2024 NHL Draft Rankings - McGillicuddy Edition
We back baby.
The Malette Continuum: The only thing that matters is whether you call out Player X or Player Y when you walk up to the podium. It doesn’t matter if this player should be three spots ahead of that player or if he should be five spots. The list is merely a tool to make selections with.
I am a big fan of the Malette Continuum.
I do not see the point in making any draft list that isn’t designed for being used at the draft. The list itself doesn’t matter. The arbitrary difference between who is ranked ninth and who is ranked thirteenth really, really doesn’t matter. How close you end up being to the real draft order doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is the name you call when you’re on the podium, and how you develop the player to reach the heights you see in them. Nail the pick and no one gives a shit about one player being a few spots too low. We can’t always be right. In fact, we’re bound to be wrong some years. That’s the game we play as scouts. It’s all just to find good hockey players.
So what makes a good hockey player?
At its core, hockey is a very simple game — its elegance forever entrenched within its beautiful simplicity. It is merely a group of five players competing against another group to see who can skate up the ice with the puck and beat the goalie with a shot. Reminiscent of soccer, yet hockey possesses an inherent, chaotic nature rarely found in other sports. The fun is in the simple chaos. With every year that passes, I find it more and more important to remember this when evaluating prospects as it’s very easy to start overthinking and forget the simplicity of the game.
What does the player do? How impactful are they? What are their strengths and weaknesses? Where are they likely to improve? Where do they fit in my ideal vision of a team?
Each player is a puzzle composed of the above questions, each with their own variables that will determine their respective answers. Determining which variables are the ones that will matter for each prospect is the tricky part, as each evaluation needs to be tailored to each player. For myself, there’s no blanket way to approach this, no “one size fits all” approach. Players don’t drastically change and evolve from where they are now. It’s a fool's errand to try and guess who is going to take unprecedented leaps in their game without actually knowing these players as it’s almost always off-ice tendencies that enable that type of on-ice growth. Very few of these players are going to reach the heights necessary to become a core piece that a team will build around, meaning they’ll need some sort of projectable identity (playstyle) that fits within the structure that teams are constructing their rosters around. As always, those who make it from where they are today all the way to the NHL typically do so because they cut out the unnecessary details and maximize every little thing that emboldens their strengths.
As always, I have a specific philosophy towards building a team. My list does not follow consensus or NHL rumours; instead, it is catered towards this philosophy. It’s entirely built around who I would want to bring into an NHL system and fit within my ideal team structure. Pace of play, mobility, problem-solving, transitional play, control of the puck, apt usage of their tools, creating advantages, escaping pressure, drawing in players and off-puck play are the key traits I’m after. These are the pillars of the players who take care of the puck, work with their team and dominate the game as a five-man unit. They need to have the tools necessary to survive in the league and play their game at that pace. If they can’t meet that bar, then they are not going to find any way to elevate their game and thrive.
I’d end it here because this intro is already longer than it’s supposed to be, but this next bit is important considering this draft is unanimously praised as defensively heavy at the top. I evaluate forwards and defenders a bit differently, at least with regards to a first round pick.
Forward cores allow for more flexibility with how they are built. With twelve forward spots, you can lean into different playstyles and find various combinations of strengths that really add to the lineup.
Defenders are quite different. You get six, and realistically you have four that are going against the best the opposition has to offer. Each requires a playstyle that leans into the strengths I listed above, and each needs to play a game that can be easily paired with other top four defenders.
Having one partner instead of two linemates makes this something I place additional emphasis on when evaluating where someone goes in the draft. Opportunity cost is something I consider more with defenders, so those who do not fit into my ideal mold are ranked towards the end of the tier they’re in or bumped down a tier entirely.
I recognize the talent and strengths that they bring, but my team is likely better served using these picks on different players and finding top four defenders elsewhere (yes, I know they don’t just grow on trees). This is why I have guys like Silayev, Parekh and Levshunov in the mid-first, away from consensus. I acknowledge their strengths, but finding a partner to account for their deficiencies limits how I can build my top four.
That’s it, let’s do this.
Tier One: The Franchise Players (1-2)
Two players your franchise has a pillar to build a cup team around.
1: Macklin Celebrini - Boston University - C
It’s taken me all year to say what everyone else has been saying since day one, but Macklin Celebrini is the most valuable player of 2024. If you’ve tuned into the Scouching streams, you’ll know I’ve been in turbulence while Celebrini and Demidov flip-flop between first and second. Ultimately, the flaws in Celebrini’s game are pretty much non-existent. The cerebral tendencies that drive him are so easy to project to the NHL, so much so that the only question with him is “just how good can this kid be?”
I think the easiest way to capture Celebrini’s offensive, playdriving potential in the NHL is by acknowledging his absurd 64 points in 38 games happened while he was arguably limited by the level of play the NCAA has to offer. That’s a very rare thing to say about any draft eligible player competing at the collegiate level. He moves with such purpose before and after every puck touch, and I don’t think his teammates spotted this purpose nearly as often as the NHL’s top six forwards will. They’ll recognize what he’s going for and get the puck back to him, and Macklin will already have his brain wired for the next sequence of plays for his team to strive towards. That’s what he does. He’s never caught behind the play. He almost always has inside positioning on his opponents. He lurks in blind spots. The feet are always moving through and around defensive gaps, forcing constant movement from the defense, opening up opportunities to make an error that can be capitalized later on. The anticipation is second to none. He and William Eklund are going to be problematic.
It’s as if his brain is just an endless cycle of if/then statements, compiling the possible actions that every player within the vicinity of the puck can make based on whatever happens next, all while knowing what to do in just about any situation. Just imagine what a player like this can do with a few years of strength training. He’ll be a menace down low that can battle through anything, while already being one of the most dangerous open-space players the league has. That strength training will likely add just a tiny bit more oomph when he’s on his outside edges, and any additional separation he can create will return bountiful dividends when creating offensive plays out of seemingly nothing.
2: Ivan Demidov - SKA-1946 St. Petersburg - W
The 1B of the draft, I wholeheartedly believe that Ivan Demidov is an equal talent with Celebrini that deserves consideration when drafting first.
Playing with pace and having explosive acceleration are intrinsically linked. The sharper your acceleration curve is, the more it forces defenders to launch their momentum towards you, giving you the advantage to use that against them in a multitude of ways. The inverse to this principle is deceleration, how fast a player can stop on a dime. Being able to stop your momentum almost immediately while another player is barreling towards you with everything they have is one of the best ways to create that same advantage that pure acceleration gives you. The best skaters in the world are the ones that ebb and flow between acceleration and deceleration to make their foes dance to their whims. It’s one of the key traits that leads to a successful delay game, where players in open-ice slow down to buy time, causing all the lanes and pockets of space on the ice to shift.
I am exceptionally high on Demidov’s movement, to an extent that it’s difficult to express just how good I think his mobility is without it coming across as hyperbolic. The skating isn’t flawless. There are moments where you want to see him explode off his outside edges and that burst isn’t there. You can see bits and pieces of his game that just won’t work smoothly against the NHL’s best athletes the way it does against MHL competition. Given his game is dependent on mobility above all else, especially as he loves to routinely weaponize the good ol’ mohawk stance, I can see where some may be concerned.
Where people have zero concern with Demidov is the outrageous skill level. Indisputably the best hands in the draft, it seems as if no possible combination of awkward angling and contorted body positioning exists that inhibits Demidov from pulling off some ludicrous shit with the puck. He’s a freestyle artist in 1v1’s, the type to leave players utterly embarrassed as they’re on the receiving end of yet another highlight reel play. The skill level demands so much respect that players simply cannot approach him the same way as they do others. I wouldn’t say he’s like Patrick Kane stylistically, but I’m left with that same impression that your only method of consistent defense is to overwhelm him with physical pressure. Playing into his game will simply leave you cooked.
So you have a player with tremendous skill blending it in with wild, deceptive movement. Watch him once and you see this kid has no equal this year when it comes to attacking in-motion. The only projection concern is that of his explosivity, but I’m not entirely convinced he’s going to be limited by this. The fundamental pillar of Demidov’s game is his deceleration. Demidov’s brakes are lightning quick, as he’s already changing his attack angle by the time the defender can even react. Combine that with the handling ability and you can see Ivan chain attacks together through multiple defensive layers that would leave you breathless. If what we see today is the peak of Demidov’s explosiveness, then you still have a hell of a skater who will be able to chain together plays in the NHL. Any improvements with explosiveness and Demidov inches closer to the type of attacker fans dream of — a relentless force that bobs and weaves through player after player, chaining moves together that only a few who ever played the game had the talent to pull off.
As we said on the Scouching show, this is the type of kid to end up on a cereal box one day.
Tier Two: The Elite of the Elite (3-4)
Two players who can be a key piece in any cup contending core.
3: Berkly Catton - Spokane - C
Berkly Catton has claimed this third spot all year, and at no point have I ever considered changing that. He may not be in that first tier with Macklin and Ivan, but there’s a gap between Catton and everyone else as far as I’m concerned. Lindstrom is in this tier due to his potential, but he needs to realize a fair chunk of that potential before his impact matches that of Berkly Catton today.
Centers who drive play in a way that maximizes the impact of all four linemates are rare. Even more so are the centers who do that while significantly outscoring their teammates. You have to get very nitpicky in order to find legitimate criticisms in Catton’s game with the puck as he seldom misses any play to improve Spokane’s conditions. The criticism that does resonate a little bit is criticisms regarding his skating, but this is another example where I don’t care about the finer details of his input being off when the output is just so good. Catton’s game thrives in a very similar manner to Macklin’s, he is also at his best when he’s exploiting pockets of space and timing windows that other players just aren’t thinking of. It makes up for any tool that’s ever so slightly deficient.. although it also helps that he’s skilled as all hell with an ever-growing bag of tricks.
There can be questionable efforts defensively, I do not argue against that; however, I do not believe players who think like him are incapable of understanding the finer details of defensive play. You can’t drive the bus the way he does without a triumphant understanding of the greater macro game being played between both five man units. You mean to tell me that this guy can make OZ and transitional reads that account for the next 2-3 plays to be made on the ice, but he can’t anticipate where to be in the DZ? Come on now. Players in situations like him are sometimes coached to drive play for the team to such an extent that they are given permission to coast defensively at times. I’d wager that being the case here.
You can see the framework is already there. I see shades of Noah Östlund in Catton, one of my all time favourite players. They shared many concerns, particularly with defensive reads, skating input that opens concerns about separation, and physical durability. He is not a guarantee to work in the NHL, but his SHL tape this year revealed a player who has grown significantly in all three of those areas. I loved Östlund’s game.. but I think Berkly is even better at what makes Noah such an effective player. Strength will do wonders to his game. Developing him to take full advantage of his lower center of gravity will create a puck possession monster. Both players are very reminiscent of Nick Suzuki at times, who was another prospect who had the same questions about his projection as a center due to how much he emphasized playdriving as a draft eligible.
4: Cayden Lindstrom - Medicine Hat - C
The best bet to topple Ivan Demidov in the battle of pure upside, Cayden Lindstrom is unmatched in the physical tools department. Players at 6’5 with extremely fluid four-way mobility, high speed, great hands, absurdly long reach, a power game and a shot are borderline unicorns with how hard they are to find. The ones who have already shown they can piece every tool together by the time the draft comes around? Even rarer.
Lindstrom reads like the type of player to go first overall when you break it down this way. That’s what makes him so exciting as a prospect, you might be walking away with the draft’s most unstoppable player five years down the line; however, the key word is might. Lindstrom’s impact on a game-to-game basis fluctuated a fair bit, largely due to his decision making with the puck, as well as not being as in-tune with the greater macro game being played. He misses opportunities to build up plays with his teammates more often than you’d like. He misses chances to insert himself into play. He really can overhandle the puck through traffic. There’s more too, but it can be succinctly summarized by saying that Cayden introduces a lot of risk in situations where it’s just not necessary in order to yield that high reward he’s seeking.
I don’t want that to leave the impression that I think Lindstrom is this big, athletic player who doesn’t really use his tools with purpose. While the flaws are persistent in most of my viewings, Lindstrom also demonstrates some extremely high-level playmaking, elite transitional play, and has these individual sequences where it looks like a grown man playing against children. For each mistake, Cayden can just as easily come off the boards, use his mobility to pivot off pressure, use his reach to protect the puck and then skillfully use pullbacks and drags to dance through defenders trapping him from multiple directions. He looks like a future hall of famer the way he does it.
What keeps him below Catton is that I have zero concerns with Catton’s game projecting to the NHL. He’s out there making a difference every single shift. Every touch has a greater purpose behind it. Lindstrom passing Catton in impact isn’t going to solely come from his tools. Instead, it’ll be because Lindstrom cut the filler from his game and buys in as a playdriver who strives to reduce risk whenever possible. In that case, Lindstrom’s tools will allow him to reach an impact Catton is unlikely to reach. Without it, Lindstrom likely slots in as a winger with the tools to take over at any moment, but is reliant on another player to drive that line. That’s still one helluva floor, and with that ceiling, I’m not convinced there’s anyone else I’d want at this pick.
Tier Three: Quality Upside Players (5-12)
Eight players who project as quality role players to fill out your lineup, with fair upside as top six forwards or top four defenders.
5: Teddy Stiga - USNTDP - F
Is there a more watched team in junior hockey than the USNTDP? I don’t believe there is, which makes the lack of overwhelming love for Teddy Stiga all the more surprising. Usually the fluid, fast, agile, highly skilled and overly creative forwards with pace, off-puck play, two-way habits and a whole lot of dawg in them are the type of players that scouts line up to take early. When they aren’t lining up, it’s usually because the player in question is tiny, soft as hell, relies on the same few tricks or plays for a team that just doesn’t get a lot of attention. None of those are valid concerns with Stiga in any way shape or form. It’s hard to see how a player this talented will struggle to crack the NHL when he works this hard.
I think the clearest testament to Stiga’s ability is the gold medal game between Canada and USA at the U18’s. Iginla, seen as a top five player by many, had a great game. Teddy Stiga had a better one. If performing at this level was a one-time thing by Stiga then I’d think this point is moot, but it was just another electric performance to add to the list for the American. This has been his thing all year long. The combination of speed and skill here is just out of this world. The creativity to which Stiga solves problems is matched only by Celebrini, Demidov and Catton. He plays as hard as any of them. He’s a great puck carrier in transition, working give-and-go sequences as good as anyone. He’s truly elite on both the rush and cycle, but I don’t think people recognize how much of a menace Stiga is on the forecheck. He’s able to get underneath guys and fight them off while simultaneously looking for a play. He’s succeeding in battles from weird off-angles that defenders aren’t accounting for. He can play with a larger player draping his back.
There aren’t really any weaknesses here. I’ve often seen him described as a boom or bust type player with a great ceiling but a low floor, but I’ve yet to see anything to convince me that an NHL floor isn’t there beyond “he’s not six feet”. That’s fine by me if it means I get to trade down from five, acquire assets, then walk up to the stage and draft a player built for the biggest moments hockey has to offer.
6: Zeev Buium - Univ. of Denver - D
This is the type of defender I’m happy to use a high pick on. Zeev Buium projects as a top four defender with impact in all three zones. Everything in his game is projectable, adding a combination of safety and upside that makes him worthy of a top pick in this draft.
Buium has two key strengths that I believe separate him from the rest of the pack. First would be how well he reads developing plays. He is a consistent presence in all three zones. When play is away from him, Zeev proactively positions himself in spaces that are moments away from being very valuable real estate, already aware of what action he’s going to make when play comes his way. He isn’t the only defender to do this, but he’s the best for my money as he always has both an offensive and a defensive reaction to whatever happens. It allows him to look for offense whenever viable without any loss of defensive space. He isn’t overly interested in being the one man army playdriver like some of the other top defenders this year, everything is about elevating the team; however, do not be fooled — this kid can play as good as the rest of them. He’s one helluva player when he’s Zeevin and Zoovin out there.
What makes Buium so projectable is how confident he is playing in-motion. He’s often found in-motion when he receives the puck, already angled towards his point of attack. If his assigned defender isn’t already en route to where he’s going, then they have to really push their momentum to cut Buium’s angle off. From there, Zeev uses stickhandling, body fakes, a directional change or any combination of the three to move into newly opened space. He may not have picturesque skating, but it’s far from too flawed to prevent this approach from working in the NHL. That’s the whole reason his feet are always moving to begin with. One could question the extent of this being successful in the NHL, and I think that’s pretty fair. My counter to that is that Zeev can be lightning quick with his passing when he senses he’s under pressure and can’t escape. If there isn’t a gap, Buium is still good at turning away from pressure to buy time and/or open up lanes without losing possession. He’s also going to get stronger and a bit faster over the next few years, making this play style more effective against the better competition in the NHL.
No defender this year looks to match the quality of Makar, Heiskanen, Hughes or Fox. Chasing that down feels like a wild goose chase, especially since no one has the raw mobility to play at that level. What Zeev does have is a game designed around in-motion play that leaves no sacrifices in any zone. This should be a top four defender, who has a chance at first pairing quality. As mentioned before, I value defenders who are easy to build a fluid, possession-based top four without sacrificing defensive play.
7: Tij Iginla - Kelowna - F
I mean this in the best possible way, Tij Iginla is the ultimate complimentary forward in the draft. I don’t see Iginla as the type of player you build around; rather, I see Tij as the guy you place with your core players to make their job significantly easier without detracting anything from that line.
This is a player who thrives by playing into the simplicity of the game. Quick decisions with the puck, great off-puck movement to always be routing towards play. He has the power to drive through players with control and the agility to turn off incoming pressure. Tij is a monster along the boards. His endurance and strength allow him to battle as hard as anyone. His angle of attack, body positioning and second-effort will make him an exceptionally frustrating forechecker to go up against. The type of player that is elite at the hard, thankless jobs. What really elevates Iginla are the details he demonstrates coming off the boards with the puck. He has fantastic control from contorted positions and a great sense for outlet lanes to safely free the puck from tight-knit small areas. His interior passing from the boards is among the best in the draft, and that’s a fantastic trait to pair with someone who battles with such vigor and skill.
He isn’t the most deceptive open-ice attacker and that’s perfectly fine. I think in recent years, I’d be placing a player of this archetype a bit lower, but missing out on a chance to add a piece that really raises the floor of a line without affecting its ceiling because they aren’t likely to be a primary playdriver in the NHL feels ludicrous in this draft. You get a consistent 200ft effort, a booming shot, great distribution that fits within the pace of the game and a weapon that can threaten plays on the forecheck, cycle and rush.
8: Michael Brandsegg-Nygaard - Mora IK - W
What does it mean when someone is hard to play against? The phrase is so commonly used, yet possesses a mountainous range of interpretations. No matter how we each define it ourselves, the one universal constant within this draft is that Michael Brandsegg-Nygaard is exceptionally difficult to play against.
With many prospects, especially those in junior hockey, we look to see what parts of their game standout as signature traits that will help them find success in the NHL. Over the years, they empty the waste from their game and fill it with small details that help them create the conditions they need to help succeed alongside the team. Most who don’t go through this process typically don’t make it in the league. This is not and will never be a problem for MBN because he is already a professional hockey player in every capacity. He plays at a professional pace, battles at a professional level and he makes professional decisions with the puck. Earlier in the year, his game came across as simplistic — the type of player everyone sees as a bottom six guy who doesn’t have the tools to make it higher in the lineup.
As the year progressed, MBN became more involved in transition, he became more adept at getting pucks into good areas and he became a lot better at timing his routes around the OZ to help develop offensive plays. He isn’t one to play with the puck for sustained periods of time, something I misconstrued for an inability to generate offense within a structured top six environment. His Allsvensken playoff run made me realize that his simplistic approach, play with intensity and make the right puck decisions, really can thrive in the NHL, especially alongside its more talented creators.
9: Igor Chernyshov - Dynamo Moskva - W
When you spend most of the year watching junior players compete against one another, you really start to appreciate the few draft eligibles who go up against pros and look every bit the part.
Igor Chernyshov played over 30 KHL games this year. Initially, he struck me as a hyper talented player who can blend physicality, reach and skill to make high-end plays against KHL players. I also noticed this type of impact wasn’t felt on a shift by shift basis. Not from a lack of care or the tendency to float around, just that the game was moving quicker than he was used to and it was a noteworthy hurdle for him to leap. Extremely enticing upside, but the floor was mighty questionable.
Chernyshov stuck around though. As the season progressed, so did his ability to follow play, at least from my sample. His stick was aptly used to deny passing lanes. He’d engage battles along the boards and come away with the puck, heads up as he scans for the next play. He stuck with attackers in the DZ and wasn’t getting lost on rotations as much. Faster decisions in transition, faster decisions in the OZ. All without compromising his immense ability to beat players in 1v1 circumstances.
It’s hard to see a player put so many details together over the course of a professional hockey season not being able to make it work in the NHL to some extent. If he was small and undersized, sure; but Igor is far from small. The physical frame and 200ft engagement within 5v5 play are all there to establish a quality floor, even if they still need more work, while the raw skill, fluidity in-motion and creative attacks are there to provide genuine top six upside in a draft that lacks it. I have a feeling Igor is going to go very high in the draft as he’s the closest thing to what entices teams about Cayden Lindstrom.
10: Sam Dickinson - London - D
Normally, Sam Dickinson is the type of player that I’d be lower on. The amount of 50/50 long passes he fires off when other options exist is frustrating to say the least. He doesn’t seem overly assertive in playdriving whenever he has the puck, despite having opportunities to do so. His defense is solid but there are moments that often make you want to tear your hair out. I’m not sure there’s a player in the draft that has left me wanting more than Sam Dickinson has. Consider this a leap of faith in a player, trusting my gut that there are reasons for these lapses in play that aren’t going to be there when he’s in the NHL five years from now. Can I articulate what these reasons are? Honestly.. not really, but I can try.
When you watch the playoffs, something that becomes very apparent is how simple even the best defenders play with the puck. Whether it’s a DZ retrieval, starting a transition, joining the rush or facilitating in the OZ, every tool they have is used to create a modicum of space, open a lane and pass through it. Their defense is all built around pressure, requiring fluid mobility in all directions, physical prowess and as much reach as possible to angle attacks off and react to newly opened lanes.
What I see in Dickinson is a very, very responsible top four defender who can play this simple, clean hockey.. provided that there’s a reason for the aforementioned questionable decision making. I can’t tangibly prove that such a reason exists, but it just doesn’t sit right with me that a guy who can look so good and efficient in some circumstances is also incapable of recognizing that maybe he just shouldn’t yeet the puck up into NZ traffic for the hell of it. The fluidity to which Dickinson can snuff out attacks, secure the puck and jumpstart a transition is fantastic. Usually a player who is fantastic at such things wants to do them as much as possible. He doesn’t. Why? I don’t know.
I think the London Knights play a brand of hockey that embodies everything Hockey Canada wants out of their players, for better or for worse. They’re a team that embraces the grind within the sport. They want to win their battles and outwork the opponent. Meanwhile, modern hockey places more and more emphasis on controlling transitions. Dickinson strikes me as a guy who will thrive in a modern system, and the flashes of it are so simplistic and clean that I can’t help but question what it is that will stop him from playing to his strengths in the NHL?
In a year where you’re looking for quality role players in the back half of the top ten, I can’t let a guy like Dickinson fall too far. If this grouping of defenders are all supposed to be second pairing guys, then he’s the one that intrigues me the most.
11: Nikita Artamonov - Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod - W
I understand the hesitation from the scouting community a bit more than I did before with Nikita Artamonov. Given that this is a tier composed of players I see projecting into quality roles, and that the majority of people don’t see Artamonov as this type of player, I feel compelled to justify this. So.. sorry for the length.
Personally, I can’t ignore what I have seen this kid do. At his best, he was a clear top ten talent. A player with a tremendous mind for the game. That rare, instinctual map of the ice that’s constantly changing to account for every new variable that gets introduced as play develops. He processes the information in real time so damn well, it’s as if he’s anticipating when, why and how every lane & pocket of space will open. To try and stress how hard that is to do, the only other forwards I’ve seen be so ahead of the game where they’re driving the bus with impact play after impact play are Celebrini, Catton and Stiga. A few others certainly come close, but not to the extent that Artamonov was.. but that’s the key word. Was.
Unlike the others, who found that impact by playing into their tools, Nikita found his through his pace of play away from the puck and gigabrained reads when it came to his stick. The gift of Artamonov is that every action’s sole purpose is to create or add to sequences that the team develops as a whole. He’s harmonious with the greater macro game being played, and was the player connecting the dots for all four of his teammates. Yet Artamonov’s form slipped as the year went on. There was a sharpness in his game that declined. Even the anticipation and overall feel for the game didn’t feel as pronounced as before. The lack of separation and strength hindered him in situations he was previously succeeding in. I went back to watch tape from earlier in the year and it’s clear that he wasn’t just fluking into his success. He was ever so slightly faster at reading play and was playing within tight timing windows that helped mask the physical deficiencies he experienced in the KHL.
What the hell am I to make of this?
All the tools in the world may make you a nightmare in the smaller, individual micro moments that happen in the game, but how valuable is that if you can’t make the plays afterwards that create big, macro advantages for your team? That’s how I viewed Artamonov when I saw him as a top five player, but there’s a reverse question that’s equally true: how valuable can you be in the greater macro game if you’re struggling to win your micro engagements? The reality is that a player who succeeds in their micro moments without any consideration to the macro game does impact the game more than the player who has complete mastery of the macro game but can’t do a goddamn thing about it when they lose the puck and fail to complete plays regularly.
Where does Artamonov fit on this scale? He may not have flawless skating, but he certainly moves around the ice very well. He doesn’t struggle to keep up with the pace of the KHL. His skill level isn’t the most awe-inspiring thing this draft has to offer, but he certainly doesn’t struggle with the puck in any way, and this is one of those cases where I think the bag of tricks will improve. Skill improvement after the draft tends to be tailored towards practical application -- teaching the player when to use it as much as it is teaching them how to get that last little bit of refinement that the NHL demands of them. No such lessons are needed for Artamonov, so as long as he can get that little bit of quickness needed in his hands and feet, as well as some strength for physical endurance, he’ll be okay. Hell, strength alone would do him wonders. Just the ability to absorb contact and remain in control of the puck would do him wonders. A significant percentage of plays that stopped working for him seems to be from KHL players being told to simply drive at him and knock him off balance. Despite being outmatched physically against the vast majority of KHL players, Artamonov does not fear going into the next play. He still goes in corners (and loses). He still gets inside positioning on defenders (and loses). He does not give a single fuck and does not back down to anyone. He’s determined to play his game.
Even with these improvements, I don’t see Artamonov as a high-end playdriver with sustained carries in the NHL. Instead, those improvements are simply necessary for his current approach to the game to work within the top six. What I will say is that I still fully believe that Nikita Artamonov has what it takes to match the skill and pace of a top six line, playing off of other star players and elevating their game just as much as they elevate his. These secondary, complimentary guys always go under the radar at the draft. Bryan Rust is a helluva hockey player, one that thrives alongside one of the greatest minds the game has ever seen in Sidney Crosby. It took a long time, but he has been a key part in one of the league's best analytical lines for years now. I want to get guys like that to elevate my best players.
I’m not all too sure what’s going to happen with Artamonov if I’m being honest. A 5’11 winger with the good ol’ “Russian factor” stereotype working against him. Some teams are more hands off with development than others. The possibility of him not living up to what I see is immense. I don’t believe shrugging your shoulders and going “yeah the team that drafted him developed him wrong” is a fair excuse to justify missing on a player, even though there certainly are cases like that. However, as of now, if I am to make this claim for one player and one player only this year, then this is my guy.
12: Adam Jiricek - HC Plzen - D
Oh what could have been.
It’s a travesty that a player of this caliber was injured early in the season. Adam Jiricek is a player of unmistakable talent, but one that had a lot of questions surrounding his play that evaluators hoped he would answer with his play in the second half of his draft campaign. His best performances were at the WJC. Another instance of a player returning to U20 competition after playing professionally, only to rediscover how good they can really be. A lot of the time, these guys head back to their tougher environment after the tournament with better form. I really thought that was going to be the case for Adam before the injury.
Instead, we’re all left with the difficult task of putting together this puzzle without all of the pieces. The tools are sensational, he’s one of the most fluid skaters in the draft with great puck control; however, his club play was not consistent enough for a lot of evaluators to fully buy that he has a grasp on using these tools to great effect. I rated Jiricek somewhere between 7 and 9 as I believed he was slowly learning the details that lead to consistency. On top of that, the good moments were simply too good. After the injury, I slowly lowered him as other players proved themselves while he sat out. I reached a point where I said I was no longer interested in him with a lottery pick.
Yet, here I am, back with Jiricek at the 12th spot. At the end of the day, I do believe that he had a much stronger second half of the season ahead of him. The fact that the other defenders I saw as problematic back at the midpoint of the year didn’t enthrall me with their own second half improvements makes me feel like it’s okay to “gamble” here. It may be a gamble to some, but I see his floor relatively equal to that of Levshunov or Dickinson. I look at all the defenders available and I don’t see anyone who possesses this fluidity in-motion with real upside in all three zones. Buium is better at playing in-motion and has a sense of mastery in the details that Jiricek is in the midst of finding out, but I don’t think he can reach the same peak Adam can. In a few years (and with more strength), Jiricek can be a standout defensive player who can turn play around, be active in transitions, and play productive, supporting hockey in the OZ. This was the game he brought with him to the WJC before the injury, and it was exactly the type of game I was hoping for from him given everything he had shown us in club play. I don’t normally cling to WJC games, but in this case.. you have to, at least in order to see the complete version of what he offers on the ice. They revealed the type of game Adam is trying to play at the pro level. It helps alleviate the questions of intent I personally had when watching some of his more problematic club games. I don’t blame anyone for not doing this, but I’m trusting in the best of this player. It’s likely he finishes as a top eight player if he had a full season, and I don’t want to let that slip by me.
Tier Four: Good Role Players and Upside Gambles (13-28)
Sixteen players who either safely project as good role players
or have enough upside where the risk feels worth it.
13: Trevor Connelly - Tri-City (USHL) - W
What a hard player to evaluate.
Borderline impossible to talk about him without mentioning his off-ice reputation. The rumors around him aren’t particularly pretty, but I’ve heard so much both for and against him that I simply couldn’t begin to evaluate his character from afar. Everything from here forwards is an on-ice evaluation.
Strictly from a talent perspective, this is a player who’d be near the top of the third tier with Stiga, Iginla and MBN. The hands, speed and intense pressure he can play with are all genuinely elite for the draft. This is not a draft with a large supply of players of his ilk, so the demand forces him up the board by default.
The lack of team play can be extraordinarily frustrating. This is the biggest question mark one could have with him, and it will quite literally determine whether he lives up to his top six potential or if he struggles to even crack a lineup. His tendencies at times certainly call into question how well he can work with others on the ice, and I don’t see him being a one-man army driving a top six NHL line. However, it is not the first example of a talented player being a bit selfish in their draft year due to a lack of trust in teammates. Connelly sometimes looked as if was not on the same wavelength as his Tri-City brethren. The key word is sometimes because there were some games that left you astounded by how well he conducted the pace of the entire Tri-City attack. They just weren’t as often as the games that left you pulling out your hair. There’s tangible proof of Connelly having this effect on people as I heard that’s the reason Tony Ferrari went bald.
The best version of Connelly I ever saw was before the DY even began, at the Hlinka camp last year for Team USA. He played on a line with Mac Swanson and Colin Frank. There was no line even remotely close to these guys at that event, and Connelly was unsurprisingly the engine behind their fire. The quality of competition was low enough that you should expect Trevor to dominate, but the manner to which he dominated is what sticks out to me — he did everything he could to make sure Swanson and Frank were playing to the best of their ability, while also inserting himself everywhere he could to take over the game. The three were in perfect unison. He was the chain that connected those two talented players. Contrast this to other superb talents who have come through that camp, such as William Whitelaw and Quentin Musty the year before, and you’ll see that the other high profile star players weren’t playing like this.
Should I place additional value on Connelly due to Hlinka camp games played a year ago? No, absolutely not, but I can’t help but feel like it’s a very key piece to this particular puzzle. Tri-City’s forwards aren’t really able to play at his pace because his pace is above that of the USHL by a fair margin. He looked good with the NTDP when he played with them, but out-of-sync. Makes sense given that he was the odd man out alongside a group with substantial on-ice chemistry. These sound like excuses to some. To others, it provides the context that playing with the purpose to elevate his team as well as himself is something that Connelly has in him. That being said, if you find that’s worthy of criticism against him, especially with everything else surrounding his name, I wouldn’t blame you in the slightest.
14: Alfons Freij - Vaxjo - D
It may come across that I’m a teensy bit too high on Alfons Freij, but I just can’t help but question what exactly is keeping him removed from this grouping of defenders.
The deceptive nature of Freij’s game is what elevates him to be listed alongside the other top defenders in the class. Freij’s great combination of skill, skating and anticipation makes him as dynamic a puck carrier as any defender this year. He can blend changes of pace with body fakes and skill moves to toy with the momentum of advancing challengers, who have to respect both the pass and the carry. As a carrier, he can take advantage of any open lane for a pass as soon as it’s available. This isn’t just a strength in the offensive zone, as Freij is also one of the draft’s most efficient transitional threats. He’s up there with Buium as the most impactful passer amongst defenders (NOT to be confused as the best passer to solve complex problems, as that very clearly goes to Parekh). He’s a key cog in advancing the puck up the ice at all times. I think Freij was a bit unlucky at the U18’s and was really close to getting a few more points under his belt. I also have no idea why he wasn’t the QB on the first powerplay, not entirely sure what LSW did to earn that spot over him.
Another strength of his that stands amongst the top defenders is how well he plays DZ recoveries. He is aware of incoming pressure and usually has an escape in mind. The fluidity in his game allows him to be more creative in these circumstances than others, and he has pulled off a number of highly impressive sequences with great pace and timing. A very fair criticism is that he still gets caught as a heavy forecheck can definitely strain him. His contemporaries in this range all struggle as well, but I can see why people carry more concern seeing that Freij’s season was solely spent in J20. My counter is that even though he is facing somewhat similar struggles against weaker forechecks than that of the NCAA or OHL, his successes feel like a better foundation to build off of. I’m willing to bet on the speed at which he processes these situations and the tools at his disposal eventually overcoming those moments. It doesn’t feel like as much of a leap of faith as it does with other players because he’s already shown a fair bit of success here.
Defensively he’s a bit of a wash. Definitely lacks the meanness that comes with Levshunov and he can get overrun at times when against significant pace, but I don’t feel like he’s lost by any means. He has impressive moments of physicality, and he’ll be up against professionals very soon. I do wish we got a good SHL stint to make this projection a bit easier though, I’m taking a bit of a leap of faith. His positioning against the rush is a strength, his four-way fluidity makes it tricky for attackers to beat him clean, and his defensive stick did nothing but improve over the year. I think he’s currently good against cycles for the same reasons. It’s really the forecheck that’s the concern, but the pace he plays DZ recoveries alongside the fact that he seldom panics when under heavy pressure makes me more engaged in this risk. It also helps that I think he excels more with the puck than every other defender outside of Buium.
15: Cole Eiserman - USNTDP - W
Without question, Cole Eiserman has been one of the trickiest players to evaluate for me. He’s gone from projected top five pick, only to slip through the first round. Few still rate him as a top ten talent, while the rest of us have him as a mid-first.
The goal scoring talent is undeniable & unmatched. His shot is on a level that excels far beyond the rest of the class and he has every type of shot in his arsenal. To complement his superb shot, Eiserman’s second biggest strength is his off-puck play. Like all goal scorers, a lot of what Cole does is strictly to set up a shot. When he’s the one carrying the puck, he tends to defer to low danger chances. Frustrating, but at least he’s more likely to score on them than anyone else. When he isn’t the one carrying the puck, Eiserman’s anticipation starts to shine and you’ll see him navigate the defense quite well as he times open pockets of space and steps into them, positioned as an outlet for the puck, ready to shoot. The frequency to which he does this is still a work in progress, but the reads themselves are high quality once you pick up on the patterns.
Over the year, Cole’s biggest improvement has been finding passing plays created by his shot threat. I expect continued improvement with this going forward. One of the key factors that led to him slowly slipping down boards is that his puck skills aren’t as desirable as one may expect. Compare him to Caufield, whose record Eiserman beat this year, and you’ll see that Cole has a far better touch with the puck than this Cole does. Still, Eiserman has some level of a great touch with the puck, else his one-timer and other one-touch plays wouldn’t work so well, so there’s a real case for skills developing unlocking new things for Eiserman.
He’s a real high intensity player. He’s constantly talking to teammates and pointing around the ice, for better or for worse. He also plays with zero physical fear. He loves throwing big hits. It’s arguably detrimental as he actually chases them at cost to the play being developed at times. He’s shorter, but real stocky and has a big power game. There’s certainly going to be more instances of Eiserman driving through players with control than there will be of him dangling around them. This is an interesting thing to combine with his shot because of how defenders choose to play him. Do you get aggressive and take away all space between him and the net, where he may power through you? Or do you gap him tight enough to deny the shot lane with the body and force him into a decision? That may be what opens up his playmaking, so there’s a real chance he can become someone who makes the most of both approaches against him.
He could be a PP goal scorer who finds minimal impact everywhere else, or he could really level up and become a top six mainstay. Either way, I can’t let a guy like him fall further.
16: Artyom Levshunov - Michigan State - D
I don’t feel particularly enticed to rank a player high just because they play the type of game that NHL teams fawn over. Sure, he’s projectable, in the same sense that big, mean defenders who defend with big, mean cross checks, throw big, mean hits and rip big, mean shots on net are projectable. That’s not a guy I’m trying to take with a top ten pick, let alone top five. Another long one because I need to explain why he’s 14th when he’s very likely going in the top three.
To his credit, there is a big strength in his game that breaks that big, mean trend. He is a very good passer. The biggest appeal being how practical his passing can be, as both the timing and pace of his passes can be spectacular, allowing him to move the puck within the flow of the team and nail teammates in-motion. He sees passing lanes very well, definitely better than Dickinson and Jiricek at this point in time. I enjoy his passing so much that I have an existential crisis twice a week as I go “I am crazy, I am 100% undervaluing him”.. only to end up back at this point each time. More on that after though, I want to emphasize his strengths as I don’t want it to come across that I’m making light of them. On top of his passing, Levshunov alleviated a lot of my mid-season concerns regarding his habits to jump into the offense at every turn. He’s making far better decisions about when to jump into the rush for the most part. When he does activate in the OZ and it works, it looks great, particularly because of the passing. He doesn’t fly in as the F1 on multiple times a game anymore, which I think is a substantial improvement as nothing about that was projectable by any means.
To some, being big and mean with everything I already listed, while also being a great passer, while also possessing the ability to activate in the OZ is extremely enticing. They see a path of pure upside here and a great floor. I obviously don’t (at least with the upside) given that he’s in this tier, but I’ve certainly come around on understanding why others do.
So here’s where I’m at. The more refined positional play he demonstrated in the back half of the year revealed more of the critical flaws I’ve talked about on the stream and in the last writeup — the guy just isn’t a tremendous puck carrier by any means, his toolkit makes his current approach harder to project against the best players in the world and his panic threshold can be shockingly low. There are a lot of instances where Levshunov is bobbling the puck and generally looking awkward. These instances tend to happen when he’s under pressure. Your job as a high-end defender is to not only survive pressure coming from all directions, but to thrive. When does his passing start missing its targets? When he’s under pressure. When does he start to make really questionable decisions with the puck? When he’s under pressure. When does he start looking overwhelmed in his own zone? When he’s under pressure. This is not a coincidence.
A few years ago there was an NCAA defender with sensational skating, amazing control of the puck, breathtaking control of the puck and a whole lot of size and reach. He ended the season and left me heavily questioning his DZ play. That defender is Owen Power. He’s a great player, and he’s certainly improved, but these are still the flaws that exist most in his game from what I’ve seen -- because high TOI defenders in the NHL are always under pressure. Levshunov isn’t Power. There are defensive mishaps that happen a lot. Despite being big and mean, I’ve seen him eaten alive by forechecks that he should 100% be stopping. I don’t just mean that he’s making mistakes, all prospects do. I mean he’s hardly a factor at stopping the play, and makes up for it by committing as many penalties as he can get away with. His skating is good in a straight line, but the four-way mobility leaves a lot to be desired, particularly when it comes time to escape laterally with the puck under control. Who are the elite transitional defenders that lack this trait? It’s great that he can make crisp passes to in-motion players look easy, but to solve problems while under pressure? The skill level works when he has time and space, but the entire point of having elite transitional defenders is that they can create the time and space the team needs when they’re under pressure, especially in the playoffs. They have practically no time at all to make a play, so they either have the perfect read envisioned the moment the puck is on their stick, or they use their tools to circumvent the pressure and buy small amounts of time for other plays to develop. Levshunov’s skill level drops when he doesn’t have time and space. At least Power has lateral agility and puck skills out the wazoo. Levshunov’s tools aren’t comparable, and I’d argue he struggles more with this now than Owen did as a result. I don’t think there is a tremendous amount of improvement ahead, especially if he turns pro sooner instead of later.
It’s easy to get caught up in the idea that players can improve dramatically after they’re drafted, but I personally adhere to the line from Moneyball: If he’s a good hitter, why doesn’t he hit good. If I can’t answer that question then I see a tremendous amount of risk at play. I think Levshunov’s NHL impact is muted without considerable improvement. I will not bet on guys to suddenly improve in weak areas against the best players in the world if I don’t feel I have a key variable or puzzle piece that lends credence to the idea that something beyond their own inabilities are what is limiting them at their current level of play. That’s the difference that has Levshunov here at 16 instead of 9th (which is the highest he peaked on my list this year).
17: Michael Hage - C - Chicago
Given the setbacks he experienced leading into this year, I’m astounded at how good Michael Hage has been. Arguably the best draft eligible from the USHL, which feels miraculous given that I thought he looked like the lost time affected him as he returned at the end of last year. Puck Preps has been on the Michael Hage train for years now. It was foreseen long ago that he was going to be a top player in this draft, but the injury last year derailed that hype train and removed him from the equation to the average person until his play this year demanded his name be returned to its former status.
He plays the most projectable game of all USHL players bar none — a smooth skating two-way center with great positioning and smarts that comes with skill and a shot. He’s a great example of a player who succeeds heavily in the macro game being played. He’s rarely in the wrong place, and if he is then he fixes that error almost immediately. Wingers and defenders involved in the play are almost always supported by Hage. Everyone’s job is just easier.
The simplicity to his approach made me think that he doesn’t have the same ceiling as a Sacha Boisvert, but that was just me being unfamiliar with his game. As the year goes on, I’d notice amazing moments of skill to navigate traffic, sidestep players or simply exploit a defensive gap left by the opposition. He certainly has the skill, he just doesn’t over-rely on it. I like this a lot, as that’s the approach that good pro players often take. He won’t have as tremendous a skill advantage at that level, but he will still be able to make use of it whenever it’s fitting to do so. He’s also really good at getting inside positioning on defenders and taking away their space.
Given the time he lost, the fact that he caught up and arguably surpassed that of Boisvert, Mustard and Connelly in the eyes of many is mind-boggling. It’s the clearest piece of evidence that Hage is the type of player who currently thinks the game on a level above his league. One can also argue that his approach to the game places a ceiling on how much offense he can drive that’s directly correlated to the pace his linemates play at. It’s similar to what I said about Celebrini and the NCAA this year. Sometimes they see things that others don’t. There are missed opportunities because players mistime their routes or passes, bob the reception, or just straight up miss what Hage sees entirely. I see a very smooth transition into NCAA play. He’s developing with Michigan, which is always a good sign. Honestly, part of me thinks he should be higher, but I’m okay with 17.
18: Dominik Badinka - Malmo - D
It’s really easy to underestimate really good SHL players when they aren’t lighting up the scoresheet.
Dominik Badinka is fluid. He plays with pace. He’s 6’3. He has a strong frame with room to add more muscle. He has a great defensive stick. He reads the cycle well. Handles forechecks well and gets the puck out safely. He has good puck control in-motion. Efficient decision making under pressure. Plays a modern transition game. He handles pressure very, very well. Not a lot of defenders this year could play in the SHL and look every bit the part of a player who belongs. That’s because he shows zero issue processing the game at the level demanded by the best European league there is. This is even more impressive when you remember that Badinka wasn’t developed within the Swedish system as he played in Finland’s top junior league just a year ago. The leap in play between U20 SM-sarja and SHL is monumental to say the least, so Badinka's success is a testament to his ability to see the game.
Badinka and Freij are very similar caliber players. Freij brings more upside as I think he has more skill and vision, but Badinka is the version you take if you don’t want to add unnecessary risk to the pick. I foresee Freij struggling with some things that Badinka is already doing very well. The trade-off is that I don’t see Badinka developing into a transitional engine like Freij can be, and there’s a lack of high-level playmaking. I lean Freij for that reason, but I’m more than okay with Badinka’s approach to the game because the projection is simply safer. In fact, I’ve grown more and more inclined to believe that Badinka is the safest top four projection there is in the draft besides Buium.
19: Zayne Parekh - Saginaw - D
I wholeheartedly believe that any scout worth a damn has to have a couple highly praised consensus players slip each year. NOT because it’s edgy to stand out, for Twitter attention or any other superfluous bullshit -- solely because consensus doesn’t adhere to a single philosophy. The things you value most are never found within every prospect ranked high on consensus. If you know the players in a draft really well, then you should be able to tell right away what they value based on which consensus players they’re not high on. So this is another long one, as I’m pretty sure I may be the lowest person on Zayne Parekh right now.. which feels crazy because I am genuinely being sincere when I say that I really like this player! If he falls in the draft to the mid-first then I think this is a fantastic value pick. If you’re okay with the deficiencies and envision a way to make it work in your top four then I can’t blame you in the slightest for taking him in the top ten. This is just the nature of scouting.
Parekh is a gifted passer with fantastic vision and superb timing. Like I said above in the Freij writeup, Zayne is the best rearguard in the draft when it comes to solving complex problems via passing. This leads to a bounty of offensive creation. I’ll also add that he also has great shooting instincts that thrive in the modern Saginaw system. I don’t feel the need to dive into what makes his offensive play tick as well as it does because everyone already knows why, and I’m certainly not going to be the person to cast doubt on what he can do in the OZ.
I shudder at the idea of Parekh being out there in the NHL playoffs against a relentless forecheck. It seems far too easy to play directly through him and he’s not particularly great at battling along the boards. A fair chunk of the defensive sequences he wins end up turning problematic when there’s a strong second effort from the attacker. He played with more intensity and engagement at the Memorial Cup for what it’s worth, but I didn’t think it resulted in a ton of defensive impact. In the years I’ve been doing this, the amount of offensive defenders with defensive holes that actually addressed those defensive holes to the extent needed to become a minute muncher in the NHL has been.. minimal, to say the least. Most importantly, those who did overcome their defensive deficiencies were elite skaters. Zayne Parekh is not moving like Quinn Hughes out there. This isn’t to say that I think Parekh is some terrible defensive black hole, which I think is the vibe others are getting when we’ve criticized him on the Scouching stream. Maybe that’s on me for not articulating my point properly, but if nuance is dead and I’m forced to grade him then yes, I would describe his DZ play as problematic. I think he gets caught flat footed a fair bit, which can be explained by Saginaw’s system to an extent; however, I don’t buy that being the reason every time he’s caught out of motion, as I think he’s mistiming a lot of his challenges. A rearguard that is okay at defending the rush, struggles against cycles and gets chewed on forechecks concerns me. Especially when I think it’s pretty clear that his intent on DZ plays is to get the puck and go for offense. I don’t think the intent is the issue, I love that, but that offense can’t be at the expense of defensive stability. It’s the NHL. Still, defensive zone play is just one thing. I can forgive a lot if I sense effort and a projectable solution to the problem, and I certainly won’t say something outlandish like he just doesn’t care.
Something else that really concerns me is that I think Parekh plays really slow in transition. A lot of his strong transitional moments are under minimal pressure and aren’t executed at full pace. This is where the mobility and skill level hasn’t shown itself to me, at least in the way that others describe him. He’s not separating from attacking pressure. There are very few sequences of him using skill to navigate heavy pressure, create space and carry through it to draw players into him to open new gaps. This is how the modern transition game works in the NHL. If you aren’t seen as a carrying threat, then why would NHL players respect you, especially if they believe they can just run through you? The bulk of Parekh’s best transitional plays I’ve seen are almost exclusively through passing. There just isn’t a tremendous amount of high level puck carrying up the ice in his game at all. I appreciate a beautiful stretch pass as much as the next person, but what exactly is he going to be doing in order to execute these plays on a shift to shift basis in the NHL? To his credit, there is the possibility of a really good give-and-go game being developed over time, but then you open an entirely new discussion about the frequency to which your defenders are using give-and-go’s in transition. I see that as a strength when those sequences are built off of the defender being an established threat to efficiently carry and pass, otherwise the other coach spots that as nothing more than opportunities to attack with numbers, force turnovers and now attack the broken defensive structure that comes with a defender being that removed from play.
To me, there’s nothing wrong with taking Parekh high with the understanding that you are getting a player that will cost you in one end of the ice almost as much as he helps in another. The idea that he comes out a net positive impact player isn’t asinine by any stretch of the imagination, but I can’t use a top ten pick on a defender who can’t guarantee me defensive or transitional results just because he can whip the puck around as creatively as anyone else in the draft. I can picture a lot of Parekh’s shifts being him getting hemmed in his own zone under a heavy forecheck until additional support comes from the team to help secure possession, only for Parekh to exit the puck out of the DZ without control as he fired a pass under pressure while the F1 swarms him. It makes me feel like I now am limited in how I build my top four as I have to find a player who masks these deficiencies. Others seem to be more confident in his defensive zone play. Only time will tell what’s going to happen here. Personally, I really want to trust that he can up his defensive play to the extent necessary to live up to his gifted offensive upside. His passing is unreal, and it’s a rare thing to find guys with his vision and execution in the draft. If I turn out to be wrong then that’s fine, I’m at peace with that.
20: Anton Silayev - Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod - D
I was never on board with the Silayev hype early in the year because the points were far from projectable, and you could envision him hitting a production wall rather quickly. Remove that hot start and Silayev doesn’t really have a whole lot of production this year. That makes sense, as he doesn’t have the best game with the puck to begin with outside of unpressured passes out of the defensive zone. I’m sure skill refinement will come to some extent to help him be more comfortable in-motion while under pressure, but it’s likely mitigated by the improved competition he’ll face in the NHL.
What does concern me is the defensive flaws in his game, especially given that his main selling point is defense. I loved Simashev last year because he was huge, fluid, agile, used his reach and physicality well, and he suffocated play whenever it dared to come near him. Silayev is not doing this. His positioning can be rough. He commits to guys early as play develops and leaves space behind that the opposition uses against him. If he was shorter, this would be a huge flaw as he’d look tremendously out of play. Fortunately, his size and fluid four-way mobility circumvent a lot of that. Pucks go through him very easily, whether it’s under his stick, through his wide stance or simply chipped around him. Guys get inside positioning on him very easily, and Silayev doesn’t seem to have the ability to punish this. It’s as if his size is a detriment in certain scenarios and he doesn’t know how to counter it, while he also doesn’t know how to leverage the size every opportunity he gets. This makes sense given that he hasn’t been playing at this size for very long, let alone against this quality of competition, but it’s certainly still a concern of mine.
The best he’s looked with the puck was at the end of the season, but it was mostly just controlling receptions, recognizing the pass in front of him and then making it accurately. I think I’m likely overcorrecting a bit too much with this pick. 6’7 players that are fluid skaters are basically unicorns after all. There’s no doubt that Silayev has the size and mobility needed to play in the NHL, but I think the pace of the NHL playoffs will affect his defensive play far more than I’m comfortable with when I don’t believe in the offense. This isn’t to say that he can’t become a very fine player. I imagine any team taking him early will pour in tremendous resources to address a lot of these issues. Overcoming just the defensive flaws will make him a very impactful top four defender, one that I would be sad to miss out on. I can’t let him slip any further than this, but he’s just not someone I’m overly engaged in drafting.
21: Linus Eriksson - Djurgardens IF - C
A pro player with fantastic habits and some of the best in-game growth we’ve seen from anyone all year.
I watched Eriksson’s first J20 games last spring and was pleasantly surprised with how well he kept pace. He knew he was a kid moving up a level and didn’t try and overdo anything, resulting in quite the impact. He was always in tune with his linemates, aware of incoming pressure and played quick, detailed hockey. Since then, he progressed all the way up to being a top six center in the AllSvensken playoffs, where he looked damn good. It was similar to before, he rarely makes plays that fit outside the overall macro structure of the team. It doesn’t stand out as much as some other prospects, but the underlying details are all fantastic. Being good in J20 right away isn’t a testament to how good a player will be in the NHL, but being good in Allsvensken to such an extent that you get promoted in the lineup in the playoffs? That’s someone who has the details down pat and the tools to build off of them.
A 200 ft center with size, mobility, fluidity and a good touch with the puck is always a coveted asset. He’s not likely to be a super high-end center in the NHL, but the way he’s grown his game while constantly moving up against opposition tells me he’s one of the best bets to have a lot added to his game in his post-draft development. Even without that upside, it’s so easy to project him as a quality third line center with an outside shot of a 2C role. Everyone plays well with Linus Eriksson. He makes everyone’s lives a lot easier, and it allows some freedom in his linemates to play to their strengths.
I find the discussion I’ve had between him and the next player, Beckett Sennecke, has been one of the most fascinating internal debates I’ve had. He may not have the same tremendous upside, but Eriksson thrived in an environment that I think Sennecke would have really struggled in. One is already acclimated to a far tougher league to play in, and as always with players in these scenarios, it’s easier to envision post-draft development unlocking new things considering he doesn’t have to incorporate the little things that separate professional and junior players.
22: Beckett Sennecke - Oshawa - W
I thought I was a big fan of Beckett Sennecke, but that was before he appeared to catapult into nearly everyone’s top ten. Now it seems like I’m a big disbeliever. I’m not sure how such a drastic rise happened seemingly all at once, given that he was mostly the same player he was the month prior when he was almost unanimously rated as a mid-to-late first. His playoff run was good but I don’t think I’ve really heard anyone say what’s changed so drastically that he leapfrogs other players who also ended the season strong.
According to the combine measurements, the only thing to catapult as high as Beckett’s average ranking is his damn height. This kid has grown a ton, allowing his game to now evolve far beyond what I first imagined when I initially saw him back at a U17 tournament during the fall of 2022. He had some fun vision and playmaking habits before, but now has the frame to incorporate a projectable puck protection game. Best of all is his newfound reach, which he has experimented with in all types of fun ways as he’s grown his game this year. He now has a wider playmaking arsenal than before, and he uses it in all sorts of fun ways.
The idea of what Beckett Sennecke could be in a few years is enticing as all hell. Right now, he is an incomplete version of that player, and there’s a lot of growth necessary to elevate him from where he is at now to a player with genuine impact in the NHL. Currently, his impact is not felt on a shift by shift basis. When the impact is there at even strength, it’s almost exclusively through those micro engagements within the game, where he’s looking to either set up his own shot or set up the primary assist. That’s obviously the key to scoring, so it’s not a detriment; however, the list is long of those with similar abilities who never met expectations due to their inability to regularly convert those small victories into larger, macro advantages for the team. A significant percentage of his awe-inspiring highlights are off the rush. The average OHL defender is not elite at defending the rush by any means, especially against guys who can do what Sennecke does. Go ahead, bait the puck all you want against Miro Heiskanen. See how that turns out.
You either need to be a gamebreaker with the puck to circumvent a weakness in the fine details that make up the NHL, or you need to learn the details. Moneyball applies here once again: if he knows the details, then why doesn’t he play with them. At least here, it can be justified as it’s difficult as hell to incorporate the fine points that make up NHL play into your game when your limbs keep growing. The focus goes towards getting that coordination back up to what it used to be, understandably so. Still, that isn’t evidence that these details are going to come down the line either, just a reason why it may be more likely with him than others.
I do see more improvement in Sennecke’s journey ahead than I do with other high skill players. I just don’t like raising a player solely off the idea that the NHL likes him a lot. From my understanding, he was barely in the top 20 of a lot of lists until the rumour about Montreal came out. Then the correction happened everywhere within the same timeframe. If his interviews indicate that the player gets the game in ways that hasn’t made its way to the tape yet then I would consider following suit with his mountainous rise up the boards. As of now, he’s a high-risk, high-reward mid-first player. This tier is so close that if the rest of the scouting staff wanted to take him at 13 then you’d hear minimal argument from me.
23: Sacha Boisvert - Muskegon - C
Given that he was ranked 12th on my mid-season board, it’s fair to say that Sacha Boisvert took a bit of a slide here at the endpoint. Two reasons why.
The first being that 12 was a bit optimistic to begin with. I am a big believer in Boisvert’s skill level, particularly the usage of reach in-motion. He can wrap pucks around players, protect it with pressure on him, bait the puck to set up pullbacks, etc. This can all work really well in-motion too, although admittedly he still looks like he’s a bit clunky mechanically. It’s borderline paradoxical with him, I’ve described him as the clunkiest fluid player in the draft. I really like the potential bubbling underneath the surface of his game that I think will explode once that last bit of clunkiness gets out of his system, but ranking him 12th over players that carry equal upside and less risk was a bit optimistic.
The second reason is that, at that point in time, I was factoring in improvements I thought I was slowly seeing in Sacha’s game. As of now, I think those improvements were mostly a sample size thing, as his play still has most of the same issues it does today as it did back in the winter. He can be a good player away from the puck, but sometimes his positioning is a bit worrisome. He doesn’t consistently offer the same support that I’ve seen other top USHL centers provide their players over the years. He can do it, but he isn’t consistent on a game to game basis with it. In fact, I noticed this problem more with him as the year went on.
The flashes of skill, combined with his reach, enable some really great handling sequences where Boisvert can dazzle his way through and around multiple defenders. He has the vision to pull off great passes in these conditions, and it really shows you that Boisvert is one of the few centers with real upside in the draft. Add some strength so that Boisvert can endure physical play and I really think that he has some real potential. He also has a fairly solid floor as a bottom six player solely due to the size, puck control and reach.
I think he and Sennecke have quite a number of similar issues, so them being back to back makes sense. Sennecke wins in pure upside, Boisvert is right behind him with a higher floor.
24: Konsta Helenius - Jukurit - C
I have no idea what to make of Helenius. The production is certainly something to note, and it’s very clear that he’s a highly intelligent player. As someone who values professional results and intelligence, you’d think I’d be high on someone like this. I love Artamonov after all, and it probably seems outlandish that I don’t have that same energy for Helenius.
I think Liiga plays a type of hockey where smarts succeed in ways that don't work in the SHL, NL or KHL nearly as well. My theory is that elite minds of the game can thrive here, but it is not a good place for development because the systems they play are so different from that of the NHL. An identity is created for the players that capitalizes on their anticipation and reads of the game, but the reads they have to make are so different from that of the NHL.
Despite being a quick decision maker, there’s an overall lack of pace to his game that isn’t just limited to his skating. Again, this comes from the methodical pace that Liiga is accustomed to. Look at his WJC play. You’d think a player coming down from pro hockey with a fair chunk of production would have had a field day against the lower competition, especially one out producing a number of his teammates in club play despite the age gap. Instead, Helenius ended up behind a lot of the players on the team. I don’t mean just in scoring, you could tell he was uncomfortable under pressure. His Liiga success is more reliant on having a mental edge over foes than many other members of that Finnish WJC team. Why did he look out of place against U20 players worldwide when he excels in Liiga? As always, I don’t place a whole lot of emphasis on these tournaments, but there are some cases where these types of performances reveal the missing puzzle piece that I’ve been looking for all year. Seeing Konsta’s limitations affect him in an environment that better represents what he’s to face in the NHL, only for him to go back to the uniquely methodical Liiga and look great again has definitely spooked me a lot.
The second half did look better, and I do enjoy his cerebral play built around positioning and two-way responsibility. I am not convinced that this play style works in the NHL, as those who embody it are much more skilled, play with a lot more pace and handle pressure a lot more intuitively. In the moments where Liiga players have Helenius trapped or under heavy pressure, you see the cracks in his ability to solve problems. Fortunately for him, he can avoid those situations a lot more in Liiga. Not really sure that’s possible here in the NHL. His linemate Topias Hynninen scored significantly less points, but he was consistently engaged and played with a ton of pace. I came away more impressed with what Hynninen can do under pressure. Even though I don’t think Topias has upside in the NHL, I think he can come to North America and find his groove easier than Helenius can.
To take Konsta in the top ten means you’re 100% betting on Helenius’ smarts to circumvent the flaws in his game, while hoping that the skill and skating develop far enough that he has a wider move set when under pressure. He also has to get a lot of game repetitions in at a fair level of play that isn’t Liiga to instill this new approach to problem solving against pro’s. Then he has to elevate it once again once it’s time to play against NHLers. It’s not the only path, but the majority of prospects do not add dimensions to their game while also learning how to make their existing approach work against better players. To discern which ones are capable of such a task is difficult without interviews, but to his credit, those with beeg brains are typically the type to step up to the monumental challenge. So if you’re to take a gamble like this, I agree that you do it with those who exhibit smarts; however, I will not be throwing my hand in the pot.
25: Luke Misa - Mississauga - W
I’ve been a big fan of Luke Misa all year long. He’s slipped down the list as the years gone on because of the strengths others have brought to the table, and I’d say my overall list is better organized to reflect draft value than the midseason edition that featured him ninth. My opinion of the player hasn’t really changed, only that the additional playmaking versatility I had hoped to see develop in the second half of the year didn’t come to life. That aside, he’s just a damn good hockey player. It’s a shame that Misa’s size seems to be the primary reason he’s falling under the radar for the draft. Porter Martone is definitely the star talent on the Steelheads, but it was Misa who drove the bus this year.
The standout trait is obviously his skating. If you’re going to make it in the NHL as an undersized winger, then zipping around with lightning on your feet is typically one of the best ways to overcome the biases about to come your way. The other thing is tenacity, and while he obviously isn’t at a point where you can see him fighting through NHL pressure as a guarantee yet, you can definitely see he has the individual pieces he’ll need to do so. Most importantly is that he wants to fight through players. He isn’t shy about physical play. A few years of lower body strength training can prepare him for the battles to come, and I subscribe fully to the idea that smaller players can use their height to their advantage when it comes to playing with a low center of gravity.
Misa is one of the best transition weapons in the draft, and it’s not just because of his speed. He has great routes off-puck that allow him to make the most of the advantages that come with blistering pace. He controls the puck very well for someone with acceleration bursts like him. The biggest slight often used against smaller playmakers like him is the lack of an in-motion, deceptive skill game. You want guys like this to be a step ahead of their foes, manipulating them and creating pockets of space for themselves and others to work with. Misa does have skill and it’s possible this is something he can do in the NHL, but I don’t need it to be happy with his projection. He’s a very good passer in terms of pure volume. He knows the timing as to when lanes to the slot or lanes across ice are supposed to open. He simply makes sure he’s already where he’s supposed to be with the puck and whips it through. These plays are completed quite often. The statistical profile built from his event data is reminiscent of the best we saw from Brad Lambert’s Liiga campaign back in 2022.
All in all, there’s a really useful middle six player here if you aren’t scared away by his height. I likely wouldn’t use a first on him solely because it seems like he’s going to be there in the second, maybe even the third. That sounds like fantastic value.
26: Liam Greentree - Windsor - F
It’s been a really weird season for Liam Greentree, one that really challenges a scout’s ability to separate players from their environment.
On one hand, you have extremely impressive production on a very poor team. Liam managed to thrive as the primary guy, despite the lack of support and borderline critical deficiency in skating. On the other hand, you have a somewhat noteworthy drop in performance as the season went on. There’s also that critical skating deficiency.
The heights Greentree reached this year in spite of the lackluster mobility are truly great, arguably the best of any OHLer. He made things happen everywhere on the ice while being a focal point of opposing defensive schemes. This required an insane amount of effort on a nightly basis, so the drop off in the second half is understandable in that regard. That being said, I believe that teams also adjusted to playing Greentree better in the second half. This tends to happen when a player lacks both a separation gear and sharp turning.
Without monumental upgrades to mobility, Greentree will be limited to a supporting role. It should be evident now that I don’t knock this against players, but what concerned me was his play at the U18’s. That was a great chance to really show how he can play in a more structured environment with better teammates, yet he had very few bright moments. His TOI decreased as the tournament went on. I’m sure there are plausible reasons for this that can alleviate my concerns, but it’d be speculation on my part to try and figure out what they are. I feel like the 20’s are a fine spot for a player like this, but if I had reassurance from development staff regarding improvements to mobility then I’d be compelled to take him earlier. This number may feel low, but this is a tier that extends to 13 so taking him with a late lottery pick is still a good pick.
27: Andrew Basha - Medicine Hat - W
I’ve cooled on what Andrew Basha can be in the NHL, but I still really like him as a first round prospect. The shifty winger can be as elusive as anyone in this tier as carves his way up the ice in transition.
I’m not as sold that the higher level of playmaking Basha has on display is going to necessarily translate to the NHL with consistency. While the mobility and skill level are certainly enough to find some manner of success when it comes to distribution, Basha is often relying a bit too much on his gravity while not having the most projectable physical game. Players are going to be coming at him faster in the NHL with aptly applied pressure and more strength to engage him with. He certainly has what it takes to overcome this challenge and find an NHL role, but I don’t think he’ll be a key manipulator that’s generating high danger chances as frequently as he is now.
I think Basha is going to end up having to play a bit more like how Luke Misa already plays in order to make it stick. Don’t slow down, keep up the pace, make simple passes to great effect and then hustle towards the next spot. The quantity over quality approach is how I see Basha’s toolkit working best in the NHL.
28: Jett Luchanko - Guelph - F
I appreciate the type of game Jett Luchanko brings every time he steps on the ice. He doesn’t overcomplicate a damn thing and it makes him highly effective when it comes to getting pucks up the ice. The offensive upside isn’t there in the same way that it is for the two OHL forwards preceding him. Luchanko doesn’t have Misa’s blistering speed, but he still is quite the skater himself. He doesn’t have Greentree’s high-end playmaking, but is still an efficient passer.
Jett just goes. He goes and goes and goes. He’s up and down the ice, battling for every loose puck. When he gets the puck, he looks for the first teammate that makes sense and gets the puck to them. Then he gives it 100% on his next route, whether that’s to play a close supporting role or to stretch the ice. Leave a defensive gap and he’ll fly right through it.
He won’t wow you with dynamic ability, but you’ll certainly notice him out there winning the tough battles and doing the dirty work. There’s always room for a player that brings pace, intensity and fast decision making to a line.
Tier Five: Risk For Reward & Solid Dudes (29-50)
A whole lot of dudes who introduce more risk for their upside,
or are just some solid dudes at playing hockey.
29: Stian Solberg - This freight train of a hitter has had quite the rise in recent months. Definitely 2024’s version of the “European player rises due to an international tournament near the end of the season” stereotype. This time, it’s a bit more understandable. Solberg is a very tough player to go against solely because he wants to smash you into the goddamn ISS every single chance he gets. He’s the type of player to thrive in the overly physical NHL playoffs as he’s already leveling grown men every chance he gets. The defense is a bit of a work in progress away from the crushing hits he can lay, partly because I think he’s sacrificing stability within his positioning to find more opportunities to throw said crushing hits. Even when he is sticking to his position, Solberg’s defensive stick and timing can still be beaten by the more skilled, speedy creators. He’s good at matching your footwork to an extent, but he commits to cutting down the lane earlier than other defenders and it leaves room for manipulators to take advantage of him if they remain deceptive with their stick handling. Not that this can’t be improved on, but I don’t see him as a suffocating defensive force. His hitting is sure as hell to piss off a lot of stars though, and you just know that the NHL will love that. He’s also got a helluva shot, which is always a bonus, but the puck skills beyond that aren’t really a thing I expect to see in the NHL.
30: Carter Yakemchuk - I know he’s going a lot higher than this, and I may regret this given the skill level Carter has at times, but he’s just not my type of defender I’m looking for early in the draft. His best offensive moments come at a really slow pace. I’m not sure how much his stick handling is going to work as he slowly trots through the OZ funnel. He does have a great shot, and he plays a nasty breed of defense that will frustrate opponents. It’s a defensive game with a lot of holes that players can poke through. Not the greatest in transition either. Really curious to see what development can do with him.
31: John Mustard - Best name in the draft. Also one of the most fun players in the draft. He stepped into the USHL straight out of USHS and was pretty much the only player to bring every element to his game with him, making it all work out of the gate. When he’s schmoovin uo the ice, Mustard looks untouchable. He hasn’t really put the pieces together on how to drive a line with this strength, but if those pieces get put together then he’s as high upside as you can find here.
32: Miguel Marques - The epitome of boom or bust. His best moments are honestly good enough to be in the top 15. He’s had a few games where the skill level takes over and he is suddenly the best player on the ice by a fair margin. He’s had a lot more games where that isn’t the case. I get frustrated watching him because I am often wondering why it looks like he isn’t as engaged as those around him. When he is engaged, he seems to have a surprisingly nasty, pesty game to him. That’ll annoy opponents for sure, but not nearly as much as his absurd skill level will if he makes it work in the NHL.
33: Herman Traff - A player who provided more and more reason to buy into the projectability in his game when he moved to the SHL, despite the lack of production. The shot is something that I think teams will really appreciate, as is the way he leverages his strength when players pressure him. Developing the puck control a bit further can make him a tenacious third liner.
34: Lucas Pettersson - Consider me confused. At times, Pettersson looks like a surefire first round guy. Fantastic pace to his game, great skating and a nice level of skill to compliment it all. Then he goes out there and doesn’t really use it all that much for long stretches of time. Reign that in and he’s got as much potential as anyone in the previous tier, but I’m not sure he plays in the NHL without that refinement.
35: Emil Hemming - A projectable player that is out there playing a game composed of the small details. He moves within the flow of his team pretty well all things considered, and has a versatile set of strengths that are all catered to finding success in the trickier parts of the ice. I think teams are going to really like him. I don’t see a lot of upside, and there are other players I’d bet on for my middle six, but there isn’t really a lot to dislike with Emil.
36: Daniil Ustinkov - I think Ustinkov plays such an easy game to like. He’s got range with his stick, solid mobility and he sticks to the defensive fundamentals. It’s rare for him to make big mistakes defensively, and he’s surprisingly solid with the puck on his stick. Of course, he keeps it simple, but simplicity is always nice in a quality third pairing guy.
37: Ryder Ritchie - I’m curious what his NHL identity will be. Sometimes he’s a great glue piece between other teammates, others he isn’t really inserting himself in the play a whole lot. There are moments of skill that left me with my mouth ajar. Unfortunately, those are few and far between based on my sample, and I’m not really convinced it’s going to be something he gets more out of as he develops. Keeping it simple is probably best for Ritchie, and I imagine that’s the approach he takes going forward as his play looks its best at that point.
38: Noel Fransen - If you want to bet on a defender with a ton of offensive upside, at the risk of possibly not making the league due to the flaws that exist elsewhere, then Fransen may just be the best swing you can take. The pace he executes plays with honestly isn’t that far off from where Alfons Freij is at times. The decision making can be questionable, he takes on a bit too much risk unnecessarily, but he’s built his game around moving the puck and being in-motion.
39: Luke Osburn - This is my guy. From the very first shift I saw of his, I had a feeling that this kid has a tremendous ceiling and that he has what it takes to get there. That was at 16U Nationals, playing for Compuware against competition that every name I ranked would shred apart. I wasn’t sure what he was as an NHL prospect then, but watching him transition into the USHL, hit those hurdles and then slowly knock them all down while incorporating all his old strengths has given me full confidence that there’s an NHL player here. The lack of production should not be seen as a lack of offense. He is highly skilled, uses his reach really well and is unbelievably fluid in-motion when changing directions. His head is up surveying his options while all this is going on. Defensively, he was very raw, but the improvements on both his reads and executions have been substantial. He’s got as much transitional potential as any defender I still have on the board. The skill and touch he passes with is extremely high level. I’ve seen him thread passes through three defenders at a breakneck pace that the recipient catches with ease. He’s also one of the youngest players in the draft, days from being in the 25’ class. I know I’m on an island with this one, but I think you work with Osburn for the next 4-5 years with a lot of patience and he will return with a tremendous payoff.
40: Cole Hutson - I want him to be a thing so badly. I was shouting Lane Hutson’s name from the rooftops since his U18 performance during his D-1. Cole offers a lot of those similar strengths. He also has a lot of those issues that people wrongly associated with Lane, particularly with skating and defensive play. He can also sometimes do way too much on his own, as if he’s trying to break the entire defensive structure himself. Still, it’s so easy to see the value he brings if it all works out. Rearguards don’t process the game the way that he does.
41: Kamil Bednarik - The hustle, second-effort and overall pace Kamil Bednarik plays with is extremely enticing. I don’t know what his ceiling is, but I think he’s been developed quite well by the NTDP to be a part of that next generation of bottom six players defined by their motor and determination. He has less offense to offer compared to Ziemer, but might be a better fit to strive in the depth of an NHL lineup.
42: Brodie Ziemer - Ziemer is just so smart. Every NTDP line gets better when he’s moved on it. He positions well, makes consistently good plays and is generally a terrific complimentary piece. The toolkit leaves you wanting slightly more, but I’ve reached the point where I think that limits what his ceiling is as a player, not whether it limits his ability to reach the NHL.
43: Clarke Caswell - I want to rank Caswell higher, and it’d be the easiest thing to do if he had more pace to play with. It’s not that he can’t keep up with the pace, as the brain processes the game so well, resulting in terrific vision and some amazing passing. He simply plays quicker than his feet, making it easy to see how well he’d translate his game to professional hockey if his speed goes up. One of the best upside bets you can take.
44: Marek Vanacker - A highly competitive player from the OHL is typically someone that team’s will take higher than this. He’s got a solid shot that he gets to use more than you’d think with his footspeed because Vanacker is often reading play ahead of his contemporaries. I’m not really sure what’s going to happen when the pace of play improves dramatically, but he can offset that with some improvements to his own mobility. The brain certainly keeps up in the NHL.
45: Adam Kleber - A towering defender with good defensive fundamentals to build off of. He can nullify play with the stick, the body or both. He’s got a surprising amount of puck control and is typically pretty responsible with it. Not sure there’s a lot of upside here, but a big body that can play and not cost you anything with the puck is a fine pick to make.
46: Tanner Howe - He may not be the first rounder others believed him to be when he was alongside Bedard, but Howe plays a simplistic game that projects to the NHL. He’s got a good shot he can use off the rush and makes plays in the areas of the ice that NHL teams covet.
47: EJ Emery - I am not on the EJ Emery hype train all too much. I don’t really see too much of a game with the puck, but I do appreciate the fact that he can make the simple play that’s in front of him. He is a tremendous athlete who moves very well. His rush defense potential is quite high, so I might be a bit too low on him.
48: Ollie Josephson - Maybe you get a third line center here. If you don’t, then you have a quality fourth line center. I can see why others may not be enticed by that, but the board doesn’t have a lot of players left who have the pace and intensity that the NHL demands.
49: Jesse Pulkkinen - Everyone’s favourite wildcard. This overager plays a game littered with chaos. He’ll send high risk/reward passes with zero fear, challenge anyone defensively at any point and go for some of the most ridiculous highlight plays you’ve ever seen. It would be so cool to see him work out. If he was a draft eligible, I’d see him as a first rounder.
50: Lucas Van Vliet - Van Vliet is the ultimate “glitter” player, the type of guy you notice in the background of a different player that really impresses you. Then you see the shift by shift and notice there’s long stretches where not a whole lot happens. These guys don’t usually make the league, but LVV has made considerable improvements when it comes to finding impact as the year has progressed. He’s got good reach, skill, high-level vision and the number of shifts where he decides it’s time to simply take over the game has been steadily increasing.
And yeah, just like that, here we are at the end of another writeup that was supposed to cap out at half this length. If you’ve read this whole thing then I do truly thank you. <3