, above point-per-game season in the BCHL. Campbell had a repeat performance with the Omaha Lancers the very next year in the USHL, scoring 57 points in 46 games before beginning his collegiate career with Clarkson University. At Clarkson, Campbell’s first year showcased his upside, but wasn’t perfect. The playmaking was there, but Campbell struggled with his perimeter-oriented offensive style and scored just four goals in 22 games. This past season, Campbell showed he made the right adjustments to his style and proved that he was more than just a perimeter playmaker. He played with more fearlessness and showed more of a killer instinct that goal scorers need. He utilized the inside of the ice more often and was rewarded, smashing past his four-goal mark from year one to score 16 goals in year two. Standing at five-foot-ten, 160 pounds, Campbell’s NHL projection is challenging. He’s a talented scorer who plays with pace and a high work ethic, but he lacks the type of standout offensive tools that carry most scorers. While he could have value at the lower end of a lineup and his defensive game last season was certainly improved, he doesn’t profile as a specialist role player in the NHL. If he can continue to score in college, a long career as an AHL scorer who can help in the NHL in bursts is Campbell’s most likely long-term projection, although he has an outside shot to be a depth scorer in the NHL. - EH

11 - Juuso Parssinen

The big forward has a very versatile game, which has allowed him to be a strong scorer at the Liiga level the last two seasons. Skating isn’t a strength, but he can find his way to the net and is strong away from the puck. After finishing last year with Milwaukee of the AHL, he will spend the full season there this year.

12 - Jachym Kondelik

After four strong seasons at UConn, Kondelik is finally turning pro this upcoming season. All eyes will be on the big center to see how he handles the pace of the pro game. The talented playmaker is tough to separate from the puck but skating is not a strength.

13 - Ryan Ufko

Talk about making an immediate impact. The undersized defender was one of top scoring freshmen in the NCAA last season with UMass, even as a blueliner. His skill as a powerplay quarterback is impressive and now the focus turns to improving play in the defensive end.

14 - Luke Prokop

The big defender had a terrific final year in the WHL last season, helping Edmonton capture a WHL title. His strength in the defensive zone was instrumental during the Oil Kings’ playoff run. The 6’4 blueliner is also an incredible leader for the LGBTQ+ community and was a very worthy recipient of the CHL’s humanitarian of the year award.

15 - Marc Del Gaizo

The former UMass defender has a bit of a murky projection as an NHL defender, but he does have intriguing skills at both ends. The key for him will be the continued progression of his on puck play at the pro level.

16 - Connor Ingram

It was great to see Ingram work his way back to prospect relevance again after some dark times that saw him enter the league’s player assistance program. He will compete with Kevin Lankinen for playing time behind Juuse Saros this season.

17 - Spencer Stastney

Stastney saved his best for last, starring as a senior at Notre Dame last year. This earned him an ELC with Nashville and the undersized, puck moving defender will start his pro career with Milwaukee this coming year.

18 - Gunnarwolfe Fontaine

A late bloomer, Fontaine is a tenacious offensive forward who loves to play at a blistering pace. The results at Northeastern have been lukewarm so far, but he could be in for a big junior season this year.

19 - Jack Matier

The Predators have to be happy with the progression that Matier showed last year in the OHL with Ottawa. He’s not shy to throw his weight around in the defensive end and his offensive game still shows potential.

20 - Graham Sward

The massive improvement he showed in the WHL last year earned Sward a selection by Nashville at this year’s draft. Already a strong defensive presence, his confidence with the puck and ability to create offense from the backend was much improved. He could be one of the WHL’s top defenders this year.

2021-22 TOP 15 PROSPECTS: NASHVILLE PREDATORS – RANK: #18 – TIER III

McKeen's Hockey — Fri, 10 Sep 2021 16:22:23 +0000

Nashville Predators

#18 Nashville - Long known for the development of top defensive prospects, the Nashville system is now very forward heavy after their top prospect - one of the top goalie prospects on the planet. Only two of their top ten now are blueliners.

ORNSKOLDSVIK, SWEDEN - APRIL 27: RussiaÕs Yaroslav Askarov #1 stretches across in attempt to make the save during semifinal round action against USA at the 2019 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship at Fjallraven Center on April 27, 2019 in Ornskoldsvik, Sweden. (Photo by Steve Kingsman/HHOF-IIHF Images)

Yaroslav Askarov

Askarov is frequently named as the most talented Russian goalie since Andrei Vasilevskiy and it is not being said without cause. He has great size, mobility, reflexes and actually pretty much every talent you want a young goalie to have. With that in mind, his most recent season was only average, playing across several Russian leagues and underwhelming at the World Juniors. Askarov still needs to polish his technique, becoming calmer in the net, which is hard to achieve with all these huge expectations pressing hard on him.

Being logjammed in his KHL team's goalie pipeline also doesn't help his confidence and unfortunately it does not look like things will get any better this coming season, as, unless something unexpected happens, he will probably continue to split time across different leagues. That is why Askarov will likely decide to sign with the Predators after this season. He needs to change his environment and playing as an AHL starter might get him on the right track. He certainly has the potential to be a perennial all-star at the goaltending position. - VF

Philip Tomasino

What a season it was for the 24th overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft. Tomasino started last year by being a key member of the Canadian team that won silver at the World Junior Championships. Following the tournament, Tomasino went to Chicago of the AHL and was an immediate impact player, finishing the season at over a point per game and was named to the All-Rookie team.

An electric and dynamic play creator because of his quickness and high skill level, Tomasino excels because of a well-rounded offensive skill set. He evades checks in the offensive end by anticipating gaps in coverage, slipping behind defenders to establish himself as a scoring threat. Additionally, his skill and vision make him a lethal threat with the puck who can consistently drive time of possession in the offensive zone. Given his progression since being drafted, Tomasino is on the right track to become an offensive star for the Predators. After moving Arvidsson, losing Jarnkrok to Seattle, and losing Haula to free agency, Tomasino stands an excellent chance to become an NHL player as early as this coming season. Look for him and the newly acquired Cody Glass to establish themselves as top nine forwards in Smashville. - BO

Fyodor Svechkov

Svechkov’s game is all about versatility. He possesses a strong two-way game that can perform down the middle or on the wing (although we think he can be brought along as a center until he proves otherwise). He is an excellent skater, with certain deficiencies in that area that should be improvable with time and physical growth. He excels in puck protection and can dominate down low in the cycle. He puts in the effort to be a 200-foot player, working to try to regain the puck for his team instead of floating high in the zone and waiting for a teammate to force a turnover. It is likely that the Predators came away extremely impressed with his performance for Russia at the World Under 18’s.

With two years to go on his Russian contract, he will have time to take his game to that next level in a sustainable, consistent fashion. Playing in the KHL for the first time this season for SKA St. Petersburg, it will be about earning ice time and learning to play against men. In the second year of that KHL deal, he should become more comfortable offensively. At the end of his development curve, we will be looking at a potential top six NHL center, or at the very least, a really strong number three. - McKeen’s Draft Guide 2021

Zachary L’Heureux

Is getting compared to the likes of Tom Wilson and Nazem Kadri a good thing? That is what NHL scouts had to determine as they pondered over the selection of Halifax Mooseheads forward Zachary L’Heureux. An extremely talented player, L’Heureux was suspended four different times this season in the QMJHL for unsportsmanlike conduct and various other infractions. He is at his best when he can play on the edge, however restraint is something that he will definitely need to learn if he wants to have a lengthy NHL career.

The reality is...there just are not many players like L’Heureux anymore; players who can blend skill with toughness and tenacity. L’Heureux works with one of the strongest motors in the draft class. He is a joy to watch as his feet are always moving, and he is always buzzing around the puck. He plays aggressively in all zones, going for the hit when he can to jostle the puck loose anywhere on the ice. He is a tireless forechecker, attacking strongly as the first or second forward and applying intense pressure on the opposing defenders. Does his intense physical nature cause him to cross the line at times? Yes. However, his blend of skill and power could be a real asset to an NHL team if he can make better decisions and play more disciplined. His passing precision in transition can, at times, be sloppy, leading to turnovers. This may point to some limitations to his skill application at full speed. However, he will likely see two more seasons in the QMJHL before attempting to transition to the NHL with the Predators. Lots of time for his game to mature. - McKeen’s Draft Guide 2021

Egor Afanasyev

Initially Afanasyev was expected to play in the OHL last season, but with the season getting canceled, he used the opportunity to spend that time in Russia. Afanasyev's KHL loan was in some way unexpected even for his KHL team (CSKA Moscow), as it happened because they were asked by the Russian Hockey Federation to give him some game practice opportunities ahead of the World Juniors. While it was clear that CSKA weren't counting on him too much, Afanasyev was able to get some sporadic KHL opportunities and didn't look out of place at that level. His raw tools were certainly visible such as his skating power, ability to use his size as well as his great shot and willingness to use it. Additionally, the main goal for the season was achieved, as he made it to the U20 Team Russia World Juniors squad and was noticeable there too.

It is likely a much simpler situation for Afanasyev going into the next season, as hopefully the AHL season won't be delayed this time. There he will have to continue developing, working to become a more complete player before making the jump to the NHL. Likely still a few years away, Afanasyev projects as a top six goal scoring forward for the Predators. - VF

Rem Pitlick

While it might take a trade of one (or both!) of Matt Duchene or Ryan Johansen to open up an NHL spot down the middle in Nashville, an 11-game stint last season with the Predators at least proved that he could play without embarrassing himself or his teammates. Both of his NHL assists came in the same game against eventual Cup champion Tampa Bay. The tools have always been very exciting, starting with blazing skating speed and a very hard and accurate wrist shot. Both helped him score 20 goals as an AHL rookie in 2019-20, and then contribute one goal per game in a briefer AHL stint last year.

Given his age (24), it makes sense that the Predators preferred him on their taxi squad to younger, greener prospects, especially as their AHL club in Milwaukee was shuttered for the season. Pitlick has less additional growth to go through than the likes of Tomasino. Which leads to the next question, which is, what is he if his current state of play is the final product? The answer is likely an NHL’er, although perhaps not as a center. Even if Nashville jettisons Duchene and/or Johansen, the club is deep down the middle. Pitlick’s lack of strength on faceoffs suggests that center might not be his best path to an NHL career anyway. If Nashville is willing to play him on the wing, whichever side, where they are quite shallow, he could begin to establish himself this year. - RW

David Farrance

A fantastic skater with amazing offensive instincts for a blueliner, Farrance is a very exciting prospect, but not one without warts to his game. Drafted in the third round out of the USNTDP, where he was generally overshadowed by a pre-draft Quinn Hughes, his main problem was that everything that Farrance did well, Hughes just did better. He then needed a year at Boston University to acclimatize to the new level, and he has been on an upward trajectory ever since. Check out his point-per-game rates during his four-year collegiate career: 0.29, 0.54, 1.26, 1.45. That last mark came in a season limited to 11 games due to the pandemic, but his dominance was so pervasive, that he still garnered a nod as a Hobey Baker finalist given to the best player in college hockey each year.

It should be clear by now what Farrance does well. Let’s touch on the warts. He has grown since his time with the USNTDP, but despite now carrying an average-sized frame, he can be a bit soft to play against. With the puck, for all of his obvious skills, he is liable to forget about his teammates and play the puck for himself. Expected to spend this year in the AHL, he will have to re-adjust to not being the clear focal point of every attack and playing the team game once again. That includes avoiding forcing plays and getting comfortable making the safe move instead. IF he figures those things out, he has second pairing upside. - RW

Luke Evangelista

After a breakout draft year with the London Knights, the Predators made Evangelista an early second round selection in 2020. Due to the OHL hiatus, Evangelista was able to play for a very deep Chicago team last season, playing more of a bottom six depth role as he acclimated to the faster pro game.

Evangelista was hoping to use last year in the OHL as an opportunity to prove that he could be a primary play driver and that he possessed the kind of puck skill and creativity to be a future top six forward at the NHL level. Drafted as more of a complementary player due to his role on a deep London team, the true potential of Evangelista remains a bit of a mystery. Playing a depth role in Chicago certainly did not help to clarify that. Instead, Evangelista will return to London this coming season and lead another strong Knights team. In an OHL year with a lot of uncertainty (given the previous hiatus), Evangelista serves as a likely candidate to be among the league’s leading scorers. It is then that Nashville should get more clarity as to whether Evangelista has the skill to be a top six forward in the future, or whether he projects as more of the complementary middle six type that they drafted him as. - BO

Juuso Parssinen

An alternate captain with Liiga side TPS while still a teenager, Parssinen was a steal of a seventh rounder before he even signed his first contract with Nashville, which he did this May. It is still a bit of a mystery as to why he was available in the seventh round in 2019. He had great size even then, and while he has never been a great skater, he moved well enough for his size. Perhaps there were concerns that he played soft. Sure, he is not a traditional power forward, despite his size, but as has been the case with other aspects of his game, this has shown improvement over the past couple years. At this stage, he looks like a skilled playmaking center, who can also play on the wing, with hands quicker than his feet, although he is a notably better skater today than he was two years ago.

The top scoring teenager in Liiga last year, Parssinen will spend one more year there, on loan, before embarking on the North American phase of his career. Considering what he has already shown repeatedly in Finland, as well as internationally – especially at the WJC, although that wasn’t his first big tournament in the national colors – he has top nine upside, especially if his recent skating gains hold up once he crosses the water. - RW

Marc Del Gaizo

Marc Del Gaizo is one of many amateur (or in his case, a recent former amateur) defenders who would be considered far higher if only he wasn’t so small. Drafted in his second year of eligibility out of the USHL, he was lauded for his mobility and commanding presence from the point. At the time, he also played with enough jam to almost, but not quite, make you overlook his slight frame. In his first collegiate campaign, he put up remarkable numbers, or they would have been remarkable if his contributions were not completely obscured by the All-World presence of Cale Makar on the same blueline. In his second season, with Makar having turned pro, Del Gaizo’s numbers sank, and this time were outshone by Rangers’ prospect Zac Jones.

Finally last year, Del Gaizo’s numbers regressed even more, surpassed by Jones as well as St. Louis draft pick Matthew Kessel, but this time no one cares, as UMass’ blueline-led group took home the school’s first ever NCAA championship. Despite his slumping production numbers, Del Gaizo played workhorse minutes, contributing in every situation for the champs, and also got off to a quick professional start in a late-season nine-game cameo in the AHL. Nashville will have no need to rush his progression, and we will know more about his ceiling after a full season in the AHL anyway, considering the changes to his style during his time with the Minutemen. - RW

Semyon Chistyakov

The mobile and steady blueliner won a KHL championship in his first full season with Omsk. He recently re-upped with Omsk for two more seasons, but at the conclusion of that contract, he may be ready to make an immediate jump to the NHL if his development continues to trend upwards.

Tanner Jeannot

The road for the former Moose Jaw Warriors standout has been long and winding. However, the gritty power forward was a standout in the AHL and the NHL this past season, forcing the Predators to protect him from Seattle in the expansion draft. He will look to solidify his NHL role this season, proving that he is more than just a flash in the pan.

Jachym Kondelik

A massive power center, the Czech native will return to the University of Connecticut for his senior season this year. A beast down low, Kondelik can control and drive time of possession. However, he must continue to get quicker.

Ryan Ufko

A breakout star with the Chicago Steel this past season, Ufko is a terrific puck mover and powerplay QB because of his quickness and vision. A fourth-round selection by Nashville this year, he will start his NCAA career this season with UMass.

Jeremy Davies

A former standout at Northeastern, Davies has continued to perform well as a pro the last two seasons. Last year was split between Chicago (AHL) and Nashville and this year, the puck mover will look to secure a full-time role with the Predators. However, he will need to beat out a few veterans to do so.

2021 NHL DRAFT: CENTRAL DIVISION REVIEW

Ryan Wagman — Fri, 03 Sep 2021 21:33:40 +0000

2021 NHL Draft Review

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

Central Division

Dylan Guenther. Photo by Andy Devlin

Arizona Coyotes

1 (9) Dylan Guenther, RW, Edmonton (WHL)

2 (37) Josh Doan, RW, Chicago (USHL)

2 (43) Ilya Fedotov, LW, Chaika Nizhny Novgorod (MHL)

2 (60) Janis Jerome Moser, D, EHC Biel-Bienne (NL)

4 (107) Emil Martinsen Lilleberg, D, Sparta Sarpsborg (Norway)

4 (122) Rasmus Korhonen, G, Assat U20 (U20 SM-sarja)

5 (139) Manix Landry, C, Gatineau (QMJHL)

6 (171) Cal Thomas, D, Maple Grove HS (USHS-MN)

7 (223) Sam Lipkin, LW, Chicago (USHL)

New General Manager Bill Armstrong’s first draft for the Coyotes (he was GM at the 2020 draft, but per the terms of his contract, was not allowed to participate in the draft) was a curious one. Looking at not being involved on Day One, he pulled off a morning of the draft blockbuster, sending Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Conor Garland to Vancouver for a package including three overpriced veterans each on their final year under contract, and three draft picks, including a top ten pick in this draft, a second rounder next year, and a seventh rounders in 2023. This trade followed a similar deal made a few days prior, where Arizona picked up the dying contract of Andrew Ladd from the Islanders for a second-round selection, and picks in future drafts. The last trade on the draft floor (so to speak) saw the Coyotes leverage their extra picks in later years by sending a 2022 seventh rounder to Montreal for a late seventh rounder this year.

What made the Arizona draft curious though, were not the trades, but many the players they selected. The first pick was a chalk selection, as Dylan Guenther was a top ten talent for anyone, in any draft class. After taking that WHL star, the Coyotes focused almost exclusively on Europeans and college-bound players, with one exception in the fifth round. Furthermore, almost without exception, the players they selected after Guenther were drafted higher than expected, often by a long distance. That one QMJHL player was also the only pick they made of a player standing under 6-0” tall. The final note here goes to their first of three second rounders, Josh Doan, son of Coyotes’ legend Shane Doan, who was invited to announce the pick. A second-year eligible player, the younger Doan may be seen as a nepotism pick by some, but those people will not be familiar with the player. One of the most improved players in the USHL this year, Doan at pick 37 is maybe a touch high, but that is within range of where he belonged, if on the high end of that range. He is advanced enough to be paying dividends to the Coyotes sooner than later.

First round pick – Dylan Guenther, RW, Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL), 9^th overall

One of the biggest, purely offensive weapons in the draft class, there was no guarantee that Guenther would be available at pick nine, as he grades out as plus almost across the board. He has a big shot, is a talented puck handler, skates very well, and reads the game very well without shirking duties in his own end. He has the size, and the strength should come, although he is not naturally physically aggressive. That said, he is not shy and will play in the greasy areas and take punishment to make something good happen for his team. After a few years of drafting players for their maturity and two-way sensibilities, Guenther is a nice change of pace as a projected top line scoring winger.

Best value pick(s) –Manix Landry, C, Gatineau Olympiques (QMJHL), 139^th overall

As mentioned above, Landry was the only player selected by Arizona this year who stands under 6-0” tall. Not by much, by 5-11” isn’t 6-0”. Already the Gatineau captain in his draft year, he doesn’t have top six projection, and none of his physical tools really sticks out, but he has always been able to maximize what he has with the hockey IQ expected of the son of an NHLer (Father Eric played briefly with Montreal and Calgary and for many years in Europe afterwards). The younger Landry also plays gritty enough and with enough energy and positive intangible qualities to be a bottom six option in a few years. Not an exciting pick, but very good value for the fifth round.

Worst value pick – Ilya Fedotov, LW, Chaika Nizhny Novgorod (MHL), 43^rd overall

There were other options for this slot, but they were later rounders. Seventh rounder Sam Lipkin didn’t look like an NHL draft pick in my many viewings of him with Chicago. Sixth rounder Cal Thomas was maybe the third best NHL prospect on his high school team and the second-best defender after the undrafted Henry Nelson. Fourth rounder Emil Martinsen Lilleberg was playing in Norway and was in his third year of eligibility, but in fairness, Swedish teams had already taken notice and he will be in the SHL next year. So Fedotov gets the nod here as the Russian winger was taken in the middle of the second round and we don’t know that he does anything at a level high enough to profile to a top six or middle six slot. His production also doesn’t suggest a player who produces above his tools. He is a lanky young man who skates well and has some decent playmaking ability but is overly mistake prone and reactive. Arizona scouts clearly disagree but we think they could have nabbed him far later if they would have waited.

Allan_Nolan (2) photo by Keith Hershmiller

Chicago Blackhawks

1 (32) Nolan Allan, D, Prince Albert (WHL)

2 (62) Colton Dach, C, Saskatoon (WHL)

3 (91) Taige Harding, D, Fort McMurray (AJHL)

4 (105) Ethan Del Mastro, D, Mississauga (OHL)

4 (108) Victor Stjernborg, C, Vaxjo HC (SHL)

6 (172) Ilya Safonov, C, Ak Bars Kazan (KHL)

7 (204) Connor Kelley, D, Minnesota-Duluth (NCAA/NCHC)

7 (216) Jalen Luypen, C, Edmonton (WHL)

Like a number of other teams this year, Chicago went big at the draft. By which, I mean that they went almost exclusively for big players. Their first four selections measure in at 6-2”, 6-4”, 6-7”, 6-4”. Among the back half are two more big guys, and two at 5-10”, but even one of that latter duo weights over 200 pounds. Considering the lack of scouting opportunities this year, size doesn’t need too many looks to assess. Other notable points about the Blackhawks’ draft class include the even split between centers and blueliners, as the team did not select any goalies or wingers, and that fact that fully half of their draft class came from Western Canada, none of whom appeared in more than 28 games last year. Finally, as you may have heard, the team used their second-round pick on Saskatoon center Colton Dach, younger brother on current Blackhawks’ rising center Kirby Dach, a pick made the day after they traded for Seth Jones, teaming him up with brother Caleb, the return from another offseason trade.

I do have to wonder how, if at all, Chicago’s draft class would have differed were they not able to come to an agree with Columbus on the eve of the draft to acquire Seth Jones and the last pick of round one, in exchange for Adam Boqvist and pick 12 (a few other picks went in each direction in this trade). What direction would Chicago have headed with pick 12? Would they have taken the most powerful player available at that time, found another way to trade to do so, or even taken one of the two top goalies? We can’t know for sure, but we do know that the draft had started to overweight size and strength by the time Chicago selected Nolan Allan to end day one and can only assume that their strategy changed after the domino effect put into motion by Ottawa’s selection of Tyler Boucher at #10 overall.

First round pick – Nolan Allan, D, Prince Albert Raiders (WHL), 32^nd overall

Once upon a time a top three pick in the WHL Bantam Draft, Allan has since developed into a poised and reliable own zone defender. He makes the first pass to kickstart the transition. He can be relied upon to defend against the opposition’s best at the junior level. He played a similar role, including PK time, for Team Canada at the recent WU18s, helping his nation to a Gold. The offensive promise that he showed in AAA hockey in Saskatchewan has not yet shown up in the WHL. While not completely useless in the offensive zone, he is a fifth wheel of sorts. If Chicago is current about Allan, he is a number four in the mold of Nicklas Hjalmarsson. If not, he will be more of a number six along the lines of a different former Blackhawk, Slater Koekkoek.

Best value pick – Ethan Del Mastro, D, Mississauga Steelheads, OHL, 105^th overall

Think Nolan Allan, but two inches taller and 15 pounds heavier. Del Mastro is similarly a big, stay at home defender who was highly touted as a Bantam player, showed minimal offensive ability as a junior, although he has had far less time to prove himself at that level due to the OHL cancellation last year. He even played a similar role as Allan for Team Canada at the U18 championships, albeit Del Mastro was rustier with the puck. Del Mastro’s upside and downside are similar to those of Allan but getting the former in the fourth round makes it tremendous value.

Worst value pick – Taige Harding, D, Fort McMurray Oil Barons, AJHL, 91^st overall

A giant (6-7”, 236) in his second year of draft eligibility, Harding added a bit of offense from the blueline this year, going from six points in 46 games in his first draft year, to 13 in 16 games this year. The son of an old Hartford Whalers draft pick, the younger Harding learned to use his size to better establish positioning and succeeded as a 19-year-old in the AJHL. The problem with the pick, beyond the player not really having a clear NHL skillset, is that he likely could have been drafted far later than the third round, indicating that the Blackhawks overvalued him to a large degree.

Södertäljes Oskar Olausson under ishockeymatchen i Hockeyallsvenskan mellan Södertälje och AIK den 29 januari 2021 i Södertälje.
Foto: Kenta Jönsson / BILDBYRÅN

Colorado Avalanche

1 (20) Oskar Olausson, RW, HV 71 (SHL)

2 (47) Sean Behrens, D, USNTDP (USHL)

3 (92) Andrei Buyalsky, C, Dubuque (USHL)

7 (220) Taylor Makar, C/LW, Brooks (AJHL)

Not much to say here. Three forwards with good size and one blueliner deciding lacking in size. Of the four picks, the last three will be moving on to college hockey next season, while the first-round pick, the one drafted out of Europe, will be coming to North America to play in the OHL. It is fair to point out that the Avalanche have generally stayed clear of the CHL over the last few drafts, and Olausson is likely to be the only player in the system playing Canadian Major-Junior next season.

If a trend can be spotted out of four picks, it is a complete disregard for drafting young, first-time eligibles. Second rounder Behrens is the only 2003 born player among the quartet. Olausson is a late-birthday 2002 player, while the other two picks are not only re-drafts, but multiple re-drafts. Buyalsky was in his fourth year of eligibility and Makar was in his third year.

First round pick – Oskar Olausson, RW, HV 71 (SHL), 28^th overall

Like all junior aged players in Sweden, Olausson was forced to join the SHL once the junior leagues were cancelled around mid-season due to the pandemic. That said, Olausson was in the process of forcing his way up to the SHL anyway, with 27 points in 16 games before a stint with the Swedish WJC team and a brief period in the second tier HockeyAllsvenskan. He brings a big frame, plus skating and stickhandling and a lack of ego enabling to take on a bottom six role as needed, with the willingness to do the unheralded dirty work in his own zone. He could develop into a decent middle six player with special teams utililty.

Best value pick – Sean Behrens, D, USNTDP (USHL), 47^th overall

While lacking in the size that seemed to be all the rage at the draft this year, Behrens plays a fearless style of hockey, and you rarely notice his dimensional disadvantage on the ice. His skill set is moderate, but he always wrings every ounce of it from his body, pushing the pace and setting his team up for success in all zones. Headed to the University of Denver, the Avalanche will be keeping a close eye on Behrens, whose overall game is not too dissimilar to that of former Pioneer stalwart Ian Mitchell. I believe that he will be able to fit into an Avalanche blueline that already features the likes of Cale Makar, Devon Toews, and Samuel Girard, acting as the more stable presence while the others play more dynamically.

Worst value pick – Andrei Buyalsky, C, Dubuque Fighting Saints (USHL), 92^nd overall

To be clear, I don’t think that Buyalsky was a bad pick at all, but the other option was a late seventh rounder, and Taylor Makar’s selection was suspiciously close to the announcement that his older brother Cale had signed a long-term contract extension with the club. Was the drafting of Taylor a quiet stipulation of his agreement to terms? Maybe. Either way, Taylor is a big winger who has demonstrated good playmaking at the AJHL level, even if he is already 20 years old, and there is scarcely such thing as a risk in the seventh round. As for Buyalsky, he is even older than Makar, turning 21 a few weeks after the draft. A speedster from Kazakhstan, he came to North America last December to play in the USHL and immediately added an exciting element to Dubuque’s attack. He is painfully thin but has decent skill to go along with his wheels. The only real element of risk in his pick is his age, which indicates less room for growth. In a draft class with more than four players, Buyalsky would be very unlikely to be featured in this spot.

Wyatt Johnston of the Windsor Spitfires. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Dallas Stars

1 (23) Wyatt Johnson, RW, Windsor (OHL)

2 (47) Logan Stankoven, C, Kamloops (WHL)

2 (48) Artyom Grushnikov, D, Hamilton (OHL)

3 (73) Ayrton Martino, LW, Omaha (USHL)

3 (79) Justin Ertel, LW, Western Capitals (MJAHL)

4 (111) Conner Roulette, LW, Seattle (WHL)

5 (138) Jack Bar, D, Chicago (USHL)

5 (143) Jacob Holmes, D, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)

6 (175) Francesco Arcuri, C, Steel Wings Linz (AplsHL)/Kingston (OHL)

7 (207) Albert Sjoberg, LW, Sodertalje SK J20 (J20 Nationell)

The previous few Dallas drafts prior to 2020 were marked by an abundance of lower upside, “safer” picks. They had physical gifts, but skill was lacking (Miro Heiskanen was an exception). Even 2019, with Thomas Harley, an offensive defender, as their first rounder, saw the team draft for safety with their other picks. While that approach sometimes leads to a late rounder blooming into a bottom of the lineup player, more often than not it leads to a player who doesn’t even garner an Entry-Level Contract. The 2020 draft saw Dallas go in another direction, selecting three forwards with skills to dream on. Sure, they might bust, but those low upside guys also have bust as their respective floors. Anyway, when Dallas named two-way center Wyatt Johnston as their 2021 first rounder, I immediately thought of Ty Dellandrea, a player with a similar profile at the time he was drafted. More smarts than skills, and by a mile. A solid pick for the second round, but not so much on Day One.

More on Johnston soon, but Dallas did a 180 on Day Two, stocking the system with high upside prospect after high upside prospect, giving them, all things considered, one of the draft classes I am most optimistic about in the league. Overwhelmingly North American, only one of their ten players selected don’t have some pre-existing ties to a North American league. They stayed away from goalies, a position of relative strength in the system. And even shied away from defensemen, with only three of the ten players known to patrol the blueline. Unlike many other teams, they were not too concerned with size, and Dallas was the landing spot for a few smaller players who fell further than their respective talent levels would have dictated. The 2021 draft class has the strength to be organization defining for a generation.

First round pick – Wyatt Johnston, C, Windsor Spitfires (OHL), 23^rd overall

A tremendous forechecker, Johnston, despite his pedigree as a sixth overall pick in the OHL Priority Selection two years ago, has not shown much offensive punch. Due to the cancellation of the OHL last year, his only game action in the last 12 months was a bottom six role for Team Canada at the WU18s. He was a valuable member of that Gold Medal winning team, but even there he didn’t show as a probable first round pick. He will do the little things right, paying attention to detail, and playing hard in all three zones. His stick work is good enough for a bottom six role, and he has a grinder’s mentality, but will need to improve his skating to reach that ceiling.

Best value pick – Logan Stankoven, C, Kamloops Blazers (WHL), 47^th overall

While Johnston was a role playing for Team Canada, Stankoven was the team’s third highest scoring draft eligible forward. He is a fantastic stick handler, playing courageous at both ends. He recognizes opportunities in an instant and has the skills to capitalize on them. His ability to put the puck in the net is up there with anyone drafted this summer. He is also a gifted skater, with great edges and four-way mobility. So why was he still available in the middle of the second round? Because he is 5-8”. The NHL, as a group, is still deciphering the lessons of Alex DeBrincat and Cole Caufield. Stankoven will join that duo and continue to change minds about the need for size in the NHL.

Without giving profiles of them here, Dallas had quite a few high value picks this year, and I should at least mention Ayrton Martino, Jack Bar, Francesco Arcuri, Conner Roulette, and Albert Sjoberg as steals where they were selected.

Worst value pick – Justin Ertel, LW, Summerside Western Capitals (MJAHL), 79^th overall

While I had some mild concerns about Artyom Grushnikov and Jacob Holmes, neither of whom played at all last season, they had decent pre-draft year pedigrees, and both were expected to be drafted and were drafted near those expectations. Ertel is a different case. He was planning to play for St. Andrew’s the prestigious Ontario prep school, as a stepping stone to NCAA hockey at Cornell, but hockey was cancelled all over Ontario, not just in the OHL, so Ertel went to the Maritimes to play in the relatively obscure MJAHL. He showed enough skill and hockey smarts to gain notice of draft-worthiness, but there is little reason to think that he wouldn’t have still been available two rounds later than the Stars made the move for him. With a draft class of this strength, it won’t hurt Dallas, but it was a bit of a head-scratcher.

210121 Luleås målvakt Jesper Wallstedt under ishockeymatchen i SHL mellan Luleå och Växjö den 21 januari 2021 i Luleå.
Foto: Simon Eliasson / BILDBYRÅN / COP 159 / SE0026

Minnesota Wild

1 (20) Jesper Wallstedt, G, Lulea HF (SHL)

1 (26) Carson Lambos, D, JYP U20 (U20 SM-sarja)/Winnipeg (WHL)

2 (54) Jack Peart, D, Fargo (USHL)

3 (86) Caedan Bankier, C, Kamloops (WHL)

4 (118) Kyle Masters, D, Red Deer (WHL)

4 (127) Josh Pillar, C, Kamloops (WHL)

6 (182) Nate Benoit, D, Mount St. Charles HS (USHS-RI)

At the cost of a late third round pick, Minnesota traded up two spots in the first round, and snagged the goalie most pundits and scouts – including ourselves – rated as the top goaltender in the draft. We have historically been shy about ranking goalies as first rounders in the past, Wallstedt was an obvious first rounder, who is technically refined, experienced at high levels, and checks all of the boxes for a future NHL starter. More on him soon. The Wild had a second first rounder, and snagged a top defensive prospect in Carson Lambos, a player who might have been off the board much earlier if not for a medical concern that cropped up late in the season.

If the Minnesota draft was just those two first rounders, it would be cause for great optimism for the Wild and their fans. But they continued to pick up good upside, focusing on the blueline, where they used three of their remaining five picks, including one – second rounder Peart – who we had rated as having first round value. The other notable element of the Minnesota draft class was their clear lean towards the WHL, from where four of their seven picks emerged. Even if only Wallstedt lives up to his advanced billing, this draft will be monumental for the Wild. In that case, all other NHL contributions from the remainder of the draft class will be bonuses. And we think there will be more.

First first round pick – Jesper Wallstedt, G, Lulea HF (SHL), 20^th overall

We were not alone in ranking Wallstedt as the best goalie in the 2021 draft. In fact, the Detroit Red Wings may have been the only team that preferred Sebastian Cossa (probably not, but they were in the minority). Furthermore, we believe that Wallstedt is more advanced at this stage than either Yaroslav Askarov or Spencer Knight were in the past two years. His ability to read the play is especially impressive, helping him stay prepared for whatever the opposition is cooking up. His other tools all also grade out as above average and better. He has a year remaining on his SHL contract and should be competing for time in the Minnesota crease by 2022-23.

Second first round pick – Carson Lambos, D, JYP U20 (U20 SM-sarja)/Winnipeg ICE (WHL)

A smooth, fast skater with a well-rounded tool kit through the rest of his game, Lambos already had a very impressive WHL rookie campaign under his belt before the pandemic threatened his follow-up. During the enforced layoff, he had the chance to keep playing in Finland, for the JYP organization, and he excelled in their junior ranks, making a seamless adjustment from the North American game. Lambos expected to return to the WHL at the end of his Finnish experience, but two games after he got back to Winnipeg, an undisclosed medical issue emerged that forced him off the ice again. His medicals are reportedly fine now, giving Minnesota a second first rounder drafted substantially later than was expected before the year began.

Best value pick – Jack Peart, D, Fargo Force (USHL), 54^th overall

To be honest, Minnesota’s best value picks were their two first rounders, but getting Jack Peart at #54 was a third coup for Bill Guerin and the Wild. After crushing in the Minnesota high school ranks at Grand Rapids HS, Peart went back to Fargo of the USHL where he showed zero issue adjusting to the vastly improved level of play. By the postseason, he was the Force’s number one defender, helping lead the team to the Clark Cup finals. Peart is not physically imposing, but his reads and decision making are both incredibly impressive, convincing us to give him a first round ranking in our draft guide. Peart is also the third Minnesota Mr. Hockey to have been drafted by the Wild

Worst value pick – Caiden Bankier, C, Kamloops Blazers (WHL), 86^th overall

As much as we loved Minnesota’s first three picks, the remainder of their selections left us unmoved. None of the four was especially egregious, but third rounder Bankier was their first reach, so he gets the dreaded ‘Worst Value Pick’ spot here. He has good size and decent creativity with the puck, but nothing about his game suggests top size potential, and his style hasn’t fit bottom six characteristics either. In other words, he looks like a tweener. That’s totally fine in the fifth round or later but is gearing for disappointment as a third rounder.

Fyodor Svechkov. Photo by Dan Hickling/Hickling Images

Nashville Predators

1 (19) Fyodor Svechkov, C, Lada Togliatti (VHL)

1 (27) Zachary L’Heureux, LW, Halifax (QMJHL)

3 (72) Anton Olsson, D, Malmo (SHL)

4 (115) Ryan Ufko, D, Chicago (USHL)

4 (124) Jack Matier, D, Ottawa (OHL)

6 (179) Simon Knak, RW, HC Davos (NL)

As the first round was proceeding, the Predators decided that they would rather have two first round picks than have one first and two seconds, and I can’t say that I disagree. The Carolina Hurricanes felt differently, and a trade was born, allowing Nashville to finish Day One with two new talented forwards to add to their prospect pool. To make up for the forward lean on Day One, they went heavily on defense on Day Two, using the first three of their remaining four picks on blueliners.

Curiously, the Predators returned to Carolina on Day Two for another trade up scenario, moving up 11 spots in Round Three by sacrificing their fifth-round pick. With two moves of this nature, it seems fairly clear that Nashville had specific prospects targeted and preferred to miss out on an extra lower probability player in order to secure the player they really wanted. In the end, they have added six new talents to their pool, all of whom have reasonable claims to a future in the NHL. A final, minor note, Nashville didn’t seem to get caught up in the size rush this year, with only one of their six picks measuring in with above-average size, in fourth round blueline Jack Matier.

First first round pick – Fyodor Svechkov, C, Lada Togliatti (VHL), 19^th overall

A well-rounded offensive force who plays with an exciting combination of pace and touch, Svechkov had a very strong regular season split between Russian juniors (MHL) and the nation’s second tier senior league (VHL). But he really shot into wider prominence with a thrilling performance at the WU18s, where his ability to move the puck in the offensive zone was mesmerizing. Nashville has never been shy about drafting Russian players at the top of their draft classes, and Svechkov is next in line. He could be ready for the NHL once his Russian league contract expires after the 2022-23 season.

Second first round pick – Zachary L’Heureux, LW, Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL)

The former third overall pick in the QMJHL Entry Draft, L’Heureux solidified his status as one of the top draft talents out of the Q with a well-rounded game that emphasizes a wicked shot and a prominent aggressive nature. That latter aspect turned off a few teams and prognosticators, as it led to a pair of suspensions for the winger last year, forcing him to miss time as his team competed for postseason standings. Notably, neither suspension occurred due to a normal, run-of-play type incident, but due to behavior that was, or at least should have been avoidable. Assuming that maturity could stem those types of behaviors in the future, he profiles as a force in a middle six role.

Best value pick – Ryan Ufko, D, Chicago Steel (USHL), 115^th overall & Jack Matier, D, Ottawa 67s (OHL), 124^th overall

These two are of a pair, both defenders being selected in the fourth round by Nashville, when both could easily have been off the board a full round or more earlier than when the Predators finally announced their names around half an hour apart. Although both blueliners are right-handed shots, the rest of their respective profiles couldn’t be more different. Ufko is small, but vicious, with a pronounced aggressive streak and a huge point shot. His skating needs a little work, but he is headed to a defensive factory at UMass and big things should be in his immediate future. Matier is huge, but skates well. He missed the year due to the OHL cancellation, but looked sharp at the WU18s, showing enough puck movement skills that he can profile to at least be viable in a third pairing role if paired with a more dynamic player. Either or both of Ufko and Matier could play a role in the NHL, which is more than can be said for many fourth rounders.

Worst value pick – Anton Olsson, D, Malmo Redhawks (SHL), 72^nd overall

We were probably lower on Olsson as a draft prospect than most other venues, but on its face, a third-round pick for the Swedish defender is not bad value. The only reason he ends up here is that Nashville traded up to get him, so his cost is both the #72 pick, as well as pick #147. Olsson can look good at times, but his feel for the game offensively can also be sorely lacking, leading to questions about his upside. If Olson in the third round is a team’s worst value pick, that team had a pretty good draft.

Zachary Bolduc. Photo courtesy of the QMJHL.

St. Louis Blues

1 (17) Zachary Bolduc, C, Rimouski (QMJHL)

3 (71) Simon Robertsson, RW, Skelleftea AIK (SHL)

5 (145) Tyson Galloway, D, Calgary (WHL)

7 (198) Ivan Vorobyov, RW, Mamonty Yugry (MHL)

One of the smallest draft classes this year, the Blues will benefit from also snapping up perhaps the best value pick in the entire draft. Not much else to state about their draft, as there was no other clear trend in their selections. The four players are all from different geographical locations and range from undersized (Vorobyov) to supersized (Galloway). If their top two picks pan out, this draft class will be deemed a success. If not, it will be a failure. With smaller draft classes, there is no room for error.

First round pick – Zachary Bolduc, C, Rimouski Oceanic (QMJHL), 17^th overall

A playmaking, two-way center, Bolduc’s production in his draft year was a mild disappointment, with point-per-game rates very similar to what he put up in the previous season, albeit with a vastly different shape. Whereas he scored almost three goals for every assist in 2019-20, last year the ratio was practically flipped, with nearly two assists for every goal scored. At times, his play seemed passive, which could impact his effectiveness, but a touch of added confidence should help him grow in all three zones, into a solid middle six center projection.

Best value pick – Simon Robertsson, RW, Skelleftea AIK (SHL), 71^st overall

Granted, we had Robertsson ranked too high for the draft. We focused too much on his discrete tools – which are all individually very impressive – and less on his overall game and how those tools all work together. The son of former NHL defender Bert Robertsson, young Simon split his draft year between the Swedish junior ranks, which he dominated before the league was cancelled half-way through, and the SHL, where his ice time and impact were both severely limited. He wore a letter for Sweden at the U18s, and performed fine, if not exceptionally. Robertsson has easy top six upside if he can put it all together, and bottom six value if he doesn’t. Getting that in the middle of the third round is a heist, and the Blues knew it, trading up with San Jose to get this pick, at the cost of a later third rounder and a sixth-round pick.

Worst value pick – Ivan Vorobyov, RW, Mamonty Yugry (MHL), 198^th overall

A seventh-round pick would rarely be chosen for this dishonor, but the Blues didn’t give us much to choose from. Their first three picks ranged from solid to exceptional vis-à-vis draft value. Vorobyov is a second time eligible winger who still hasn’t filled out a severely underdeveloped frame. He put up good numbers in the MHL last year (6^th leading scorer among the U19 set, with more stress on playmaking than finishing. Four games over the last two years in the VHL, Russia’s second men’s league constitute his sole experiences above junior hockey, and he has never been selected to represent Russia internationally, even for exhibition games. He is no more a gamble than any player picked in the seventh round, but for St. Louis, he is the biggest gamble of their 2021 draft class.

Chaz Lucius. Photo courtesy of USA Hockey/Rena Laverty

Winnipeg Jets

1 (18) Chaz Lucius, C, USNTDP (USHL)

2 (50) Nikita Chibrikov, RW, SKA-Neva St. Petersburg (VHL)

3 (82) Dmitri Kuzmin, D, Dinamo Molodechno (Belarus)

5 (146) Dmitri Rashevsky, RW, Dynamo St. Petersburg (VHL)

I can simply repeat much of what was written in this section about the St. Louis draft class. Winnipeg drafted only four players, and at least three of them already look like great value selections. Also like the Blues, the Jets selected three forwards and one defender. If four is enough of a sample size to detect any trends (it usually isn’t), we can at least note that three of Winnipeg’s four picks were out of Russia/former Soviet Union states, although one of those players is expected to move to North America as soon as next season, with third rounder, defender Dmitri Kuzmin signing his Entry Level Contract. His most likely next destination is in the OHL, where Flint controls his CHL player rights.

The above paragraph notwithstanding, Winnipeg hasn’t drafted seven or more players in a single year since 2017, and they had not even drafted six players in a season since 2018. It is exceedingly difficult to maintain a competitive organization when your team has only four or five picks every year while other teams are selecting seven or more. It will be interesting to see if GM Kevin Cheveldayoff continues to trade picks for present help or finally starts to hold onto those assets.

First round pick – Chaz Lucius, C, USNTDP (USHL), 18^th overall

Although his draft year was impacted at both beginning and end by injury, Lucius showed more than enough when he was healthy enough to take the ice that the first half projections placed on him previously were accurate. He was expected to go even higher in fact, but his foot speed was seemingly impacted by his pre-season knee surgery and that may have caused him to slide a few spots to Winnipeg. Skating aside, Lucius is a special offensive talent. His sense of timing and positioning lead to the bulk of his goals – helped along by a quick shot, of course – but he can also contribute as a playmaker thanks to his great ability to read the defense and exploit the smallest of gaps. He could explode with a fully healthy freshman season at Minnesota.

Best value pick – Nikita Chibrikov, RW, SKA-Neva St. Petersburg (VHL), 50^th overall

Like St. Louis, Winnipeg managed to grab a player on Day Two who we had ranked as a first round talent. In this case, Chibrikov is small, but very feisty, and in possession of an exceptional offensive skill set. A creative player with high-energy, his development can go in a number of ways, and his ultimate projection will follow accordingly. Greater offensive consistency is all that stands in his way for a top six outcome, but the energy, reads, and overall mobility would also fit in a bottom six, disruptor role. A full year playing against men in Russia will go a ways towards unveiling his continued path.

Worst value pick – Dmitri Rashevsky, RW, Dynamo St. Petersburg (VHL), 146^th overall

This is once more not truly a low value pick. Rashevsky led the top Russian league, the MHL, in goals scored in 2019-20, his second year of draft eligibility, but went undrafted. Now 20 years old, and still exceptionally thin, he made his senior hockey debut last year and was pretty solid, especially in his time in the second tier VHL, where he put up 22 points in 30 games split between two teams. Rashevsky is not currently under contract in Russia, although there has yet to be any indication that Winnipeg wants to lock him in place just yet. If there is a low value element to this pick, it is the question of what is different about Rashevsky now than in the previous two years where he wasn’t selected? Even if there is no difference, perhaps the true answer is that he simply should have been drafted last year.

2021 NHL DRAFT: NASHVILLE PREDATORS REVIEW

Ryan Wagman — Fri, 03 Sep 2021 21:11:21 +0000

Fyodor Svechkov. Photo by Dan Hickling/Hickling Images

Nashville Predators

1 (19) Fyodor Svechkov, C, Lada Togliatti (VHL)

1 (27) Zachary L’Heureux, LW, Halifax (QMJHL)

3 (72) Anton Olsson, D, Malmo (SHL)

4 (115) Ryan Ufko, D, Chicago (USHL)

4 (124) Jack Matier, D, Ottawa (OHL)

6 (179) Simon Knak, RW, HC Davos (NL)

First first round pick – Fyodor Svechkov, C, Lada Togliatti (VHL), 19^th overall

Second first round pick – Zachary L’Heureux, LW, Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL)

Best value pick – Ryan Ufko, D, Chicago Steel (USHL), 115^th overall & Jack Matier, D, Ottawa 67s (OHL), 124^th overall

Worst value pick – Anton Olson, D, Malmo Redhawks (SHL), 72^nd overall

2021 NHL Draft: ‘Best Of’ Series – Physicality – McTavish, L’Heureux, Beniers, Boucher, Stillman

Sam McGilligan — Fri, 30 Jul 2021 17:38:50 +0000

The 2021 NHL Entry Draft has come and gone. All the work scouts have compiled has come to pass over the course of a single weekend, and now the focus has shifted towards the uber-talented crop of 2022 Draft Eligibles. But, we never finished our series here at McKeen’s, where we were analyzing the different player archetypes that heard their name selected over the July 23rd weekend. This series has analyzed four of the most vital attributes - intelligence, goal scoring, skill, skating - acknowledging five of the highest graded players by McKeens in each trait. Now, the fifth and last, physicality will receive the same treatment.

Physicality is synonymous with hockey.

Older fans reminisce of the glory days, the times where hockey players were the athletes known for punching players for a variety of reasons and the referees stood there and let them. The game was filled with bruising blows and crushing hits, giving the sport, and it’s players, a reputation that uniquely stands out - these are the toughest athletes there are, playing the toughest game you can play. Ask the majority of hockey fans what they think are the unique opportunities physicality provides in the game of hockey and the answers will mostly consist of big open ice hits, fights, successfully overpowering foes while carrying the puck. Open up any list ranking the most effective physical players from any era and you will see a similar sentiment as it is filled with those who threw the biggest hits, those who grinded the best along the boards, those who overwhelmed defenders by bulldozing right through them, etc.

Many of those same older fans critique the modern game, saying that the players have become many variations of the word “soft” as they demean current players for not solving all of their problems with near-illegal open-ice hits and raw brute force. Before, players would welcome all types of contact as they attempt to drive play up the ice. The focus was never on avoiding contact, but powering through it. Those who wanted to play a style of hockey that prioritized skill and speed found themselves limited by the constraints of their era. Only the best of the best could manage to play that way successfully, and even then, the majority of the 20th century’s most esteemed players were still mammoths on the ice themselves.

Sports naturally evolve over time. The science behind player development only improves, resulting in more efficient training for youth players that can only start to be seen ten years after the improvements begin. The all time greats pioneer changes as every kid playing wants to be just like them. Slowly, but surely, the game will change to fit whatever is driving the most practical results at the highest level there is.

While overwhelming physicality was once a staple of the NHL, and those who could maul their way through the competition were often among the most respected players in the league, the game has evolved to an era where skill, speed and intelligence are the requirements for continued success. What good is hitting a player if you are not able to catch them? What are the benefits to overcommitting your weight in an attempt to push a player off the puck if the carrier has the means to bait you in and fly right by you, attacking the space you left behind? What value does physicality provide in today’s game?

Open space with minimal defensive pressure is essential for driving consistent scoring chances in the offensive zone. Efficient offences today are built with the purpose of spreading the defence thin. As a result, each individual member of the defence is now responsible for controlling more open ice, and ensuring that whatever space the offence can find poses minimal danger. The individual talent of each NHL player nowadays means that even a brief moment of dangerous space can be the only requirement to having your defensive structure broken down. All of this is to say that the assignment of modern day defenders is not to guard individual players, but instead to guard the dangerous spaces they currently have in their control.

This shift from player-to-player defence to zone defence is the reason why physicality is not as pronounced as it used to be. Before, attackers challenged defenders and initiated contact with the purpose of forcing the defence out of the space they wanted. Now, the offence is attempting to move you out of the space they desire before contact can be established, by either creating it for themselves (manipulating the defence to move in a particular way) or finding it (identifying open space that the defence is not currently covering). As such, defenders are now tasked with protecting the areas where medium and high danger chances are taken. It is not possible for any five man formation to cover every bit of dangerous ice, meaning they must work together and move as a unit to prevent chances. This means applying pressure, identifying efficient pursuit angles, purposeful movement that considers the position of the other nine skaters, and clever stickwork to constantly shut down opportunities to advance play. An endless motor never hurts either. With mobility and space manipulation being two of the main pillars of the modern day NHL, the value provided by overwhelming physicality has fallen by the wayside. The natural evolution of hockey means quality defence has gone from out-powering the opposition to out-smarting them.

In part three, I mentioned that the level of flashiness displayed by players with otherworldly levels of skill makes it difficult to measure who applies their skill in practical ways. I believe the same sentiment holds true for physicality. The players often identified as the top physical beings in the league may throw the biggest hits or maul smaller players when the opportunity provides itself, but those measures are not worth what they used to be. Considering this is a series about the practical usage of these skills, and identifying players who practically apply these skills to benefit both the micro and macro play of the team, it should now come to light why this final installment has been trickier to write than its predecessors - the proper application of physicality in the modern NHL simply means less of it. I cannot write about the countless players who heard their name called due to their size/physicality combination when my philosophy tells me that their style is impractical and inefficient. How physicality is perceived and evaluated by large segments of the hockey community is a direct contradiction to what I personally value.

This is not to say physicality does not have its place in hockey, it certainly does. There will never be a point in hockey where physical contact is not important. As long as boards exist to prevent the puck from going out of play, there will always be a practical element to how physicality is used. Compared to the middle of the ice, there is less space along the boards for players to work with, meaning the likelihood of a physical encounter will always exist. Spacing the ice fully around the OZ means a lot of plays are made around retrieving pucks from the perimeter and putting them in play in more dangerous areas, and this will always come with the threat of potential contact. In a lot of cases, contact between an attacker and a defender along the boards is an inevitability.

Not only that, there still exists a subset of players that have molded their strengths around the players of old - their game revolves around taking space from the defence through initiating contact and pushing them out of the way. They struggle to find success without pairing this with another tool, whether it be skating, skill or intelligence, but those who fuse the two are able to thrive in the modern era regardless of where they are on the ice.

Then there is the matter of the playoffs, where apparently the rulebook gets thrown in the trash and the hockey style of old is resurrected once again. In the regular season, a lot of the league’s more physical players have to toe the line between the opportunities provided to them by mauling the opposition, and the opportunities provided to the other team when they are sitting in the shame cube for two minutes. I feel this is an important distinction to bring up, because a lot of what I have said in terms of being practical with contact goes out the window when you can just slam people with zero regards for the rules. Both defenders and attackers can cheat their positioning a bit more, knowing that they can cover mistakes that give up the space they are supposed to be protecting by merely breaking the rulebook and applying physicality in ways that are “technically” illegal. Both cup finalists, the Montreal Canadiens and the Tampa Bay Lightning, may have benefitted from the rulebook leniency quite a bit on their way during their playoff journeys; however, when it came down to it, Tampa Bay’s modern offence consistently manipulated the overly-physical Habs into giving up dangerous space. As a result, the Bolts found themselves ending the series in five games.

When analyzing the most practical physical players in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, I am looking for those who understand first and foremost how to properly apply physicality in the modern day that will work in both the stricter regular season, as well as the more lenient playoffs. The focus is not on players with the best physical attributes, but more so on those who possess the traits I value highly when it comes to the practical application of physicality - initiating contact in ways to create space without losing possession, understanding the value of leverage and cutting off recovery angles, having an endless motor that does not give up on plays, intelligent application of pressure reinforced with good pursuit angles and stick-work, good habits retrieving the puck around the boards, etc. The write ups for each player is shorter than the previous installments, as there simply is not as much to cover with this topic relative to the previous four.

So without further ado, here are five of the most physical players in the 2021 NHL Draft.

Mason McTavish. Photo Dan Hickling/Hickling Images

Mason McTavish

McTavish is everything that you want in a physical player these days. His endless motor is the beating heart that instills life into his game. He is a nuisance in all three zones, constantly active away from the puck with feet that never stop to rest for even a moment. I am willing to bet it is this willingness to leave it all out there on a shift-by-shift basis that procured his selection at third overall.

What makes his hustle so desirable is how he uses it in unison with an advanced understanding of how to control contact. Despite his 6’2, 207lbs frame, McTavish does not just rush blindly into physical encounters with the hopes of overpowering his foes. Instead, he selects ideal routes that provide him the chance to initiate contact with a high degree of leverage. Pure strength may be enough to overcome McTavish now, but there is a real understanding of how forces are applied and work against each other here. With some additional strength added, McTavish will have the tools required to constantly initiate contact, whether it is along the perimeter or in open-ice, and push the defender out of the space he desires to enter.

This becomes even more projectable when you look deeper into the routes McTavish selects as he hustles around the ice. His routes provide ample opportunity to support teammates when McTavish is off-puck, while also giving him the means to cut off and get inside the recovery routes of defenders while maintaining a high degree of leverage.

In open space, McTavish backs down to no threats. He does not possess the high level dynamism required to manipulate and deceive defenders prior to engagement with his hands/feet, but he does have a noteworthy shot that demands defensive attention. It gives McTavish some indication as to where the defence will move when he threatens a shot, and that threat is occasionally all he needs to manipulate them in a predictable way, providing McTavish the information he needs to determine what route to take when driving to the net. This allows him to control contact and maintain possession.

McTavish’s abilities to combine his understanding of leverage, control of contact, and clever off-puck routes allow him to consistently pressure the opposition to great effect, regardless of what zone he is in. His application of physicality is the epitome of what I am looking for in a draft pick - using his physical abilities in practical ways without being overly reliant on the opportunities provided by contact.

Zachary L'Heureux. Photo courtesy of QMJHL

Zachary L’Heureux

One of the newest additions to the Nashville Predators pipeline is as mean and nasty as one can reasonably expect from a first round pick. There is no denying it, Zachary L’Heureux loves raising the stakes of every game by getting as chippy as he possibly can. Whether it be a fight, a hit, a board battle, or an attempt to bulldoze through the opposition, L’Heureux relishes every type of contact out there. He has no fear crossing the line, something I personally have an issue with but NHL team’s love to see.

L’Heureux is not the type of player you draft with the intention of putting them in a cycle based offence. This is a player who will make his money causing mayhem on the forecheck and, with some skating improvements, can contribute to a rush style of attack. He is an intelligent problem solver who thrives on making his plays through contact. Like McTavish, he has a thorough understanding of leverage and applies it when initiating contact and making plays along the boards.

Unfortunately, as mentioned before, he often crosses the line when doing so. He displays zero hesitation throwing in some extra, unnecessary contact that blatantly breaks the rules - his 47 PIM across 33 games will testify to that. Beyond that, L’Heureux found himself suspended four times across the QMJHL season for various reasons, none of which would make an NHL team particularly happy.

L’Heureux’s application of physicality in open ice is not as endearing as McTavish’s either. He lacks the skating ability to separate from defenders when driving the net, meaning his success will come from driving through foes without major skating improvement. NHL defenders are extremely tricky to overpower, especially if they already know that the puck carrier intends to bulldoze through them. Forcing them to give up their ground is a tall-ask. L’Heureux lacks the shot McTavish can use to demand defensive respect, meaning L’Heureux has to find other ways of manipulating defenders prior to initiating contact so that he is able to constantly gain leverage and push them out of the way.

At the end of the day, L’Heureux’s overly-physical game is likely enough to land him a spot on an NHL team within a few years. His rush offence has a foundation that projects well to the NHL, but will be reliant on a few other tools taking the next step forward as his propensity for contact will likely not be enough to make him a consistent rush attacker. L’Heureux’s forechecking game and ability to solve complex variables through contact are the foundation to which his game is created upon. Finding a way to dial back the penalties without sacrificing the physical attributes that make L’Heureux’s game so desirable is the difference maker between Nashville drafting a modernized power forward and a bottom six energy player who can contribute offensively once in a while.

Matthew Beniers. Photo courtesy of University of Minnesota

Matty Beniers

The first draft pick ever selected by the Seattle Kraken once again appears in this series as one of the best examples of a player applying his skills in a practical sense.

The details that make up Beniers’ intelligence and skill have already been revealed in past installments, but the manner in which Beniers can apply his physicality is near the top of the draft. He is undeniably one of the smallest players that can be mentioned in this conversation, measuring in at 5’10 and 172lbs. Yet, despite his more slender stature, Beniers is able to play through contact with the best of them. The secret to this is once again rooted in Beniers’ next-level intelligence. He rarely puts himself in situations where he is at risk of being overpowered by a bigger, stronger player. That is how he has managed to effectively play above his age group for years now.

When playing along the boards, Beniers applies a near-perfect understanding of leverage to generate forces beyond his strength level to control contact from bigger players. A low center of gravity means he is hard to knock off the puck, and his consistent insistence to protect the puck in his hip-pocket means Beniers is able to facilitate and make plays while undergoing forces being applied to him out of his control.

It is not just along the boards where Beniers’ shows this ability, as he routinely showcases it in open-ice as he transitions the puck from the defensive zone to the offensive zone. Beniers is as shifty a forward as you can find in transition, drawing players in as close as he can before getting around them into the space they left behind. This approach finds consistent success partly because of Beniers’ ability to combine his skill and skating to deceive pressure into committing their weight in any particular direction, but also because of how he maintains puck control and momentum despite whatever contact is placed upon him.

There are not many examples of Beniers’ bullying his way through players through raw power, but he does not need to. He shows the value provided by constant pressure and intelligent pursuit angles on a shift-by-shift basis. In the cases where Beniers must engage physically with his opponent, he achieves practical results by controlling how contact is initiated and escaping the pressure as soon as he can while maintaining possession.

Tyler Boucher, Photo by Rena Laverty, USA Hockey

Tyler Boucher

Did anybody expect to hear Tyler Boucher’s name called by the Ottawa Senators at tenth overall? I certainly did not. It is not the pick I would have made either, but if Pierre Dorion’s goal is to construct a team identity around overwhelming physicality and endless motors, then the Tyler Boucher selection can start to make sense.

While Boucher’s physical approach to the game is damn-near reminiscent of the old days, he plays with just enough skill and purpose that you can see how he fits as a modern era power forward. It begins with the support routes that were mentioned before, as Boucher constantly found himself within a close enough proximity to assist them with whatever they needed. Need an easy outlet pass to escape pressure? Boucher is there for you. Need a linemate to help engage along the perimeters to secure possession? Boucher is already en route.

What is most intriguing with Boucher is that unlike L’Heureux, he does not enter these physical engagements with reckless abandon. Tyler displays patience, sometimes positioning himself as necessary to make a physical play but waiting for the most opportune time to initiate contact. Body positioning, leverage, and the right engagement angles are his bread and butter, and he applies them in projectable ways that serve the benefit of the team.

His skill, shot, skating abilities and the manner to which he applies them over the ice are roughly fringe NHL level. It is a given that at least one of these tools will need to take a considerable step forward if Boucher is to become an effective NHL player worthy of being selected tenth overall; however, there is a manner of safety built in with this selection solely on Boucher’s physical abilities as well as the practicality to which he applies them. There is a lot of projectability to both his perimeter and his support play, and any increase of skill and skating provide Boucher with the means to become a dangerous power forward in one-on-one encounters.

Chase Stillman of the Sudbury Wolves. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Chase Stillman

There is no player that received a higher physicality grade from their regional scout at McKeens than Chase Stillman. A large part of this is due to the fact that he wears his heart on his sleeve every single shift. His motor is infectious for linemates, and while his sample size is brief and highly limited, it showed in spades at the U18’s as a prominent forechecker.

As mentioned regularly throughout this piece, the ability to pressure the opposition carries a ton of importance in the current NHL. Stillman’s pressure is his most projectable trait, and it may be the single biggest reason why he heard his name called in the first round despite the minimal game footage we saw from him this year. Stillman’s ability to track loose pucks and secure possession for Canada at the U18’s was so advanced that I mistook him for McTavish on numerous occasions. There is no quit with him in any zone.

While Stillman’s pressure away from the puck is as projectable as anybody’s in this class, what really makes him stand out is his understanding of when to pressure the opposition and when to initiate contact with the opposition. He weaponizes his pressure and active stick as he attempts to shut play down while also staying aware of where his presence is most valuable. If the opposition manages to shift play elsewhere, Stillman does not hesitate to re-position himself accordingly and apply pressure from a practical pursuit angle. This relentless pressure forces quick decision making from the defence, and if they fail to move play away from Stillman then they are forced to engage with him physically.

Stillman does not control contact as well as the other names on this list. His endless commitment to pressure means some of his selected routes do not intersect with the opposition’s recovery routes, and as such he is not initiating contact from the inside with proper body positioning. At this level, it does not inhibit him from being able to make plays through contact, but it is always questionable trying to project someone’s means of playing through contact if they are unable to consistently initiate it with correct body positioning. This may just be a sampling issue, as we were unable to see Stillman play in an OHL role for an extended period of time. His role at the U18 might have been more focused on consistently applying pressure by any means necessary, even if it means initiating contact from outside angles when the time came.

Stillman’s hustle is the reason he was selected in the first, as well as the reasoning for him being placed on this list. It is likely to land him an energy role in an NHL team’s bottom six, and improving his habits during the lead-up to initiating contact may unlock his ability to create plays through contact. Some further development with other tools may open the doors to an even higher role in an NHL lineup.

Outro

That. Is. It.

We have now finished part five of my “Best Of” series, as we have now gone over all five of the core traits found in hockey players - intelligence, goal scoring, skill, skating and physicality. We have taken a deep dive into how players of each archetype find NHL success, how these traits can be applied in both practical and impractical ways, and the ways the players selected in this series will be able to leverage their strengths during their quest to find success at the NHL level.

This was the final deep dive into a player trait for the “Best Of” series; however, it is not the final piece to be written. The conclusion will be the long awaited “Sam’s Favourite’s” discussion, where I briefly go into each of the five archetypes we covered and mention some of my favourite players. While these players did not receive the grades from our regional scouts to merit a selection for these lists, I have a personal affinity for the way they apply their respective skills and believe they are worthy of acknowledgement. Until then, I thank you all for reading my debut series for McKeen’s and I hope that each reader was able to take something away from this.