Part 1 is already out, with notes on my top 96 players (first 3 rounds) and now it’s time to release part 2. This part of the draft guide will consist of players ranked from round 4 to 7 with plenty of coverage from myself and my team. Part 1 came out to 23,081 words which is awesome – this is the most I have ever written about anything and has been months of progress lasting almost the entire draft season. With the hot takes in the last ranking, be ready for more in this ranking.
For part one, please click here
#97- Devin Kaplan- Devin Kaplan has a big body, boasting NHL ready size and an NHL ready shot. Kaplan is a heavy player to go up against. He commands space when putting himself into high danger areas, he can one time a shot or snipe with a quick release and could be a scoring threat at the NHL level too. However, Kaplan struggles in a lot of other areas. He’s a hard hitting power forward, but lacks speed, quickness, adaptability, reads of plays and being involved in the play is inconsistent for him. However, his shot is deadly, he has good positioning and loves to get into the dirty areas, so he’s definitely a mid round talent.
Potential: Bottom 6 W
Potential rank: 4.5/10
#98- Nils Juntorp- Nils Juntorp was an awesome and pleasant surprise in my final viewings, where I certainly gave him enough viewings to match my confidence with his play. I am very surprised to see Juntorp not ranked on enough people’s lists. Juntorp, a late 2003 birthday, had 41 points in the J20 season this year, and 6 points in 5 Ettan games. Juntorp combines a heavy-front shooter with a creative and dangerous playmaking ability to make him a dual-offensive threat. Juntorp has no problem playing the perimeter, as he shuffles the puck on the power plays from this area, opening up space for teammates before making an excellent pass across the zone. However, when the space opens for himself, he has no problem taking the opportunity to skate in closer and let go a ripper of a shot. Juntorp has good skating form, can follow and keep up with fast-paced plays well, has a sense of creativity and a booming shot from anywhere on the ice. What I would like to see Juntorp work on to become better is defensive action, better agility and more consistency. I believe Juntorp is a very hidden gem this year, where you can find a mature player who also boasts grand potential.
Potential: Top 6 F
Potential rank: 2.5/10
“Juntorp is a good skater who is willing to get back defensively.
His skating stride is good, and his top-speed is decent, however I would
like to see him add some more acceleration to his skating. In the
defensive zone, Juntorp has good defensive positioning and does well to
curl down below to support his defensemen. His passing ability is good,
and he has a good set of hands. Juntorp is definitely a hidden gem
heading into this year’s draft. If he is on a team’s radar, I could see him
go at the tail end of the second to the middle of the third” – Alfonso Acevedo
#99- Michael La Starza- La Starza had impressed me in my final viewings of him. He has a powerful shot that he utilized well, had some decent speed and definitely some offensive bite to his game. La Starza gained confidence at the end of the season, which is great, and attempted to become more of a play-driver. While I’m not sure on the total upside being high, La Starza does round out to look like a decent shot at a middle 6 winger, with better chances at being a 3rd line winger with definitive power play opportunities. His play away from the puck and positioning are a work in progress, and his effectiveness to find softer ice will need some work.
Potential: Middle 6 F
Potential rank: 3.5/10
#100- Jake Karabela- Karabela is an intriguing prospect leading up to the draft this year. He has good hands, good foot speed, good balance and excels with space, in addition to looking like he has room to fill out. Karabela positions himself very well, making great passes while utilizing the space he is given to tighten the defence towards the net. Karabela has no problem in scrums in front of the net and will dig in the dirty areas. I think there’s a lot of potential for a competitive middle 6 forward in the future. At the CHL Top Prospects Game, Karabela made a bigger name for himself, making a few great passes and making the smart and simple plays.
Potential: Middle 6 F
Potential rank: 3.5/10
“Karabela was one of my personal favourites in his OHL Draft year continuing develop with
every year, as he is consistently being one of the smartest players on the ice with his high hockey
IQ, and this certainly has continued into his rookie season in the OHL after not having a season
last year. Karabela has great on-ice awareness allowing him to be an effective player both
offensively and defensively, reading plays well on defence staying through the middle and
intercepting passes, while also putting himself in good spots offensively to get scoring
opportunities. Karabela continues to display a nice shot which he is able to release from different
angles and beat goaltenders with, while he continues to be a player who finds his teammates for
scoring chances in the offensive zone.” – Connor Williams
#101- Miko Matikka- Matikka is an interesting prospect. Some people are very confident in him, and some people are not convinced with him. I see Matikka as a fine swing to take in the 3rd round, as he offers size, an impressive shot and the ability to use a large amount of room effectively. Matikka is someone who should be playing on the 3rd line at the NHL level with some power play time if he gets there. His ability to get into open position and rifle one home, or play with patience in the corners while 5 v 4 is impressive. At 5v5, Matikka has less room on the ice and creates less chances, as he is someone who excels more with space I believe.
Potential: Middle 6 F
Potential rank: 3.5/10
“Matikka is an interesting case of a player who is built for the
NHL. At 6’3” 187 lbs. he’s a big guy who skates well with good edges
and good acceleration. Matikka has the makings of a good two-way
player who gets in on the forecheck, finishes his checks and also gets
back making sure he’s in a good defensive position. If I am a team with
more than two selections in the first round with one in the later stages, I
would consider Matikka as an option. Otherwise, I see Matikka going in
the second round” – Alfonso Acevedo
#102- Bryce McConnell-Barker- Bryce McConnell-Barker has a really good floor for this draft, so much so that I could see a team in the early 2nd take him. However, his floor doesn’t sell it for me quite the same as others, and I am somewhat worried about his overall potential. McConnell-Barker to me, feels like a solid 3rd liner with time on the power play. He has size, he has a wicked shot, and he uses his body well to protect the puck before releasing it. I feel he can sometimes wander in the offensive end as he’s always looking for a pass, but sometimes feels out-of-touch with the play developing- and instead of putting himself into action, sometimes he stays out of it hoping the action will follow him. He could use some work on skating, but there are definitely teams in the NHL that work on that better than others, and if they need a hard-bodied winger who can rifle the puck on the outside, then they should swing on the Greyhound.
Potential: Middle 6 F
Potential rank: 3.5/10
“McConnell-Barker has the potential to be a steal in the draft, he can put the puck into the back of the net and plays a strong 2-way game. He has a lot of untapped potentials that can get him to the NHL and keep him there. If he works as hard as he does off the ice, as he does on it, he could be a regular in the NHL for years to come.” – Spencer Lazary
#103- Elias Pettersson- Not the Vancouver Canucks forward, but he’s still a good option for the upcoming draft. Pettersson offers a booming shot from the point, but even when it isn’t a slapshot, his release is fantastic. Quite a few times this year Pettersson skated to the slot and received a pass, with the puck leaving his stick as quickly as it arrived. Pettersson can shoot with accuracy, but on top of his offensive production, Pettersson was also decent defensively as well. His errors mostly lie within not being as far back as he should be, sometimes having to cut or catch up to play defence, but he is a monster in puck battles and can throw some really clean hits as well. Pettersson is a big body who knows how to use it, whether it be a clean shot, a clean hit, or shoving players out of the way in front of the net. I was not a huge fan of Pettersson throughout the year, and I find he will need to tune out his defensive errors and attempt to be as good of a shut-down defenceman as a booming-shot offensive defenceman if he wants to play professional hockey in North America.
Potential: Middle pairing D
Potential rank: 4/10
“Pettersson is a mobile defenseman who can get the puck up ice
well. He skates well but I would like to see him improve his stride and
add some acceleration to it as well. Pettersson reads the play well and is
willing to pinch but there are times where he can get caught. He pivots
well and he possesses a long reach which he uses well in his own end to
block passing lanes. Pettersson has good gap control, and he positions
himself well defensively, however, think he needs to improve his
defensive play. Teams are always looking for mobile defenseman and
Pettersson fits the bill, I see him going somewhere in the fourth round” – Alfonso Acevedo
#104- Angus Booth- Booth does a lot of things well on both ends of the ice, and all season long he stayed consistent in those areas. Offensively, Booth has tremendous positioning and moves the puck quickly, accurately, and intelligently. He reads the offensive zone at a high-pace, scanning quickly and making the safe play. Defensively, Booth reads oncoming attackers well and pushes towards the outside. Booth is a good skater in both directions, and uses it effectively when finishing a check or building space to skate. To sum up Booth’s play, he’s a good skater with excellent passing vision and uses his high hockey IQ to read potential plays to make and to read developing plays defensively.
Potential: Middle pair D
Potential rank: 4/10
#105- Tomas Hamara- Hamara is definitely a name to look for in the upper-middle stages of this year’s draft. Hamara has good patience and defensive skills that make him an intriguing prospect for the NHL level. On offence, Hamara shows good positioning, good patience with the puck, an above average shot and hard, accurate passes. On the defensive side of things, Hamara has a good defensive stick, plays with physicality, great body positioning to keep the opponents on the backside of him while he takes frontal control of the puck, good pinning abilities, and excellent stick-lift skills. His positioning in all 3 zones is fantastic, and he plays a safe, simple game. Hamara is an all-around player who can play in all situations, which will be looked at highly by scouts.
Potential: Bottom 4 D
Potential rank: 4/10
“Two-way defender, you rarely see him make a mistake, very calm when on the puck, and drives the play into the neutral zone with smooth and fast skating. His gap control and defensive side of the game are on a very high level, especially when defending the rush. Hamara has a good overview of the ice and knows where his teammates are, creates great opportunities for his teammates in the offensive zone, and is very useful on the powerplay” – Adam Duchon
#106- Tyler Brennan- Tyler Brennan, noted as the likely candidate to be the top goaltender this year, most likely deserves the praise that he gets. Brennan has a lot of admirable traits in various areas of his game that make him the likely candidate to be the top goaltender. He’s quick down low, has good reflexes in both blocker and glove, has good reaction time to move and account for tip ins, has good mobility with great size, and shows poise through his play in net. Brennan is a very reliable goaltender who seems to fit the bill of above average in each category, giving him one of the better floors in the draft, but also a respectable ceiling as well.
Potential: goalie
Potential rank: goalie
“A 6’4 goaltender who maximizes coverage with his huge frame and is positionally strong. Good stance mechanics, with active hands. Brennan has a strong glove hand, who controls rebounds within his frame. Brennan demonstrates strong post work, integrating/exiting posts quickly with efficient edgework, balance & weight transfer. For a big goaltender, Brennan moves laterally decently well, and covers the bottom of the net effectively. He beats plays on his feet, and that is because he has strong situational awareness through scanning for threats within the zone.” – Frank Longo
#107- Vinzenz Rohrer- The Ottawa 67’s took home another Austrian forward in Vinzez Rohrer, who was an important piece to Ottawa during this season. A hard working forward, Rohrer works well in all 3 ends and always has the motor set to high. Rohrer makes clean backchecks, but can also play a strong role offensively, picking up loose pucks, staying in front of the net, and making puck battles look easy. Rohrer lacks in the eye test for total upside, but his workhorse play style makes his chances of being an NHLer a good bet. Rohrer is a possession driver, but he can also get rid of the puck quickly if the right play presents itself.
Potential: Bottom 6 F
Potential rank: 4/10
“Rohrer has a ton of skill but lacks size, and that could be an area of concern for him, but he could prove that size doesn’t matter and become a depth forward for an NHL team. Many describe his style as “playing the game the right way” due to his reputation as a responsible two-way forward.” – Spencer Lazary
#108- Jeremy Langlois- Langlois has impressed me throughout the season and easily gets a mid-round ballot from me for this year’s draft. He’s an above-average skater, can be flashy at times and has confidence when playing offence up front. Defensively, his stickwork is good and he can attack opponents through open ice well. Against the boards, Langlois could use some more effort when checking and battling for the puck. He does a good job at being physical around the net but could use some lower body strength. Offensively, Langlois has a booming shot that he likes to use frequently and his positioning both high and low are above average.
Potential: Bottom 4 D
Potential rank: 4/10
#109- Charlie Wright- Earlier in the season, I did not care too much for Charlie Wright. I felt his offence was lacking and he was just an average WHL defensive defenceman. However, as the season has progressed, he has caught my eye with each viewing on a few minor details that eventually grew into a bigger picture. Wright does not have insane offensive upside, and likely won’t crack it as an offensive defenceman in a professional league, but he screams defensive-bottom pair defence who will likely be able to play an important shut-down penalty kill role. I see Charlie Wright as a player a lot of people might not know the name of if they are casual hockey fans, but if a team drafts Wright, hardcore fans may remember the name and feel safe when he is on the ice. His skating could use some work, but he plays a hard to play against style of hockey, dishing out hits, being hard on the stick, and using the boards to his advantage to get the puck down the ice.
Potential: Bottom pair D
Potential rank: 5/10
#110- Jace Weir- Weir flew in high on my rankings midway through the season, but has been slipping since that ranking. Weir has some positives to his game, and some negatives that I feel are worth mentioning. On the positive side of things, I’ve enjoyed his defensive game, and while his defensive potential is limited in my eyes, he has great positioning, great awareness and can grind out opponents. For the negatives, I find Weir plays below pace with the puck, can make simple errors more frequently than I’d like, and his mobility will definitely need some tuning moving forward.
Potential: Bottom 4 D
Potential rank: 3.5/10
#111- Niklas Kokko- I may actually be higher on Kokko than most in this class, but he has a lot of great traits that I look for in goaltenders and I believe there’s more potential hidden in him than a lot of people may realize. Kokko has size to him, moves around the net fairly well, but his reaction time for his glove and pads are what landed me aboard the hype train for him. Kokko reads deflections very well, being able to see potential tips and react accordingly, and has a fast reflex with his glove hand in particular. Kokko drops into the butterfly well and reads distance shots with ease. My only real concern for Kokko moving forward is perhaps his mobility, but I feel that will be a timely fix over the next few years.
Potential: goalie
Potential rank: goalie
“Niklas Kokko is a big goaltender, who noticeably has a good tactical and mechanical skill set. Kokko has a calm presence in the crease, competes to stay visually attached to the puck, and is efficient with his crease movements. Kokko is a strong skater for his size, with great edgework and effortless post play. He beats a lot of plays on his feet, and I like his positional framework while exhibiting decent rebound control. All while being able to have that elasticity/flexibility when he needs to make unstructured saves. He shows strong situational awareness, while performing head checks for potential scoring threats at appropriate moments. Because of this, he anticipates plays well and gets to his spots quickly and effectively with his lateral mobility/quickness. He does a great job sealing the bottom of the net, and showing coverage intelligence with his rotational compass and length. He showed moments of being flustered after allowing a goal, but nothing too noticeable.” – Frank Longo
#112- Niks Fenenko- Niks Fenenko is another prospect that I find is flying a bit under the radar this year. As a Latvian kid who just spent his first season in North America, nonetheless the QMJHL, putting up 40 points as a defender this season is fantastic. Points aside, I can understand some worry about Fenenko as a prospect, but I believe he’s a long term want. Fenenko surprisingly defends the rush fairly well, using a good defensive stick and hands to keep the offense on their toes, and when he has the puck he uses good body language to be deceptive or to control the puck. His passing is one of the better parts of his game, albeit he needs to learn to play with more pace and speed, his passes are very accurate though. Fenenko jumps into offense well, letting go of a hard snap shot to beat the goaltender, and loves to shoot through traffic. Fenenko has good mobility on the blue line, being able to keep possession and keep the puck alive on the other end. I’d say he is certainly a long-term project, but Fenenko boasts a good ceiling for the future.
Potential: Bottom 4 D
Potential rank: 3.5/10
#113- Otto Salin- Salin was a fun prospect to watch through limited games this season, and while he may have had more to prove through more games, my viewings fell a little sour on him. Salin has good size to him already, although shorter than most defenders, Salin is already at 200 lbs. He skates well, with good strides and speed, and can stickhandle well in movement, adjusting to his own agility and getting by opponents. He has no problem being a tough player to play against, showing aggression and physicality, although his defensive positioning and effort are hit and miss. Salin has a wicked shot that he uses well, although he could play at a higher tempo at times. To get better, Salin should work on tempo, consistency and defensive awareness.
Potential: Bottom 4 D
Potential rank: 3.5/10
“Salin is a good two-way defenseman who skates well and
moves the puck well, however I would like to see him work on his
acceleration a little more. He has good gap control and positions himself
well in the defensive zone. He is also willing to be physical along the
boards. He has a good defensive stick that he uses to break up plays but I
would like to see him be a more active with it, especially in his own
zone. There will need to be some refining of his game but I see Salin
going somewhere between the middle of the third to the middle of the
fifth” – Alfonso Acevedo
#114- Topias Leinonen- Leinonen is one of the best goaltending prospects in a very weak goaltending draft. He has enormous size to him already, and his reaction time, movement and mobility are all extremely above average, especially for a goaltender of his size. My biggest concerns with Leinonen moving forward is consistency and rebound control. However, as a goaltender, I have no doubt Leinonen will be able to fix those up.
Potential: goalie
Potential rank: goalie
“Topias Leinonen is young, but a goalie with raw talent and loads of potential long-term. Leinonen’s size immediately stands out, standing at 6’5. He possesses strong edge work, and moves laterally pretty well for his size. Leinonen takes away open net quickly, as he maximizes coverage with his frame and efficiently seals the bottom of the net. He communicates with teammates often, and demonstrates strong ice awareness through scanning for threats at appropriate opportunities. Leninonen shows good depth control, as he works to get to the top of the crease, while understanding when to play a little deeper during specific situations presented in front of him. He shows flashes of athleticism, but plays more of a positional, blocking style.” – Frank Longo
#115- Jani Nyman- I love Jani Nyman. I think he’s a beast on the ice, has NHL ready size, but there are still some holes in his game. He has a fantastic shot, can absolutely shred a puck through goaltenders and has the awareness in his game to make cross-ice passes to teammates for an opening at the net. His main issue though, is his skating. Nyman doesn’t have great puck control, it’s good, but it doesn’t stop him from being caught up and losing the puck due to his slow speed. Nyman can utilize himself in front of the net, being a big body out front or being the one shooting. He works well on the power play and cycling the puck, and I could see a bottom line NHL player who plays with ferocity and can pot a few important goals throughout the season too.
Potential: Bottom line W
Potential rank: 4.5/10
“Nyman is a good skater with good top-speed who is always
moving. He possesses a good set of hands as well as both a good shot
and good passing ability. Nyman is a committed two-way forward who
is willing to get back on the defensive side. He does well to curl down
into his own zone to provided support for his defensemen and positions
himself well defensively. I think Nyman is a good bet in the middle of
the second to the third round.” – Alfonso Acevedo
#116- Ilya Kvochko- The Russian class is a little above average this year and Kvochko is one of the bigger names for this year’s draft from the MHL. His ability to find positioning and find open ice is good, although I am not sold on putting him above the 3rd or 4th round. Kvochko doesn’t play with a ton of speed or quickness, he has good passing ability but should be able to do more at a higher tempo. I see Kvochko as a small, complimentary 3rd line winger who could perhaps earn some time on the power play.
Potential: 3rd line W
Potential rank: 3.5/10
“Kvochko has the edgework and lateral mobility that I’ve come to expect from smaller Russian forwards. His defensive zone play is more active and involved than many of his MHL counterparts. In the defensive zone he’s like a coiled spring waiting to try to break the puck out whenever the opportunity arises. He played big minutes for Magnitogorsk all season, but scored points in bunches. Has a strong battle drive, and isn’t shy about getting to the dirty areas, something that can be uncommon in the MHL. Middle-six potential that could become more if he establishes more scoring consistency.” – Jack Dawkins
#117- Sandis Vilmanis- Vilmanis has become better throughout the season in my viewings. Vilmanis plays with a good pace, can make a few fancy moves while driving to the net, and has a great shot as a winger. Vilmanis is a hard, net front kind of player who has a nose for the net. He’s a power forward, and while perhaps undersized in that regard but does well with the weight he has. For positives, Vilmanis has a powerful shot, a good drive to the net, and can react in position on a dime. For the negatives, if Vilmanis isn’t driving the play, I would like to see more involvement off the puck and quicker thinking when it comes to passing.
Potential: Bottom 6 W
Potential rank: 3.5/10
#118- Parker Bell- Parker Bell doesn’t have an absurd amount of upside, but he looks like a fairly good swing to be a bottom line NHL player. He has size, he has a good shot, he plays calm and knows when to capitalize on space, and he understands his role. Bell knows to shoot with a strong force when he’s given too much space, and he knows to be a net-front presence. Bell, to me, can occupy a 4th line in the future, play physically, guard the net, put in some rebounds, and not let up too many mistakes.
Potential: Bottom 6 W
Potential rank: 3.5/10
#119- Ludwig Persson- Persson has been an interesting player to watch this season. Playing for Frolunda of the J20, he potted 61 points in 41 games this season – an impressive number. However, I find Persson will struggle as he climbs up the levels. I’m not sold on his potential, he’s older than most of the competition, and I have trouble seeing his skating last at the pro leagues. Persson does have a solid shot however, smart passing ability and always looks for the simple play to make. If he does make the NHL someday, I see someone who can occupy the bottom line reliably.
Potential: Bottom 6 F
Potential rank: 3.5/10
“Persson is a player that gets himself around the ice really well.
His skating ability is good, and he has quick feet, although it can be
jumbled at times. Offensively, Persson has the tools needed to be a good
offensive player, he has a good set of hands, but his puck control is still a
work in progress. He also possesses a good shot. I would like to see him
be a little more involved on the forecheck. He also has a good passing
ability and I see some good playmaking traits in his play. With his tools,
I see Persson going in the middle of the second round” – Alfonso Acevedo
#120- Spencer Sova- Sova is like quite a few defenders in this draft; slightly above average at everything. I like Sova, I believe he’s a solid defender in all 3 zones, can play up front on offence, can shut down guys defensively, but he lacks the high end upside to become even better in any which area. Sova is an all-around player, but I feel he will find difficulty pushing new boundaries on how well he can perform these actions. He has a good shot, smart passes that he builds a bit of room to perform, and uses his defensive stick well. However, he isn’t the fastest skater and can be beaten by stronger opponents. Sova is someone I would be looking to as perhaps a safer option in the 3rd round.
Potential: Bottom 4 D
Potential rank: 3/10
“Spencer Sova has a chance to become a very well-rounded defender at the NHL level which is highlighted by his skating. He still has to develop in some areas of his game but can transition to the NHL level and could find success in the right system, which could see him be a top 4 defenceman.” – Spencer Lazary
#121- Jorian Donovan- Donovan has impressed me sometimes and left me wondering what his plans were other times. While he’s a defender who just had a rookie season in the OHL, I believe Donovan is someone I’d feel more comfortable taking in the 3rd round than anything higher. Offensively, Donovan has a cannon of a shot, a great one-timer, and reads developing plays well before getting into a proper position. He’s also a physical player, not afraid to throw around the body – which sometimes hurts him as stickwork was necessary instead of using the body. Defensively, Donovan is inconsistent, and comes off as a block moving on the ice instead of a smooth defender. His stickwork certainly needs work, but his awareness and positioning defensively are also must-needs.
Potential: Bottom 4 D
Potential rank: 3/10
“One of those modern-day mobile defenceman who can move the puck up ice with their feet and be a quarterback on the backend for his team. Donovan relies on his skating a great deal as he has confidence in his edges and mobility, using his feet to create space and then using his vision to move the puck up ice. At times I have found the Donovan can be over-reliant on his skating ability, skating himself into pressure and holding onto pucks for too long which can result in turnovers in his own zone. Despite this, Donovan does have offensive upside with his ability to maneuver on the offensive line, and is a player who after missing is DY-1 year is able to defend well off the rush and maintain gaps well.” – Connor Williams
#122- Ivan Zhigalov- Ivan Zhigalov is a highly-touted goaltender for this year’s draft, and while he boasts a ton of potential in net, he is very raw in my eyes. He drops down earlier than I’d like many times, and his reads can sometimes lack. His mobility is great, he’s still pretty skinny for a goaltender so there’s room to grow which I love in goalies, but he needs to work on his offensive reads and positioning as those are two key areas of concern for him.
Potential: goalie
Potential rank: goalie
“Ivan Zhigalov is a 6’3 southpaw goaltender that I believe could be one of the top european goaltenders to be selected in the 2022 Entry Draft. Besides his size, it is quite evident how good of a skater Zhigalov is when you watch his crease movements. He is very strong with his edgework, and effortless post play tactics. He looks to stay patient on his edges for as long as possible, and even looks to beat as many plays as possible on his feet (which I love). He does a great job staying visually attached to the puck while tracking effectively, and leading with his eyes when moving to new locations around the crease. Zhigalov shows a great tactical and mechanical skill set, as he shows a really good positional framework that maximizes coverage effectively. I really like his stance mechanics, as he keeps a little more narrow approach with his feet while showing active hands (especially in-tight). He is a very athletic goaltender for his size, showing his compete level and elasticity while battling to make saves. He can be creative when needed to make unstructured saves, and is quick laterally for his size.” – Frank Longo
#123- Jack Devine- I have not been a huge Jack Devine fan this season, and cannot see him taken within the top 64. With the positives about his game, he collects pucks extremely well, has great hand-eye coordination, he catches and reads passes extremely well too. He’s a good passer, able to think quickly and make the pass quickly too. For the negatives, Devine is awkward when skating, doesn’t beat too many players in foot races, lacks in positioning greatly and I think he needs to add more strength in puck battles. Devine is going to have a hard time adjusting at faster levels when it comes to positioning and awareness. I see a late 3rd or 4th round guy in Devine.
Potential: Bottom 6 W
Potential rank: 3.5/10
#124- Ryan Healey- Healey does a lot of things well, so don’t let the point totals fool you. He’s a great skater, very smooth on his feet and can use his agility to get himself past opponents, his passes are very smooth, he has an above average shot, and when skating around offensively, he can really thread the needle on outlet passes. Healey is a skillful and smooth player who can read and play the game at a high pace. His compete level is good, and defensively, he’s definitely above average. He uses his edges well to threaten opponents to the outside of the ice and uses his stick well in situations where needed. Healey is one of those all-around players on the ice who understands their role and fills whatever void needs filling. While I might find his upside a bit limited, he’s still someone who NHL fans would love to have.
Potential: Bottom 4 D
Potential rank: 3/10
“Healey is a big body who plays at both ends of the ice. For a player his size he skates really well and has smooth hands. He plays with pace and joins the rush on a regular basis. He also plays physical and works hard in board battles. He needs to work on reigning it back when it comes to being aggressive in jumping into plays as he will get caught out of position sometimes.” – Tait Borst
#125- Filip Nordberg- I’ve had inconsistent viewings with Nordberg this year, but I feel confident that he should still be among the top 120 names to be called in July. The 6’4, 207 lbs D-man has an absolute cannon of a shot and skates well for his size. He can follow up offensively and isn’t afraid to battle it out with anyone on the ice. He can throw good hits, but his defensive awareness could really use some work. I’ve loved Nordberg offensively and I feel he shows good signs of maturity and strength, but defensively he can fall flat footed against opponents or let them get right by him. While his physicality is good, and he hits hard, his defensive stick, positioning, backwards skating and IQ will need some work done. Furthermore, Nordberg should be able to gain consistency as time moves on, but he’s a large defenseman who definitely deserves to be selected this year.
Potential: Middle pair D
Potential rank: 3/10
“For a guy his size Nordberg moves fairly well. His overall
skating is good, and he pivots well, but he has a somewhat choppy stride
and will need to add some acceleration to his skating. Nordberg’s
defensive game is a work in progress, there are times where he is late to
his assignment which either costs his team a high danger shot against or
a goal against. His gap control is good, but I would like to see him close
it a little quicker. Nordberg is someone who if developed right could be
a good top 4 defenseman at the NHL level, for now I think he could go
anywhere in the later rounds around the fifth or sixth” – Alfonso Acevedo
#126- Alexander Pelevin- Through my viewings this year, Pelevin has always sort of left me… wanting more. Pelevin is pretty average in each category, he does not blow me away in any particular skill, so I find he’s tough to gauge for the years ahead. Pelevin is an average skater, I would have liked him to be better as an undersized defender, he’s fine skating backwards, attacks the puck well and can be physical at times, but always leaves me feeling underwhelmed. His shot is hard and accurate and he chooses the appropriate times to push the net and when to make a pass. He has good skills in each category, I’m just not sold that his ceiling is very high, which leaves me seeing a mid-round guy.
Potential: Bottom 4 D
Potential rank: 3/10
“Pelevin has the skill-set to at least become a 2nd-pair defenseman in an NHL lineup.The Balakhna native’s skating ability is above-average, as he has smooth four-way skating ability. Pelevin loves utilizing the mohawk move wherever he’s turning and does beat MHL forecheckers often with his speed. In terms of his offensive game, I have questions, as wherever he receives the puck, his shot selection is questionable. However, he does make smart pinch in the offensive zone when needed. When it comes to the defensive side of the game, Pelevin has a very active stick that often takes the possession of the puck away from his opponents. He also works his butt off in the corners during puck-battles.” – RecruitScouting Russian Scouts
#127- Matej Pinkas- Matej Pinkas is someone who won’t blow you away with high-skilled plays offensively, but he gets the job done in that area of the ice. What I’ve found to be the strongest part of Pinkas’ game is his defensive side of the puck and body language to cut off opponents. Pinkas is very comfortable and consistent while skating backwards, keeping a good pace, but also keeping a good amount of room between himself and the offensive attacker. When the attacker catches up to a certain point, Pinkas is able to position himself to play the body first, but also use his defensive stick to knock the puck away as a first attempt. Pinkas is a difficult player to go up against because of this. Not only is he able to knock the puck away and force the attacker to lose possession quite frequently, but in the odd case that he doesn’t, he does not leave room for him to attack the middle. He leaves his feet wide, and becomes difficult to read when skating against him, and is able to throw the body to force the player to the outside, where Pinkas then holds him against the boards or retrieves the puck himself.
Potential: Bottom 4 D
Potential rank: 3/10
“Defensive defenseman good at predicting where the attacker might be heading and is both active and effective with his stick in the neutral zone trying to break up plays and cut passing lanes. Attackers struggle to beat him and Pinkas is usually the one who wins the battle, his decision making with the puck is decent and very quick” – Adam Duchon
#128- Artyom Barabosha- Artyom Barabosha probably won’t do anything to bring you out of your seat, as he isn’t some sort of flashy offensive defenceman, and while he needs work on consistency on defence, he plays an important role. The big issue with Barabosha in my viewings is consistent effort. Sometimes he can make a solid defensive hit, or a solid effort on a puck battle, but a few shifts later, is just grazing players and loses the puck in a puck battle. Barabosha however, when on his game, can play a solid shutdown role. His mobility has improved since the start of the season and he can skate around for space a little bit more, but his main power of offence is his shot. I can see Barabosha as a mostly defence first player, as he is hard to play against, can be a workhorse in puck battles most of the time, and can throw some heavy, solid hits.
Potential: Bottom pair D
Potential rank: 3.5/10
#129- Nicholas Moldenhauer- Moldenhauer had a bit of a slow start to the season, and he really picked it up as the season moved on. Moldenhauer’s strongest part of his game is his stickwork. Whether it be stick lifting, passing or shooting, he always seems to find a way to be perfect with how precise he uses it. He has a great motor as well and isn’t afraid of putting himself into the rough areas and high danger areas. He’s quick to find open ice and doesn’t stand around, he can be a passenger if needed or be an independent driver who radiates confidence pushing the net. Moldenhaur is sure to get better from here.
Potential: Middle 6 W
Potential rank: 3/10
“Moldenhaur is a fantastic skater who exelles in transition. He is a pass first forward who uses his speed to get to open space. His two way play improved throughout the season. He needs to work on his shot, it lacks the power of those at the next level.” – Tait Borst
#130- Dylan James- A name that kept me excited throughout the USHL season this year was Dylan James. James showed to be a step ahead of a lot of USHL talent this season. He was able to win foot races, has a great shot in stride, battles hard, has a good motor, positions himself well and does a good job at creating space although I’d like more consistency in that area. Dylan is someone who I believe will get better year after year and is a pretty safe bet in the middle stages of the draft.
Potential: Middle 6 F
Potential rank: 3/10
“James is a hardworking two way player who coaches will love. He isnt afraid to go to the dirty areas and scores a lot of goals in and around the net. One thing I really liked about him was he really stepped up in big games.” – Tait Borst
#131- Sergei Ivanov- Call it whatever you want, I still believe Sergei Ivanov is one of the best goalies in this draft class, and if not for the small height, would potentially be the consensus number one goaltender. Ivanov has great reaction time, great recovery from difficult shots, great mobility and excels on shots along the outsides. Ivanov is small, but very speedy and has done well in the MHL this season. Ivanov can drop down to the butterfly quickly, and does not let too many rebounds happen unless it’s the luck of the draw – and even then he is usually reliable to get back into a steady position for a save.
Potential: goalie
Potential: goalie
“Ivanov went unranked by NHL Central Scouting. His save percentage and goals against average were both superior to ranked Russian-Born counterparts: Sergei Murashov and Yegor Guskov. Simply put, he stops the puck, and was one of the best in the MHL at that particular task this season. In his draft -1 year he was also extremely good. His body of work speaks for itself, his only shortcoming is the fact that he’s 5’11 and most NHL teams want more height from their goaltenders.” – Jack Dawkins
#132- Kocha Delic- Kocha Delic was the second best draft eligible from the Sudbury Wolves this year, with his quick-skating ability, powerful stick and purposeful skating, he should definitely be drafted. Delic has good tendencies when playing as a passenger, he can be a complimentary winger, hanging out the edges of the play and giving himself a quick burst of speed at a loose puck. He can let off quite the release sometimes and he has good hands close to the goal. Defensively, Delic can make the odd good-play by using great hand-eye stickwork to disrupt a play and lead it into the offensive end. Moving forward, I’d like to see Delic gain more confidence in his own ability to carry the puck and attempt to play in the slot more often.
Potential: Middle 6 F
Potential rank: 3/10
“Speed and energy are the names of Delic’s game. From the second he steps on the ice for
warmup throughout the game Delic uses his quickness and speed to play an up-tempo style.
Although he utilizes his quick strides to reach top speed, it will help him in the future to develop
his stride further to help create a more efficient skating stride. He is a player who shows a great
deal of compete and high work ethic but can struggle at times to keep up to the higher pace. With
his high level of skill and soft hands, Delic has a great deal of upside with his ability with his
puck skills, ability to maintain possession of the puck, create chances for himself and his
teammates, as well as display an ability to play with higher level players like David Goyette.” – Connor Williams
#133- Ian Blomquist- Blomquist smells like pure potential. There’s a lot to like, and at the moment, dislike about Blomquist’s game. He’s quite shifty with a large frame, and can make himself appear quite large in the net, making it difficult for oncoming opponents to judge and choose where to shoot. He can drop to the butterfly quickly and does an excellent job at reading shots from the outside areas, and keeps himself ready for any potential slot-pass attempts. However, I find Blomquist sometimes has trouble keeping rebounds low-risk and making sure that there isn’t room for scoring on rebounds. He is somewhat inconsistent with making sure the play is dead, which is the downside to his game. However, there are times where he impresses you with other areas of his game, or shutting down plays for periods of time where you forget about it. I would definitely take a swing on Blomquist as he has a very high ceiling for goaltenders in this draft.
Potential: Goalie
Potential rank: Goalie
#134- Isaiah George- George is one of those players who never really take a shift off. Isaiah George has a booming shot, a strong physique that he uses well to push opponents, and reads the defensive zone down low fairly well. One error that popped up a few times that I didn’t like was his awareness on breakouts, as I felt he left too much room for the opposing team to pass the puck than I would like. George can sometimes let players get by him without him noticing which I found happened more than I’d like. Offensively, George moves the puck around well, able to jump into the slot and let one rip, and he’s an above average skater. Main concerns are consistency and upside.
Potential: Middle pairing D
Potential rank: 3/10
“George is your prototypical reliable two-way defenseman. He possesses an efficient stride with great speed and is full of athleticism. His ability to move the puck makes him a threat in transition at all times. The downside in his game is the offensive upside. He possesses a solid shot, although his shot selection needs work, but the point totals just weren’t there this season. This could be a result of London being a deep team which sometimes limits the amount of opportunity their younger players get, yet the question still remains to be asked. Next season will be massive for George in showing if he has another level to reach in terms of productions. At the moment, I see him as a safe pick and not necessarily a high upside pick. I think he has a solid chance at becoming a full-time NHL defenseman, but the jury is out on what exactly that could look like.” – Curtis Rines
#135- David Moravec- Moravec is definitely a name that should be going in the top 100 of this year’s draft. His ability to break out of his own end has been noticeable at every level he’s played this year, including in the professional Czechia league. He’s good at creating room with the puck defensively and within the neutral zone. Defensively, Moravec plays a safe game where he does not make too many risky plays. I would like to see him use his stick more to steal the puck, or to poke it away as it sometimes feels Moravec is giving the offence the chance to make room or get past him. That being said, Moravec shows a lot of signs of being able to handle professional hockey, whether it will be in the NHL, AHL or in Czechia. Offensively, Moravec makes really solid passes, most of which are tape to tape, whether standing still or in skating stride. Moravec could use his skating a bit more efficiently in the offensive zone to create space, but hopefully that comes with confidence.
Potential: Middle pairing D
Potential rank: 3/10
“It’s a shame that Moravec did not play the most important games for Boleslav in the playoffs. He played on average 15 minutes per game, which is only by a minute more than last season. I like him last year a lot and I do so this season as well, but I’d love to see him being on a different level now. He skates well, and can find him teammates but we can’t talk about dominance. There’s still big potential, but I think he has to make a big move in his career, probably going abroad” – Jakub Hromada
#136- Martin Johnsen- Martin Johnsen has become more and more impressive in my eyes each time I watch him this season. He’s learning faster, becoming a quicker player and it has helped his decision making and positioning towards the end of the year. Johnsen is able to play a quick game focused around hands in tight, keeping control of the puck, and recognizing right-place-right-time styles of play for both himself and his teammates. To elaborate, Johnsen can make very smart plays in small areas of the ice by using his feet and hands/puck control to throw a pass to a teammate for a goal. In addition, when Johnsen isn’t the one carrying the puck, he takes on the role of what he wants his teammates to do. Johnsen is certainly someone who should be climbing draft boards.
Potential: Middle 6 Wing
Potential rank: 3/10
#137- Ludvig Jansson- Jansson has had mixed reports from me during this season, and while his point totals don’t exactly jump off the page to anyone, he’s playing in a tougher mens league and looks to have quite some upside and offensive bite to him. Jansson is a good skater and can beat defenders wide while pushing for the net or wrapping around to create space, but he needs to work on his edges as he cannot pivot or cut as quick as I’d like him to. He makes solid, hard passes that are often tape to tape, and has an extremely underrated shot, where I believe it is more powerful than it is accurate. Defensively, Jansson knows when to cut in to take or poke the puck away, but should eventually work on positioning and recovery defensively.
Potential: Middle pair D
Potential: 3/10
#138- Yoan Loshing- Loshing is one of my highlighted underrated prospects this year. While undersized, Loshing brings a lot of great fundamentals to the table, he has good feet, his top end speed and acceleration speed are both good, nice hands in tight, knows where the puck needs to be before releasing a powerful shot. And yes, his shot is pretty good for his size. Away from the puck, Loshing will need work. He sometimes sees the game as a passenger, but his positioning doesn’t not make being a passenger good enough. Loshing attacks the middle well but can also unleash a ripper from the top of the circle for a goal. Loshing to me, is someone who could possibly occupy a 3rd line wing spot, chance for 2nd line wing, with power play time.
Potential: Middle 6 W
Potential rank: 3/10
#139- Marcus Nguyen- As an undersized, very young player for the draft, Nguyen was getting pretty hot towards the end of the season, and it showed in the games as well. Nguyen is flying far under the radar this year, but I assure you he is certainly a player you would want your team to swing on early in the draft. Nguyen has speed better than most WHL players, can handle the puck well in tight, gets into position well, has a good shot and works hard to retrieve loose pucks or stick lifts. Nguyen is a busy bee on the ice, and with the amount of potential he holds (with ice time that will be raised next season) I would tell NHL teams to take him within the top 100.
Potential: Top 6 F
Potential rank: 2/10
#140- Cameron Whitehead- There’s one word that I believe can describe Whitehead’s goaltending; quick. In many different ways in fact. Whitehead can flash the glove before the shot is made, knowing it will be a safe save. Whitehead does an amazing job at ensuring that there is little rebound potential, especially when shots are coming in from mid range or long range areas. Even with crowding in front of the net, and the occasional tip by an opposing player, Whitehead seems to position himself quite nicely to ensure a save, and little room for a potential second shot. This is why I believe Whitehead is quite translatable. Even as an overager, I firmly believe Whitehead should be one of the first few goaltenders off the board this year.
Potential: Goalie
Potential rank: Goalie
“Whitehead is noticeably a big goaltender, standing at 6’3, 170lbs with a very good tactical and mechanical skill set for an 18 year old. The Orleans, Canada native demonstrates a reactive butterfly style, while showing great athleticism with his agility and quickness post to post. As a balanced and versatile goaltender with elasticity in his game, Whitehead does a good job maximizing coverage with his length and recovery tactics, as well as performing the appropriate depth control in various situations. Whitehead is consistently visually attached to the puck, which helps him compete for every puck. He has the ability to work outside his positional framework and technical skill set to find creative solutions to difficult situations, so he can make unstructured saves when needed. With a 14-6-2 record thus far, Whitehead is showing the capability to consistently close out hockey games at the junior level. He shows decent ice awareness, scanning for threats at the proper moments and demonstrating good post play/save selection tactics because of his good anticipation and edgework/skating capabilities. For a goaltender of his size, Whitehead has the ability to be explosive laterally and while exiting/integrating into his posts. He does a good job finding sightlines to pucks through congestion, and he competes for loose pucks that might become available around the crease. ” – Frank Longo
#141- Sebastian Tornqvist- Tornqvist is an overager for this year’s draft, but is certainly worthy of a pick. He is everything that most scouts look for in an offensive defenceman. He skates very well, has good edgework and mobility and maneuvers the ice well to make room for carrying the puck into the offensive zone. He catches up with developing plays and can act as a fourth forward if needed on the breakout. He has good gap control and puck protection, and can increase the pace of play with ease, which is highly notable for why I have him ranked. However, there are some issues within his defensive game and pace of play on the blueline. His defensive game could use work, he loses quite a few battles in the corners and does not fully use his strength in and around the net, but rather he takes an offensive approach. He’s good at picking up loose pucks and faking direction with his head and body language to create room defensively. His play on the blue line needs a little bit of work, and while he isn’t below-average at it, he could use some quickness to his passing game. He offers very accurate passes and sets up teammates for one timers and possession quite well, but I feel it needs to be quicker, especially at the next level.
Potential: Top 4 D
Potential rank: 2.5/10
“Törnqvist is a good defenseman who loves to jump into the
play and get into the offensive zone. He skates well both forwards and
backwards and he uses his edges well, especially when he’s evading
oncoming checks. He has decent top-speed and I think he could be very
dangerous if he could add some more acceleration to his first three steps.
Törnqvist is always looking for an opportunity to jump up offensively
and this can sometimes come back to bit him as he can get caught. I
think Törnqvist would be a good pick in the late fifth to sixth round for a
team looking to take a chance on an offensive defenseman with a lot of
potential” – Alfonso Acevedo
#142- Matvei Nadvorny- Nadvorny is a very very tricky one to evaluate. Ending up in my top 100 last year and undrafted, I felt Nadvorny could have made huge strides this upcoming season, and while he’s produced better statistics, there are still parts of Nadvorny’s game that I feel should have been better. One of the better skaters in last year’s draft, Nadvorny is very quick and agile. I would have liked to see him use that more to his advantage this year and become a player who can rush the puck offensively, but Nadvorny did it fewer times than I would’ve liked. He was a net front player a lot this year, at just 5’10. He will end up ranked again as I feel his ceiling is decent, but it is slowly starting to appear as a reach.
Potential: Top 9 F
Potential rank: 2/10
#143- Justin Cote- Why not draft this little waterbug of a player? Although very short at only 5’6, Justin Cote has some weight to him and plays exactly as mentioned- like a waterbug. Although he cooled down his ‘everywhere and anywhere’ tendencies, Cote still has the skills of quick skating and quick thinking to make plays happen at a high-tempo. Cote could use some more patience for sure, and I’d like him to show more positional awareness, but he plays well on the power play, and is a swift mover on the ice. Underrated, Cote’s shot is also something worth mentioning, as he’s able to fire off a quick accurate shot to beat goaltenders, Cote excels with space when shooting.
Potential: Top 9 F
Potential rank: 2/10
#144- Yegor Savikov- Savikov was someone who I had ranked last year, and while undersized, can certainly find his way to professional hockey someday. He has great speed, can drive the net well, has good puck handling and puck protection, but could use work on his edges. Other than his skating, he can play a high-intensity brand of hockey that is enjoyable to watch, making quick decisions and quick passes offensively, showing on the scoresheet. Some areas that Savikov needs to work on is his release and shot selection, he needs to pick his shots more carefully and perhaps gain a quicker release. Defensively, Savikov needs to work on positioning and staying poise.
Potential: Top 4 D
Potential rank: 2.5/10
#145- Theo Wallberg- I walked away quite impressed with my viewings of Wallberg, and while limited, he showed that he has a high ceiling on top of an already impressive statistical draft year. Netting 23 points in 46 Sweden U20 games this year, Wallberg made deceptive passes that gave his team a beautiful opportunity to score. Mix that in with a 6’4 lanky frame, and it can only get better. What Wallberg does extremely well is use his body language to fool defenders and then make a simple pass to an open slot guy, this explains why so many of his assists were primary and at even strength. However, Wallberg falls short on the defensive side of things, many times he’s in the wrong place at the wrong time. Moving forward, he needs to take a step back defensively and use his IQ to know when is a good time to attack the puck, or when to use his body/stick in a defensive play. I believe his ceiling is high though, so if he is drafted, there is plenty of room to get better over the next few years.
Potential: Top 4 D
Potential rank: 2.5/10
“Wallberg is a good skater who is willing to jump into the play
or lead the rush himself. He doesn’t, however, have the smoothest stride.
His pivoting ability is good, and his gap control is good. When it comes
to closing that gap however, I would like to see him close it quicker. He
is often closing the gap just as he is being turned around by his opponent
and this type of gap closing will not work against faster competition so it
will need some work. Wallberg has the potential to be a good rushing
defenseman however his closing of the gap is still a concern for me. I
think if he is selected it will be in the sixth or seventh round” – Alfonso Acevedo
#146- Rylen Roersma- Roersma was someone I only really had the chance to watch one game of this season, in addition to some highlights from other games. Roersma is a good skater with a ridiculous shot and is able to score his goals using this shot, his positioning and follow through. He does a good job at keeping up with teammates on rushes and occupying the empty spaces, but even when he is the one leading the rush, he is able to make nifty passes or fire an absolute cannon of a shot. Roersma is someone I enjoyed watching, although brief.
Potential: Middle 6 F
Potential rank: 3/10
#147- Joel Jonsson- Jonsson has some serious skills that he can show off in each and every game that you can watch from him this season. He isn’t afraid to show his silkiness, his underrated shot and how quickly he can skate around opponents with good agility and pace. However, I can’t help but feel that Jonsson will be a great junior player, and really struggle at the higher levels he plays. He has the silkiness that defenders will be able to stop easier, the agility that might not work when he’s being shoved by bigger competition and his shot that I’m not sure I see beating goaltenders. Jonsson would have a long road of development to go, and those penalties have to come down.
Potential: Middle 6 F
Potential rank: 3/10
“Joel Jonsson is an interesting player. He is a good skater who
gets the puck up ice well and has good acceleration. He has a good
passing ability and seems to protect the puck like it’s his last meal. He
also has a good motor, willing to backcheck and positions himself well
defensively. However, this can all disappear at times. He is a very
inconsistent player who has the potential to be an excellent player if not
for his inconsistent play. When Jonsson is on, he is a top 64 player in
this year’s draft, but when he isn’t he looks like he could be a flyer pick
in the late rounds. If he can fix his inconsistent play, I see a good
playmaker. As for where I think he could go, based on his talent he
could go in the second round however with his inconsistent play I think
he will go in the range of the third or fourth round” – Joel Jonsson
#148- Vinny Borgesi- Now you aren’t drafting a 5’9 defenceman most of the time for their defensive skills and speciality, and that’s also the case with Borgesi. He has shown some flaws at defence this season, and while it has not been good, it isn’t extremely bad. His offensive game is something that you bank on. He’s good in close with the puck, he reads cross-offensive zone passes well and is typically accurate when making pass attempts. He’s a good skater, and while his stride isn’t beautiful to watch, he is speedy. He has an underrated shot that he utilizes well in the slot and will help teams get goals by creating boat loads of scoring chances. However, Borgesi plays a little bit like a 4th forward which is a negative, and add in a lack of physicality on a shorter body and teams may be hesitant, but I definitely feel he is worth a late-round pick.
Potential: Middle pair D
Potential rank: 3/10
“Borgesi is a small agile defenseman who has great vision and works hard. He needs to get stronger and work on his defensive reads as he often gets caught out of position.” – Tait Borst
#149- Michael Schnattinger- Schnattinger is another Czechia goaltender who had an impressive draft year campaign, and despite having a higher statline than Jan Spunar, Schnattinger remains lower on my list. Schnattinger is a very calm goaltender who can regularly make good saves from long-range and mid-range distances. I believe Schnattinger projects better however as a back-up NHL goaltender. I did not notice an impressive amount of swiftness and agility in his game, and I felt he sometimes lacked in position, but he’s very poised and will regularly shut down guys attempting to score from a mid to long range distance.
Potential: Goalie
Potential rank: Goalie
#150- Markus Vidicek- Vidicek has some real potential, perhaps one of the highest potentials of QMJHL draft-eligible forwards, however, it’ll take a lot of time to get there. He has good tools, he can skate quickly, he can make passes tape-to-tape at high speeds most of the time, he gets into position well, reads offensive areas well and can play with patience when needed. His stickwork could use some tuning, he needs to find more purpose in where he is skating, and he needs to have better puck control and body language as I find he is semi-easy to steal the puck from offensively compared to other draft eligible players. Once he gains more confidence, I think the next few years should be easier for him to turn heads.
Potential: Middle 6 F
Potential rank: 3/10
#151- Josh Filmon- Josh Filmon is an intriguing prospect out of the WHL this year, and on an up-and-coming young junior team. The Swift Current Broncos were not very good this season, but have a lot of young pieces that will continue to develop over the years and should be a force down the road. Filmon brings net front presence, physicality, and battle-ready skills to the table. On top of that, he is able to make plays at high speed, including battling for positioning on a breakout, or making a tight pass to a teammate in front of the net mid-stride. Filmon also has a wicked release, which I would like him to use more often.
Potential: Middle 6 F
Potential rank: 3/10
#152- Zam Plante- Plante is a highly-talked about prospect for this year’s draft. While undersized, Plante is one of the youngest players eligible this year, had a good run in high school, and even played well for the Chicago Steel. With high-upside, Plante is a decent skater with an impressive shot given his small stature. Plante’s best attributes are his decision making, quickness, positioning and motor. However, he needs to grow strength and become more physical as well, as my viewings of him battling for the puck were lacking. While Plante finds different approaches to help his team, he plays his best up high in the slot in the offensive end.
Potential: Middle 6 W
Potential rank: 3/10
“Zam is a small but very creative forward. He is very young for this class and he could end up being a real steal. His skating needs work as it takes him a bit to get to top speed and his top speed is only okay. But he makes up for that in his shiftyness. He is very agile and makes quick turns and stops. His playmaking ability is what really stands out about his game. He draws the defenders to him and then slides a perfect pass to his teammates. His shot is very accurate and he has soft hands to be able to dangle around goalies. He has all the tools to have a huge season with the steel next year” – Tait Borst
#153- Jeremy Wilmer- Wilmer, being ranked last year by me, will again be ranked this year. Wilmer has become a better skater for his size, understanding that he doesn’t need to always get in the middle of the ice, and instead focus on open space. He skates with purpose, away from others and has in turn gained better puck control. Wilmer reads the game at a high pace, but at times will look like he is unconfident in which play to make. There are still areas in Wilmer’s game that I believe may prevent him from reaching the NHL, but with a long road ahead of him in the NCAA, I still believe there’s a ton of room to make that dream come true. Wilmer’s shot still needs strength, and I’d like for him to show more involvement in scrums, as I feel Wilmer will sometimes coast where he can and capitalize on mistakes – the same mistakes that won’t be there as often in the NHL.
Potential: Middle 6 F
Potential rank: 3/10
#154- Matej Prcik- I don’t see many people ranking Prcik this year, but that is almost silly. Although, I widely unnoticed him for much of the year myself. Going over his games again however, there are many categories of the game that he does well, mix that in with his point totals this year and his size, and I’m surprised he has not caught traction yet. Defensively, Prcik battles hard and has good size to him already. He is able to push around offenders and keep them within the outskirts of the net. His defensive stick is somewhat inconsistent, but he’s able to be tough to play against along the boards. Offensively, Prcik has some good traits to him, he can skate above-average, he can shoot the puck well, but his vision to jump into a play in the neutral zone and into the offensive zone is what I’ve walked away impressed with. I think if Prcik can continue to develop and climb levels, there’s a shot he ends up as a middle pairing defender in the National Hockey League.
Potential: Middle-pairing D
Potential rank: 3/10
“Matěj Prčík is more of an offensive-minded defenseman who is not bad in his own zone and in tight areas. He moves well enough to be awarded the ice-time at the power play where he records a few points mainly because of his shot being tipped” – Jakub Hromada
#155- Zaccharya Wisdom- There’s a reason Wisdom hasn’t had the best point totals while still being ranked this year by multiple sources. Not only was Cedar Rapids not a terrific team this season, but all of the traits that Zaccharya’s older brother Zayde has, he has too. Zaccharya has a very high motor and will do anything possible to help his team win. He cares way too much to let silly mistakes cost his team, and he will battle for minutes in the corner if he had to. Wisdom has good skating, good speed, great stick-lift ability, but his play away from the puck could use some work. He’s someone who will only get better over time however, and is certainly worthy of a pick in this draft.
Potential: Middle 6 F
Potential rank: 3/10
#156- Antonio Fernandez- Fernandez is definitely an intriguing prospect. His second half of the USHL season saw a huge point increase, where he nearly doubled his point totals from the first half. He maneuvers around the blue line very well in the offensive end, circling in open space to make room for passes to him. He has a solid snapshot that he uses effectively from the point, and if he skates closer into the hash marks, his shots are higher. Fernandez is an above average skater, and does well at protecting the puck when entering into a shot. Moving forward, I would like Fernandez to be more active defensively, as it is an area of weakness, and to use his teammates more appropriately in the offensive zone.
Potential: Middle-pairing D
Potential rank: 3/10
“Fernandez is a pure offensive defenseman. His skating isnt as good as Id like for his size. He gets out muscled a lot when in battles. He likes to join the rush amy chance he gets. He has a pretty hard accurate slap shot and his passing ability is pretty good as well.” – Tait Borst
#157- Alexis Gendron- Alexis Gendron is someone who has given me a hard time watching this year. He has the ability to create space with the puck, make nice crisp passes and rifle shots home when he’s given space, but I’ve also found him to cough up the puck at wrong times, fall under pressure of defenders and skate into nothingness. I think there’s still lots of potential for Gendron though, as I believe it could be a confidence thing, or just something that can be cleaned up within the next few years as he learns from his mistakes.
Potential: Middle 6 F
Potential rank: 3/10
#158- Jan Spunar- Jan Spunar is definitely one of the top goaltenders for this draft. With an impressive draft year in the Czechia U20 league, it isn’t just the stats that impress me. Spunar is very agile and quick in his crease. While I find there are some inconsistencies in positioning, he still makes the stops he needs to. He shifts from post to post quite quickly and can read close range shots fairly well too. He does a fantastic job at dropping to the butterfly and keeping the puck in close on rebounds so that he can recover the puck faster. He plays a smart game in the net, and is very poise in all situations.
Potential: Goalie
Potential rank: Goalie
#159- Alex Sotek- His highlights of the year mostly came from the Hlinka Gretzky cup at the very beginning of the season, but I believe there is some potential to be found in Sotek’s game, even if he hasn’t discovered putting all of the pieces together yet. Sotek has speed, he has agility and an edge to him, and has no problem driving the net with confidence. Sotek is really going to need to round out his game though with his hockey IQ, positioning and play away from the puck. If Sotek is given a couple of years, he has a high enough ceiling to crack an NHL lineup.
Potential: Top 9 F
Potential rank: 2/10″You probably won’t see Šotek high in the rankings, but he deserves a spot on the draft board. He’s a skilled winger who is an offensive threat mainly because of his vision and ability to create scoring chances for his teammates. He does it given his smooth edge work, he loves to skate sideways along the boards so he can see the whole rink” – Jakub Hromada
#160- Dylan Silverstein- I wanted to like Silverstein more than I do, but while he’s still definitely draft worthy, comes with some real risks for a goaltender. I find his reaction time can lack, and his positioning is inconsistent, but he is very athletic. He can make sprawling saves, he can bend and twist in great ways in the net, he’s very flexible, but his main issue is a huge one for me that shows in each game; consistency. He can make these athletic saves, be poised, and read the play very well, but will have slow reaction times, or just miss the mark entirely on where the puck is heading.
Potential: goalie
Potential rank: goalie
“Silverstein is an intriguing prospect for the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. It is easily noticeable he possesses a high level of intensity and compete while in the net. Standing at 6 foot, he has a composed technical package, while being explosive in his movements…especially laterally. He demonstrates strong positional mechanics, while showing impressive rebound control. Solid depth control on various situations presented in front of him. Silverstein is very athletic and can be creative when needed. He doesn’t give up on any puck, and plays with the same “swagger” Binnington does. Considered an elite skater, with good edgework and effortless post play. Silverstein strongly recovers to his spots and efficiently gathers information, while identifying scoring threats through scanning. He also communicates well with teammates. He tracks effectively while visually attaching to pucks…it is evident his hands are an asset to his overall game. ” – Frank Longo
#161- Connor Toms- Connor Toms is someone who has been underrated all year long. Playing on a fine Soo Greyhound team, Toms did not see a whole lot of ice time this year, with most games falling between 11-13.59 minutes. Toms is a good skater and uses his edges well, however, he is not as creative as he has been in other leagues that I have had the pleasure of watching over the past few years. I believe once Toms grows with more ice time, we will see more confidence and skill come out from him. Toms maneuvers the blue line quickly, can draw players in before making a play, and if needed, can be a powerful give and go player. Toms thinks the game quite quickly, and can move his feet into a smarter position just by scanning the ice quickly. Unbiasedly, Toms is in for a breakout year within the next two seasons and is well worth a mid to late round pick.
Potential: Middle pair D
Potential rank: 3/10
#162- Alex Bump- The heart and soul of high school hockey this year in Minnesota, a lot of people loved Alex Bump. While I’m not sold on potential, he plays very wise to how he knows he plays. He knows he isn’t a very speedy player, so he plays calm with the puck and uses his body to protect the puck well. He knows when to cut to the middle, when to let off a nice shot, and does well at manipulating defenders even without skating quickly. Bump doesn’t play with high-pace but he is someone who, on the wing, would be great in the high slot, in front of the net, or at the sides of the circles. Bump will be fun to watch in college to further see him develop.
Potential: 3rd line W
Potential rank: 3/10
“Bump needs to work on his speed but his offensive IQ is quite high. He has a great shot and can pick corners. His playmaking is pretty good, he uses his body to protect the puck well and get it to his teammates. He needs to work harder in the defensive zone and be smarter with his shot selection” – Tait Borst
#163- Brennan Ali- Ali is already a big kid, with NHL ready size, I can see him being picked in the middle stages of the draft. Ali is an above-average skater who does a good job at slowing down and being more precise with the puck. Ali can skate like a runaway train and knock over opponents, or he can slow it down, use his hands to get around a player, or make his shot pin-point accurate. While I’ve liked Ali, I question his ceiling and overall potential, and I believe he’s a safer bet as a potential 3rd liner than anything above that.
Potential: 3rd line W
Potential rank: 3/10
#164- Topi Ronni- Ronni has a good sense of placement and can find the soft areas of the ice to position himself for a shot. Ronni has a strong and accurate shot, but he lacks the ability to drive a play most of the time. When he wants to, he can be a true force on the ice, driving the net and putting one home, but most of the time he plays as a passenger. He plays a hard and physical game and shows his strength in puck battles. I am worried about the upside however, which may limit where he is drafted.
Potential: Bottom 6 C
Potential rank: 3/10
“A two-way centerman who maintains good speed and agility. He plays a mature game and is very good in the offensive zone with his strong playmaking abilities. Ronni has good size and does well in the defensive zone and along the boards in battles.” – Clare McManus
#165- Liam Arnsby- Arnsby is another player that I can see occupying a bottom line role in the future. Arnsby is a responsible, two way forward who can interrupt plays well, play physically, and be a workhorse on the ice. Back in his U16 days, some players considered him the hardest player to play against not named Shane Wright, and while he isn’t a top name this year, it speaks volumes about how hard it is to play against this relentless, two way guy who lifts sticks well, wins corner battles, and makes the game tough on you. It could be why a strong North Bay team gave him the “C” this year.
Potential: Bottom 6 C
Potential rank: 3/10
“Although Arnsby did not have the year I or many expected him to have, there is still a lot to look forward to with the centre and the attributes he brings to the ice. He wont necessarily blow anyone away with a great deal of skills with the puck, but he brings a great deal of grit and toughness that team love in players. Being a player who probably may not be considered to be one of the bigger players on the ice at 5’11, Arnsby is still pretty physically strong allowing him to win battles down low against defencemen, while also using his strength to separate and create space for himself. The centreman has good hockey IQ with his knowledge of where he needs to be on the ice in different zones, and while he needs to continue to develop and improve his skating and finesse on the ice, his leadership, energy, and toughness make him a player too look forward to.” – Connor Williams
#166- Beau Jelsma- As an undersized winger who plays close to the net, I may be a little lower on Jelsma than most. I somewhat see the potential of cracking the bottom lines of the NHL forward lineup. Jelsma reads passes well and sets himself up well at the net for rebounds and passes. Additionally, Jelsma likes getting close to the net before setting up teammates, driving the puck down as low into the zone as he can. Jelsma is strong and doesn’t let up in a scrum, but other than a good shot and smart positioning, I feel I haven’t been sold on much else.
Potential: Bottom 6 W
Potential rank: 3/10
“Jelsma is a player I think a lot of teams will underrate, and I think could be a gem of a pick in
that 3 rd or 4 th round range. He consistently brings a strong 200-foot game to the ice with his high
compete level quickly taking away time and space with a strong backcheck. At only 5’10 Jelsma
uses his body really well to protect the puck really well to create more space and scoring
chances. Jelsma uses his crossovers really effectively to get up to speed and maintain his speed
both with and without the puck, using his edges while to shift directions with ease. Jelsma had 47
points in his rookie season in Barrie, with 27 of those points being goals from his fearlessness to
drive the high danger areas and use his soft hands to finish in tight around the net. The exciting
aspect about Jelsma he likely could have had more, as he will need to continue to work on and
develop his finishing ability with his shot power and accuracy.” – Connor Williams
#167- Servac Petrovsky- Petrovsky has been noted as one of the top Slovak’s all season, and spending the year with Owen Sound, there were parts of his game I enjoyed and disliked. In terms of overall potential, I don’t see Petrovsky as someone who will step in as a top 6 forward, but rather a bottom 6 complimentary winger. Petrovsky has a good shot, fairly accurate and decent strength but his skating lacks and he thinks the game at a somewhat slower pace and has trouble finding positioning quickly. The best part of Petrovsky’s game is that he is a hard worker and has a good shot to boot, which if you give him a few years to develop the other aspects of his game, he could wind up on the lower lines of an NHL team.
Potential: Bottom 6 W
Potential rank: 3/10
” Servac Petrovsky has a strong 2-way game, with the ability to be a solid penalty killer at the NHL level. He is a good skater, who can play his 200-foot game with speed, especially on the forecheck, he has shown that he can be effective when pressuring the opponent’s defence. He will need to improve in the faceoff circle, that is an area that which he is good at but will need to be better at the next level, he has an offensive side to his game, but his defensive side appears to be stronger. It is still unclear on this potential at the next level, but if he can fine-tune his defensive game and gear it to the NHL level, he could be a solid bottom 6 player.” – Spencer Lazary
#168- Tyler Dunbar- I have had the pleasure of watching Dunbar since his U16 season across the border for the Soo Thunderbirds AAA team. Dunbar was the second best point-total defender on that team after Jack Matier, but his defensive game was wildly underrated, even by me. Dunbar has shown at each level he has played that he is a wildcard on the backend. While I’ve found his game to lack consistency up front, his decision making and IQ defensively is what earns Dunbar a spot on my ranking. When he spends a few years playing for North Dakota, I hope it rounds out his offensive game to be more consistent and well maintained. As for defence, I have a feeling Dunbar should be fine. He battles hard, uses his weight to push guys out of the net front, but when going for a loose puck, Dunbar makes the smart plays against the boards to teammates, or uses his body language to fake a direction of intent. Dunbar is a safe and reliable defenceman on the backend, but his upside is the absolute question. I would recommend a mid-to-late round pick and hope that North Dakota can push that boundary.
Potential: Bottom 4 D
Potential rank: 2.5/10
#169- Charlie Leddy- Leddy is someone who could wind up hearing his name called this year on the second day of the draft. I’ve enjoyed watching Leddy, and while he doesn’t show off in any one category, he’s a well-rounded defensive prospect who can hold his own in most situations. Leddy doesn’t have too much offensive flare, but he holds the blue line well and anticipates passes well. Expect him to always make a quick point-to-point pass, or play off the boards to keep his team in possession of the puck. Leddy excels in breakout passes, where he seemingly reads the openings of the middle of the ice very well, making tape to tape passes at high speed movement. Defensively, Leddy can be both aggressive, and patient, which is both a positive and negative at certain times. His decision making needs to be better when he does this in order to walk out of the play with the right outcome more of the time. Leddy always keeps two hands on the stick and does a good job at stick-checking and keeping himself in front of opposing players. However, by keeping both hands on his stick so much, he sometimes lets opposing players walk him instead of using his stick to his advantage, or choosing to be too aggressive at a wrong time and the offence can exploit those mistakes easier.
Potential: Bottom 4 D
Potential rank: 2.5/10
“Charlie Leddy is a big strong defensive deffenseman. He uses his body to fight off forecheckers and get the puck up the ice. He doesn’t show much offensive upside. If he makes it to the next level it will be as a shutdown defender.” – Tait Borst
#170- Petr Hauser- Petr Hauser is a big bodied Czechia player who I have enjoyed watching this season. I believe he’s an easily translatable player for the pro leagues, but his potential is still somewhat low. Hauser reminds me of a 3rd or 4th line player who will be able to play on the second power play unit, using his size, positioning and shot to get the dirty ‘in-low’ goals. Hauser can play physically as well, showing that he can be the grit some teams may need.
Potential: Bottom 6 F
Potential rank: 3/10
“Hauser is a very mature player for his age. And not only because of his size, but he’s also very reliable with the puck and he is finding the right decisions. He has a hard shot and also pretty decent vision, especially in the offensive zone. His overall skating can definitely get better” – Jakub Hromada
#171- Tyler Duke- Duke is an undersized defence, and while there are flaws in his defensive game, I feel he has enough potential to warrant a mid-round pick. His positioning offensively is good, he has good mobility around the blue line and can use his sharp edges to drive further deep in the offensive zone, and offers good passing that can lend his team a goal. However, Duke is inconsistent in this regard, as he is too quick to make a play, and does not analyze the ice well enough. Moving forward, Duke needs to work on his patience and decision making, consistency and defensive reads.
Potential: Bottom 4 D
Potential rank: 2.5/10
“Duke plays with pace and can be very shifty. He rarely takes a shift off, always working his hardest. He tends to throw the puck causing turnovers, and doesnt win a ton of board battles. When Duke decides to take an extra second to make a play he can make some really nice breakout passes. If he can gain consistency in not rushing the play he could become a good bottom pair Dmen.” – Tait Borst
#172- Bogdans Hodass- Hodass was someone I kept an eye on a lot last year, and while going undrafted, he had something to prove. Coming over to the WHL, he’s made massive steps in proving he can hang with North American players. Many of his points this season were primary points, add that to a large frame that he can throw around, and a booming shot, he looks very easily draft eligible. While his point totals don’t jump off the page, defensively he does well, although I wish there were more consistency at times. Hodass could likely make it as a bottom pairing defender who plays physically and can slap the puck into the back of the net with some power play time.
Potential: Bottom-pairing D
Potential rank: 3/10
#173- Kirill Dolzhenkov- Aside from his grizzly-like size, Dolzhenkov has more to offer than I originally gave him credit for. He skates well for his size, knows where to be on the ice to receive passes, and can of course deliver a powerful shot. The hardest part about ranking Dolzhenkov though is his potential. I think there’s a chance from banking on his beastly size that he can wind up playing on the bottom lines of a team, potentially gaining more physicality and power-forward play style would benefit him in that direction. While he skates well for his size, he is by no means quick, and this will have him struggle at the next levels. There’s lots to work on for Dolzhenkov, but there could also be an award if developed far enough.
Potential: Bottom 6 W
Potential rank: 3/10
#174- Daniil Orlov- Has size to him and can skate well, but I question some of the upside and defensive choices that he makes. Offensively, Orlov uses his size well to keep hold of the puck and drive the net, or protect the puck when being approached by other defenders. He makes smart and hard passes to the slot for the open player, but could be a little bit more mobile to create room and choices in the offensive zone. He has a great shot and is a strong player to go up against, but sometimes makes mistakes that leave the puck on the other side of the blue line. Defensively, Orlov needs to work on his decision making, as he ends up flat footed, letting the offence get right by him. Especially in net front battles, Orlov needs to be stronger on his stick when attempting to retrieve the puck.
Potential: Bottom 4 D
Potential rank: 2.5/10
#175- Keaton Dowhaniuk- Keaton Dowhaniuk is a very intriguing prospect for this year’s draft, and there’s a chance he is not even selected. I enjoy watching Dowhaniuk’s game because I believe he has great potential moving forward, and does well at covering the basics right now. He’s a good skater, has good mobility and accepts passes well in addition to dishing out nice passes. He uses the boards well in situations when needed, he has a good defensive stick on opponents entries but lacks in front of the net. He’s very undersized right now and should be able to do more damage defensively once he adds on extra strength. Dowhaniuk plays a simple game and that’s when he looks his best, so I believe he will only get better down the line, making him well worth a swing at the draft.
Potential: Bottom 4 D
Potential rank: 2.5/10
#176- Karlis Mezsargs- Mezsargs had great numbers in the MHL this year on a pretty weak Riga team, which definitely opens the eye up to a potential draft pick this year. While I do like Mezsargs, as a Latvian goaltender, I have some areas of his game that I do not enjoy. I find he isn’t extremely mobile and can sometimes seem small in the net. He does not give himself too much room to eliminate for shooters, and his reaction time is going to be a bit of a curb to overcome. I like his poise, I like his positioning on edge shots and his vision, but mobility and reaction time are going to be difficult hills to overcome for the next levels.
Potential: Goalie
Potential rank: Goalie
#177- Santeri Sulku- Sulku’s number one thing about him is his shot and power forward type of play. He is not shy to use his size to drive the net, play physically, and slow down the pace of play on the power play to utilize his space wisely. However, that has its doubts in itself. Sulku can play with pace, but sometimes does not give full effort, and there are plays that he will not be able to slow down at the NHL level. Noting that, and a lack of offence at even strength, I see Sulku as a bottom 6 player who could earn himself some power play time as well.
Potential: Bottom 6 F
Potential rank: 2.5/10
#178- Viliam Kmec- Don’t be fooled by Kmec’s point totals this year. As a defender who just spent his first season in North America, there are always some barriers to climb over. Kmec was hot right off the bat for a weak Prince George team, he started to slow down halfway through the season. His ice time was cut drastically, and I believe unreasonably. He was not putting up points for Prince George, but he was still above average defensively, using his big frame to pin guys up against the boards, and use his strength to push them away from the net. Kmec isn’t an excellent skater, as I believe he should be quicker on his feet, but it doesn’t hold him back too much. I believe that if he returns to the WHL next season, he can become a bit better and make a selection in the draft look worthy. He needs to be playing higher minutes, but he also needs to shake off the lack of confidence and consistency that we saw later in the season offensively. Kmec is a strong defender who could use some confidence and comfortability to really make a sufficient impact.
Potential: Bottom-pairing D
Potential rank: 3/10
#179- David Spacek- While Spacek has been unloading impressive offensive numbers all season long, he still remains partially low on my list. There are a few reasons for this; I don’t typically rank a lot of overagers, and when they are ranked they fall lower on my list, and while Spacek looks really good statistically, I don’t see a lot of projectability at the next levels. Spacek in other words, is above-average at nearly everything, but not necessarily great at any specific area of the game. His skating is fine, his acceleration is fairly good too. However, his shot isn’t super powerful and he seems flimsy on the puck sometimes. Defensively he has good stick work but doesn’t push the outside edge many times or use his power to move guys out of the way. Spacek can also be caught up watching the puck, resulting in opponents getting by him. To summarize, Spacek could wind up an NHL defenceman, but he’d be riding on the bottom 4 of a team and even then he would need to become just a little bit better at most aspects.
Potential: Bottom 4 D
Potential rank: 2.5/10
#180- Simon Wolf- I have come away pleasantly surprised with Simon Wolf’s games that I’ve viewed, and while a German goaltender, I believe he could have one of the better goaltending floors in the draft. Wolf reads offensive zone passes well and reads two-on-ones well too. He moves around the net better than average and has better rebound control than many in this draft. However, Wolf needs to be bigger in the net to close off space, and can be easily screened. Overall, Wolf has one of the better floors for goaltenders, but will need to work on vision, consistency and spatial awareness.
Potential: goalie
Potential rank: goalie
#181- Rasmus Rudslatt- Rudslatt is someone who I believe is in line for a breakout next season. He’s able to adjust to open spaces very well, has good agility, and does not take long at all to skate quickly with a fantastic first few strides. Rudslatt also has a good shot when pushing the net, able to pick corners well from all areas of the ice. To improve, I would like to see more consistency in reading offensive plays, activity away from the puck and positioning in all 3 zones.
Potential: Middle 6 F
Potential rank: 2.5/10
“Rudslätt is a good two-way forward who possesses a good
motor and skates well. I think he skates relatively well with the puck, but
he really bends over his feet when he’s skating with it. He generates
good speed with his skating, and he always seems to be moving. I like
how he well positioned defensively and how he’s willing to be physical
when he needs to be. I also like how he gets in on the forecheck using
his speed. I see Rudslätt as an early to middle fourth round pick.” – Alfonso Acevedo
#182- Reid Dyck- Reid Dyck was not a name I was expecting to have on my list this year. Playing on a weak Swift Current team, it was sometimes unnoticed that a draft eligible goaltender was holding down the netfront. However, his play at the CHL Top Prospects game made me dig a little deeper, and I believe there is something there with him. Dyck did not personally stand out in any one category, but rather played above average in all categories. If he can continue to improve on confidence and quickness in the crease, I believe he is in for a long developmental ride that might see him play professional hockey in the future.
Potential: Goalie
Potential rank: Goalie
#183- Seamus Powell- Seamus Powell isn’t a name that is thrown around often for the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, but I believe he should be a late round pick. Powell doesn’t have amazing point totals, and doesn’t necessarily do anything super-great, but he does a lot of things well. Powell is a fine skater, passes well, especially to the slot, can play patient defence and has a good defensive stick. The one area that Powell lacks in all-round is quickness. His decision making needs to be quicker when he jumps into the next level, which I believe he will prove to be better in. His passes are great, but sometimes miss the mark a little bit because he didn’t pass the puck at the perfect time for a moving skater. These are issues that will be tough for Powell to tune, but definitely possible. If Powell is able to fix up his quickness and decision making, through the use of NCAA coaches, I think there is a chance that Powell can look awfully good next year for Boston and make teams regret passing on him.
Potential: Middle pair D
Potential rank: 2/10
“Powell is a good skating defensive deffenseman who has a little offensive upside. He focuses on the defensive side of the game and rarely joins the rush. But when he does join the rush he does with speed and makes exellent head man passes.” – Tait Borst
#184- Hugo Havelid- Havelid, while very undersized for a goaltending prospect, has many great traits that I feel are important for goaltenders. He has tremendous poise and positioning, well above average in that category and he reminds me of a smaller Ben Gaudreau. He’s very calm in the net, does not make too many mistakes, reads the ice well, reacts well, and positions himself very nicely. The biggest knocks to make on Havelid are easily his size and potential.
Potential: goalie
Potential rank: goalie
#185- Aidan Castle- Aidan Castle, out of all the Niagara Ice Dogs draft eligibles, was my favourite one. Doesn’t have any high-end tools that he uses, but he plays the game smart, positions himself well and plays a coaches game. Battles hard, finds the soft ice, makes the simple plays and understands the importance of high danger areas. Once Niagara becomes a better team, or if Castle finds himself on another OHL team, I think he’ll definitely be able to show why he should have been drafted if he isn’t this year.
Potential: Middle 6 F
Potential rank: 2/10
“On a Niagara IceDogs team that struggled this season with a large amount of 2004 and 2005 born OHL rookies, Castle was a player who utilized his skating and movement off the puck to impact the game. Castle is a quick player who looks to bring a quick forecheck getting onto opposing defencemen quickly, using his stick to try and force turnovers more so than his body. Finishing second on the team in rookie scoring with 43 points, Castle was unafraid to attack the net with his speed while also often being able to find soft areas in transition and in the offensive zone to receive the puck and get chances on net.” – Connor Williams
#186- Gabriel Szturc- Don’t let the points fool you, I think Szturc is in for a breakout within the coming seasons. He reacts well when his teammates have the puck, always finding the open patch of ice to pick up passes or loose plays, he has good hands in tight and can drive the net relatively well. His speed is above average, but his patience with the puck is something I’ve really noticed. Szturc isn’t afraid to hold onto the puck and wait for better plays to appear, however, away from the puck, Szturc can sometimes sit around waiting for something to happen. While he’s good positionally, Szturc needs to find consistency in seeking out plays for himself rather than waiting for opportunities to arrive.
Potential: Middle 6 W
Potential rank: 2/10
#187- Nick Malik- It’s undeniable that Malik has put up quite an impressive rookie campaign in Finland’s Liiga. Boasting a .922 save percentage in a professional league is an awesome accomplishment. However, there are still some glaring issues in Malik’s game that need to be addressed. While I find Malik could become an NHL goaltender, there are issues in his positioning at times and reading screened shots. However, Malik makes himself large in net for almost every long range shot, which he does well beyond average compared to other young goaltenders. Another part I like about Malik’s game is that he keeps rebounds hard to track. If Malik is giving up a rebound, he does not make it easy on the opponents as he is quick to cover the entire net in front of the shooter, or quickly getting it out of a high-danger area.
Potential: Goalie
Potential rank: Goalie
#188- Ales Cech- Cech is one of those defencemen that I would introduce as a potential breakout candidate post-draft. Which is why he needs to be selected this year at the draft in order to make teams scouts look like geniuses. Having not put up a bunch of points this year, I believe Cech has the ability to produce a boat-load next season, especially if he returns to Finland. He has size to him, at 6’1 and 192 lbs, but he can still skate fairly well. He maneuvers between front skating and back skating quite well, he has solid edges that he relies on to build time and space, and can dish the puck out of the defensive zone well too. I’m not sure why the points have not been piling in for him this season, but he has played well, scoring 1 point at the Hlinka cup, 3 points in 4 games at the EYOF, earning ‘assistant’ for the Czech team, and eventually earning ‘assistant’ at this years U18s. I believe what Cech needs to become better is more confidence, more swagger and maybe a bit more consistency. Once he rounds out his game, I fully expect him to make his draft position look really good.
Potential: Middle pair D
Potential rank: 2/10
“6’2″ tall and huge defenseman good at 1on1 defending, it’s very tough to beat him and skate around him, he uses his body very well. Cech has a long reach and excels at denying passing opportunities, his stick work is overall very good. He has a good stride and skates very smoothly, doesn’t show any weakness when skating backwards. Does not shoot very often but if he does, he usually releases a hard shot towards the goaltender” – Adam Duchon
#189- Aleksanteri Kaskimaki- Kaskimaki made a name for himself halfway through the season, leading the U20 Finnish league and providing good goal scoring ability. However, I am not sold on Kaskimaki. I find that while he’s done fine putting up points, he will struggle at higher levels for a few different reasons. He needs to be quicker, not only through skating, but his awareness and passing and decision making need to be much quicker. I think he also needs to be more involved than he is, as I’ve seen him be on the outside of puck battles and play offensively. However, he does have a good shot and can make the simple offensive plays from time to time.
Potential: Bottom 6 W
Potential rank: 2.5/10
#190- Hudson Thornton- Thornton played extremely well this year on a weaker Prince George team. There are some key things that I would like to see Hudson continue to develop in, such as being a quicker player. Thornton has done well in his craft of shooting, passing, and skating, however, he does these with a slower pace than I would like. He’s not a slow player, he’s a fine skater, but he needs to make decisions more quickly if he wants to see himself at the next level. Thornton holds the blue line down well and has a well-accurate shot that he utilizes well with screens in front of the net. Defensively he plays with more pace but his offensive potential is more than his defensive potential.
Potential: Bottom 4 D
Potential rank: 2/10
#191- Mason Beaupit- Mason Beaupit is an extremely difficult goaltender to gauge ahead of this draft. He hasn’t been too bad this year in the WHL, and while he carries size, there are some real concerns, holes and flaws in his game. On one positive note, I will say Beaupit has great reaction speed down low. Once he is in the butterfly position, he is able to make leg kick saves, or move around the net with his large frame. On the other hand, I can’t help to feel like a majority of Beaupit’s saves in the WHL this year have come greatly from the fact that he is as large as he is. His mobility does not impress me too much, his reaction time up high is below average, and his athleticism is lacking at times too. Being a bigger goaltender while making saves primarily on the fact that you are large is a red flag to me, as it’s very difficult to get away with that at the NHL level. However, there is still some potential to be found within Beaupit’s lower body and the butterfly potential that he holds.
Potential: goalie
Potential rank: goalie
#192- Jake Furlong- Someone who should be swung on in the late stages of the draft is Jake Furlong of the Halifax Mooseheads. Putting up plenty of points this year, Furlong has a nose for offence and does so by positioning himself well in the offensive zone. He always finds open space and isn’t afraid to push into the slot for a shot chance. My concern with Furlong is that he does not play with a high-pace style. He can slow the game down which is fine but it isn’t always positive when he cannot speed it back up. I think he holds onto the puck a little too long offensively, whether a shot attempt or pass attempt is coming, and it gives defenders a better read of him. Defensively, Furlong battles hard in front of the net and has a solid defensive stick which should help him move forward.
Potential: Bottom 4 D
Potential rank: 2/10
#193- Brayden Schuurman- Schuurman has good speed on the outsides, and pushes towards the middle well. Schuurman has beefy weight to him at only 5’9, so his shots are great considering his size, and he can often release the puck quickly after receiving the puck. He plays physically, and battles well. Schuurman should become better off-puck, gain more consistent skating, patience and offensive vision to become better. I would definitely swing on him in this draft as he plays a game similar to a lot of complimentary bottom-line wingers.
Potential: 3rd line W
Potential rank: 2/10
#194- Tomas Suchanek- Suchanek came over to the WHL this year and did not let down. Playing on a weak Tri-City team, Suchanek was a stand out for most games this season, and kept them in more than they should have. While I don’t think Suchanek has fantastic mobility in the crease, his reaction time saves him from that being an absolute negative. Suchanek does an incredible job at getting down low quickly, and reading the play down low. Whenever screened, Suchanek is able to block the net and get an eye on the puck to make great saves. Another benefit of his reaction time has been saving deflected shots, something that I feel he is above-average at within the WHL.
Potential: Goalie
Potential rank: Goalie
#195- Quinn Finley- Finley is someone I’ve thought pretty average of this year. He’s an okay skater, a bit above the average USHLer, has a good shot that is accurate, but could use a faster release. He moves the puck around the offensive end very well, which is something that he does above the average USHLer. He works well with space and isn’t afraid to go into the dirty areas. Apart from that, Finley doesn’t have a great ceiling and I believe if he does make the NHL someday, he has a long road ahead of him.
Potential: Bottom 6 W
Potential rank: 2/10
“He plays with pace and has really good hands. He needs to get stronger and more consistent in his own end. He steps up in big games and is young for the draft and has a lot of upside.” – Tait Borst
#196- Nolan Lalonde- Lalonde ended up playing a wide majority of Erie’s games this year, and Erie was certainly no contending team. Lalonde did not have much help in front of him on the back-end and while somewhat small for a goaltender, Lalonde was able to provide enough proof on why his name should be called on draft day. He’s poise while in the crease, makes smart decisions on where he is moving and when to drop into the butterfly, and understands developing plays around him. However, Lalonde’s positioning can sometimes be off, which caught my eye a few times. I do believe however that by next year, his statistics will look better, and if he can clean up and round out his positioning, I believe he will be able to prove why he was worthy.
Potential: Goalie
Potential rank: Goalie
#197- Otto Heinonen- Heinonen is a fairly low-upside pick, but I still feel there is some comfortability in being a late round pick in the chance he becomes a decent bottom pairing defence. While only 5’11, Heinonen does have some weight to him already and he uses it well too. He does a good job at pinning against the boards and moving guys outside of the net area. Offensively, Heinonen needs to move his feet more, but his passing and inconsistent driving towards the net are two things that he does well in.
Potential: Bottom pairing D
Potential rank: 2/10
“
Heinonen is a good overall defenseman who I think still needs
some work. He is a good skater both forward and backwards and has a
good pivoting ability. He is willing to jump into the play, but I would
like him to be smarter when he’s pinching because he can get caught.
His gap control is also needing some work. I would also like to see him
be more aggressive when he’s defending the front of his own net. I also
found that the way he defends the front of his net cause’s issues for his
goalie as he will often either pick his man up on the wrong side or create
a screen. I am not a big fan of Heinonen, I think he could get taken in the
seventh round, but I am not sure I would take him at all” – Alfonso Acevedo
#198- Graham Sward- Graham Sward was someone who I had high hopes for last year, and through a COVID season, Sward barely had the chance to play, and did not perform too much on the statline as most would hope. This year, as an overager, he was able to showcase his offensive abilities and just how good he can be. Sward has good offensive tendencies, he jumps into odd man rushes well and capitalizes plenty of times that way, has good passes, can hold the blue line well and can even draw opponents in before making a play by creating space. However, to continue improving, I would like to see Sward become stronger all-around, but especially in the legs. I would also like to see less hesitation defensively, as he is a workhorse, sometimes it feels like he needs a shove to get fully involved.
Potential: Bottom 4 D
Potential rank: 2/10
#199- Marek Hejduk- I knew I would like Hejduk from my first viewing of him this season, and even though he was not producing on the stat sheets, he had good fundamentals to his game that I could see getting better. His positioning and off-puck reads were impressive, his vision for passing and skating are all fine. However, a lack of growth in the back-end of the season leaves him falling down my rankings quite a bit. While I was not bothered at the lack of production in the second half, his play had not grown, which is disappointing when he has the tools that he does. I still like Hejduk and feel he is more than deserving of a late round pick, but he does need to be worked to grow his tools further and become more confident.
Potential: Bottom 6 W
Potential rank: 2/10
#200- John Babcock- A stocky defenceman, Babcock has shown signs of becoming a better player over time. While his ceiling is not necessarily high, Babcock can prove to be a two-way bottom pairing defender. I believe he needs work defensively, as he falls flat footed more than I would like, but offensively he does a good job at using his feet and body language to push through opponents and rip off a clear shot. Babcock has a solid release and good puck control, and can forcibly play the body to ensure the puck stays in the offensive zone, however, defensively, Babcock needs to apply a different type of aggressiveness in order to not give up opponent opportunities.
Potential: Bottom-pair D
Potential rank: 2/10
#201- Maxim Arefyev- I’ve had mixed feelings about Arefyev throughout my viewings. He manages to stop pucks well right now, but there are some questions I have about his reaction time and movement within the crease. Sometimes I believe Arefyev tries to do too much in the crease, which can sometimes lead to bad bounces for rebound opportunities or in some cases, a goal. However, Arefyev does a great job at looking large in net and making sprawl saves on cross-crease chances. He boasts good numbers, and I believe there is potential if he can become a little bit more poised and positioned well.
Potential: Goalie
Potential rank: Goalie
#202- Kasper Lundell- The younger brother of Anton Lundell, Kasper plays a similar game to his older brother, but does not do it as well. Kasper is a safer pick in the late stages of the draft this year, but he does not stand out in any aspect of the game, rather, he’s an all around player that does everything slightly above average in the Finnish junior league. His two-way play is good and he’s a responsible and trusted forward, and he can use his skating to push the middle of the ice while playing in tight, but I have worries that some of his offence will not translate easily to the next levels. That doesn’t change the fact that Kasper is a dual threat in each end of the ice right now, being able to play physically and mentally wise.
Potential: Bottom 6 C
Potential rank: 2/10
“Brother of Anton, Kasper is an interesting prospect who has
potential to be a good two-way NHL player, but he still has work to do.
He skates well but I don’t think he generates a lot of power through his
stride. I would like to see him add some more acceleration to his skating.
Like his brother he is very responsible defensively. He has a defensive
mentality in all three zones which I think hurts his offensive potential.
Offensively I think there is potential there, but he needs to unlock it.
With proper development, Lundell could become a good top nine two-
way center. I see him going in the later rounds, somewhere in the realm
of the fourth or fifth round” – Alfonso Acevedo
#203- Otto Hokkanen- Hokkanen has been mixed in my viewings of him, but I believe I’ve figured out enough to have him properly ranked. Hokkanen does a few things well, his positioning, nose for the net, shot and physicality make him a threat right now. However, his lack of speed, stickhandling and reads in all three zones really limit the upside that I see in him. I believe if Hokkanen were to really work at it, there’s only really a chance he winds up a bottom line grinder role who can dig at the net or work players tirelessly against the boards.
Potential: Bottom 6 F
Potential rank: 2/10
#204- Samuel Savoie- Savoie is very hard to project given the style I’ve seen him play with this year. Savoie is a decent net-front presence, good with positioning and getting rebounds, collecting passes from in front of the net or behind the net, but it’s hard to project somebody being this type of player in the NHL when they are only 5’10. Savoie lacks patience and overall vision when passing, his skating is fine and he has a decent shot, but he needs to work on making the easy plays, as he often plays like he is more-so hopeful something good will happen. Savoie in my viewings has thrown the puck out in hopes that a teammate is there, and that’s difficult to get rid of for the next level.
Potential: Bottom 6 F
Potential rank: 2/10
#205- Cole Spicer- While Spicer was able to up his production by quite a bit this year, it’s still a long road to go. Spicer has become more confident, which I believe is the biggest reason he found as much success as he did this year. For the next steps however, Spicer needs to think the game at a quicker level, become a bit more physical, and improve his play away from the puck.
Potential: Bottom 6 W
Potential rank: 2/10
“Cole Spicer is a player that I don’t think is getting enough attention this year. In a bottom six role he has created a ton of offense for a loaded USNTDP team. He works hard every shift and plays a heavy two way game. He throws his body around when necessary and creates a lot of steals with his backchecking. He is a good finisher in tight and uses his IQ to get on breakaways a lot. He is a bottom six dream and could possibly be a good complimentary player in the top six if he is developed right.” – Tait Borst
#206- Martin Schreiber- Ranked last year decently high by NHL Central Scouting, Schreiber still managed to go undrafted. While I believe their ranking of him was slightly generous, I think he undoubtedly should have been picked last year. Standing at 6’2, Schreiber has room to put on more weight and become stronger, something I think will really elevate his game. Schreiber is fine offensively, making smart passes from D-to-D, and moves the puck well on the power play as well. He isn’t someone I would say has high offensive flair or upside, even though he has made some pretty nice highlight plays, but it’s the defensive potential that catches my eye. He battles for the puck well, but sometimes lets off on opposing players, who end up beating him in puck battles. While this is an error on Schreiber’s part, he positions himself well and leaves little room for a play off the boards. I believe that once he puts on more muscle, he should have no problem beating opponents as his defensive stickwork and play with the puck defensively is above average. Strength and confidence should be able to help him in net-front battles and scrums in the corners.
Potential: Bottom 4 D
Potential rank: 2/10
“Schreiber is a good mobile defenceman who possesses a long
reach and has a decent shot. He skates well but he doesn’t have the
smoothest stride and I would like to see him improve his forward
acceleration. The one thing I like about Schreiber is that he’s noticeable
almost every shift. He likes to carry the puck up ice, and he does it well,
and he is also willing to join the rush. I think he’s a decent defender, but
I would like to see him close his gap quicker. I think that Schreiber is
someone who could be a good top 6 two-way defenseman in the NHL
someday. I could see a team take a swing on him near the end of the
draft, probably in the late sixth or seventh round” – Alfonso Acevedo
#207- Tyler Muszelik- The USNTDP had two strong goalies this year, and I definitely believe both of them are worthy of being drafted. Muszelik has boat loads of potential, which is definitely enough to put him in my final rankings. Muszelik has become consistently better throughout his time with the U.S. Development Program, and his rounding out has been noticeable. He’s very agile in net, very quick on recoveries and has really good positioning, especially when facing several shots in a short amount of time. That does leave one problem though, I believe Muszelik gives up maybe a few too many rebounds at times. These can lead to goals at times, but most of the time he does a swell job of maneuvering the crease to stop pucks. I believe if he were to gain more confidence in the net and some more control of the puck, there’s a real shot he can become an NHL goaltender.
Potential: Goalie
Potential rank: Goalie
#208- Brayden Schmitt- The QMJHL was in a weaker state this season, so I feel there could be a few potential late round picks that might end up looking okay in a matter of years. Brayden Schmitt is someone I would take a late round swing on. His skating is slightly above-average, but he uses his edges well. The part of Schmitt’s game that is most appealing is his tough-on-stick battles with opponents and his accurate breakout passes. Plenty of his assists this year came from possession in his own end, finding a forward breaking out in the middle of the ice and making an accurate direct pass to their stick. While only 5’11, Schmitt battles hard in the defensive zone, but he always leaves me wanting more. At times, Schmitt is quick to let off on using his feet, which is frustrating to say the least, especially when he is sometimes closer to the puck than his opponent. I believe Schmitt can become better in time with more weight and confidence in his game. Schmitt needs to be moving his feet more often in order to match that with his full-effort puck battles that he commits to.
Potential: Bottom-pairing D
Potential rank: 2/10
#209- Gustav Karlsson- Gustav Karlsson is a name to keep in mind for the late stages of the draft. He did not blow me away with puck handling or being a terrific skater, but rather his positioning away from the puck and his shot- utilizing both to create a lot of scoring chances. Karlsson’s ceiling is by no means one of the highest in the draft, and I would expect that if he did make it someday, he would be a 3rd or 4th line winger, as he’s good at playing on the outside of the crease, drives the net well and loves generating chances.
Potential: Bottom 6 W
Potential rank: 2/10
“A good skater who possesses a long reach, Karlsson has the
making of a good playmaking center. His passing ability is good, he
finds his teammates well and tries to get them the puck. He is also
willing to back defensively and support his defensemen on the breakout.
I would like to see him do that more consistent. I would also like to see
him be more aggressive on the forecheck which he does well getting in
on. Karlsson will need to add more strength and muscle before he is
ready for the NHL, but I think he could be a good bottom six center who
works hard. I see him going around the fourth or fifth round” – Alfonso Acevedo
#210- Adam Engstrom- Engstrom has size to him, at 6’2 and 185 lbs already, he uses it well defensively. While sometimes inconsistent though, he can push the offense to the outside and finish a check to the boards. Offensively, Engstrom lacks mobility but has good offensive awareness, making good passes out front and delivering a booming shot from the blue line. I would like Engstrom to become a bit of a better skater who increases his mobility and quickness on the ice, in addition, to become more consistent defensively and not be afraid to use his size to his advantage.
Potential: Bottom 4 D
Potential rank: 2/10
“There isn’t much in Engström game that I don’t like. He skates
well both forwards and backwards and has a good pivoting ability. He
has a long reach which he uses to keep his opponents to the outside. He
also moves the puck well with both his feet and through his passing
ability. He makes a good first pass and does well to get the puck to his
open teammates. I think Engström will be a good two-way defenseman
at the NHL level. I see him being taken in the fourth or early fifth round” – Alfonso Acevedo
#211- Yegor Sidorov- Yegor Sidorov plays a hard-style type of hockey. He doesn’t have speed that will blow you away, he doesn’t make any sweet dangles to draw your eyes before netting a goal, but he does play a smart-positional style of hockey, and is reliable to be the net front presence and picks up the bounces well before netting the puck. Sidorov is somebody that I can see becoming a bottom 6 winger with the opportunity to earn some power play time. He’s not afraid to be physical, and maneuvers around the defenseman to earn himself a nice rebound.
Potential: Bottom 6 W
Potential rank: 2/10
#212- Marcel Marcel- At a towering 6’4, Marcel skates very well for his enormous size. He has a good shot and provides good strength in stick checks, checking against the boards, playing physical in front of the net, and does a tremendous job at screening the goaltender. However, there are parts of Marcel’s game that I do not like. I find he plays too much along the outside when he isn’t playing net front, and his decision making and pace of play are slower than most prospects I would root for. However, there is still some potential to be found in a bottom line player someday.
Potential: Bottom 6 F
Potential rank: 2/10
“Big winger bringing physical presence on the ice, likes to chase the opponent and force him into making a mistake or hitting him hard. His movement off the puck is very good, constantly cuts passing lanes and looks out for loose pucks. His stickhandling is good along with accurate passing” – Adam Duchon
#213- Maxim Barbashev- Barbashev is someone from the QMJHL you should want your team to take in the later stages of the draft. While he’s mostly slightly-above average at everything in juniors, he really is above average at everything. Barbashev plays physically, he can be a nuisance, he has a decently accurate shot, and makes good defensive plays from time to time to let everyone know that he’s there. Barbashev doesn’t have a great ceiling, but because he’s well-rounded, I believe there is room to be made for him in the 6th or 7th round.
Potential: Bottom 6 F
Potential rank: 2/10
#214- Kirill Kudryavtsev- Coming over to North America this year, Kudryavtsev spent the season playing with the Soo Greyhounds. And while he has become better throughout the season, there are still some glaring issues when it comes to his play that sees him placed in my later rounds rather than the earlier rounds. His strides are choppy and he isn’t overly fast, his puck handling can sometimes look lackadaisical, or he can bring you out of your seat. His shot is good and he holds the blue line well, but lacks defensively, where he needs to know when to attack the offence better. Needless to say, Kudryavtsev is going to need a lot of work, especially mechanically. However, he makes smart passes and chooses the simple play well when the puck is on his stick. If he can become quicker, both physically and mentally, there’s a chance for him to become a bottom pairing defence.
Potential: Bottom 4 D
Potential rank: 2/10
#215- Roman Kechter- I’ve been a big fan of Roman Kechter since last season. Being a leader for Germany this year in junior world games, Kechter was always one of the best ones on the ice. He’s solid in all 3 ends of the ice, but his shooting and up-front offence seal the deal for me to have him ranked. Kechter picks up passes with ease and can fire them off as quickly as they come to his stick. He picks his corners well and follows up on his own rebounds if he needs to. He plays a good game in tight when driving the net, and can make nifty passes to teammates in the slot. He plays any type of game that is needed down low to give his team the best chance at scoring. Defensively, Kechter skates back well and lifts the stick when he can. Somewhat inconsistent in the area, I’d like Kechter to continue to use his motor and give more effort when playing defensively. Although, when he’s on his game defensively, he’s on.
Potential: 3C
Potential rank: 2/10
“Big sized center who skates very well and creates high-danger chances for his teammates. Kechter is skilled stickhandler with great passing ability. His movement is on a high level which makes it very easy to find him in breakout positions” – Adam Duchon
#216- Mitchell Martin- Having a successful playoff run with Kitchener, Martin made himself noticeable on the ice. With his 6’4 frame and NHL ready size, Martin had no issues battling it out tough against others, notably his play against the London Knights. Martin had good puck protection, a heavy shot, great physicality and loved to play near the net in the dirty areas. I see Martin as someone who can occupy the bottom lines of an NHL team possibly and be the grinder or power forward that they need. With just his first OHL season under his belt, I’d say he’s going to become better from here on out.
Potential: Bottom 6 F
Potential rank: 2/10
#217- Samuel Mayer- Mayer is someone who I think could be a solid late round choice in this year’s draft. An overager, sure, but he has lots to offer that NHL scouts crave. He has size, he has speed, he has an absolute cannon of a shot and is not shy to throw his weight around. Mayer is someone who could wind up being a solid bottom pairing defender who is given some time on both the power play and penalty kill units.
Potential: Bottom 4 D
Potential rank: 2/10
#218- Axel Mangbo- Mangbo came over to the USHL and did not fail to impress. As an overage goaltender, Mangbo only got in 6 J18 games in Sweden last year, boasting an impressive .933 save percentage. However, going undrafted, Mangbo decided to test the waters in North America this year and walked away with a fairly good season. What Mangbo does really well is use his size to his advantage. There are goalies who are larger in frame but they do not utilize their size accordingly, but Mangbo does. He can sprawl out to make big saves, and knows what his reach is for each limb of his body. While Mangbo isn’t extremely agile or quick to throw his body across the net, he has well-above average hand-eye and reach to make many meaningful saves to keep his team in the game. As his first season in North America, I found it to be successful enough to have him on the final ranking.
Potential: Goalie
Potential: Goalie
#219- Raul Yakupov- Raul Yakupov scored 30 goals this year in the MHL in just 54 games, and while there aren’t many areas of Yakupov’s game that are translatable, his aggression and his shot are two standouts. Yakupov picks his corners well, and with space can really snipe it home more often than not- but he lacks quickness in his game in nearly all areas. His speed is average for the MHL, but he attacks the net hard. He has no problem getting into dirty areas and digging until one finds itself home. Yakupov’s ceiling is not great from my viewings, but there may be a hint of something there worthy to take a swing on.
Potential: Bottom 6 W
Potential rank: 2/10
#220- Linus Sjodin- Linus Sjodin had a successful year in the SHL this season, netting 5 goals and 6 assists for 11 points in a pro mens league. Sjodin has good net-front presence despite not being overly big, and carries a terrific weapon of a shot. He receives pucks well and can rip them through goalies within just a few milliseconds after receiving them. He has no problem finding positioning offensively, and has a good hand eye to match tip ins in front of the net. However, there is still work to be done. I like Sjodin as a skater, however I wish he would have more confidence with the puck and find spaces to skate to, as I feel he isn’t very difficult to defend against this way. I would also like to see Sjodin position himself along the outer edges of the net as I feel he would find more success from these areas compared to always being dead centre, where his chances of landing a puck on his stick are less. In Sjodin, I see someone who can take a shooter’s role on the 3rd line with some power play time as well.
Potential: 3rd line W
Potential rank: 2/10
#221- Nikolai Khvorov- Khvorov has been a fun player to watch this year. While I feel he really needs to add strength and patience to his game, his intensity and follow through with plays is a great place to start. He’s good at finishing the puck, and he understands his teammates’ roles in each game, knowing when to push the net for a pass/rebound, and knowing when to stay back. While Khvorov has a good foundation to build upon, he also needs help in quite a few areas of the game. Gap control, physicality, patience and consistency away from the puck are a few to name. Khvorov though has good speed, good hands in tight, and reads possible passing lanes well. Once he adds strength and continues to develop, there potential to be a finishing 3rd liner.
Potential: 3rd line F
Potential rank: 2/10
#222- Brandon Lisowsky- Lisowsky is someone who has been slipping down my list, and I’m still not sure I can buy into the future potential with him. At 5’9 he’s fairly undersized, but he’s also beefy already. The speed isn’t great on Lisowsky, he takes quite a few steps to get into top speed, his puck battle skills are fairly average in the WHL, but his top trait is his shot. Lisowsky is able to let off a good release in the slot, down low or from afar and beat goaltenders. In terms of potential though, I’m not sure Lisowsky has much more to give, making him a 7th rounder in my eyes.
Potential: Bottom 6 W
Potential rank: 2/10
#223- Jacob Oster- While Oster’s statistics are not overwhelmingly nice on an above-average Guelph team, I believe there is still some potential to be seen with him. He moves along the crease nicely for someone who is 6’3, he does not let many rebounds take place, especially towards the end of the season, and while he is sometimes inconsistent and can be slow to react at times, I think Oster will find his way nicely over the next few seasons.
Potential: Goalie
Potential rank: Goalie
#224- Colin Kessler- Kessler did not play many tough games this year, but I do believe he was fully outgrown of where he played. His stats were great with Culver, but it was not just that he was scoring – he was cocky. Kessler played the season with swagger in his skates and magic in his hands. Kessler is good at playing in tight, with good hands and a ready-to-go snapshot that he can unleash quickly. Kessler’s skating is beyond most defenders he played against, and his ability to break up plays from opposition with ease before staring down the goalie was seen plenty of times. Kessler’s chances of hitting his potential is low, but I would definitely swing on him late in the draft and hope he tears up the USHL next season.
Potential: Middle 6 W
Potential rank: 2/10