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« on: November 27, 2018, 04:17:31 AM »
Eyes On The Prize
The league is getting younger and faster every season, making it practically impossible for a team to achieve a certain form of success without a strong group of prospects. Each draft day is an important one because it is an occasion to drastically improve an organization from a long-term perspective. If we look at this year’s draft, there is talent extending through the ranks farther than we’ve seen in recent years.
Here’s my fall ranking based on a personal overall projection.
Jack Hughes, Kaapo Kakko, and Kirby Dach are leading the way
The 5’10” Jack Hughes is a dynamic and electrifying centre with elite top speed and stickhandling. What makes him so good is his ability to read the play before anyone else and make it look easy. He won’t score on every shift, but he’ll always creates something offensively. Scouts peg him as a combination of Mitch Marner and Jack Eichel.
If it’s unanimous that Jack, brother of Quinn, will be the first American-born player to be selected first overall since Matthews in 2016, Kaapo Kakko isn’t far behind. Everyone has him ranked after Hughes, and the Finnish winger is an extremely intelligent stickhandler, with Andrei Svechnikov’s type of potential.
Kirby Dach completes the top three. Dach keeps surprising us as he seems to have stepped up his game with the Saskatoon Blades of the WHL since the beginning of the season, recording 39 points in 24 games. On November 24, he was ranked seventh in points, fifth in assists (26), and sixth in power-play assists (13). All at only 17 years old.
A Canadian, an American, and a Swede make up the top three defencemen
Bowen Byram is a mobile and polyvalent two-way defenceman who’s described by many as a ‘’swagger’’ blue-liner. A smooth skater with great hockey IQ, he’s effective in every aspect of the game.
Cam York is a small defenceman but a good skater with an interesting offensive upside who reads the game perfectly. York is not the flashiest blue-liner, but he has great puck possession and passing ability.
Philip Broberg is a smart, skilled, physical defender with great skating ability. He really opened everyone’s eyes during the Hlinka/Gretzky Tournament when he was by far the most noticeable and complete defenceman. He carried those skills into the SHL this season.
The Top 50 rouge = défenseur gaucher mauve = défenseur droitier
Jack Hughes, C, USDP, 5’10, 168 lbs
Kaapo Kakko, RW, TPS Turku (LIIGA), 6’1, 181 lbs
Kirby Dach, C, Saskatoon Blades (WHL), 6’4, 198 lbs
Dylan Cozens, C, Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL), 6’3, 185 lbs
Alex Turcotte, C, USDP, 5’11, 194 lbs
Bowen Byram, LHD, Vancouver Giants (WHL), 6’1, 191 lbs
Vasili Podkolzin, RW, SKA Saint Petersburg (MHL), 6’1, 190 lbs
Peyton Krebs, LW, Kootenay ICE (WHL), 5’11, 181 lbs
Matthew Boldy, LW, USDP, 6’2, 187 lbs
Ryan Suzuki, C, Barrie Colts (OHL), 6’0, 172 lbs
Alex Newhook, C, Victoria Grizzlies (BCHL), 5’11, 183 lbs
Cam York, LHD, USDP, 5’11, 172 lbs
Trevor Zegras, C, USDP, 6’0, 168 lbs
Raphael Lavoie, RW, Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL), 6’4, 198 lbs
Philip Broberg, LHD, AIK (Allsvenskan), 6’3, 198 lbs
Cole Caufield, RW, USDP, 5’7, 167 lbs
Matthew Robertson, LHD, Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL), 6’4, 201 lbs
Arthur Kaliyev, RW, Hamilton Bulldogs (OHL), 6’2, 190 lbs
Anttoni Honka, RHD, KeuPa HT (Mestis), 5’10, 170 lbs
Nolan Foote, C, Kelowna Rockets (WHL), 6’3, 187 lbs
Simon Holmstrom, RW, HV 71 (SHL), 5’11, 171 lbs
John Beecher, C, USDP, 6’3, 203 lbs
Albin Grewe, C, Djugardens IF (SHL), 6’0, 176 lbs
Victor Soderstrom, RHD, Brynas IF (SHL), 5’11, 176 lbs
Jakob Pelletier, LW, Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL), 5’9, 161 lbs
Moritz Seider, RHD, Adler Mannheim (DEL), 6’4, 183 lbs
Ilya Mironov, LHD, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (MHL), 6’3, 198 lbs
Thomas Harley, LHD, Mississauga Steelheads (OHL), 6’3, 183 lbs
Nicholas Robertson, C, Peterborough Petes (OHL), 5’9, 168 lbs
Alex Vlasic, LHD, USDP, 6’6, 192 lbs
Matvei Guskov, C, London Knights (OHL), 6’1 172 lbs
Mikko Kokkonen, LHD, Jukurit (LIIGA), 5’11, 190 lbs
Tobias Bjornfot, LHD, Djugardens IF J20 (SuperElit), 6’0, 187 lbs
Pavel Dorofeyev, LW, Stalnye Lisy Magnitogorsk (MHL), 6’0, 183 lbs
Spencer Knight, G, USDP, 6’3, 198 lbs
Connor McMichael, C, London Knights (OHL), 6’0, 170 lbs
Artemi Knyazev, LHD, Chicoutimi Saguenéens (QMJHL), 5’11, 176 lbs
Philip Tomasino, C, Niagara IceDogs (OHL), 6’0, 181 lbs
Sasha Mutala, RW, Tri-City Americans (WHL), 6’1, 196 lbs
Daniil Gutik, LW, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (MHL), 6’3, 179 lbs
Marshall Warren, LHD, USDP, 5’11, 168 lbs
Samuel Poulin, LW, Sherbrooke Phoenix (QMJHL), 6’1, 207 lbs
Nils Hoglander, RW, Rogle BK (SHL), 5’9, 185 lbs
Kaedan Korczak, RHD, Kelowna Rockets (WHL), 6’3, 192 lbs
Maxim Cajkovic, RW, Saint John Sea Dogs, 5’11, 187 lbs
Blake Murray, C, Sudbury Wolves (OHL), 6’3, 185 lbs
Brett Leason, C, Prince Albert Raiders (WHL), 6’4, 205 lbs
Drew Helleson, RHD, USDP, 6’2, 181 lbs
Marcus Kallionkieli, LW, Sioux City (USHL), 6’1, 176 lbs
Valentin Nussbaumer, C, Shawinigan Cataractes (QMJHL), 6’0, 168 lbs
Obviously, there’s still a lot of time left before these players join their new NHL teams, but who’s your top five?
