Reflecting on Six Years of Tracking Data

If you’re unaware, I spend all day of almost every day during the hockey season watching hockey games around the world and tracking data of the player I’m analyzing in that game. The focus of my data collection is to clearly identify the events the player is involved in, their impact on the game, and the results of their impact one way or the other. Whether it’s defensive, passing, transition, playmaking or shooting data, the focus is simply “what is happening on the ice, what is the player doing, and what is the outcome”. One of the things I’m most often asked by fans, scouts, and other hockey people is if there are any factors in my tracked data that can be reflected upon and carried forwards with regards to draft strategy. I have been at this project in some way since 2019, and the amount of data I gather has increased significantly with refinements to my strategy and thought process. After a season, I usually have a small list of things I’d like to add to the tracking sheet for the following season, and hope that that list gets shorter every year. For 2025, the only metric I’ll be adding is tracking the total number of defensive zone cycles established by a player’s opponent while they’re on the ice. I track how many cycles a player “breaks” in some way, but have no context for just how often the player is hemmed in their own zone, which could be key context to understand. Outside of that, I’m happy with where things are, especially with my 2024 draft data, and I feel somewhat confident that I have enough players in the database with enough games tracked that we can start looking at some that correlate to greater success on the ice.

First off, some caveats… I track players from all over the world, and generally draw the line at top division junior leagues in the major European hockey nations (Sweden, Finland, Russia, and Switzerland) and the two premier Junior A leagues in Canada (BCHL/AJHL). There has been one exception in Scott Morrow at the US Prep School level who had a very near perfect dataset. Some youngsters are playing pro hockey for 8 minutes a night, others are playing 20 minutes a night in the WHL, so there is context that may colour things in some way. That said, good results are good results, and hockey is still the same game no matter where it’s played. The rink size may change, but otherwise the fundamentals are the same. My data is also all tracked at 5v5 only. Most of the game is played at 5v5, and good 5v5 players can generally be analyzed to project as useful in other game states. I also try to track games that are played against strong competition in their leagues, especially at the junior level, and quadruply so in Russia. Lastly, some of these players have small sample sizes in their individual datasets for one reason or another, but every player’s data has been dumped into a pool of individual performances looking at various correlates between tracked metrics and shot attempt differentials, dangerous shot attempt differentials, and shot attempt rates at both ends of the ice (offensive and defensive). The general focus is to isolate factors that drive good results in a hockey game, and cutting through whatever biases there might be analyzing of the game in the context of the NHL Draft. We’ll also be avoiding correlating between raw shot totals to shot attempt differentials unless they’re worth noting in general as they are obviously major drivers of themselves in some way and we’re more interested in the other tracked data’s effect on those differentials. We will also be keeping this relatively simple, calculating Pearson Product-Moment Correlations (r-value). So with that out of the way, let’s take a look and see what pops out!

Takeaway #1 - Defensive Results Are Noise… Except One Thing…

I gave a quick presentation about this topic a few years back at the Ottawa Hockey Analytics Conference during the pandemic, and a few years later, the same trend holds. The impact of defensive metrics on overall shot attempt differentials is basically noise with very little correlation, but there is one area that is a decent correlate, and that’s allowing control of the puck across bluelines if you’re a defenseman. It doesn’t matter what blueline we’re looking at; the worse you are at preventing zone transitions, the worse you’re going to be in your own end. This may seem obvious, but I see defenders struggle in this area and have concern waved away because of physical play in their own end or how they clear the front of the net, when in reality, the battle is always made more difficult when getting into that situation in the first place. I see players with a knack for being aggressive and using their feet and stick to challenge carriers and pucks in the neutral zone and they often go unheralded or labeled concerning because of a perceived lack of physical tools. This trend is a big reason why I’m so forthright about looking more closely at highly mobile, smaller, skilled defenders, as they often take a more aggressive approach off the puck to challenge play higher up the ice, and the results often speak for themselves.

When isolating specifically for shot attempts against, there are some interesting takeaways that feed into a similar story. Uncontrolled offensive zone exits and transition involvement at the offensive blueline going either direction are correlate on a similar level when it comes to suppressing defensive shot attempts. In fact, defensive zone entries, even those that are uncontrolled correlate to increased rates of defensive zone shot rates albeit at a very weak level. It appears that preventing defensive zone transition control, especially at the offensive blueline should be the focus in order to get strong defensive results.

For forwards? It’s a bit of a mess and there wasn’t much that factored into preventing chances defensively that are reliable enough to get into.

Some of the key points of interest that improve shot attempts against (SATA) and shot differentials (SAT%/DSAT%) among defenders.

OZExitUnc - Uncontrolled offensive zone exits | OBLT - Total offensive blueline transitions | DTS% - Defensive transition success percentage

Note: DTS% is a the opponent’s success rate on their offensive transitions against the subject. Lower is better, so as DTS% increases (bad), SATA increases and SAT% decreases (bad), leading to the correlations displayed.

Takeaway #2 - Offense > Defense

If anything is clear when looking at the data, it’s that offensive output drives overall results at a much more consistent and reliable rate than defensive suppression does. As we found above, even after adding multiple new metrics to track defensive play, nothing makes much of any difference except defensemen being aggressive on defensive rushes. There are positive correlations just as strong for forwards when it comes to attempted slot passes, completed slot passes, total completed passes, shot assists, and offensive zone turnovers generated. Transition success is a much weaker correlate and transition involvement has no correlation. For forwards, the balance of the game is so heavily weighed towards the offensive zone that the rest is a secondary concern on paper.

Switching over to defensemen, things are a little bit more mixed, but the importance of the offensive blueline holds true once again as a good correlate with all shot attempts as well as when we filter out low danger opportunities. It appears that defensive transition play affects defensive results reliably, but at the other end, involvement in the offensive zone is paramount, and individual low danger attempts from the perimeter is a poor correlate when compared to slot passing and stepping up from the offensive blueline to make plays.

There are so many offensive metrics that have such an impact on the overall balance of shot attempts in a game of hockey and so few defensive ones that over the years, I’ve simply leaned more and more into valuing players that bring offensive upside and drive strong results in that area more and more.

A selection of offensive and defensive metrics for forwards and their impact on shot metrics. Note how many offensive metrics have correlations that boost overall results while defensive metrics are significantly weaker.

iDSAT - Dangerous shot attempts taken by player | DShA - Dangerous shot assists | DPass - Slot passes

CB - Defensive zone cycles broken

Takeaway #3 - Stop Shooting From Nowheresville!

Another one that might seem obvious, but is interesting to see presented across multiple leagues and levels of play is the trend that connects volume shooters and questionable offensive results and projection. As indicated, defensemen drive better results when challenging opponents in the offensive zone rather than peppering the net from the perimeter and hoping for chaos to reign supreme in front of the net. The same is true for forwards by an even larger margin. If we focus on shot differentials from dangerous areas of the ice, how much a player shoots from the perimeter is basically a non-factor. In fact, when zeroing in on some high end prospects whose shot attempts come from the perimeter more often than not, we see some interesting names pop up: Alexander Holtz, Joakim Kemell, Jacob Perreault, Zachary Bolduc, Sasha Pastujov, and Matthew Beniers are in there. Granted, some are better off than others at current time and there is much more to their overall story (especially for Beniers), but these are largely productive, high offense players often coveted in the NHL Draft. Only Pastujov was a pick outside the first round, but many outlets had him just outside that range at the end of the season. All of these players have had some level of struggle projecting their goal scoring/production to the professional levels of hockey, but of course they have time left to continue to improve and carve out a role if they haven’t already. Trevor Connelly, Dalibor Dvorsky, and Terik Parascak are notable examples from the last couple of drafts who fall into the same category, so keeping an eye on that will be interesting in the near future.

Highlighting the importance of shot selection, weighing the subject’s shot attempts by location (iwSAT) to favor dangerous attempts correlates well to offensive results. Low danger attempts correlate to team dangerous shot attempts for as well, but much weaker than stepping deeper into the offensive zone. There is also more evidence of stronger correlations to improved shot differentials from offensive data than defensive data.

Takeaway #4 - Offensive Zone Forechecking Matters

No matter which way you slice it, forwards who create turnovers in the offensive zone in some fashion leads to better shot differentials. While the correlations on the defensive side are quite weak, when looking at offense and overall differentials, there is a decent correlation across the board. Sitting back on a forecheck is a recipe for limiting your offense, which may seem obvious, but we can hear criticism of a 2-1-2 forecheck due to the defensive holes it may create. Combining the results that favour generating turnovers in the offensive zone and defensemen being aggressive at the offensive blueline, we start to see a picture that more aggressive teams and players at all positions not only drive better offensive results, but may not affect defensive results on paper, and have a positive impact on shot differentials, even when removing perimeter shot attempts at both ends. When you think about it from a strategic point of view, this all makes a level of logical sense. Getting a breakout organized and moving up the ice is a pivotal skill to nail down for any team, but it can be a chaotic process no matter how good your players are. Once players get a head of steam going, the defensive approach becomes gap management and guiding carriers to the perimeter, which can be difficult against faster, skilled players who can see the ice well, read options and get through defensive layers in a more controlled environment. In many cases, it seems to pay off to be risky and more aggressive than it does to sit back and let the game come to you. This is another area in my work that has remained important and reflected in my rankings, but I will also admit that tracking offensive zone turnovers is an addition to my 2023 tracking and the sample isn’t as big, but some names to keep an eye on here? Teddy Stiga, Brodie Ziemer, Ilya Pautov, Hiroki Gojsic, Berkly Catton, Will Smith, Zach Benson, Konsta Helenius, Jacob Battaglia, Ollie Josephson and Adam Fantilli have all been standouts. Others have gone undrafted but are on my radar as they age such as Theo Kiss, Griffin Erdman, Isac Hedqvist, and Christopher Thibodeau who have all been mixed into the previous group.

Some key forechecking and aggression metrics for forwards and defenders. Increased offensive zone turnover generation (OZTo) for forwards is among the stronger correlates for driving good results at both ends, especially offensively. Combining with the correlations for aggressive offensive blueline defenders makes the case for increased risk for greater reward.

Takeaway #5 - Good Differentials ≠ Good Player

This one is a little more anecdotal and dips more into the traditional hockey world, but over the years you absolutely pick up on details and facets of the game in of the NHL that changes your philosophy on players outside of the NHL. There have been players who drive great results in some way in my experience, but struggle to project to higher levels, let alone the NHL. Yes, in the data there are little details and quirks that can raise questions, but some players drive great results, even in good leagues, but the confidence that that trend continues may not be there for a variety of reasons. The same can be said about the opposite case. Having a firm grasp of the NHL’s speed, physicality, intensity and seeing how the best of the best be that way at the highest levels is paramount to avoiding errors and relying on your data too much. For example, the some leading forwards among big sample players in dangerous shot attempt differentials I’ve tracked over the years? Lorenzo Canonica, Jack Devine, Logan Stankoven, Teddy Stiga, Joel Jonsson, Aydar Suniev and Lucas Raymond. Some of these players went undrafted, one in the first round, two in the second and one in the seventh. Why? Canonica is a great example. He’s objectively small but vitally lacked the elite skill and speed necessary to escape or navigate through defensive pressure at his size, even at the QMJHL level to consistently drive actual offensive results. In my view, Stankoven, Stiga and at to a lesser extent Jonsson buck that trend. Raymond was simply a very talented two-way player in the SHL and absolutely deserved the elite status he had in 2020.

On the flipside, Brad Lambert has had the second worst shot differential of anyone I’ve tracked, but I remained steadfast that there was something there based on other metrics and his video evidence, and his career in the time since has been significantly more promising. 2024 first round pick Stian Solberg was also awful when it came to shot differentials, and you can see why in the video for a variety of reasons, but does that make him a reach or bad first round pick? To me, no! I love that guy. Does it mean he’s an NHLer this year or next year? Highly unlikely, but it goes to show how important it is to look at every detail in aggregate and incorporate what you’re seeing as you gather information, how those things intertwine and what you may be able to extract from that information to make better bets on players. It’s funny to say, but being good doesn’t always mean you’re good, let alone in the NHL. The more I watch the NHL, the more I worry about raw pace, intensity, forechecking pressure, and quick thinking, and that’s become a prime area of interest for me, with the data being an informative backbone to that strategy.

Final Takeaway - This isn’t Magic, but You Can’t Live Without It

You may note that a lot of the correlations here are not definitively strong, and we’ve been over some of the caveats in the collection process that might lead to that situation. When I started this project, I set out to really dig into what findings could be gathered from looking more closely at performance data in the draft and how it can be used to improve strategy and output. After many years of this, I’ve learned simultaneously that nothing in my work “solves the draft” or creates a foolproof approach to never miss a draft pick ever again, but I also am strongly of the belief that any scout in the NHL needs to be data-literate in 2024 with a firm grasp of performance data, how it’s gathered and presented to check what their eyes are seeing at the very least. A major source of frustration to me is the “you have to be in the rinks” line of thinking when after so many years from this in my office, I’ve been able to go around the world, watch individual players, see their performance, and go through anywhere from 4-10 players in a single day without having to get in the car, get on a plane, find parking at an arena, and wait between shifts. The efficiency of this process needs to go hand in hand with the networking, research and intelligence that the scouting world also does require. The raw numbers in the database don’t necessarily predict the future, but it helps avoid mistakes when branding and analyzing a player. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve sat back and seen notes from others where I think back to my video records and tracked data and think “If this player does this, then why are they failing at it so many times? Why can they not turn that into better results?” Similarly, if I see criticism of a player, I can easily see cases where the same criticism isn’t levied against someone else, or I can easily see if there is evidence that the criticism isn’t really a huge factor in the grand scheme of a game. You gain a firm understanding of what exactly it is that you’re seeing in a player and how it lines up with what you’re looking for.

Finding out what a player brings and doesn’t to a game in a concrete way is arguably a better question to ask than “is this player any good”, and over the years that has become the major focus of my work. A lot of the hockey operations world seems to function like a corporation without a finance department that is a focal point for business development. Sure, you may have some analysts on staff, but if the business development and executive team run roughshod regardless of what the finance team is presenting, the risk of making poor decisions significantly goes up, and for a long time many organizations didn’t even have a finance department in that example. Coming from someone who worked in the private sector in a situation like this as an analyst, I can tell you that mistakes are easy to make if you’re uninformed, and if anything, data is great for informing you of what you’re looking at. Decisions still need to be made, decisions are difficult, and decisions can still be mistakes (see some of my Team Scouching selections and you’ll definitely see some), but the whole idea is to be better in aggregate from a bird’s eye view. In my view, having this information combined with an eye that has seen the evidence behind where the information comes, and being able to do so on a global, agile and fluid crossover basis as a part of your strategy is an advantage, especially the further on that the draft goes. At the very least it puts you in a better position to understand the marketplace, who brings what, and how to ensure your organization stays oriented firmly in the right direction, even if there isn’t a magic formula that alleviates you of all risk and maximizes output from the draft.

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Hockey is a crazy, nuanced, fast and bizarre sport with a drafting and development process that is just as crazy and bizarre. The NHL almost entirely drafts teenagers, and they can come from all over the world playing at wildly different levels of competition. While it is true on paper that past a certain point the draft becomes a crapshoot but in my experience, it is also increasingly difficult to ignore that there are worthwhile bets that bring strong current value that could grow to buck the trend of the NHL Draft being that crapshoot. Tracked data from performances may not be a golden ticket with plenty of context and nuance that change the story, but it is clearly helpful for sorting through what’s out there, clearly identifying factors you’re looking for, and hedging your bets as much as possible. When seeing factors that lead to greater success, we can also spot some areas that may not have been exploited as much as they could be in the draft, especially when keeping vital factors like level of competition in mind. At the end of the day, a big lesson I’ve learned is that there’s no one way to play the most effective hockey, and so much comes down to the evidence that drives the data being a major deciding factor. That said, there are important takeaways of where to focus your attention such as valuing offensive metrics and aggressive off-puck success.

I’ve said many times that the longer I do this the less I trust my data and the data of others to do the work for me, but I can’t live without it and feel nearly as confident in my analysis of a player. Knowing exactly what it is a player brings to the game and doesn’t is vital, and cutting through whatever conscious or unconscious bias you may have could be the make or break between really nailing those pivotal first few draft picks and spending piles of money developing players into players that are hopefully as effective as those taken later in the draft. In my mind, a 21st century scouting department requires a team of both data literate crossover analysts building an international database and awareness of the entire landscape, with the road warriors doing the work those analysts can’t, acting as the intelligence arm of the team gathering key information and building a more rounded picture of the players you’re examining. Too much of one or the other, and you’re missing out on key information that could be a huge benefit, and with the NHL Draft being more a more valuable tool for player acquisition than ever, any potential advantage should be a welcomed one.

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Will Mocks the NHL’s 1st Round Picks

Welcome to Scouching’s Mock Draft of the 1st round of the 2024 NHL Draft! I’m going to be absolutely fascinated with how the chips fall in Vegas, with plenty of teams with interesting strategies and preferences across the spectrum of hockey. We all know who is going first, but beyond that pick things get wide open right away. If Chicago skips over an Ivan Demidov, who knows who actually pulls the trigger on him? The 3-12 range could be absolutely out of control, and as the draft goes on, pre-draft rankings begin to look sillier and sillier. It’s going to be a fun ride and I’m so excited to see it unfold in person. If you’re new here, my mock drafts are a little bit different and I essentially draft for two. One, if I’m in the driver’s seat and doing what I would do, taking into consideration my understanding of what the given team might be looking for. The other takes my own bias a little bit more out of it, factoring in what’s out there and how teams have drafted recently to zero in on names that logically may have their names called in a given slot. There are always surprises on draft day, and I love to try to anticipate who those surprises may be, but I also want to mention that if I have any knowledge of the actual direction a team is going, it’s not part of the logical explanation. If I can connect threads between players and teams, it’s all public information, but nothing in here should lead you to believe I know something you don’t about your team.

With that out of the way, let’s have some fun! I hope you enjoy, and if you’re around in Vegas next week, say hi!

• 1st | San Jose Sharks | Will's Pick - Macklin Celebrini | Gut's Pick - Macklin Celebrini

  What can I say? It's going to be Celebrini, he's going to San Jose, we all know it, they know it, he's a great player, he'll be a pivotal cog in the future of the Sharks and should be a key focal point of the team. Diverse skillset, remarkable smarts, multifaceted scoring ability, and a very good 200-foot impact player. I see zero issues.

• 2nd | Chicago Blackhawks | Will's Pick - Ivan Demidov | Gut's Pick - Artyom Levshunov

  I am frankly very surprised to see so much debate about the pick here. Demidov carries zero concern about his status in Russia and is on record stating his intention to cross the ocean after next season. Saying no to the opportunity of combining the ruthless playmaking of Ivan Demidov with the ridiculous scoring and playmaking that Connor Bedard carries absolutely baffles me. I get that there are strong, big defensemen who are better stoppers than Demidov, but guys like Demidov also don't come along every season, and his improvement since the calendar switched to 2024 is impossible to ignore. He's come a ways in this season, and my concerns from earlier in the season are alleviated. With further improvement to his quickness on his feet, he'll only get better from here. Elite vision, elite skill, elite creativity, and a growing level of determination and evasion on the rush make this an easy choice from every angle in my mind.

  In reality, it seems more and more likely that Chicago is going with Levshunov. To me, they are getting a longer term project physical defender who has reined in his cowboy hockey tendencies over this season. He’s mobile, a good short-range passer with good vision, and can find passing targets in the offensive zone effectively. He’ll be a player, but it wouldn’t be my choice here.

• 3rd | Anaheim Ducks | Will's Pick - Cayden Lindstrom | Gut's Pick - Cayden Lindstrom

  The Ducks have placed a firm emphasis on a physical style of player in the draft with varying levels of skill secondary to resilience and physical pressure. Luckily for them, there is no shortage of options here. In my view, they have drafted quite a few defensemen who are all coming along well, but there is still some work to be done with their high end offensive players. To me, a player like Cayden Lindstrom makes the most sense to me and could be a great Duck under Pat Verbeek. He's fast, skilled, has a great release, and applies himself physically more than almost anyone in the entire class. There's so much to like with Lindstrom that could work off of the other recent draftees to Anaheim that legitimately makes them "tougher to play against" in more ways than what that generally encompasses to many people. They could go many directions here, but the upside with Lindstrom working off the other high end youngsters in Anaheim could fit extremely well.

• 4th | Columbus Blue Jackets | Will's Pick - Berkly Catton | Gut's Pick - Sam Dickinson

  Columbus is a total wild card with new leadership, but Don Waddell oversaw quite the efficient and creative scouting department in Carolina. Columbus has added a ton of talent to the stable at all positions over the years, and in my mind, after adding Adam Fantilli last season, the idea of Berkly Catton filling in the middle of the ice behind him, or on the wings with him is hard to ignore. I am a huge, huge Catton fan, and have far fewer concerns about him relative to the other high skill players Columbus has added in recent years. He's creative, deceptive, sneaky and one of the most ridiculous analytical profiles in my work this year. He has so much talent and should make everyone else's life easier, and the Blue Jackets can take another pick or two later on a defender who could fill their lineup.

  In reality, it seems Catton is sowing enough concern that he'd fall a bit from here, and in his stead, Sam Dickinson comes to mind. He has tons of potential avenues for his career and seems to fit the mld of the defenders that Columbus as had on the roster for some time. The Provorov’s and Werenski’s of the hockey world, essentially. Big, a great forwards skater rushing the puck up the ice with ease and some solid offensive tools to work with. There are certainly some issues with pass decisions and not mapping the ice particularly well, and he takes on quite a lot of risk that backfires at inopportune times. I’m a little bit more skeptical of Dickinson’s game, but with time there could be a good offensive-leaning puck rusher and playmaker that could fill in on a power play.

• 5th | Montreal Canadiens | Will's Pick - Tij Iginla | Gut's Pick - Ivan Demidov

  The new regime of the Montreal Canadiens has been a fascinating one that is tough to predict come draft time. There are a ton of directions they could go with this pick, but to me, considering who is on the board here, I would look at Tij Iginla if I were them. There are other names available that I certainly think would be excellent fits for the Canadiens, but that’s the nature of the 2024 NHL Draft. There are a lot of players that could many roles in he NHL, but to me, Iginla seems to fit what Montreal is looking for, as well as what they could use more of. Iginla is a well balanced offensive player with a lightning quick shot that he is often willing to use. He’s an intense, hard-nosed player willing to cause turnovers and get involved at both ends of the ice. He’s an underrated playmaker as well with limited options to make plays with on this year’s Kelowna team as well. He seemed to get more and more comfortable as the year went on, and just seems to check so many boxes for the Habs. They seem to value hard workers with intensity and competitiveness in their game, and Iginla certainly brings it.

  In the real world, it does seem like Demidov will be available here for Montreal, and it also seems like they’re going to give him a hard look. He’s exactly what the Canadiens need more of in their pipeline. Offensive zing with elite skill, playmaking, and production potential. All Demidov does is set up plays for his linemates and generate scoring chances for himself. The data I’ve tracked on him is off the charts, albeit at a lower level, but the growth and evolution in his game over the season is hard to ignore. I expect a better year in the KHL than we saw this past season and a jump to the NHL relatively soon where Demidov likely makes anyone he plays with more productive.

• 6th | Utah | Will's Pick - Michael Brandsegg-Nygård | Gut's Pick - Anton Silayev

  In the last three seasons, the former Arizona Coyotes have drafted 31 times, and of those 31, just 11 stand below 6'2". Two of those 11 are under 6', with one being Logan Cooley and the other going unsigned and playing in Switzerland. All of this is to say that it's relatively clear that this is a team that values raw size more often than not, especially in recent years. To me there are a few options they could head with this pick if that trend continues. In my mind, Michael Brandsegg-Nygard checks a ton of boxes. A player who brings a more NHL-ready style of play than many players in this range with tactical defensive ability, good skill that he applies effectively, and some finishing ability that should project to the NHL well. He's headed to the SHL next season but I don't think he's long for the European world from here. He had a great performance at the World Championships showcasing his physicality but also his moments of evasive skill and a quick wrist shot to top it all off. He would round out a massive prospect cupboard and provide some support for names like Cooley and Geekie down the road. It may be a bit early to take him, but he would be a good fit for what the Coyotes seem to be building.
  
  To pat myselve on the back a bit, I put on my Bill Armstrong hat last year and nailed the Simashev/But picks at the draft and was not surprised to see them go where they did, and this year I just can't help but think they want to continue building their collection of defensive skyscrapers and going after Anton Silayev. Sure they've drafted a bunch of other huge defenders in the last few seasons, but Silayev brings a ton of potential in a variety of different avenues that could make Utah's defense group a serious issue down the road. He's mobile, uses his reach well, and while he lacks some of the refinements you need out of NHL defenders, he's a player willing to be physical and shows signs of being a solid defensive defenseman that can offset some of the other more offensive leaning big boys they've drafted recently. There are a ton of ways this could go for them, but it seems like having multiple mobile defenders well over 6' is not a bad thing in an NHL lineup and Utah seems to be on their way there. Silayev only helps them get there with even more gusto.

• 7th | Ottawa Senators | Will's Pick - Artyom Levshunov | Gut's Pick - Zayne Parekh

  New ownership brings changes regardless of circumstances, and Ottawa is in the process of completely overturning things from top to bottom. As of today, it seems that the scouting staff is identical to before, so the only thing that may change philosophy is directive from above. It's impossible to predict how those things might change, but I'm very curious to find out.

  For me, Artyom Levshunov won't be available in the real world, but if things went my way, he would be, and in my opinion make a ton of sense for the Senators. He's a physical righty that bring a strong short-range game and some nice moments of offensive creation that should offset the more skilled players in Ottawa's defensive group. With Levshunov likely gone by now, my attention turns to Zayne Parekh. Ottawa does have some defenders at the NHL level with some offensive punch, but Parekh is a potential power play quarterback with tremendous offensive vision that fills the right side of the ice extremely well for them down the line. There's work to be done with Parekh long term, but there's so much there to start with and the offensive potential is very, very tantalizing in this range. He brings a certain swagger that Ottawa seems to have a bit of here and there in their lineup but also seem to love adding to. Parekh checks a lot of boxes for me if I'm the Senators and I could see a natural fit where fans would really have a time watching this guy in the NHL.

• 8th | Seattle Kraken | Will's Pick - Zeev Buium | Gut's Pick - Zeev Buium

  To me this just makes a ton of sense both in my world and the real world. Zeev Buium brings so many talents that Seattle seems to be adding over the years, but they lack a premier defense prospect. With Buium, they can afford to be a little bit patient and let him develop his skating ability to get him a bit more explosive than he is. That honestly seems to be the only area that he needs to improve in order for Buium to become a premier offensive defenseman in the NHL. The skill level, creativity, and the willingness to make some risky but rewarding plays are admirable. I've been a huge fan of Buium for two seasons now and while there are questions about his game, the upside is there. He brings high end traits that are hard to find and with some time to nurture and improve his current limitations, the Kraken could find themselves with a tremendous offensive player in time.

• 9th | Calgary Flames | Will's Pick - Sam Dickinson | Gut's Pick - Beckett Sennecke

  Calgary is another team with a new management squad and may be in the early stages of a new era. For if things went my way, Sam Dickinson stands out as a solid building block. Calgary could use more of pretty much everything in their pipeline, but especially on defense. Sure, they've added Daniil Miromanov and Hunter Brzustewicz among other youngsters at the position in the last season, but there's definitely room for more, and Dickinson brings a balanced game that could go a number of directions from here. There are a variety of players I could see going here considering what Calgary has in the stable, but Dickinson seems like solid bedrock to move forward with.
  
  With Dickinson gone when thinking about the actual draft, Beckett Sennecke comes to mind as a good fit for Calgary. I know, I know, everyone there wants Tij Iginla, and who knows, in reality he could go here and everyone feels awesome about it, but I don't really like the logic of drafting a player just because the player's father is a team legend and current employee. It makes for a great story, but you need to draft the best player available, and while I'm a huge fan of Iginla and think he'll be a great complimentary offensive forward with a great forechecking instinct, the potential upside for Sennecke feels like something teams are going to climb all over each other to take a run at. He packs an offensive punch that their cupboard could use more of on the wings. They lack centre depth but it seems as though Sennecke is going to be a high pick in this draft, and the skill and creativity Sennecke brings would benefit any team, especially with a few years to develop further. Again, Calgary is a tough team to get a grasp of with the new management team, but I could see them sticking with stable, capable producers that bring some size at any given position and either Sennecke or Dickinson fit that mold.

• 10th | New Jersey Devils | Will's Pick - Cole Eiserman | Gut's Pick - Cole Eiserman

  Another unanimous one to me that just makes sense. Sure, there may be a level of concern after Alexander Holtz has struggled to find a role with the Devils, but Eiserman brings a physical element and some more playmaking upside than what I remember of Holtz a few years back. Eiserman has some issues with a bit of an underwhelming skill level and some odd decisions with and without the puck but his upside is huge. The shot speaks for itself, the variety with which he's able to score is hard to find, and he's a player willing to throw himself around and knock into bodies. He's going to need time to develop some fundamentals, but he could easily slot in up and down the Devils lineup as a triggerman that can score goals but potential for more with patience and development to his playmaking ability and skill level.

• 11th | Buffalo Sabres | Will's Pick - Adam Jiříček | Gut's Pick - Carter Yakemchuk

  If it's up to me, I take the chance on Adam Jiricek here. The Sabres lack strong, two way right handed defensive depth, and while you never draft for need, their prospect pipeline is filled with forwards drafted in the first round, and there is a chance that Jiricek turns out to be the most useful defenseman in this draft in a ton of different ways. He's fluid and mobile on his feet, especially laterally to close gaps and navigate the ice on defensive rushes, which is a pivotal trait for a modern defensive player. He has an underrated skill level that I would love to nurture and develop to make him a bit more assertive, and he has a physical edge that should only improve as he gets stronger. The Sabres have drafted often, and there are a ton of great options here, so to me they can afford to take a risk on a player that could fill a huge gap on their roster. Knee injuries are less of a concern than they were years ago, and I think Jiricek makes a ton of sense here.

  In reality, the RHD that a lot of folks are going to be more focused on in this range is Carter Yakemchuk. I remain much lower on him than others, seeing how far he has to go with both his skating off the puck defensively and consistent puck management, but there certainly is potential here. Yakemchuk also has similar tendencies and a similar style to other high end defensemen the Sabres have in names like Power, Byram and Dahlin. Range-y, aggressive, skilled offensive leaning defenders who have confidence and push play themselves often. Yakemchuk's skill level at low pace is high end, finding pathways through layers of defensive pressure well, with a hard shot from the point that he uses often... Almost too often. Yakemchuk would help round out the prospect pipeline in Buffalo, and in the NHL brings more of what they've already got, but if that's the type of player they value defensively, then this isn't a bad option at all.

• 12th | Philadelphia Flyers | Will's Pick - Zayne Parekh | Gut's Pick - Tij Iginla

  Zayne Parekh and Matvei Michkov in the same place is a tantalizing option, but those two in Philadelphia would be simply hilarious for Flyers fans. Sure, Parekh isn't the meanest player around and he isn't going to be tossing himself into opponents getting the fans off their bums, but he brings what is essentially the offensive version of that. He's an exciting, skilled offensive player with daring confidence and pass vision that should at the very least quarterback a power play and generate some good 5v5 offense. There's a swagger to his game that Flyers fans likely come to enjoy over time, pushing pucks around, changing lanes, hanging onto possession through thick and thin, desperately trying to create offense on every chance he gets. That said, he's rough around the edges in his own end, and moving the puck with his passing is very hit or miss right now, but the potential for Parekh is huge and I think as a personality, fits with what the Flyers seem to want to be as well as what fans crave there.

  I'm sure I've offended Calgary Flames fans sending Iginla all the way to 12 to Philadelphia, and he's probably gone by now in reality but all it takes is a few teams to prioritize players with more size, or a centre/defenseman to knock Iginla down a little bit. Granted, Philadelphia GM Daniel Briere has said that they're focused on bringing in a centre which may steer them away from Iginla, but he absolutely should not be here at 12 come the actual draft. Iginla brings a lot to the table and does so in a way that the Flyers and their fans would probably adore. He's one of the smartest and most effective forecheckers in the draft, with intelligent skill application in transition to sneak around the ice and find ways to connect on passes with linemates. The analytical case for Iginla is strong, with balanced dual threat offense, efficient transition data and excellent defensive data. My only concern with Iginla lies in the "size" of his game, and the increased physicality of the NHL. I think Iginla is a player you love to have, but may not reach the true offensive ceiling some are portraying him to have. In Philadelphia, he'd be an endearing, intense talent that makes a ton of sense if he's available here and while I'd be surprised if he were available here, I'd be shocked if he got through Philadelphia here.

• 13th | Minnesota Wild | Will's Pick - Igor Chernyshov | Gut's Pick - Michael Brandsegg-Nygård

  Minnesota seems pretty straightforward to pick through with regards to their strategy. They seem to focus on more physically developed, balanced talents that bring ability in all three zones, and some kind of flashes of upside that could lead to a very effective player at higher levels. For me, Igor Chernyshov checks a ton of boxes at this point in the draft that could work for Minnesota. They've drafted a few times out of Russia in the top few rounds recently, and Chernyshov brings a balanced, intellgent game, reading defensive play much better now than he was in the early parts of the year, a high level of skill, and an un-KHL-like drive to get to scoring areas. He's resilient with the puck, chips in offensively and brings a strong all-around game that could compliment almost anyone. He just makes a ton of sense for the Wild and I wouldn't be surprised to see him go here, even if some consider 13 to be a tad early. Konsta Helenius came to mind here and was my alternate as a great fit here, but Chernyshov brings a bit more projectability that I think Minnesota might be looking for.

  On the flipside, with the players taken in my gut up to this point, Michael Brandsegg-Nygård brings so much to the table in the same vein of Chernyshov, but ratcheted up. His game is easily projectable to the NHL with his resilience, strength and underrated finesse that helps him move pucks up the ice effectively and create offense in ways that elevate linemates. He's a grinder, but he's also a tactical defender who reads play well, anticipates pressure effectively and plays with a ton of NHL-like qualities that are already there. I felt he looked great at the World Championship, throwing his weight around more than I'm used to and showcasing his lethal shot on a few occassions, and for an 18 year old playing at that level, I was impressed. Again, he checks a ton of boxes that Minnesota seems to look for. They may need some more centre depth in their pipeline, but it's hard to ignore the possibility of Brandsegg-Nygård at this point and just how much he'd fit with a big, strong and scary crop of young players in Minnesota.

• 14th | San Jose Sharks (from Penguins) | Will's Pick - Teddy Stiga | Gut's Pick - Stian Solberg

  Any watcher of the show or follower of the project knows that I love Teddy Stiga. A lot. He's fast, skilled, relentless in his pursuit of the puck, forechecks remarkably well and plays like a player who has been underrated his whole life. Landing Celebrini is the crown jewel of the day, but combining him with an intense, high pace skilled forward with dual threat offense is tantalizing. He's been a remarkable presence doing a huge amount of legwork for players like Cole Eiserman this season. San Jose seems to want more beef in their lineup, but Stiga brings beef of his own, you just have to set aside the numbers on a biographical sheet of information. He plays like a player that will drive results in the NHL with upside to be one of the most undervalued players in the draft when we look back. I was huge on Gavin Brindley last year for similar reasons, and I see a lot of echoes here. I get the feeling Columbus doesn't mind having Brindley in their pocket for next year, and with Stiga and Celebrini, I get the feeling that San Jose won't mind that either. I really don't think Stiga goes this high in reality. I've heard he may go as late as the late second round. Fair enough, to each their own.

  The Sharks drafted big last year outside of Will Smith, and they do lack some defensive depth in their pipeline. Stian Solberg brings a safety net of physical play that could fit with any team, but especially the Sharks. He's decently mobile, relentlessly physical, and has quite the shot from the point that has beaten goaltenders often this season. He's playing pro hockey this season, heading for the SHL next year which may come with an adjustment period, but he plays a style that should work there no problem. In my mind this is a bit early for taking Solberg but I'm a believer in the value of organizational fit, and I feel as though he'd be one heck of a useful player for San Jose. They can afford to be a bit cheeky here with all the players in their stable already, and Solberg could be a great add.

• 15th | Detroit Red Wings | Will's Pick - Beckett Sennecke | Gut's Pick - Sacha Boisvert

  This is around the range I start thinking about Beckett Sennecke and I was really torn between him and Michael Hage here. I lean Sennecke for the added length on his frame and the quicker explosive first step that Sennecke has as a bit of an advantage over Hage. There are similar questions off the puck with both players, but the skill level and confidence is undeniable with Sennecke that alleviate some level of that concern. The Red Wings can go many directions here and likely have some great options, and there's a big need for centres in the pipeline, but Sennecke adds another aspect they lack which is pure offensive firepower. Sennecke is a highly talented winger who gets up the ice like a rocket these days and has grown into a larger frame well with potential for more growth in the coming season. For Detroit, he's a great compliment for the balanced two-way players they've drafted lately, and has potential for big upside in the coming years.

  He's gone in my gut pick list though, and I could easily see Sacha Boisvert being a great option here. I've had a tough time with Boisvert this season but the highs I've seen are very, very high. Silky hands to get through traffic and knock pucks loose, a wicked shot release and often found making smart, effective reads around the ice to quarterback a line. The tracked data on him is all positive, but the issue is that he disappears for stretches, leaning into looking for offense and lacking involvement in transition going both ways. These things are fixable I suppose but lower pace players as juniors always give me pause. That said, he has so, so much potential with the natural skillset he has. Mobile, fluid, moments of flash, a great finishing ability, and some great playmaking moments worth exploring further, a few years in college and a longer development curve could land Detroit a diversely talented natural centre that can score while also chipping in here and there defensively.

• 16th | St. Louis Blues | Will's Pick - Trevor Connelly | Gut's Pick - Zayne Parekh

  The St. Louis Blues are a team where I'll be very interested in seeing where they go in the draft. Last season with three first round picks they drafted a beefy sniper, a flashy skilled winger, and a stable, mobile defender. A little bit of everything encapsulates that, and here I get the feeling they might take the plunge on Trevor Connelly. On paper, he should be gone by now. In reality, there are many, many reasons why teams may steer clear for personal reasons. For me, this all really hinges on your impression of him as a person that you get through your own research as a team. Everyone else has a vested interest in portraying him a certain way. Being a first round pick is a prestigious accolade for a hockey organization, agent, parent, coach etc., but the NHL team is coming in as (hopefully) a neutral observer. If you're comfortable with your research, if it's me, the moment you draft him is the first day of the rest of his life. Thin ice, short leash, no more nonsense, focus on hockey, play selflessly as a teammate, and respect your surroundings and we'll be all good. If he works out, you've got a huge get in a skilled, aggressive winger with huge playmaking upside, if not, it's a pick in the middle of the first round and you took a swing on talent and it didn't work out. In reality I don't think he goes this high and when everything gets boiled down, the concern may simply outweigh the potential upside.

  Zayne Parekh is a great get at this point, and there may be a shot he slips a bit on draft day. There are some out there who believe that he isn't going top 10 like many project, and if there are concerns about his puck movement outside the offensive zone and close quarters defending, especially on the rush, he could be knocked down one pick at a time until someone thinks they've struck gold. At this point that would certainly be the case. St. Louis had Vince Dunn years ago and lost him to Seattle, and a big part of me thinks they miss having a player of that calibre. Parekh is likely a power play mainstay with very good middle pair upside as an offensive leaning defender that every team needs at least one of. The Blues have drafted a whole bunch of players but none like Parekh have been called. He fills an organizational need and they can afford to be patient, and he could be a huge get in this range if he slips a bit in the draft.

• 17th | Washington Capitals | Will's Pick - Alfons Freij | Gut's Pick - Jett Luchanko

  It's a little bit disconcerting how often I've heard people on the other side of the world of hockey question my adoration of Alfons Freij, but I still remain steadfast that if the name of the game is projecting players out a few years, Freij absolutely deserves to be in the realm of conversation of the CHL/NCAA players ranked higher. Freij is an extremely talented skater that only really lacks in lateral mobility on defensive rushes, which is a major flaw, but other defenders in this class have the identical issue that is exposed time and time again. What Freij does have is the instinct and brain necessary to play a modern version of the offensive game in the NHL for defenders. He's shifty, unpredictably, sneaky, tricky on retrievals, quick in a straight line, and in the offensive zone, he isn't generating offense purely through point shots that get deflected or rebounded to open men. He's shaking off defenders, he's exploding into space, working off the half wall, following up on his plays, pushing deep into the offensive zone and creating play often. He's not perfect, but a team like Washington could use a dynamic, high end offensive talent on the backend that they lack somewhat. Freij is a player that over time could be a massive steal when looking back at this year's draft. Tremendous international production and performances, high end offensive instincts, and a talent profile that is difficult to find.

  To some this may be a reach, but there's something in me that thinks he'd be a great fit in the new generation of the Washington Capitals. In reality, I would not be surprised to see a name like Jett Luchanko jump off the board here. It may surprise some, but I would be thrilled to see a team take a chance on him. He's competitive and skilled but above all else, he's a brilliant thinker of the game, selfless with his playmaking with an extremely projectable and highly coachable approach to the game. He goes to the net, finds space, uses skill to sneak pucks around defenses and change lanes on the rush which are all traits you want in a forward, especially a potential centre. He's one of the youngest players in the draft class as well and steadily looked more and more comfortable in a more and more important role for Guelph, and the upside is potentially massive with a player like Luchanko.

• 18th | Chicago Blackhawks (from Islanders) | Will's Pick - Anton Silayev | Gut's Pick - Adam Jiříček

  With Chicago landing Demidov in my world, Silayev is a perfectly reasonable option here that I would be totally fine with. He's a bit of a magic box with upside but also is quite unrefined and I'm still not sure exactly sure what kind of defender he will be, but only because he could go a variety of directions. He was one of the least involved defenders in transition going either direction in my dataset, and I believe it. He defers to linemates in the defensive zone as principle puck carriers and his exit passing is very inconsistent, especially under any kind of pressure. That said, the length and skating combination is very, very rare and if you're cool with leaving him in the KHL for a few years and trying to refine his footwork to make him a more effective defender, I could easily see him being a dependable middle pair defensive leaning player that can drive pucks into the neutral zone well. His offensive game historically hasn't been a hallmark and I think there's a ways to go if it ever will be, but he's an intriguing player that brings a lot to the table, and should offset the acquision of Demidov extremely well.

  I could easily see Adam Jiricek available here, and I would be really pushing for him if I'm on Chicago's staff. I think there's huge upside here with the mobility and high-end positioning insticts he carries. The injury sucks, especially since I felt his season was taking a turn for the better, but with your second pick in the first round and Chicago's first being Artyom Levshunov, you could really set up your defensive group and offset the forwards drafted over the last couple of seasons. I'm a Jiricek believer, and while most teams generally draft a forward and defenseman with two or more first round picks, I could see Chicago again bucking that trend and buying low on Jiricek with potential for a big steal to go along with a player that I personally have ranked lower in Levshunov.

• 19th | Vegas Golden Knights | Will's Pick - Stian Solberg | Gut's Pick - Berkly Catton

  Stian Solberg and Las Vegas is a match made in heaven if you ask me. I feel as though he would thrive under the limelight there and would absolutely love it. He's a fascinating individual that plays a game that is just designed for the NHL. Highly physical, intense defensive play, with a bit of a cannon of a shot, Solberg needs refinement moving pucks and calmly seeing the ice to read his options better, but if he comes a ways in that regard while playing in Sweden, look out. It still may be a bit early for me to take him, but the fit is just too good to ignore. The Golden Knights play a heavy, fast game and with time I could easily see Solberg slotting into that system perfectly, taking that brand and running with it. Fans will love him, coaches will probably love him, his teammates will hopefully love him, and he could be another highly valuable player we look back on as having gone too late. If you're looking for an NHL playoff defenseman that still plays the game at a high level, Solberg is a great option.

  You may laugh, but from what's out there it's entirely possible that Catton just slips and slips on draft day. Heck, Zach Benson slipped all the way to the middle of the first round last year, and Catton plays a more cerebral, skilled game while being similarly slight physically. Catton isn't small though, and 5'11" centres in the NHL do exist, and with his style of play, I could easily see how he could project into an NHL role. Sure, he isn't running over opponents and hounding players every chance he gets, but he's so surgically precise, reading play so, so well, with some of the best forechecking results and his supportive defense is impressive. If Catton is available here, sure the Golden Knights seem to draft beefier players, but gosh it would be hard to see a smart team like Vegas say no at this point.

• 20th | New York Islanders | Will's Pick - Emil Hemming | Gut's Pick - Emil Hemming

  Another unanimous one here as Emil Hemming goes to New York. They've drafted out of Turku here and there, and seem to love big, skilled and strong players of which Hemming certainly is. His game is a little up and down and I would absolutely be coaching him to be more assertive and aggressive both on and off the puck, but only because I'm pretty sure he's more than capable of doing so. There's a good frame to start with, he's a determined player with good skill, and a wicked shot that he can put in the net from mid range. If he can develop his game a bit from here and become a more projectable version of the player he already is, the Islanders feel like a good environment in which to do so and could turn out to be a pretty useful middle six/third line power winger with skill and finishing upside.

• 21th | L.A. Kings | Will's Pick - Konsta Helenius | Gut's Pick - Michael Hage

  Yeah yeah yeah, I get it, no way that Helenius goes this late. You're probably right! I just think there's a bit more of a limited ceiling with Helenius, but with L.A. I think there's a great fit to be had. He's well rounded, physically intense, and above everything he's smart. On the puck he takes creative routes and fights through pressure, off the puck he times his rushes and chooses lanes effectively, forechecking well and quickly making plays on turnovers. I wonder how much he'll actually move the needle in the NHL considering that everything with him outside of his mind is good, but not great. I see him as an effective, smart and creative middle six forward that could play centre and do well doing so. If the talent profile takes a turn for the better and the pace of his game rises, he could be really something and I'd look awfully foolish, but he's a good player that should play a good NHL role and would be a strong get here for the Kings to work around.

  Michael Hage is a showtime player though, and L.A. could use some thrilling skill in their lineup these days if you ask me. High energy, high skill, high creativity and the audacity to try difficult plays, Hage is a fascinating offensive player that, while carrying some flaws, is one of the most exciting players available in this range. He's evasive, deceptive, his passes are often pinpoint accurate, especially in tough scenarios on the rush, and the determination he has to get to scoring areas to continuously look for offensive chances is admirable. This is an upside pick for a team that has played it a little bit safe with the limited drafting they've done in recent years. I'm a fan of what Hage brings and he could be a needed jolt of offense for L.A. that I could see them aiming for here.

• 22nd | Nashville Predators | Will's Pick - Jett Luchanko | Gut's Pick - Liam Greentree

  Barry Trotz said that his Predators would be looking for high upside skill in the draft, and if that trend holds for this year, Jett Luchanko would be a great option. I mentioned before just how positive I see his game, and how I could easily see him just getting better and better over the next few years as his skating, skill and strength all improve. The way he sees the game and utilizes linemates is so high end, and it's easy to see how a player like Luchanko could work off of some of the more finishing-heavy players they've drafted in recent years and elevate their games. Matt Wood may not be the biggest transition threat in the NHL for example, but he wouldn't have to worry about puck management as much with Luchanko on his line, and he will certainly get his share of scoring chances working off a player like that.

  In reality, it feels like a player like Liam Greentree fits the bill. His game is so well-rounded save for one key area, driving play and escaping pressure with his feet. He can be a lower pace player that struggles unless he has support and time to think, but even with players on him, he finds ways to make plays and adapt to the pressure around him. It isn't NHL level right now, but if he gets there, he could be a real force that's hard to stop regardless of the position he's in or the time of the year. Greentree was a little bit up and down this year capping his year off with a less than ideal U18 performance, but the highs are so high with him, and if things break right he could be a player we look back on as having gone way too late when he's absorbing pressure and making plays with the best of them in the heavy and tough Stanley Cup Playoffs one day.

• 23rd | Toronto Maple Leafs | Will's Pick - Michael Hage | Gut's Pick - Igor Chernyshov

  Trying to predict where the Toronto Maple Leafs are going is like predicting who is going to win a season of Survivor after episode one. It's always someone you don't expect, and just when you think you've found out the secret formula, they pull another rabbit out of their hat. I liked Easton Cowan last year and had him higher than average, but I was surprised to see him in the first round. Look at him now. Fraser Minten top 40 was something I never considered, and he played NHL minutes this year. They clearly value intelligence, and I know for a fact that they value off-ice testing and how players study and see the game quite a bit. Those are factors that are impossible to predict from an outsider perspective, but I can easily see a player like Michael Hage performing well for them. The way he sees the ice, chooses his routes, and attacks players one-on-one is impressive, and the evasiveness and no-nonsense dual-threat offense is always going to be there. The Leafs also seem to be a team that really digs into trajectory and such, drafting Matthew Knies after an injury and sickness-riddled draft year that left me personally unimpressed, but clearly they knew something we didn't, and he looks like an absolute steal a few years out. Michael Hage spend much of last year injured and took time to hit his stride this year, but when he hit, he hit hard. For me, this is the direction I'd go if I were in the director's chair with the names remaining.

  Come draft day, I could easily see Igor Chernyshov being the option. The Leafs may want to start to trend in a more physical, resilient direction, and Chernyshov not only fits the bill, but fits it in such a way that I think would perform well in their off-ice testing. He's intelligent with his positioning and timing, getting into potential passing lanes at a high level of hockey and able to get play moving in the offensive direction quickly. He adapts to play around him, he's a strong puck protector, he pushes into scoring areas unlike many pro hockey players out there this year, and has a quicker trajectory than many prospects this season. A KHL mainstay and playing solid minutes, I feel as though his production can only increase as he gains more experience and improves on his already good skill level, even under pressure. He may not be a first line steal of a pick here, but he can easily be a solid, diversely talented winger that drives good results overall, especially with his defensive involvement and positioning improvements I've seen over the year.

• 24th | Colorado Avalanche | Will's Pick - Liam Greentree | Gut's Pick - Jesse Pulkkinen

  The Avalanche have one of the thinnest cupboards in the league, but they have more Stanley Cup rings plugging their ears these days so I don't think anyone minds. With their two first rounders last year being absolutely nailed in Mikhail Gulyayev and Calum Ritchie, clearly the scouting team there knows how to pick through the litter for some high upside names that could make a strong impact. At this point in the draft there are a few options I would go if I'm them, but Liam Greentree stands out. He brings a ton of projectable NHL qualities, and with a highly mobile and quick team around him, he may be able to slot in as a perfect compliment, even if his skating doesn't come as far as it could in order for him to be a true gamebreaking talent on his own. The physical tools and thinking under pressure are unique and could be an interesting fit in the middle of the lineup for the Avalanche in the future.

  There is a part of me though, that thinks that Colorado is a team that will jump the market and take the plunge on Jesse Pulkkinen. I've come a long way on him, even if I still think he's a bit insane on the ice. Reckless with his passing and carrying routes, confident to a fault, but a remarkably patient defensive player, timing stick checks well, delaying passes on breakouts as necessary, and getting physical when necessary. He's a 2004- born player and as such a bit further in his development, and I don't think he projects to be a huge offensive producer, but the skill and creativity is there to potentially chip in. At his age he can do it quicker than many players in the draft as well, and Colorado is in a win-now window with names like Gulyayev and Ritchie likely on the way in the next season or two or three. He's a weird player, but an interesting one with extreme habits on both ends, and in this range if you get any kind of everyday player, you've won your pick, and I could see Pulkkinen slotting in down the lineup effectively, even if I have him a bit lower than this pick.

• 25th | Boston Bruins | Will's Pick - Sacha Boisvert | Gut's Pick - Cole Beaudoin

  The Bruins got their own pick back and their prospect cupboard is largely empty. With that luxury they can afford to swing on potential, and at this point not many players have as high a ceiling as Sacha Boisvert. He brings such silky skill to the game, with confidence in the offensive zone that generated plenty of offense for the Muskegon Lumberjacks. The Bruins can afford to be patient, and I believe patience is necessary with Boisvert. He's got skill, finishing ability, and a pretty good set of feet for his size, but finding a level of intensity and consistency will be key to unlocking his full potential.
  
  Come draft time in my gut I could see Boston taking the plunge on Cole Beaudoin. He just screams Boston Bruin to me. He's aggressive, physical, relentless and determined, but there's a simplistic offensive approach that drives results in key areas of the ice. There isn't a tremendous amount of depth to his game, but what he does bring is right up Boston's alley. He can get tough, he can power through pressure with the puck, and he can be a good offset for skilled players who specialize more in open ice while being an offensive threat on his own.

• 26th | Montreal Canadiens | Will's Pick - Linus Eriksson | Gut's Pick - EJ Emery

  Montreal is always a tricky one these days, but if things go the way I'd set them in motion, Linus Eriksson comes to mind as a nice fit here. It's a bit higher than most people have him, but I think the Habs recognize smart players with potential who have had growth in their game, and Eriksson checks every box there. I wasn't seeing much of him early in the year but once he got comfortable with playing centre in HockeyAllsvenskan, he looked like a serious rock in the middle of the ice. His feel for positioning and the flow of the game jumps out at you, finding space constantly, making quick give and go passes, thinking selflessly and driving play up the ice efficiently. There's a nice hard wrist shot at the end of it all that started beating pro goaltending as the year wore on. He needs to develop some more playmaking instincts in the offensive zone to be more of a lethal offensive threat, but he's a strong two-way player that could solidify a line at the bottom end of Montreal's lineup with some pop off his stick here and there. I've been a big fan of him, Djurgarden seems to agree, and I think he could be a good option for what Montreal is looking for. It's possible but unlikely he's available at 57 and the potential is hard to ignore.

  On the other hand, the Habs seem to also want beef in their lineup. Hard, resilient beef. Who can blame them? That's how the NHL works a lot of the time. It seems as though EJ Emery might be gone before this point but if he isn't, I can't help but think Montreal looks at him here. He's big and has very good range in his skating, but to me the rest is a big work in progress. My tracking data is not super favorable to his passing game in general, especially outside of defensive zone breakouts, he loses more rush battles than you'd think, loses more physical battles than you'd think, and doesn't have much of an offensive zone game to speak of right now, but as with other mystery boxes, the possibilities are tantalizing. He performed well at the U18s and showcased his skating ability and the odd puck rush that really impressed me and was a side of his game I hadn't seen a ton of leading up to this point, but he was still a bit of a shaky possession player and settling pucks in the defensive zone was a bit sketchy. He's an interesting case, and one I've gone back and forth on all year, and while this perhaps a bit early for me to take him, I can easily see why an NHL team would make this pick and leave him in college for a few years at North Dakota. There's a nice defensive player here one day probably, and one that could round out Montreal's defense group quite well considering who is already there.

• 27th | Carolina Hurricanes | Will's Pick - Nikita Artamonov | Gut's Pick - Ryder Ritchie

  Carolina simultaneously surprises and doesn't surprise me every single season. With a new general manager promoted internally, I expect the strategy to stay the same, if not lean more into the unique direction they go. One thing is true though, they value skill, and pace in players, just like yours truly. If that holds this year, there are a number of options they could go with at this pick. I doubt I'm incorrect in saying that Carolina has drafted more Russians in the last few years than anyone else, and good on them. It seems to be a competitive advantage these days if you ask me. They haven't dipped their toes into the Russian pool in the first round, but I think that trend could change with Nikita Artamonov. I know some in the league are far less favorable to him, wondering how much more development you're going to get out of him, but if you ask me, I think there's a great pathway for him, and you're starting with a great baseline. Sure, I don't think you're looking at a first line steal late in the first round, but you cannot fault Artamonov's competitiveness, intelligence and how quickly he can move pucks in ways that simply march the puck up the ice effectively. I think he needs to learn how to play with a bit more dynamic pace in his game, knowing how to create gaps and diversify his offensive zone play. He's just all-out, all the time, and while that's certainly fun, it's not nearly as impactful as it could be. He can create space for himself on breakouts with ease, and he's relentless with pressure application that causes turnovers at both ends of the ice. I'm not sure there's anything more than a 200-foot impact third line guy here, but that's not a bad thing at all, and I think he'd look pretty good doing it. There are plenty of aspects that Carolina is looking for and considering the options, I think he'd be a good option here.

  Knowing what I know about NHL team's feelings about Artamonov however, it seems he's more of a 2nd rounder, and I could easily see Ryder Ritchie being an alternate here. He's quite skilled himself, but a very, very smart positional player as well, navigating the ice with ease, making space for himself and making himself a target in the offensive zone. I'm a bit lower on Ritchie, but I also see the potential and believe that his surroundings weren't really the most synergistic partners to finish what he started on the ice. Another player where his tracked data is "good" across the board, Ritchie brings a balance of skill and smarts that has echoes of what I remember of Seth Jarvis, and Carolina may be barking up a similar tree here, just maybe a bit further down the depth chart at the end of the day.

• 28th | Calgary Flames | Will's Pick - Dominik Badinka | Gut's Pick - Leo Sahlin Wallenius

  The Flames double dipping on defensemen feels like something they might do. They've added a ton of young defenders in the early days of their retool, just recently adding Kevin Bahl, but for me, Dominik Badinka is a tantalizing option that could be a great fit for them here. He's tall, lanky, fast, and a smart puck manager more often than not, slowly earning a bigger and bigger role with Malmo in the SHL. That trend likely continues as he becomes a more refined and stronger defender in the truest sense of the word. He can get outmuscled in transition and along the boards a bit, but he's much of the way there already in terms of instinct, intent and timing that are desirable. There's a pretty solid shot from the point as well, but he's much more of a two zone player that can get the puck up the ice efficiently, with good results passing the puck, and a carrying ability that rarely came out but is clearly evident. I think he's only scratching the surface of his potential, and he's got a great development trajectory and I can only imagine the kind of player we're looking at with three more years of SHL experience under his belt.

  In my gut, they got Sennecke high, and typically teams split their first round picks positionally, and it really seems like Leo Sahlin Wallenius is highly regarded, even after what I felt was an up and down U18. He's got range with his skating, but he's got a physical edge to him that NHL teams crave. He's likes to put play on his own stick and quarterback rushes himself and does quite well doing so, but I just feel as though the finer details of his game are a question mark. The footwork in defensive rushes is a little spotty, and is a bit of an unreliable player with defensive zone coverages, leading to poor shot differentials in scoring areas, but he's got some good offensive zone vision that works in his favor and generated shot assists at a strong rate. Personally I don't have him ranked, but others disagree, and I could see Calgary going for the solid defender with some interesting NHL-like traits to exploit.

• 29th | Dallas Stars | Will's Pick - Andrew Basha | Gut's Pick - Alfons Freij

  The Dallas Stars and I generally get along pretty well. At this point in my mind, a player like Andrew Basha fits the type of player they often look for. Lian Bichsel was a departure from the usual, but a welcome one considering his physical defensive style with bits of skill here and there. Basha brings pure pace, skill and energy that every team could use an infusion of. Dallas was a team that leads with balanced skill up and down their lineup and has a bit more tolerance for skill down their lineup than most teams. They've added names like Stankoven and Bourque in the past, and Basha could be a great add on the wings with his dynamic and energetic style of offense that will excite Stars fans, even if it's more in a middle six role one day. If he can gain a bit more of an off-puck intensity level, he could unlock a lot more opportunities to play offensively, but as-is, he's a big talent with big upside and is well worth the bet at this point in the draft.

  In reality I could see them taking a big look at Alfons Freij. They've drafted skilled defensemen in the past few years but not quite as skilled or creative as Freij. I've heard comparisons to Nils Lundkvist, who granted hasn't quite lived up to his draft status, but I still believe that Lundkvist has performed better in the NHL than his numbers might indicate. Skilled, creative, evasive and plays a style of offense that I think works in the modern NHL, Freij is a bet for the future, and Dallas can afford to be patient with a player like this.

• 30th | New York Rangers | Will's Pick - Carter Yakemchuk | Gut's Pick - Trevor Connelly

  The Rangers clearly like beef, and I am well aware that Carter Yakemchuk is gone well before here in the real world, but this is around the range I would consider taking him. He's still unrefined defensively and his mobility outside of barreling up the ice in a straight line is questionable, and his vision of the ice with the puck on his stick is extremely questionable in my experience with him. Still, the skill to adapt and navigate through pressure, especially in the offensive zone on pass receptions is very impressive and unlike many in this draft. He's got a cannon from the point as well and is willing to use it, almost to a fault. There's something there with Yakemchuk but for me he mixes more into the background of the high end of this class than he does at the top. A late first round pick to a team that likes their defenders big, physical and range-y could do much worse than Yakemchuk at this point if by some crazy chance he slips this far.

  In reality I could easily see the Rangers being the team to take the plunge on Connelly. They don't strike me as a team willing to tolerate nonsense, and there are some interesting characters that may be able to put Connelly on a good path, and if it works, the Rangers might end up with a premier talent in the draft. He's got so much talent with the skill, pace and playmaking instincts he brings naturally, and brings an infusion of offense to a prospect pipeline that could probably use more of it.

• 31st | Anaheim Ducks (from Oilers) | Will's Pick - Sam O'Reilly | Gut's Pick - Sam O'Reilly

  This is another unanimous one for me. I could so easily see the Ducks go this direction and I wouldn't be against it at this point. O'Reilly brings plenty of projectable tools to the game with resilience under pressure, creative ways of getting out of jams, strong playmaking around the net area, and a physical edge that will only be more apparent as his skating and raw pace of play improves. I have doubts about how high a ceiling he has, but with the Ducks he adds another physical dimension that they seem to crave, and does it in an effective way that could be a great stopping threat and grinding offensive presence in the coming years.

• 32nd | Philadelphia Flyers (from Panthers) | Will's Pick - Herman Träff | Gut's Pick - Charlie Elick

  The Flyers are a team that drafted plenty of skill last year among other talents, and to me, I always think about the style of player that seems to suit the culture of the team. For me here, Herman Träff stands out. He's a bit of a reach here to many, but he's so physical, intense and has a strong skill floor that he can use one on one to project pretty easily to the NHL with time. There are some highlight-reel moments of his, but he brings so much more to the table and looked more than comfortable at the professional levels in Sweden. He can handle the physical intensity, and if he can make plays quicker with some better vision on the puck, there could be a nice bottom six pickup here. I've been a Herman guy for two years and I think he'd be a player Flyers fans come to love with his rambunctious, skilled and powerful game.

  In reality, it's becoming harder to see Charlie Elick staying off the board past the first round, and while I'm not nearly as much of a fan of Elick, that's only because if I'm running an NHL team, his brand isn't really my priority, but if you pursue physicality and straight line speed over everything else, Elick is a good option here. He's a pain to handle, and rough around the edges, but if his development goes well in a few areas, he could fill in roles down Philadelphia's lineup with a hard-nosed puck rushing game. With the Flyers adding Iginla, Elick is a nice offset from the same region that brings a level of insulation for others that could be valuable down the road.

Scouching’s Final 2024 NHL Draft Rankings

Welcome one and all! We’ve finally made it to the end of the 2024 NHL Draft season, and what an interesting ride it’s been. All kinds of things have been said about this draft class from top to bottom. Some names are the next top pair defensemen out there, or the class as a whole is underwhelming, every thought under the sun is out there about this crop of players. For me, this is one of the more fascinating groups I’ve seen in great detail. There are a ton of directions a bunch of these players could go, but my impression is that there are a lot of very, very intelligent play drivers out there who seem to lack the skill and pace to clearly project to strong NHL roles. That’s not a knock on these guys, because a ton of them have been more and more impressive the more I’ve seen them this season, and I think NHL teams could land a number of strong role players at a variety of selections in this year’s draft. For me, I like to think about where the barrier is where I am truly really, really excited about this year’s crop, and the barrier of where I stop becoming really curious about what players could be, and for me the first barrier comes a bit earlier than usual, but the second barrier comes quite a bit later. I’d say the first 18-20 names are potentially very exciting players that could play important NHL roles, but I’m really, really interested in the next 30 or so players on the list. Beyond that, there are some solid players who bring more than enough to the game to end up on the list, but carry some question marks about their actual NHL upside. Talented players nonetheless and there is absolutely plenty to like about this group.

Before we get to the list I find it would be helpful to outline a quick background to how I think, what I look for and how I come to the conclusions I do. To put it simply, I am always looking for play drivers. Production is often a reward for good procedural play, and I always am thinking about how players perform in what I call the cycle of possession. Most of the time, players don’t have the puck, so how are they when they don’t have it? Are they reading play well, supporting teammates, getting their hands dirty when the time comes, and creating turnovers in some area of the ice in some way? Once they get the puck back, what’s happening? Are they flipping pucks into the neutral zone, turning pucks over and making life more difficult for the team? Are they taking a second to scan the ice before possession, making smart reads, and finding creative ways to march the puck up the ice in some fashion? How often are they even involved in plays like this? Only then do I start to really think about offensive zone play, but it’s an important factor. Are they a distributor, individual chance generator, dual threat offensive player, or not really doing much in the offensive zone at all? This part does affect my read on a player, but it isn’t the be-all-end-all. Motivating a confident and hard-working player who can get pucks into the offensive zone to be more assertive and creative offensively is a good baseline if I’m a coach. I watch the Stanley Cup Playoffs and so many times, skill and pure shot quality is a factor, but these games are largely won by off-puck play, raw intensity, competitiveness and ability to drive play to the net in some fashion so that is often my focus in the context of the draft. Backing up my views this season are almost documented 700 performances of data across around 150 players with plenty more video going untracked when I can’t stand to stare at a spreadsheet anymore. I track their defensive involvement, forechecking ability, puck transportation ability, rush defense, and of course their offensive zone data. How the player gets the puck up the ice or stop rushes defensively, how effective they are in that discipline, and how they generate offense are key areas that form the backbone of my analysis. Are they getting pucks to the slot? How? Are they completing passes in that area? Are they driving a strong percentage of their team’s offense? If not, why not? There’s so much nuance to this, and in my view, the tracked data is a reference manual for what I’ve gathered from a player that I can look back on to cut through my own biases and frame my analysis around. Not every poor transition player is super low on my list, not every great one is super high on my list. The video factors in, as well as games and video I’ve seen that didn’t get tracked to get a more bird’s-eye view of a player.

At the end of all of this, my rankings thus end up split into tiers, ordered where I would argue certain players over others for various reasons, but am completely open to players at the end of the tier being options above the ones at the top, despite my reservations. At the tail end, there’s a watchlist of players who I’m not clamoring to draft at a certain point, but who I’ve enjoyed watching and may not have been able to get around to tracking. Guys who I think would be good to keep track of assuming they go undrafted, or ones to get behind should they have a flyer taken on them. I hope all of this helps you understand where I’m coming from and how I get there.

Quick note: LSD/RSD indicates a defender playing on the wrong side relative to their shooting that I’ve gathered in my tracked data. For players I’ve tracked I gather their positions from the performances I see, so some may not line up perfectly with what’s out there, and I think it’s important to note defenders who have been played on the opposite side of their natural shooting direction.

With that out of the way, the list is below with writeups for everyone, so enjoy!

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Tier 1 - Two Key Franchise Pieces

• #1 | Macklin Celebrini | C | Boston University | Apr. Rank (1)

  It’s June. We all know the guy, we all know where he’s going, we all know pretty much everything we need to know. He’s going to San Jose and in all likelihood be a pivotal player in their upcoming generation. A 200-foot impact, highly intelligent player that every team would love to have, Celebrini is going to be a player I’ll be fascinated to see grow into an NHL role with the Sharks. He brings so much to the game that is so valued in the NHL, and has a great mind for the game. Any improvements to his skill, speed, strength and creativity will only elevate his game with such a strong hockey mind to build around.

• #2 | Ivan Demidov | RW | SKA-1946 St. Petersburg | Apr. Rank (2)

  Where Demidov goes in the draft is going to be fascinating. The thought of him setting up Connor Bedard and vice-versa is something that I haven’t felt since I thought the Edmonton Oilers had the chance to pair Connor McDavid with Cole Caufield. Alas, it seems that Demidov may be slipping from here a little bit. Whoever picks him is getting an elite playmaker with hilarious amounts of skill and creativity, and is one of the few players in this draft that I would categorize as a gamebreaker with the puck on his stick. He’ll need to show his capability in the KHL next season but the growth in his game has been remarkable since his last stint there. I have little concern that he’ll sort things out over time. His physical play has improved, his ability to face and solve pressure has improved, and his game has become much more focused offensively. He’s a great asset and whoever gets him should be excited. To me, nobody else is a threat to Macklin Celebrini for the top spot on my board, but #3 comes awfully close in my opinion.

Tier 2 - Where Everything Opens Up

• #3 | Berkly Catton | C | Spokane Chiefs | Apr. Rank (3)

  Berkly Catton is a great exercise in figuring out my philosophy. I value players who elevate others greatly. Players who can move the puck themselves, move the puck to others, find targets, hit them accurately, and finish chances they get from others. Catton checks every one of those boxes in my books. His tracked data is outstanding almost across the board. The only hangup is that he isn’t the most physical centre out there, but he’s so smart with his positioning and such a great support player that surrounding him with players that can fill that gap should give him the space to be Berkly Catton. Brilliant with the puck with his pass lane creation skill and one of the few players I trust to run a line this year as he is, he’ll almost certainly be drafted too late and someone is going to be very happy.

• #4 | Cayden Lindstrom | F | Medicine Hat Tigers | Apr. Rank (4)

  Lindstrom just screams NHL playoff performer. He's big and physical, has great tight area skill for his size, and has a quick release that can catch defenses off guard. There are some issues with processing play and managing the puck as part of a line but the individual skill and talent profile is extremely hard to ignore. It sounds like he'll go early and in my opinion rightfully so, even if he has some work to do. Every prospect does, but if things break right, he could have a heck of a career, and even if they don't, there's a job of some kind somewhere in the lineup he should be able to thrive in.

• #5 | Zeev Buium | D | Univ. of Denver | Apr. Rank (7)

  Zeev Buium has been a favorite of mine since he joined the NTDP program a few years back. The only real hole in his game is that he lacks a certain level of quickness necessary to play an offensive brand like his in the NHL at a high level, and utilizing that quickness to be a more impactful defensive player will be key to NHL success, but outside of that? Yeehaw Hockey at it's finest. He's aggressive, confident, skilled, can shoot, make plays, pinches in the offensive zone, can step up to the half wall and get pucks in front, he just does so much so well offensively. In fact in my tracking work he was taking more chances from scoring areas than he was from the perimeter which for a defenseman is unheard of. He's fun to watch, and any good development program should raise his floor which should elevate the high level areas we already see. I find myself always going back to watch him expecting to move him around a bit but he remains rock solid in my top 10. With the right partner, he could be an absolutely dynamite asset for any team.

• #6 | Teddy Stiga | LW/C | U.S. National U18 Team | Apr. Rank (13)

  Last year I was a huge Gavin Brindley fan, and this year Teddy Stiga fills a similar role in my mind. He's a little bit small, fine, but I guarantee you that if you said that to his face as a concern for his development, he'd prove you wrong. He's all over the ice all the time, a constant end to end presence who supports linemates and can both set plays up and score pucks himself. I realize that 6 is really high, but this is a guy who will rise to any occasion by virtue of how he plays on the ice. Even if he isn't scoring 80 points a season, he's going to be a useful player that is going to be impactful in a variety of ways in any situation. I've seen players like this in the past fall in the draft who I've had ranked high, and I regret not having them ranked higher. For Stiga, I'm going to stick my neck out because every time I've seen him, he's impressed the heck out of me and I can't wait to see where he is in 5-10 years.

• #7 | Tij Iginla | F | Kelowna Rockets | Apr. Rank (10)

  See what I wrote about Stiga? Basically copy+paste for Iginla in a lot of ways. I think he's a slightly less intense player, but a more threatening offensive talent, especially with his shot, and with impressive physical tools on the puck. Iginla steadily improved over the year finishing up with a tremendous U18 Gold Medal winning performance. A lightning quick wrist shot, high end agility and a great sense for using his skill to solve problems, Iginla is a diverse offensive talent that could slot into many different roles on an NHL team. He's a hard working player that is more selfless than his scoring line would indicate, but his ability to make quick cuts, work through pressure and create great scoring chances is undeniable and I would be thrilled to go on stage and call his name pretty early in the draft.

• #8 | Adam Jiříček | D | HC Plzeň | Apr. Rank (6)

  I know, I know. One of my top rated defenders hasn't played in 2024 and had a rough start to the year. Let's all not forget how many times players with strong D-1 years who have tough DY years find their footing again later. In Jiricek's case, while I agree his first few months in Czechia were less than ideal, especially moving the puck and defensively along the boards, I felt he was settling in at the pro level before the World Juniors, and he looked excellent in his games at that tournament before his injury. Is he a sure thing? No, but I've been watching him for a season and a half, and the mobility, defensive positioning, stick and body checking ability in conjunction, and flashes of offensive upside are things you don't find every day. Knee injuries are often not what they used to be and are more manageable, but I would be doing my homework on his case before making him a pick. My hunch is that it isn't something to be terribly scared of. If he hadn't been hurt, his back half playing pro hockey would've taken a turn for the better like many young players who perform at that tournament after they return to their clubs from the World Juniors.

• #9 | Cole Eiserman | LW | U.S. National U18 Team | Apr. Rank (15)

  One of the biggest enigmas in the draft, Cole Eiserman is a player with the benefit of youth on his side, but in my view has a long way to go to be a diverse impact player in the NHL. The scoring ability in the truest sense of the term is extremely high end. He can beat goalies clean with his wrist shot, he has a devastating power play one timer, he can attack the net, tip pucks, there's all kinds of scoring traits there. I believe there's an understated playmaker here too that I would want to nurture and bring out more. He's still crossing the blueline and putting low percentage chances on net too much and I'd love to encourage him to take a few more steps, scan the ice and look for linemates, which I hope is a relatively easy adjustment to make over time. He's got a physical edge that needs to be refined but could be an asset to any NHL team as well. Skills training would also make him a much more interesting rush threat, but being completely reasonable, I see an energetic shooter with some playmaking ability that with time could become a useful offensive NHL winger in a variety of scenarios.

• #10 | Michael Brandsegg-Nygård | F | Mora IK | Apr. Rank (11)

  It will be interesting to see where Michael Brandsegg-Nygård goes from here. He's easily projectable to the NHL with his smart, calculated physical game with quick skating cuts and ability to generate scoring chances in tough, NHL-like grinding scenarios. He's one of those players who doesn't often jump out at you, but a few times throughout the game you're seeing a few nice chances here and there and a few threatening moments getting pucks off the boards quickly. He's not the fastest or most agile guy around, but he applies what he has very well, and has the rare ability to use his backside to fend off players with ease and in some cases toss them to the ice like Eric Cartman sumo wrestling his poor classmates. He may go later than this but there's a solid player here with good upside as a dependable NHLer.

• #11 | Alfons Freij | LSD | Växjö Lakers HC J20 | Apr. Rank (5)

  Alfons Freij comes in around where I had him much earlier in the year. I felt that Freij had a significantly better U18 tournament than his production might indicate, and I can't shake the feeling that thinking a few years out from now, Freij could be an electrifying offensive defenseman in the NHL. He's crafty, shifty, deceptive, finds ways to stitch play together, and has sneaky ways of navigating pressured defensive zone retrievals. He needs to work on his explosiveness and lateral mobility on defensive rushes, but his ability to see the ice in the neutral zone, stick to opposing rushers off the puck and challenge with stick checks or beating them to the puck in the first place is high-end. He has some rough spots, but with patience I only see good things in the future for a player like Freij if you stay patient, calm and motivational.

• #12 | Zayne Parekh | RHD | Saginaw Spirit | Apr. Rank (18)

  Parekh has come up my board quite a bit as his game has steadily improved over the year. I still have concerns about his defensive play when things become very "NHL-like" on defensive rushes and along the boards, but his map of the neutral zone, positioning off the puck and ability to anticipate where play is going has improved in my view. In recent viewings I've actually been more concerned with his puck movement outside of the offensive zone which can be at various points crisp and creative, or reckless. His work in the offensive zone is undeniable, but he has to get there in the first place, and NHL coaches generally don't trust defensemen who have limited intensity and quickness to get involved physically in their own end, and with Parekh, there are still some issues that will need to be overcome. I'm not nearly as skeptical as I was back in December, but as much as he's moved up the board, it's also because I've moved other names down that I just simply haven't enjoyed watching as much as I've enjoyed watching Parekh at his best. The puck movement in the offensive zone, the routes he takes to scoring areas and the playmaking he's connected on are highly impressive and he will be a fascinating player to see in the NHL one day.

• #13 | Artyom Levshunov | RHD | Michigan State Univ. | Apr. Rank (8)

  It looks like Levshunov may be going second overall. To me, that is a huge risk to take considering who else is on the board but hey, what do I know? Levshunov is a mobile, physical defender with a great short area passing game that can hit targets accurately with hard, clean passes, but he remains a big work in progress. He can lose physical battles, get turned around and taken for a walk defensively, have mystifying passing decisions on the rush, and over the course of the season has lost a bit of that cowboy hockey edge he brought at the beginning of the season that to me made him an intriguing brand of defender. I really don't know what he's going to become, but I don't think it'll be worth a top 3 selection in this draft class. If I'm wrong, I'm wrong but I'll be curious to find out why because in both my notes and tracked data, there isn't a ton that stands out as high end with Levshunov at 5v5, and I put a lot of value in 5v5 play at this stage of a career. I can see a solid physical defense-first player here one day though that could play a safe and dependable game with some offensive flair.

• #14 | Sam Dickinson | LHD | London Knights | Apr. Rank (14)

  I don't think there's a player I watched as much this season as Sam Dickinson, at least at the defense position. I still don't know what to think of him. The only thing that comes to mind is that he's at his most impressive wheeling up below his goal line with the puck and bursting up the ice, and dropping a shoulder around the perimeter of the offensive zone to fend off pressure and maintain possession. At 5v5, his offensive creation as a playmaker is underwhelming, but he is often stepping up and taking higher percentage shots than many defensemen. The issues really come from his puck management skills, as he was one of the worst offensive transition passers I've tracked at the high end of the draft with some of the most hair-raising moments in the defensive zone stemming from his attempts to use skill and confidence to get through forecheckers. There's something there, but I didn't see enough defensive intensity in his game for too long this year and I still have a doubts, even 7 months later. I was hugely curious about his game last season and still am this year, but it's draft time and I don't know where I'd be comfortable taking him considering the known talent out there right now. He's skilled and fast with a solid frame but I'm not sure what he becomes at the end of the day.

• #15 | Trevor Connelly | LW | Tri-City Storm | Apr. Rank (9)

  Connelly is another enigma. Completely setting aside his uh, let's just say not-ideal history, I find him to be a bit too individualistic with the puck, trying to do way, way too much on his own, only to put pucks on net from the boards or other low scoring areas, but that may be a result of his not-great team in Tri-City. The skill level and straight line quickness is hard to ignore and he's made some very high end plays, especially outside the USHL. He's a top 10 pure skill player in this draft, and his defensive rush game isn't as bad as you'd expect at all, but there are question marks and to me, so much of the story comes down to your impression of him as a person, those around him, and those who have dealt with him.

• #16 | Anton Silayev | RSD | Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod | Apr. Rank (20)

  This is another player likely going much higher that I feel is a massive risk in that range of the draft. He's tall, tries to play physical, and a mobile skater, but outside of that, he's just... there. His puck movement through his passing is really hit or miss and you rarely see him moving pucks up the ice, rather more simple D to D and offensive zone cycle passes. He falls victim to what I'd call the Giant's Triangle issue of defenders where you're so tall that the gap between your skates and their stick blade can be worked around easily unless they can get to you with their body. Silayev can be beaten and left behind, trying to defend with his arms than his feet staying square to the puck carrier, but I guess you can always fall back on the skating and length combination. He isn't a "bad" hockey player whatsoever, I just feel as though his realistic upside is somewhat limited. If he didn't score over half his production this season in his first six games, I don't think we're penciling him in as a top 5 pick. His play in the MHL playoffs was also good but not spectacular, and thinking back to what I saw of Dmitri Simashev last year, I simply do not see the same level of player here. Could there be in the future? Maybe, but I'm not a huge fan of uncertainty in the highest ranges of the draft. He's a curiosity, a mystery box, and there are a lot of avenues he could go.

Tier 3 - A Small Drop, but Plenty of Fun

• #17 | Jett Luchanko | RW/C | Guelph Storm | Apr. Rank (29)

  The highest riser on my board since my first ranking in December, Jett Luchanko just keeps getting better and better whenever I see him. I can't help but love how he sees the ice, moves the puck, keeps his game simple yet effective, and elevates others. He's the consolation prize to Berkly Catton in my opinion. He's skilled, brilliant with how he applies his skill level, gets to the net and creates in scoring areas. Rarely wasting opportunities, Luchanko is a kid who is also one of the youngest in the draft, and I'm happy to pick him up in the first round. This is a player I wouldn't be shocked taken highly and bet on long-term by an NHL team and if he is, fans should absolutely not be disappointed.

• #18 | Andrew Basha | LW | Medicine Hat Tigers | Apr. Rank (19)

  In terms of pure skill and fun factor, Basha might be top 10 in this draft, but there are admittedly a lot of refinements likely to be necessary if Basha is going to be a high octane offensive talent in the NHL one day. I love the combination of speed and skill though, he tucks the puck close to his body, can change lanes on the fly, hit targets in stride accurately, and run transitions effectively. He can cause turnovers in the offensive zone with his anticipation and stick checking skill, and there's a nice release if he wants to take chances himself. The issue is that his involvement in all of this is very streaky to me. He's easy to knock off of pucks and out of play, which is a tough obstacle to overcome, but if he can gain an elite quickness and footspeed and the skill can keep up, he could be an exciting offensive winger in the NHL that goes too late in the NHL Draft. A few people have asked if I see him in a similar light to Andrew Cristall, and I do see more creativity with Cristall's offensive playmaking, but in terms of practical and projectable skills, I see more in Basha that I like. Quicker on his feet, more straightforward offensive approach, and more dynamic, I feel fewer concerns with Basha but they may go in similar ranges when all is said and done.

• #19 | Beckett Sennecke | LW/C | Oshawa Generals | Apr. Rank (31)

  The Chosen One down the stretch this season, Sennecke has risen meteorically in the last two months. He has had a hell of a second half of the year, and had a very impressive playoff run. I love the plays he tries to make with his skill, getting through defensive layers with well orchestrated combinations of skill, body positioning, and pace. There's a great wrist shot that has been there since what I remember of his AAA days, and lots to love in there. That said, top 10 seems... Hasty and risky to me. His play off the puck is behind his play with it, and I think he's got work to do if he's going to pull off the kinds of plays he pulls in the OHL against NHL talent. He can jump into the neutral zone to pinch for offense with great explosiveness, and I think this is a very good complimentary offensive piece to add that has come a long way this year, but I'm skeptical of just how high some have him. The development case is there, and I'm more than happy to be wrong, I just think there are a lot of players around this range that bring a lot to the game themselves that puts him in the mix rather than a huge standout.

• #20 | Luke Misa | LW/C | Mississauga Steelheads | Apr. Rank (17)

  I'm still on the Luke Misa train after all these months and I'm still confused why so many have jumped off the bus completely. There are holes in Misa's game. He's all speed, but there's skill and pass vision there that makes him extremely intriguing, even if he's a bottom six energy player. I spoke to a scout who asked "what if he's a Ryan McLeod 2.0", and I would say, I wouldn't draft Luke Misa as high as McLeod, but what's wrong with Ryan McLeod? He's the 16th leading scorer in the 2018 Draft class, was a 2nd round pick and has become a great complimentary energy player for the Oilers in their cup run. If I can get that in the third round like people say Misa may go, I don't see how he isn't at the top of your list. The speed is undeniable, his skill on the fly is high end, and he's able to hit teammates in stride extremely well in this class. His tracked data is excellent across the board. Huge offensive threat creation with a balance between passes and shots, strong shot selection, extremely efficient in good offensive transition data, and one of the best puck carriers I've tracked. He generates offensive zone turnovers at a very good rate, but leaves a bit to be desired defensively in transition being beaten with pressure and lacking the lateral quickness to be a factor. Regardless, I think he's a heck of a player with loads of potential, and likely slips much too far in Vegas. He's exactly the kind of player I bet on, and even if he doesn't hit his offensive potential, can play a strong energy role down my lineup and chip in offensively.

• #21 | Michael Hage | C | Chicago Steel | Apr. Rank (25)

  Skill is the name of the game with Michael Hage. He's determined to battle through defensive layers with a great touch for hitting teammates on the rush with his passing, and is another player with great tracked metrics almost across the board. He's makes plays at a high pace, brings strong playmaking in scoring areas as well as a solid wrist shot that he deploys from both close and midrange. His offensive transition game is strong, balancing all transition types well, but my big question mark comes from his skating ability, where he lacks a level of quickness in his first few steps that leaves him behind in the defensive zone and in defensive transitions, leading to less than ideal results in close quarters. The upside is high, but I would be leaving him in college for a while and working on building up a level of speed to combine with the skill and mindset he already brings.

• #22 | Konsta Helenius | C | Jukurit | Apr. Rank (24)

  I remain a bit cooler on Helenius than many after a tepid U18 tournament and a World Championship appearance that left a lot to be desired. He's a bit higher on my board though after doing a deep dive on the players I have in this range, but just falls short of jumping up a tier. Every time Helenius has played outside of Liiga, he looks like a smart member of the crowd, but never truly standing out in my view. I still think there's a strong floor to his game with great smarts positionally, especially on the forecheck, and using his skill and deception to carry the puck effectively. He was involved in transitions going both ways at a strong rate with great efficiency offensively and above average defensive ability. He's a physical player with a brand NHL teams will value, but I wonder how much he'll be able to impact the game offensively in the NHL with a lower pace, more off-puck centric style of play. It'll be an interesting case to follow for my own purposes in the years to come, but I think Helenius becomes a solid, dependable NHL centre but nothing like what many were claiming for months. We'll see, but I've always felt that he was smarter and more physical than his Liiga competition, and leaving Finland has been a bit of a challenge for him thus far.

• #23 | Igor Chernyshov | LW | Dynamo Moscow | Apr. Rank (16)

  One of the first players I tracked this year, Igor Chernyshov spent the majority of his year with Dynamo Moscow's KHL program and playing somewhat solid minutes in most games. The bulk of my viewings were at that level, largely because he didn't look out of place there at all. Sure a quick Google search might show that he put four points on the board this year, but this is a player with strong fundamentals that should get better as his skating ability improves. He started to figure out a strong positional game as the year wore on and became a pretty impactful 200 foot player at a high level of hockey. He landed solid scoring chances in every KHL game I tracked and brought good dual threat metrics in the MHL. He's big but carries a strong skill level that he combines with his frame to protect pucks well, and off the puck he finds ways to make himself a target. My tracked data on him implies there's a breakthrough incoming with strong transition involvement with solid efficiency, and an offensive threat that puts him pretty high in my history of tracking KHL players. His shot selection is also strong, with very limited volumes from the perimeter and always finding ways to battle to scoring areas. He isn't the most exciting player, but he's effective with diverse talents and I could see him slotting into a number of complimentary offensive roles in the NHL one day.

• #24 | Liam Greentree | RW | Windsor Spitfires | Apr. Rank (12)

  Another player where I have absolutely no clue what to do with. I thought Greentree looked like one of the most fascinating players in the draft before the new year with pretty much everything except skating ability coming out at an extremely projectable level. Dealing with physical pressure, evading forecheckers, generating offense under pressure, all traits you desperately need in the NHL, Greentree has. He's got a good frame to work with, and he just kept generating more and more and more offense on a Windsor team that simply did not have much to work with. As time wore on, I'm not sure exactly what happened and I'd be curious to ask him about it, and I'm hesitant to speculate, but it felt like Greentree was just worn out. There were and are huge issues with his pace of place and skating ability if he's ever going to be a puck possession player in the NHL in transition, but everything else seemed slower. Reading the ice, executing plays, making shooting decisions, all the offensive data took a slide and he looked like a different player. At the U18s, he fell all the way down the lineup and was basically not a factor for the team at the end of the tournament playing the least minutes of anyone in the gold medal game. All is not lost though as through it all there is a highly efficient offensive player with those projectable NHL traits and I could see huge growth in his game in the coming years. He just has weaknesses in some areas that are serious needs in the NHL that to myself and many others need a lot of work, and adapting his game around those improvements is going to be interesting to see. I'm still optimistic which keeps him in this tier, but he's had a strange season and remains a tough nut to crack.

• #25 | Linus Eriksson | C | Djurgårdens IF | Apr. Rank (26)

  In my view, one of the most improved players over the season, I had written off Eriksson back in November after a few games in J20 Nationell, but it wasn't long before he was a mainstay for Djurgården at the HockeyAllsvenskan level, and simply gained more and more confidence and with it more ice time. He was a #1 centre in their playoff run as they fell just short of promotion back to the SHL. He didn't look out of place in that role at all and is a great study of what a rock solid hockey player looks like. He's gained a level of speed in transition that he didn't seem to show much, but the smarts he has around his feet are high end and help elevate others on the ice. There's a physical presence with Eriksson and his offensive efficiency through making himself a target, settling pucks and keeping play moving are high end. The offensive side of the game needs development, especially with his pass vision and threatening playmaking but he has an underrated shot from mid-range and can crash the net well. He captained the Swedish U18 team and you can tell why, as he's a clearly selfless leader that distributes the puck well and plays a style that teammates want to get behind. He may not have first round talent right now in a few areas, but you have the luxury of parking this player on what will be a talented, young pro hockey team in Sweden battling for a spot in the SHL next season, and probably the season after, and in my view he'll only get better from here. He's become a personal favorite that doesn't really leap out at you, but I get the feeling coaches and students of the game will appreciate his game greatly as will his future linemates.

• #26 | Dominik Badinka | RHD | Malmö Redhawks | Apr. Rank (21)

  Another player who grew on me immensely as the year went on, even if he isn't as high as he was in April. That is moreso due to this area of the draft being razor thin with players who all bring similar all-around levels that could play decent roles in an NHL organization one day. Badinka has been on my radar since playing with Jokerit last year in Finland, and this year he sprouted in height a bit it seems, and really improved the raw speed he can generate. He landed on Malmö's pro team after a great start with the junior team and never looked back. Earning a solid middle pair role and gaining more and more comfort as time went on. He's fast, lanky, plays hard, is efficient in transition going both directions, and largely keeps his game simple and effective. Clean, smart breakout passes, quick thinking before his shot attempts to create a lane, and an underrated puck carrying ability to go with it. This is a player whose career could go a number of different directions for an NHL club, with flashes of offence that stick out, but plenty of strong defensive traits stemming from a higher pace of play that I personally love to see in young players. He'll also have the luxury of more seasons playing with Malmö's men's team and I would expect him to be a serious player for them sooner than later.

• #27 | Nikita Artamonov | LW | Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod | Apr. Rank (23)

  Nikita Artamonov might be one of the most fascinating players to keep track of in the coming years. He had a tremendously productive season for a draft eligible in the KHL, but many have him nowhere close to the first round, if ranked at all, so why? Honestly leaving him unranked is questionable, but this is a hard-working player with great energy in his game and great supportive pass work outside of the offensive zone. My tracked data on Artamonov is quite good everywhere except in the offensive zone, strangely enough with massive offensive transition volumes with good efficiency, making himself a pass target with good positioning and a quick jump into empty space. His shots often come from the perimeter, his rate of shot assists is negligible, he can get erased along the boards even if he's a battler in those situations, and really needs to settle his play down a bit at times to open space and create more offense. At the end of the day, I could see a good penalty killing forward that could compliment other more skilled forwards well, and if he's a second round pick, you could do much worse.

• #28 | Stian Solberg | LHD | Vålerenga | Apr. Rank (30)

  Well it's the flavor of the week as Stian Solberg comes in slightly higher at 27. He had a pretty strong World Championship performance, showcasing his physical and intense style of play to many and has clearly enamored quite a few evaluators all of a sudden. To me, this is still the player I've seen since December/January. A brutal, punishing physical player with mobility and a quick wrist shot but some hockey sense and pass selection issues that may need to be managed. I've heard Radko Gudas about this guy and to me that's a great comparison. How much do you value a great teammate who plays with anger, confidence and swagger that doesn't really take over the ice in every aspect of the game? I can see some teams jumping on a player like that early I guess, but I wouldn't do it. First round pick of some kind? That I could easily get behind, especially when all you hear about him as a person is just how unique and enjoyable a personality he has off the ice. He's a ton of fun to watch, even if his shot differentials on the ice were awful in my tracking. I would put that more on his linemates as that deficiency largely came from their offensive deficiencies, and he was a major factor in whatever offense they did generate, taking 36% of the shot attempts they took while on the ice. Of course he was the most physical player I tracked which carries NHL value too. A player I adore, but not "Draft him 10th overall" adore. Is there a team out there that does? Maybe!

• #29 | Emil Hemming | RW | TPS | Apr. Rank (37)

  I go back and forth on Hemming all the time. As he is now, I don't see an NHL player. In isolated moments? I could easily see a skilled power winger you could stick in your lineup, and maybe as a shot threat on the wings of a secondary power play. He's silky for a lanky kid, with strong pace in his game, and nothing in his game sticks out as bad in my tracking, but nothing really sticks out that would put him extremely high on my board. There's a great wrist shot to rely on, and he's a player that can step into opponents well, generating turnovers quite a few times. He's a very capable puck carrier with good protection skill and vision of rushing lanes to sneak through, but I just haven't seen that enough to really rely on him every shift. All in all he's a solid supportive winger who could do a variety of things just fine, and I could see him become a great player in Liiga in relatively short order with what he already brings. Looking back in a decade, he could be one of the more undervalued players in the draft, or he could just be a guy who nobody really minds but fits into a number of jobs in the NHL. Time will tell.

• #30 | Lucas Pettersson | C | MoDo Hockey J20 | Apr. Rank (34)

  Speaking of tough nuts to crack, Lucas Pettersson. Similar to Trevor Connelly, in terms of pure skill level, he may be a tier higher than this group. Going into this season I had him very high, but after a few games he just kept dropping and dropping. He has the raw talent to be in this tier, and I will admit that the last couple games I saw and tracked were significantly better than those before. The tracked data isn't bad at all, with very solid but not otherworldly dangerous playmaking and shot assist rates, and a very strong set of offensive transition data. When he applies himself, he's a solid offensive playmaking centre with great puck carrying ability and a balanced offensive transition game that doesn't put him in any single lane. The issue is projecting his game to the NHL and not just to being a good SHL forward one day. The pace of his game and physical resilience are question marks that are tough to get over right now. His scoring ability also lacks gusto at 5v5, and leans into playmaking extremely heavily. Part of me thinks he could slip in the draft due to his inconsistency and may slip too far because he still deserves a supportive environment to try to get the best out of him more often.

Tier 4 - Solid Roleplayers and Curiousities

• #31 | Herman Träff | F | HV71 | Apr. Rank (38)

  Another player I've been a fan of for two seasons, Träff bounced around the Swedish hockey world a bit which for me is a delight any time it happens. He looked somewhat slow, plodding and individualistic in J20 but still showcased a great combination of size, skill, power and shot quality that is always intriguing. At the SHL level, he turned into a forechecking nightmare for opponents, showcasing a much more NHL-like game that was more boards centric, heavy, and found ways to chip in offensively in tough areas. In HockeyAllsvenskan, he combined both of these and looked more than comfortable powering up the ice with strong puck possession and determination with a physical edge. I'm not sure there's much more than a bottom six player here but a spot in the middle of the ice on the power play feels possible with his wrist shot and big body that he can deploy well in conjunction. Would I run a line through him? Probably not, but could he play in my bottom six? Absolutely.

• #32 | Topias Hynninen | LW/C | Jukurit | Apr. Rank (28)

  I am remaining on this wagon as one of about four human beings with this guy in the top 50, let alone the first round, and one of those four is my co-host who can't take credit. All eyes are on Konsta Helenius but just go watch this guy for a bit and forget that he's 5'10" for a moment. He just does so many things well that you don't see a ton of in Finland. He's a high energy, high pace player who thinks quickly, has a high end wrist and slap shot I'm desperate to see more of in Liiga, a high end forechecker with a physical side to him, and a level of finesse in transition I'm always drawn to. He's one of the most involved defensive transition forwards in my dataset, playing in a men's league. Even if you see him internationally, a quick Google search puts him at over a point a game at a recent U19 tournament for Finland and appearances on the U20 team through the year. Frankly I'm surprised he wasn't an addition to the World Junior team, but more secrecy for me I suppose. Sure, you can dismiss him by seeing that he's 5'10", but I think that's hasty and an error. Similar to Teddy Stiga, he plays a style of play where he will hear that criticism and make you regret it. He's energetic, highly involved in play, has shown extremely well consistency outside of Liiga this year, and shows very strong flashes at the highest level of Finnish men's hockey.

• #33 | Ollie Josephson | C | Red Deer Rebels | Apr. Rank (36)

  I am pretty sure I have Ollie Josephson too high on my board, but I just love his game so much and his tracked data I've gathered is so strong. I feel as though he's a great breakout candidate in the WHL in the coming years with the pure speed and intensity in his game. He very much reminds me of a bit of a less skilled Brad Lambert, with high end offensive transition ability, underrated defensive contributions, and a selfless attitude that often goes unrewarded. He doesn't waste his shooting opportunities, he generates strong rates of shot assists, they're just often from the perimeter, and is tremendously efficient offensively and defensively in transition. He's a high end puck carrier that doesn't carry the puck much. He's got great stick checking results and wins races to loose pucks far more often than not. He anticipates breakouts well and is rarely out of a good spot. He brings strong rates of both hits and offensive turnover generation. Josephson is a great example of "you're almost there" to me that reminds me a little of my feelings regarding Marat Khusnutdinov in 2020. Not the biggest player, but plays a brand that should slot into an NHL bottom six very well in the future, even if the offense never really develops. There's so much I could gush about with Josephson, and in terms of downside, he does get pushed out of play a little more than you'd like, he's not the most skilled or creative player, but the pure energy in his game might be enough to make up for it at higher levels.

• #34 | Daniil Ustinkov | LHD | ZSC Lions | Apr. Rank (32)

  The name of the game is potential with Ustinkov. First off, the National League is probably the fastest and most skilled hockey league in Europe, and Ustinkov has spent most of the season in a depth role for one of the premier organizations in the league. Zurich doesn't often elevate young players right to the NL, and Ustinkov is less than a month from 2025 NHL Draft eligibility. Yet he was a major role player for the Swiss junior program this year and while he had some mixed results, I saw a significantly more interesting player playing at the highest levels. In terms of downside, his close quarters defending and physical strength need work. Outside of that, I would adore to have the ability to keep in touch and work/develop him into a premier 200 foot defender that can chip in anywhere on the ice. The skating is high end, the skill level is strong, the shiftiness and deception you love to see in offensive leaning players is there, but I find he's often not doing enough with it. At the Swiss League level he felt much more daring and confident and to me it suited him. It took him almost three full games of tracked data in low usage to miss a pass. I wouldn't note such a thing if that were common. He knows how to protect the puck, find linemates and keep things moving. He allowed control on just 17% of defensive entries he was involved in largely with exceptional positioning through his footwork and mobility. Sure he's dropped on my board a bit but that's largely due to him being more one of the pack in this range rather than getting worse, but his international performances also showed me sides of his game that I felt needed some work. That said I'm surprised he isn't getting more attention because I think his details are often great, especially with the puck on his stick and there are flashes of offense that I'd want to nurture a bit as he gains more and more of a role in a great European league in Switzerland.

• #35 | Carter Yakemchuk | RHD | Calgary Hitmen | Apr. Rank (39)

  Carter Yakemchuk might be the defenseman I've sat down and watched the most out of almost anyone. He'll go way higher than this, and I realize that I have him "too low" so save your tweets. I know there's skill there. I know that he can shoot the puck. I am aware of how he generates offense, but the details of his game that actually get the puck into offensive situations are a massive work in progress and that's a major issue to me, especially when we're talking about someone people believe is one of the best defensemen in the entire draft. His actual ability to defend outside of cross-checks in front and trying to erase players along the boards from distance is not there enough, as he bleeds defensive entries and dangerous scoring chances against going for the body and not the puck. The mobility in transition needs work, defensive transition involvement is very low, and while I think he's a very talented puck carrier when barreling forward in a straight line, his passing in transition leaves a lot to be desired far too often. Panic passing, not seeing options in the neutral zone, dangerous decisions in the defensive zone, there are just a lot of issues that other players haven't displayed. The skill level in the offensive zone is unlike many defenders in this draft, but I wonder about the pace at which he's able to stitch offensive plays together and wonder what he'll be in the NHL. As I write this, the Edmonton Oilers are in the Stanley Cup Final, and there are some echoes here to another big, offensive defenseman in junior drafted in the top 15 that has had his fair share of ups and downs in the NHL in Cody Ceci. He can shoot the puck better, but the overall vibe is a bit of an echo to me from what I remember of Ceci over the years. Maybe I'm wrong as heck on this guy and if I am, I'll reflect. I've just seen so, so much and remain very questioning of his placement as a top 15 player.

• #36 | Clarke Caswell | C/LW | Swift Current Broncos | Apr. Rank (46)

  I adore Clarke Caswell's game. He's so, so smart with how he times almost every move he makes on the ice. Finding open ice off the puck, creating open ice with it in every zone of the ice, reading breakouts and stopping defensive zone cycles, it's just wonderful to watch. Pretty much across the board, Caswell absolutely pins my tracked data. Ivan Demidov put together an offensive threat rating of 47 which is ridiculous, but Clarke Caswell was 2nd with 42, which is also ridiculous. 30 is considered high end. Caswell almost gets to 30 through his slot pass attempts alone. These attempts were completed 28% of the time, but there is so much to like with Caswell that revolves around his hockey sense on both sides of the puck. He absolutely needs to work on the skating as many have pointed out but I don't think it's that big of an issue, and the data indicates that if he improves there, he could be an elite player considering how good his output is already. He's over 80% efficiency in transition offensively with insanely strong passing results there combining skill and smarts to find targets and nail tape to tape passes almost every time. I think he's a project, but one that I would happily take.

• #37 | Yegor Surin | C/RW | Loko Yaroslavl | Apr. Rank (63)

  Surin took a while to grow on me this season but the last few games I caught were quite impressive. I'm not sure he's a player that has massive NHL upside but he certainly has the skill level and shot quality to be a threat in the offensive zone. He's stronger than you'd think under pressure, using his body and hands to fight through traffic, but the real value in my dataset comes from his offensive transitions. He juggles all types in massive volumes, almost 50% of Loko's with him on the ice, and while he isn't a true standout with his passing or pass receptions, his puck carrying is great and everything as a whole is very strong. He's also highly involved defensively outside of checking, with very good results in that area as well. He is a physical player along the boards however, causing turnovers at both ends often and driving a strong dataset overall. I could see him going higher than where I have him ranked and I wouldn't be against it, but Surin has shown a lot more the more I've seen him and I think there could be a good middle six player here who can fill a number of roles with a bit of offensive pop.

• #38 | Cole Beaudoin | C | Barrie Colts | Apr. Rank (41)

  I've heard people absolutely rave about him and I can see why, I'm just not on that train nearly as much. He'll likely be an NHL player with his hard-nosed northbound physical game, and I imagine NHL teams are enamored with his willingness to get his hands dirty and be a good teammate that stands up for his peers. That said, his actual game is a little bit too straightforward and simplistic that might be a bit too easy to counter if I'm an NHL pro scouting team. Get the puck, skate it up the ice yourself skating as hard as you can through any and all traffic, put it into the middle of the ice. This isn't obviously always the case, but this is often what's going on with Beaudoin on the ice. It could and should work in the NHL, and I may very well be undervaluing him a bit, but this is a very tight area of the draft and I wouldn't be against adding him to my stable earlier than this if I've already got plenty of skill to work with. Beaudoin doesn't bring everything to the table, but he brings a ton of what he does. High slot pass volumes, high puck carrying volumes, perfect puck carrying efficiency, and a physical edge everyone wants these days.

• #39 | Sacha Boisvert | C | Muskegon Lumberjacks | Apr. Rank (40)

  Boisvert is another player with some very impressive talent in isolated moments but rarely seeing his capabilities often enough to project him to the NHL. I'm a bit surprised to see him so high on some boards but I will admit he's got a mobile and fluid skating stride that he combines with a strong wrist shot that can beat goalies at the USHL level. He's one of the least involved forwards in transition going either directions in my data, often deferring to others and waiting for play to come to him. He does generate balanced offense through slot passing and mid-range shooting, and generated over half of Muskegon's shot attempts with him on the ice, but I still wonder what he's going to be at higher levels. The pace of the game is going to increase and if he wants to play centre, his responsibility is going to get heavier than it is. Luckily, he's a good physical presence as well, and could easily profile as a good complimentary offensive winger in the future. The skill level and puck protection ability needs to improve, and with all the ups and downs and lack of involvement, Boisvert finds him on the fringes of my first round, even if the upside is there.

• #40 | Tomas Galvas | LHD | Bílí Tygři Liberec | Apr. Rank (22)

  Tomas Galvas is just a hoot to watch. Team Scouching doesn't pick after 23rd overall until 121st and Galvas may very well be there at that second pick. He's 5'10" which works against him, and he looks like he's about 140 pounds soaking wet, and plays like it, but boy is this a talented hockey player that could become quite the offensive quarterback projecting out 5-10 years. He's dynamic, shifty, has great edges to find creative ways through traffic, and carries strong pass vision leading to good completion rates in all areas of the ice. Stepping up from the offensive blueline, he can make some high end plays with his skill and determination, often choosing to not simply pepper the net with attempts from the perimeter. The guy is just fun to watch, and sure he's a longshot, but he does so many high end offensive things at the Czech pro level that the stronger and more mobile he gets, the better he'll get.

• #41 | Ryder Ritchie | RW | Prince Albert Raiders | Apr. Rank (48)

  It's been two years and I still don't know what Ryder Ritchie is. Part of me thinks this is a great WHL scorer down the road with better linemates with him, but another part of me wonders if he's always going to be a lower pace, highly intelligent player who simply manages to make things work offensively that may lack some of that jam and grit you'd like out of your wingers. Across the board, everything is perfectly fine. Slot passing, shot selection, transition volumes and efficiencies, raw pass volumes, there just isn't much that really stands out on paper as a good thing or a bad thing. His defensive metrics for me aren't promising, but in my view that's not his job. He's a great positional thinker, finding space and corralling pucks effectively, making smart plays into good areas of the ice, and driving a large part of Prince Albert's offence with him on the ice. If you value smarts and think you can inject some pace and oomph into a player's game, Ritchie goes higher than this. I just have always been somewhat doubtful of that area developing as much as it needs to, and while Ritchie is at his highest point in the year, I still have doubts that keep him from being as high on my board as others.

• #42 | Marek Vanacker | LW | Brantford Bulldogs | Apr. Rank (42)

  Marek Vanacker reminds me of that scene in The Simpsons with Marge Simpson trying to get Bart to bring a potato to school for show and tell. "I just think they're neat", but in a very good way. I don't think Vanacker is a super high end prospect, but there's really nothing wrong with him either. He's got size, he's resilient, times his passes very well and just kept putting great results on the board every game I saw with Brantford. He protects the puck well, gets to scoring areas often, can chain playmaking attempts together from the boards, and was one of the highest volume offensive transition players in the games I've tracked. He catches pucks on the fly with ease, has a projectable style of play, and very little in troubling weaknesses that others in this tier may carry. I'm still not sure exactly what he is in the NHL outside of a complimentary physical forward, but he's one I could be convinced to take higher similar to Cole Beaudoin if my stable already is full of skill and requires a bit of talented beef.

• #43 | Noel Fransén | LHD | Bílí Tygři Liberec | Apr. Rank (33)

  It finally has come to pass that Noel Fransén is getting some attention. Just as that has happened, he's slipped down my board somewhat in the last month. His defensive game in transition is involved but often ineffective, being beaten my faster and more physical players unless he can be directly in front of play or already in forwards motion on his way to the boards to challenge puck carriers with a stick check. That said, the rest of the picture is very, very strong. Solid pass volumes with great completion, extremely high transition involvement in both directions with strong offensive efficiency, and a great ability to pass pucks through the neutral zone. Folks might look at his point totals as an indicator of some kind of elite shooting ability, but while his shot is quite a strong point of his game displaying it with a bomb resulting in his first SHL goal in his first SHL game, but Fransén combines multiple offensive traits together to be a confident and diverse contributor. Pinching up from the blueline to make plays below the goal line, cutting into scoring areas himself, dragging pucks to mask intent and look cross-ice, and using his edges to navigate around defenders well. Even with the issues that others have rightfully pointed out, Fransén ended with very good defensive results in his own end with low rates of dangerous shots against and decent cycle breaking ability. He's likely an interesting swing in the middle rounds more than anything but there's potential for him, especially without looking out of place in his limited SHL time.

• #44 | John Mustard | LW | Waterloo Black Hawks | Apr. Rank (27)

  Ah John Mustard. I have to say that I'm more optimistic about his game than I was a month ago after a few more viewings of him and others simply knocked him down the priority list and became more of a mystery box player that I might swing on after the first couple rounds. I did see a couple games that showcased a much more refined player than what I usually see, but Mustard is often a frustrating player in the same way Kent Johnson was frustrating for me. The capability to be truly special is there, but he just hasn't quite gotten there yet. In his favour, he's a USHL rookie that is a month away from 2025 Draft eligibility that nearly got to 30 goals with his excellent wrist shot and ability to get to the net. That said, his ability to distribute the puck is very, very mixed and his vision of the ice is a big question mark that limits his impact on the ice. He's a real speedster but he never really does much with it off the puck. When he does get moving though, he can absolutely fly, and let shots go in full stride and certainly has individual traits that would put him much higher on my list as my previous rankings would indicate. I do think there's a world where he goes to the NCAA, gets more and more comfortable over the years, maybe even starts playing more centre which I believe he could, becoming an interesting 3rd line speedyboy with an offensive punch, but his game will have to evolve from where it is now in order to get there.

• #45 | Cole Hutson | LHD | U.S. National U18 Team | Apr. Rank (52)

  Cole Hutson is one of many NTDP players who felt more and more comfortable and projectable as time wore on this year. Hutson was one of the most impressive puck carriers and offensive creators at the U18s for the Americans, with shifty skill, lane juggling at full stride, and pushing deep in the offensive zone to create for linemates. There are still rough patches in his game that could make or break his NHL potential, especially under close pressure on defensive rushes, and opponents can still power straight through him when barreling to the net, but there's more to like than you'd think with Cole Hutson. If I'm being honest, there are moments where I think that Cole's northbound skating and crossovers are more projectable to the NHL than Lane, who relies on trickery, skill and body fakes to generate space for himself. With time, there could be an interesting player here, especially if he is available as late as some are portraying him to go. He's a bet I'd be happy to make in the mid rounds and my read on him is much more positive than it was all the way back in 2023.

• #46 | Luke Osburn | LHD | Youngstown Phantoms | Apr. Rank (53)

  At long last we end up with Luke Osburn at 46. This is much, much higher than others have him, but I'm a huge believer in this guy. I get the feeling he's taller than he's listed, still quite lanky and very young for this draft class. He went from AAA hockey last year to USHL spare defenseman, to top four with a strong Youngstown squad at times touching the top pair, and he earned the chance to say the least. His awareness of the ice is largely great, especially defensively on the rush, stopping breakout after breakout across both lines with calm, patient and intelligent gap management and quick thinking to pass pucks up the ice again. In fact he has some of the stronger completion metrics on his passing for defenders that I've tracked this year. There are some poor moments with the puck in terms of completions, but the ideas he spots are largely good ones. He absolutely needs to get stronger, especially in front of the net as he can get outworked and outmuscled, but there's so much potential. The footwork along the blueline and wrist shot is understated, but he needs to become a better distributor in the offensive zone to unlock the offense that seems to bubble under the surface. Regardless, he brings so much to the table, and I feel as though he'll only get better as the years go by, and a smart, patient team will be greatly rewarded for their foresight with Osburn.

• #47 | Tanner Howe | LW/C | Regina Pats | Apr. Rank (57)

  Another player yet again who is a tough read for me. He's got skill, he's competitive, but often detached from play, especially defensively, but in the offensive zone the talent is undeniable. His slot passing rates are strong, and he creates or takes 48% of Regina's shot attempts while on the ice. There aren't great rates of shot attempts from high danger areas, but he's a talented mid-range shooter with good pre-shot skill who can put the puck in the net here and there. There's a physical element to his game, and I could see a solid complimentary player supporting more pace-y puck controllers with some offensive pop in the NHL one day, it's just a matter of how much value you believe he'll bring in that role.

• #48 | EJ Emery | U.S. National U18 Team | EV Zug | Apr. Rank (NR)

  EJ Emery was another player who really showed what he can do in the U18s for the Americans. He's been unranked for me because his results in a number of areas in my work has been less than ideal. He can be taken for a walk laterally, lose physical battles to smaller, more determined players, and his ability to pass the puck is spooky too often. That said, the skating ability and athletic tools are hard to deny, and the more I talk to others, the more I'm convinced that he at least deserves recognition in a tier that could touch the first round. I could see an effective defensive player down an NHL lineup that could offset a better puck mover or offensive defenseman, but he'll need time to get there in my opinion. Part of the scouting game comes down to how you think they'll develop, and while Emery is already quite the athletic individual, there's a clear off-ice intent to improve and awareness of his issues that teams may find highly valuable. He probably goes before I'd take him, but I see much more of the appeal now, especially after a solid U18 showcasing more puck carrying ability and raw mobility that I don't remember seeing nearly as much of beforehand.

• #49 | Kieron Walton | C | Sudbury Wolves | Apr. Rank (WL)

  This may surprise people but holy smokes did this guy get better as the year went on. I was very, very intrigued by Walton after a strong start to the season, spotting him while tracking Nathan Villeneuve. If we're talking about players with potential for the future, I am honestly very surprised we're not hearing more about him. 6'5", a lanky 200 pounds, really skilled for a big boy, and a lightning quick wrist shot that, while streaky in terms of goal scoring and volume, is impressive when it comes out. He lacks quickness which, I mean look at him, he's huge, so it's forgivable, but compared to the other giant forwards out there this year, Walton is the one that piques my curiosity the most. He can pull pucks into open lanes, drives efficient transition data with a good ability to settle pucks and find space, and with time, there could be a very interesting skilled big boy here for someone willing to take a chance in the mid-rounds.

• #50 | Sam O'Reilly | C | London Knights | Apr. Rank (NR)

  Sam O'Reilly is a good example of a strong meat and potatoes hockey player similar to guys like Vanacker and Beaudoin. He's physical, determined, a battler, and has some moments of scoring skill that are impressive when you see them. I do have concerns about how he'll play his brand in the NHL, but if he gains strength and improves his sense of body positioning a bit, I could see a good checking forward here, and I feel like he'll find his way into the bottom of an NHL lineup somehow. I go back and forth on him every time I see him but watching him in the playoffs and in the Memorial Cup, there is absolutely a projectable floor there that I was undervaluing a bit.

• #51 | Aron Kiviharju | LHD | HIFK Helsinki | Apr. Rank (55)

  I've been a bit of a Kiviharju skeptic going into this season but it doesn't take long to see why he was such a productive player at lower levels. His vision, patience and accuracy with his passing is remarkable. He locks onto targets and executes his plays so quickly and you just have to respect how he sees the ice and distributes the puck. His limited time in Liiga to start the year exposed a lot of defensive issues, and how easy it can be to forecheck him and pin him in dangerous space, but at the U18s you saw a player with a bit more breathing room and saw more of what makes him special. If he can become an extremely high end skater with great quickness and agility, the defensive concerns could be alleviated and he could project as an interesting offensive NHL defenseman, but I believe there's a ways to go for that. I want to believe, I've loved the high end stuff I've seen of him, and he likely gets drafted a bit too late, but he's a very interesting player and his story from here will be one to watch.

• #52 | Nathan Villeneuve | C | Sudbury Wolves | Apr. Rank (44)

  In my view, Nathan Villeneuve is one of the more undervalued players out there. The former first overall selection in the OHL Priority Draft brings such an interesting combination of physical play, high pace playmaking and skill that shows tons of promise and likely requires guidance more than talent development to improve upon. He's aggressive, with great rates of hits and offensive zone turnover generation, gets good body positioning on and off the puck, and can make plays quickly in scoring areas. The only real criticism I have of his game is that he's such a tenacious and aggressive player, but it simply hasn't translated to individual scoring chances much at all. A highly efficient offensive transition quarterback with great skill to move pucks into open space and vision to spot linemates, Villeneuve checks so many boxes and doesn't check so few that I'm surprised he's so low on so many boards. He creates over 50% of Sudbury's offense while on the ice, largely through his passing and shot assists, but he has a shot that could certainly threaten goaltenders that he just doesn't use enough. It's hard to imagine him not becoming some kind of NHL player in a lineup somewhere. Bottom six, physical energy presence? Sure, but I could see more in his future if he gets a bit quicker and more determined to push more play into scoring areas than he does.

• #53 | Kamil Bednarik | C | U.S. National U18 Team | Apr. Rank (57)

  Bednarik is a highly skilled and evasive forward who can catch your eye at times with some high pace play, and he's always just been a very pleasant player to watch. I'm not sure his talent level is quite enough to break into an NHL Top 6, and I don't believe that he has the physical tools to regress to a bottom six player, but there's upside here. With a few strong developmental years in the NCAA in a great program at Boston University, he could blossom into a talented skilled centre in the future.

Tier 5 - Everyone Else

• #54 | Brodie Ziemer | RW | U.S. National U18 Team | Apr. Rank (73)

  Another player who brings a high end mind for the game, Brodie Ziemer grew on me as the season wore on. He played the Gabe Perreault role often, being a bit of a lower pace, but highly creative and intelligent puck mover. For stretches he may be stuck away from play with a lack of involvement, but there's such an impressive map of the ice, and ability to push play up the sheet with great timing and vision through traffic. I'm not sure there's a ton of upside with Ziemer, but he's a player that has enough pace and smarts to play with more capable players, and relative to similar players like Terik Parascak who is unranked on my board, I think he brings a more projectable style of play and talent floor that gives me more confidence that we'll see Ziemer playing some kind of complimentary role in the NHL.

• #55 | Jiří Ticháček | LHD | Rytíři Kladno | Apr. Rank (47)

  It's Jiří Ticháček. He had a huge year. He was in the national team camp before the World Championship and unfortunately didn't make the cut, but without him, it's hard to imagine Kladno staying in the top division of Czech hockey. He's being deployed in more offensive scenarios than previous years, and he's still the highly mobile, electrifying player with a wicked slap shot he uses often from the point. There still is very little momentum about him, but I don't care. I still think he's a guy who can buck the trend of undersized defensemen, and if he goes undrafted again, he's a guy I'm all over for a camp invite and building a relationship that leads to an ELC once his time in Kladno is complete.

• #56 | Matvei Shuravin | LHD/RSD | CSKA Moskva | Apr. Rank (66)

  Matvei Shuravin has been all over my list all season long, at one point being completely off my list until recently, but there's something there with this guy, I just am not sure it's a high end defensive asset as he is now. He seemed outmatched with the pace and physicality of the KHL without keeping his game as simple as possible, and he had his fair share of shaky moments corralling pucks and starting breakouts in his own end at every level. That said, this is a mobile defender with great timing on his stick checks when play is coming his way. There are flashes of deception and skill with the puck as well that open ice and create options for himself, and he's a player that remains active in play going both directions. The passing results in transition are poor, however as he can put pucks in the wrong hands and look off options only to send play to opponents elsewhere. Shuravin is a weird one to project, but as a defensive-minded player that might end up down an NHL lineup, I could see something there. Similar to Henry Mews, when considering leaving him unranked, I simply felt that I had other defenders ranked with no more or less potential than Shuravin, but for different reasons from Mews. There's a potentially stable player who may be able push play a bit better than he does with time, and you can bring him along as slowly as you like in Russia.

• #57 | Jesse Pulkkinen | LHD | JYP Jyväskylä | Apr. Rank (WL)

  Hoooooooo boy here's Jesse Pulkkinen. The more I watch him this year, the more I shrug my shoulders and think "you know what, screw it." He's huge with some good skill to go with it, a ridiculous amount of confidence, and some really, really rough moments. He has some really smart and impressive moments with regards to his physical defensive play, using his reach effectively, and quick thinking to pass pucks and move play up the ice. I'm not sure what he is at the NHL level, but he's some kind of hockey player in some way that has his share of highs and lows. Some of the creative, deceptive moments I've seen out of Pulkkinen, especially at the junior level are hilarious and unique, and if he can capture more offensive zone confidence and quickness in Liiga, he could be a very curious case that might have a bit more of a fast track to the NHL in this class considering his age.

• #58 | Veeti Väisänen | RSD | KooKoo | Apr. Rank (55)

  I've gone back and forth with Veeti Vaisanen over the year, and a solid U18 performance only solidified my opinion of him being "huh, he's neat". A really talented and mobile skater, quickly cutting and changing directions, creating new angles and space in many areas of the ice. He generates a significant part of KooKoo's offense, albeit through perimeter shot volume, but there are some shot assists he can generate through his skill and feet. The constant concern is that if there's enough to overcome his size disadvantage to be a difference-maker in the NHL. There's a lot of good, but not great in his game, and to play his brand in the NHL at his size, things have to be great. There are physical moments with him that I noted on many occasions so it isn't like this is a soft player, and the stick checking data is strong, but again, the question is if it's enough to get to the promised land. He should get drafted, and he'll probably go too late. He's fun to watch and brings good raw talent that could grow him into some kind of mobile NHL defenseman.

• #59 | Julius Miettinen | C | Everett Silvertips | Apr. Rank (53)

  I imagine Miettinen will go higher than a late second rounder, as I think there's a pretty safe floor to fall back on if all else fails. He's a guy who you don't notice a ton but he ends up with very good slot pass rates and landing a few scoring chances himself. He doesn't waste his offensive chances and with faster, pacey partners who can carry pucks with him as a compliment on the rush I could see an interesting pivot in the NHL one day. All of his shot assists came from scoring areas, and he plays a simple, but very effective player who positions himself well at both ends of the ice and simply generates results in ways you can see working in the NHL. My concern in the back of my mind is that players who play like bottom six NHLers at the junior hockey level often struggle to actually turn into effective bottom six NHLers, but I'm more than willing to be wrong in Miettinen's case. He's simple but effective and has the size to make it work and I could be convinced to take him higher in the second round if my scouting team really wanted someone like him.

• #60 | Leon Muggli | LHD | EV Zug | Apr. Rank (72)

  Leon Muggli is another player on the list of names who I've seen a ton of, and am still not totally sure what I see or what I think will be there in a few years. He's shifty and skilled with strong vision of the ice, and playing the full year in good usage at the National League level is notable on it's own. He has a solid shot from the point he deploys often with limited shot assist rates and low pass volumes in general. He's not a particularly involved transition player in my experience but is a good example of what I'd call a "turret" player. Smart per-puck-touch player when hit with passes, a strong point shot, and sees the ice well in multiple directions. He had a strong U18 before getting injured which was pleasant to see, and I may be a little low on him, but he's a tough one to project as-is without better mobility and defensive results over time.

• #61 | Fyodor Avramov | LW | Kapitan Stupino | Apr. Rank (43)

  One of the pleasant surprises in the draft class for me, Fyodor Avramov played for the worst team in the best division of Russian junior hockey, and plays a style that translates to North America significantly better than many other players at his level. He drove a ton of Stupino's offense on the ice while playing a physical style that overwhelmed opponents often. There's intensity in his game that comes and goes, but I think with time and experience he could easily capture the necessary effort level to make it work at higher levels. There's a lightning quick wrist shot there as well that can beat goalies from mid-range, and is a highly efficient offensive transition player with a diverse skillset in that area, with elite carrying results and very solid passing data. He's a player on my shortlist for the mid-rounds and I could easily see a player who outperforms his draft slot. It may take a solid 5-6 years in Russia to get there, but Stupino's parent KHL team is in Sochi, and they aren't shy about playing young players as we've seen. I feel Avramov just gets better and better the more consistent he is with his effort level and competitiveness.

• #62 | Miguel Marques | RW | Lethbridge Hurricanes | Apr. Rank (35)

  This is a weird one. Marques has first round talent, that much is not in doubt. I just see a player who has a long, long way to go to get to be a dependable NHL player. The highlights are at times staggeringly awesome, but taken as a whole, there are so many moments you wish you saw more out of him. I've seen words like "lazy" and "soft" applied about him, which I never, ever like to use when talking about elite athletes, but you definitely wish there was just a bit more competitiveness and involvement with Marques, especially off the puck defensively. He's a tough read for me. The data overall is very positive and if someone took the chance on him much higher than this, I could easily see why. The skill level and playmaking ability is tremendous, and he can absolutely humiliate defensemen with fakes and crossovers, but battling through pressure and consistently challenging players is a concern. I like Marques, I want to put him higher, but projecting to the NHL without some changes to the overall approach to the game on many of his shifts is a big question mark, and I know those in the NHL often feel similarly.

• #63 | Matvei Gridin | RW | Muskegon Lumberjacks | Apr. Rank (52)

  Take what I wrote about Marques and copy paste for Gridin. This is a guy who can disappear for huge stretches, cheat for offense, put too much on his own stick and look very difficult to see working in the NHL, but holy smokes in small doses this guy can really play. There's been a lot of talk about Beckett Sennecke's skill, creativity and shot at his height, and I see many similarities in the positive area with a player like Gridin. As a complimentary player whose focus is strictly offensive, he's got plenty to offer, and some of the "oh my" moments this year with the puck on his stick. Establishing separation from opponents, catching pucks at high pace, high skill level and quick evasiveness to generate very strong playmaking data and drive a ton of Muskegon's offense with him on the ice. I can see a very, very good college scorer here, with the NHL being a bit of a challenge, but he, along with Marques are two that I have ranked low but could easily see going higher if you believe in the raw potential in their game.

• #64 | Will Skahan | LHD | U.S. National U18 Team | Apr. Rank (75)

  Skahan has been all over the place for me going back to last year. He's got a great frame for a defenseman, and moves quite well in a simple way that covers ice effectively and keeps his game calculated and safe. He finds easy targets with his head up and hits them more accurately than many defenders in this class. There's good transition involvement and good success rates, and he can put pucks on net from the point at a solid rate even if it isn't a huge threat. Skahan is a player who keeps it safe and effective, and I could see that trend continuing as he matures both physically and mentally on the ice at college. He's a player I haven't actively disliked at all, but there's nothing that sticks out at a high level, and that's perfectly fine!

• #65 | Henry Mews | RHD | Ottawa 67s | Apr. Rank (NR)

  Mews has been a tough one for me, but after seeing more of him, especially at the U18s, there are definitely players who bring a little less to the game that I have on my list in some capacity. He feels similarly to a player like Leon Muggli or me, where there is a very, very smart passer and creative thinker that can read play and make things happen in motion, but projecting to the NHL is tough. Mews' defending and puck management in the defensive zone are a bit questionable, losing control of pucks and inviting a bit too much pressure with a bit of a lower pace game to him. I don't think the skating level in transition is quite good enough to be comfortable seeing him play a major puck controlling role in the NHL one day either, but that doesn't mean it's impossible. He sees the ice so, so well and can adapt to what he sees in front of him very effectively and drives great results offensively through his passing and puck carrying. I do worry about his defensive involvement and ability to shut down play off the puck, which for a defenseman is a bit of a must at higher levels. He can get crossed up at high speeds, lose track of rushing forwards, lose physical battles and had one of the higher rates of scoring chances against in my work among defenders. That said, he really is one of the higher end creative minds at the defensive position, and is as much a part of this tier of players as any other defender, it just depends on how much you think he'll develop from here, and how much you value what he brings to the table already.

• #66 | Ben Danford | LSD | Oshawa Generals | Apr. Rank (62)

  At various points of the year, Danford has been right up near my first round, and I've seen him ranked in that range here and there. Honestly, I can see why. He's got some flashes of really impressive puck rushing ability, with size and puck protection skill that should project to higher levels easily. He's got good short range passing instincts, able to get involved with his first pass in the defensive zone and jump into a rush from time to time. I do find he has some issues seeing the ice when running a breakout himself and can turn pucks over at a rate that bumps him down my board, and he's a player that doesn't really jump into the offensive zone to create offense much in my work. When he does, I found his shot to be more threatening than I expected here and there. Defensively though, he's a smart positional player, tracking rushes well, closing gaps and getting to loose pucks often to turn play back around. He's got a physical edge and much in the same way as Will Skahan earlier, I can see a lower upside, but NHL-like defender who could chip in down a lineup in the future. If he captures some of his best moments more often, especially with the puck on his stick, there's potential for more.

• #67 | Adam Kleber | RHD | Lincoln Stars | Apr. Rank (61)

  Another player who is a "let's see how he is in 5 years" kind of guy, Adam Kleber caught my eye at the Hlinka Gretzky tournament in September and has had some really impressive flashes of a unique talent profile unlike many in the draft. He's a huge and hulking defender but has a fluidity to his stride beyond his years, and a skill level that pops up here and there that is a ton of fun to watch. I've seen plays of him pinching into the offensive zone, but not much often comes from it. There's a solid wrist and slap shot from the point with Kleber that has generated the solid offensive data he's had this year, but the real star of the show is how effective he is defensively. Excellent stick checking with excellent reach and great positioning ability and awareness of where play is going. He has some of the best shutdown metrics when play is coming his way, translating to good suppression of scoring chances against. If he can manage the puck in a more advanced way, using his skill to create space and hit targets more accurately, and impose himself a bit more physically than he does, there could be quite an interesting defender here in a few years.

• #68 | AJ Spellacy | C | Windsor Spitfires | Apr. Rank (NR)

  Credit to the EliteProspects crew for highlighting Spellacy earlier in the year. There's plenty to like with Spellacy with his solid, tall frame, and remarkable speed to go along with it. There are also strong flashes of skill to pull pucks around forecheckers and blow right past them at high pace. He's a physical presence all over the ice, forechecking well and throwing his weight around often, and there are certainly jobs in the NHL for players like this. I'd like to see a bit more puck control and dynamic play in the offensive zone utilizing linemates well to generate a bit more offense, but he battles to scoring areas and generates chances on his own at a good rate. Highly involved in play in every game I've seen, Spellacy is an all out speedy big guy with a physical edge that could round out an NHL lineup that popped up on the radar late in the year.

• #69 | Ludvig Johnson | LHD | EV Zug U20 | Apr. Rank (WL)

  The more I see Johnson, the more I like his potential. After watching both games he drew into at the U18s, I'm frankly stunned he didn't make the team from the start. He brought high pace, a great skill level and a wonderful sense of positioning in the neutral zone with excellent defensive results. The game tracked was against the Americans, and while his shot differential was awful, he factored into every shot attempt Switzerland took in that game, and when push literally came to shove, Johnson was involved, thought quickly and made smart plays, doing what he could to keep Switzerland afloat. There are so many traits that are almost there with Johnson holding him back from being a truly high end defender in my view. The skill level is great but not quite there enough to get through defensive layers at higher levels, and the creativity offensively is also there but lacks the quickness or shiftiness to create enough space for himself. He's positioned well defensively so often but doesn't have the strength to be a dependable player in his own end just yet. I'm still a believer, and I'm very hopeful we'll see him playing in the pro levels in Switzerland sooner rather than later. Based on what I've seen, a strong offseason of development may find him tested at higher levels, and I'll be keeping a keen eye on him if he does.

• #70 | Jacob Battaglia | LW | Kingston Frontenacs | Apr. Rank (64)

  Battaglia has been a player on my radar since his AAA days with the Toronto Jr. Canadiens, with a great combination of skill, size and puck protection with a great shot that unfortunately comes from low danger areas much more often than you'd like for such a strong player. He brings a physical, hard forechecking style of play that could compliment more offensive leaning names well, with excellent offensive transition results. His ability to catch pucks in stride, find a lane to exploit and get up the ice is excellent, it's just that once the puck is in the offensive zone, Battaglia's ability to finish or create for linemates simply hasn't been there. I think there's great growth potential in his game as-is, just a bit more confidence and puck protection skill to get into scoring areas in the offensive zone are going to be key areas in order to hit his ceiling, but that ceiling is there.

• #71 | Ilya Protas | LW | Des Moines Buccaneers | Apr. Rank (68)

  Big, skilled and adaptive, Ilya Protas has gotten better and better as he gains more and more confidence with a Des Moines team that is adding fun young talent as time goes on. Protas is exactly the type of centre I'd like down the lineup who can receive passes well and often, and has one of the highest pass volumes of anyone I tracked this year, with enormous volumes in offensive transitions through that passing. He can hit targets relatively accurately, and has the habits that give confidence that he'll get better in this area. He's trying to pull pucks around forecheckers, trying to use his body to protect the puck, and thinking creatively under pressure, but the results just aren't quite there yet. He goes to the net in the offensive zone and can create in dangerous areas, with a decent amount of Des Moines' offense coming off of Protas' stick in some way. Leaning more into passing and playmaking than shooting the puck himself, Protas should only improve in this area and might be a nice mid-round pick that could slot in down the lineup in the NHL in the future.

• #72 | Marcus Kearsey | LHD | Charlottetown Islanders | Apr. Rank (49)

  I've come down on Marcus Kearsey quite a bit this season, but I still remain a big fan of what he brings to the game. He's undersized, and the weak points of his game are gamebreakers when under pressure and in defensive coverage. That said, there's so many high level traits I look for in defensemen with Kearsey that make him such an intriguing option if you're looking for a big swing late in the draft. His fluidity in his skating stride and ability to quickly change directions and get to spots on the ice would put him higher on my board on its own as it did early in the year, and I would be urging him to be more confident, assertive and bring even more creativity to his offensive zone play. If his quickness improves when juking off opponents in the offensive zone, he could be a serious threat in the offensive zone, moreso than he already is. He remains a player who completely shines in the neutral zone off the puck, challenging breakouts as quick as they come, covering ice with ease and stick checking with the best of them. He's a major driver of Charlottetown's offense off the point and I think there's potential for quite the offensive defenseman over the long term.

• #73 | Kuzma Voronin | W | Youngstown Phantoms | Apr. Rank (50)

  The concerns with Voronin definitely became more apparent the more I saw him. There's so much talent but is all to often wasting possessions with poor shot selection or blind slot passing that shows well in my database but practically speaking is hard to see working at higher levels. That said, he's still such a tremendously fun player to watch. He's high speed, high skill, and aggressive with better hit metrics you would expect. There's a wicked wrist shot with Voronin, and he does have a high skill level that he can use to add more motion and dynamism to his game. His offensive transition data is outstanding, however. He settles pucks in the neutral zone so well and so easily finds space to work with in transition, with good passing and great carrying results to go with it. He's responsible for creating 37% of Youngstown's shot attempts with him on the ice through all the ups and downs, and might be one of the bigger upside swings you could make in the late rounds. In my view he only gets better from here, but he'll need to see the ice a bit better and accurately find linemates more often to make things work at higher levels. I'm a believer and wouldn't be surprised to see an offensive breakout year in the next little while.

• #74 | Tarin Smith | LHD | Everett Silvertips | Apr. Rank (NR)

  Shifty, confident and effective is the name of the game with Smith, as he can hit targets with his passes in transition and in the offensive zone. He knows how to find targets and pinch up in the offensive zone here and there to create along the half wall. One of the highest totals of zone transitions in the entire dataset, Smith is constantly involved in play going both directions, but my impression is that I'm not sure exactly what Smith is in the NHL, or if he's just going to be a very effective WHL defender with a good AHL role in his future. There's a high end mind that talent development could combine with to create a much more dangerous player as is, but as of right now, if play is coming his way or he has the puck in the offensive zone, he keeps it smart, effective and safe with a heavy reliance on positioning defensively and passing offensively with mixed results in both. I think there's plenty of potential with Smith but his style of play required very high end tools that I think he may just fall a bit short on.

• #75 | Hiroki Gojsic | RW | Kelowna Rockets | Apr. Rank (69)

  Gojsic is pretty simple to me, he's got size, good pace in his game, keeping up with the flow of play effectively, with great forechecking and physical metrics. He finds his way to scoring areas often both with and without the puck, and was the source of over 40% of Kelowna's attempts on net with him on the ice. This is largely down to some perimeter playmaking and a good rate of individual scoring chances, but there's something here. I could see a player who compliments your bottom six well, with the physical tools and an underrated skill level and shot that could provide some offensive pop as well. He isn't a potential gem of a steal at some point in my view, but he's got a great floor to work with and could find his way into an NHL lineup with a few years of development in the WHL and AHL.

• #76 | Harrison Brunicke | RHD | Kamloops Blazers | Apr. Rank (74)

  Brunicke lands at the tail end of the list after a decently strong U18 performance for the Canadians in heavy usage. For a stretch he was off my list entirely with regards to my concerns with his processing of play moving the puck up the ice with inconsistent breakout ability and mediocre passing data, but boy can this guy skate with the puck and get up the ice with great momentum. There's a good fundamental floor to build around with aggressive self-driven offensive instincts, putting plenty of pucks on the net and being a major conduit for the Blazers in strong usage. I do wonder about what he is in the NHL without added quickness in his own end and more consistent reads when breaking out the puck from his own end, but there's enough there to be interested enough to have him on the list.

• #77 | Tory Pitner | RHD | Youngstown Phantoms | Apr. Rank (NR)

  There's a pattern around here in my list. Pitner is just a solid, effective defender. He's a physical player, punishing opponents along the boards, heavy involvement in offensive transitions with very good, safe results through his smarts and short range passing. He lets very, very little through him in the defensive zone and faced very few scoring chances against, thanks to his physical play and a fluid skating stride that allowed him to cut off gaps and get himself involved in play. I'm not sure what his NHL upside is, but a few years in college with some AHL time after could leave you with a defensive player down your lineup that is a capable puck mover and strong physical presence in his own end.

• #78 | Carson Wetsch | RW | Calgary Hitmen | Apr. Rank (77)

  It's getting tiring at this point but Wetsch is just a good "guy". He's got high pace to his game, is aggressive as a forechecker, and generates individual scoring chances in dangerous areas at a very strong rate in my experience with him. Wetsch brings energy to the game but I've also seen some impressive isolated moments of puck movement in the offensive zone and cross-seam playmaking that seemed somewhat uncharacteristic for a player like him. His puck carrying ability has mixed results and his passing is worse, but this is an interesting player with plenty of energy in his game that keeps it simple and effective.

• #79 | Kevin He | LW | Niagara IceDogs | Apr. Rank (NR)

  He's a curious player. Niagara was again a bit of a mess this year, and He was a player who really wanted the puck on his stick often this year. He was responsible for over 50% of Niagara's shot attempts, 35% were off his own stick, with a very high volume of attempts from scoring areas. There was a solid rate of low percentage attempts and He is a player that can be found peppering the net a bit from the perimeter, but it would be interesting to see him in better surroundings with other linemates. He carries a solid amount of speed and skill but it isn't otherworldly, and he projects as a bit more of a pure shooter as-is, but it's a heck of a shot that he carries. I don't think many people are really considering that this is a 30+ goal scorer on a team with just three 20 goal scorers on the roster, and he earned many of those goals in my experience. He's a curious player, and I have no idea where he goes in the draft, but he deserves a look thanks to his offensive potential and existing finishing quality.

• #80 | Dean Letourneau | C | St. Andrew's College | Apr. Rank (76)

  I really wish I was seeing what others see in Dean Letourneau. I've said on multiple occasions that Letourneau reminds me of those 6'4" guys from AAA hockey who come out to community shinny that nobody can touch, even if they aren't the fastest or most skilled guys on the ice. They protect the puck and jam themselves to the net and there's nothing you can do. In my experience, Letourneau is that, but at the Canadian high school level. Yes, he was extremely productive, and it's bordering on tragic that an injury stopped him from more USHL time at the end of the year. To me, he's very dependent purely on how big he is, stronger than his competition and simply going to the net and finishing off plays that Jack Good and others have set him up with. He's an interesting case though, as there are definitely roles for boulders on skates with good hands in tight and scoring ability, but seeing him in first rounds more often than not is a lot of risk considering who is in that range for me. I tracked one of his USHL games and watched the other and he felt more than a step behind play, but made smart passes when given the puck, and there definitely is a good shot to work with from mid-range. Canadian high school hockey is simply not competitive enough for me to be very confident that a player who generates results like Letourneau is worth picking extremely high. That said, he's a curious case that I could easily be wrong on, and would be very curious to see what he turns into.

• #81 | Ondrej Kos | LW | KOOVEE | Apr. Rank (WL)

  Another player who I bounce back and forth on depending on the weather, I loved Kos in the early parts of the season with size, skill, and a lethal wrist shot that caught my attention quickly. Unfortunately some mixed results in the Finnish second division ended with an injury that knocked him out until the U18s, and he looked like a player who had missed 6 months of time at that tournament. He was still quite a shifty puck protector with a great shot on a bit of a disappointing Czech roster and it bumped him back off my watchlist when watching him closely. He's an interesting player with some good physical tools, and you can leave him in Finland to play at whatever level he's comfortable with for a few years and see how things go. I think there's potential, but he's got a bit of a ways to go to catch up after missing so much time this season.

• #82 | Daniel Nieminen | LHD | Pelicans Lahti U20 | Apr. Rank (NR)

  One of quite a few players I was very interested in seeing at the U18 and Nieminen didn't disappoint whatsoever. He's got a ton of skill and creativity, especially on breakouts and offensive zone work, with even strength production that is better than his raw numbers would indicate. I'm not sure he's quite at a projectable enough level to put him on the actual list, but he's a player that could be a solid mid-late round swing if you like higher pace skilled defenders that may need some work off the puck. The intent is there but he can get outworked and outmuscled at higher speeds. He's a curious case with some very interesting traits that I love to see.

The Watchlist

• Samuel Huck | F | Okotoks Oilers | Apr. Rank (NR)

  Over the course of the season I often jot names down to keep in the back of my mind that when setting aside expectations and preconceived notions to check in on once in a while. Covering the World Junior A Challenge this season was a great experience for me and saw some interesting talents I normally don't pay a ton of attention too. Sam Huck was the one I always kept going back to over and over during the year and loving what I saw. He's an August 2004-born forward in the AJHL/BCHL system with production that doesn't blow you away, but he's such an energetic and skilled player with a lightning quick release he gets off in traffic and in full stride. He is the exact player the watchlist is for, and I could easily see him turning heads over time in the NCAA with a solid Western Michigan team. He's tenacious, plays bigger than he is but carries a skill level and pace in his game that could be an interesting project.

• Max Plante | C | U.S. National U18 Team | Apr. Rank (NR)

  Another player with high end smarts that really impressed me at the U18 tournament a little while back. Plante brought really clever puck movement to the ice on many shifts with plenty of quick thinking and creative moments that definitely showcased a player I hadn't seen enough of going in. He very easily could be a top three round player and I wouldn't be against it, I just wonder how much more you extract out of him with how he generates speed and just how hard he pushes himself to get the results he gets now. Plante is a curious one that grew on me over the year and could be a nice swing that likely has a very good college career. From there, who knows, but he has plenty of smarts and intensity to make things work.

• Heikki Ruohonen | C | Kiekko-Espoo U20 | Apr. Rank (NR)

  It's a trend in this range of the board, getting more exposure to players I have a hard time sorting out and ranking going into the U18 tournament bringing more than I expected. I've heard some be really taken with Ruohonen's game after his U18 performance, and while I'm not as enamored as some, I do think there's a very interesting, well-rounded pivot who can get up and down the ice with really good puck protection skills and body positioning. There are plenty of projectable traits and he can time his passes in transition well, facilitating plenty of offense for the Finnish group. I have no idea where he goes in the draft, and the Finnish junior league is not often a great source of high end players, but Ruohonen projects interestingly with time considering the tools both physical and talentwise on the ice.

• Timur Kol | LHD | Omskie Krylia | Apr. Rank (79)

  Kol has clung to the end of my ranking all year but lands on the watchlist at the finish line. He's a very interesting name for a project to leave in Russia for a number of years in my view. Very lanky with a tremendous shot from the point and some impressive performances at the men's level in Russia as well as internationally. He needs to fill out physically and his lateral skating skill needs to improve, often relying on letting play come to him and getting beaten often on entries, but Kol has some interesting physical tools and has been a mainstay on many Russian lineups the last few years. I could see an effective, lanky and skilled defenseman here that needs to diversify his offensive game, but here and there I've seen some impressive play come form Kol that should be worth a swing in the mid to late rounds.

• Ilya Pautov | RW | Krasnaya Armiya Moscow | Apr. Rank (WL)

  Fun fun fun fun fun is the name of the game with Pautov. I really am not sure if he's an NHL player and he's big tim boom or bust, but he's one of the higher pace, high skill players in the MHL I've seen this year. He uses extremely quick hands and edges to create lanes and space, but this is a player that certainly gets a bit of tunnel vision and can chase offense a bit too often, leading to quite poor scoring chance differentials. That said, he was responsible for 2/3 of the shots that his team took with him on the ice which is notable at least. He shoots the puck a ton with a quick wrist shot but doesn't get to scoring areas as much as he could. His playmaking is largely focused on the perimeter, which all makes his game very difficult to project, but I've had a keen eye on Pautov all year and if he's undrafted may be one to circle back on next season.

• Josh Fluker | RHD | Wenatchee Wild | Apr. Rank (NR)

  Fluker came onto my radar a while back but I totally forgot to take a look until the last few weeks and what I saw out of him was very interesting to keep an eye on. He may not be a player that gets picked in Vegas but the skating ability in all four directions has to be noted in the class. I'm not totally sure there's enough forwards skating quickness, offensive creativity and defensive results to project well, but he's a fun watch that could develop well in a more progressive, mobility minded development program.

• Arvid Bergström | LHD | Djurgårdens IF | Apr. Rank (WL)

  I've popped in on Bergström over the season after having him ranked last year, and I still believe there's some kind of offensive breakout coming for him at the pro level. The defending with strength and backwards skating are still works in progress but with the puck, he's often hugely exciting. Great northbound speed, offensive blueline shiftiness and evasion, able to create shooting lanes and seems to have taken a step in his confidence to try higher end plays. It seems he's going undrafted again, but I do think he's one of the most curious offensive defensemen out there as a re-entry and should be a great watch next year as Djurgården tries for promotion again next year with a young, exciting group.

• Jacob Therrien | RW | North Bay Battalion | Apr. Rank (WL)

  This frickin guy, man. He's a dirty little rat who is all over the ice all the time, playing hard to a fault but has skill and a wrist shot that are serious offensive threats. He was a bit down North Bay's lineup, but I think there's huge growth potential in his game. Ryan Lomberg was an undrafted free agent and I see some similarities there in Therrien stylewise. He needs to advance his offensive game to add more of a playmaking element but the skill and intensity is definitely there to build on. That said, you're drafting him because he's a little jerk who annoys opponents, plays hard, and can rip shots from mid-range better than many players ranked ahead of him. I wouldn't be surprised to see someone take a flyer on him late in the draft, but if he's undrafted I could see him being a much improved goal scorer with North Bay next year and if he makes some headlines for his silliness he could be a nice re-entry case.

• Tomas Mrsic | F | Medicine Hat Tigers | Apr. Rank (NR)

  A few separate WHL-focused folks have highlighted Mrsic over the season and in my limited viewings of him, there were some interesting tools there that could make for an interesting player. He's a quick, determined straight line skater keeping the puck tight to his frame and trying to fight through defensive layers, and there's a heck of a wrist shot there that he's willing to use pretty much anywhere in the offensive zone. A big portion of his scoring isn't coming at even strength, but you can see potential there if his edges can improve to make some more space for himself, and I noted some issues with is vision to prepare and connect on pass attempts. He's a fun player to watch though, and brings some exciting natural tools to the game that in the final weeks and days of preparing this list, left me thinking I had worse, lower pace shooters on my list and that Mrsic deserves a note here. I know others are higher on him, and I would imagine they're more familiar with him than I am, but for what I've seen of him, there are at least interesting tools he can use at high speeds that could be a good baseline to develop around in the coming years.

• Mitch Young | LHD | Sarnia Sting | Apr. Rank (54)

  Mitch Young has been a curious one I've caught a bit late in the season, but I've really enjoyed what I've seen. One of the most highly involved defensement in my dataset when it comes to generating offense, Young is confident, stepping into the offensive zone on many occassions and being a huge source of Sarnia's limited offensive output. He's also one of the most involved transition defensemen going either direction with remarkable stick checking results and using his skating effectively to create passing lanes and cross up forecheckers. Young is likely to have a huge role in Sarnia next year and is certainly on the list of names I'm calling for a camp invite should he go undrafted again this year.

• Eriks Mateiko | W | Saint John Sea Dogs | Apr. Rank (WL)

  Mateiko is gone well before I probably am taking him, but I really like the tools, mind, and potential that he brings to the game. He's a strong offensive zone player with somewhat limited involvement around the ice, but he has a simple but effective game that has driven solid results in my experience. He forechecks extremely well, pinches along the boards and quickly gets pucks to scoring areas, and can find himself gaining good chances on his own well. Mateiko is a player that needs to increase the pace and skill of his game, but the potential is there and he's been an interesting player to check in on over the season both in Saint John and internationally for the Latvian national program.

• Yegor Graf | C | SKA-1946 St. Petersburg | Apr. Rank (56)

  I loved Graf in the preseason, really liked him in the fall, started getting frustrated I wasn't seeing another step in the spring, and now he's just a curious case to track in Russia the next few years. He's slender and a bit of a compact puck carrier who does drive solid results outside the offensive zone but shows so little willingness to attack scoring areas and battle through pressure that would add another dimension to his game. He has a strong rate of slot pass attempts but does so with limited intent, and barely shoots the puck at all, but his offensive transition efficiency is extremely high. He's deceptive and quick on his feet, navigating around the ice well and with what he brings to the table, I could see something there in a number of years in SKA's development program.

• Alexander Siryatsky | LHD | Stalnye Lisy Magnitogorsk | Apr. Rank (NR)

  He's the Russian Henry Mews. Very smart and creative passer with deception around the ice, and some really impressive offensive zone work, but the mobility and defensive results are not great in my experience. He can be passive off the puck, take way too long to make a play and invite way too much pressure, and while he's fun to watch, I think he's one I want to circle back on next season.

• Gavin Uhlenkamp | RW | Madison Capitols | Apr. Rank (WL)

  One of a few players who stuck out to me in the Minnesota high school tournament, helping take his team to their first state tournament and all the way to the final, Uhlenkamp stuck out to me with the potential he showed with Madison after that tournament. An excellent puck carrier with quickness and cuts to get into lanes in the neutral zone, Uhlenkamp can get a bit of tunnel vision in the offensive zone with plenty of slot pass attempts and no receptions on the other end, but he generates huge mid-range shot volumes with great pre-shot skill. A major source of offense for Madison, a full season in the USHL could be very very interesting for Uhlenkamp, and he's on my shortlist for a late round swing.

• Christopher Thibodeau | RW | Kingston Frontenacs | Apr. Rank (WL)

  Christopher Thibodeau ends up on the watchlist as he remains an undersized but determined player adept at gaining body positioning, inside lanes and driving huge results in scoring areas. He's creating 50% of Kingston's shot attempts in my sample somehow, and is a key transition threat for the Frontenacs. Highly involved in play and a skilled forechecker, if Thibodeau were a bit bigger, I could easily see him being much higher on lists. He's a longshot, but he plays an admirable game that has caught my attention for two seasons now.

• Blake Montgomery | RW | Lincoln Stars | Apr. Rank (NR)

  Brother of former draft pick Bryce, Blake Montgomery went undrafted after a quiet season last year but took a huge step forward with the Lincoln Stars this year, falling just shy of the top scorers on the team. Montgomery has a great physical toolset with height, strength, determination and a great wrist shot release he can use from midrange or attack the net with. I haven't seen as much of Montgomery as I'd like, but seeing him with Adam Kleber and Tanner Henricks off and on this year has left me impressed with what he brings to the table.

• Viggo Gustafsson | LHD | HV71 J20 | Apr. Rank (WL)

  I've really liked what I've seen of Viggo Gustafsson, even if it's not the most amazing, high end stuff you'll ever see. He's very young, very lanky, but more skilled than you would assume and has some great reads of the ice to move pucks effectively, and I felt he showed very well on a bit of a shaky Swedish U18 team at the end of the year. The HV71 crop of youngsters was interesting for a variety of reasons this season and Gustafsson certainly stood out more to me than a player like Gabriel Eliasson in my viewings of them. Solid mobility, great use of his stick and his size defensively, smart puck mover on gains of possession, and while he may not be a player at the top of my list in the draft, he's one that I think could have a strong few years of development. Growing more into his frame, gaining a bit more confidence and explosiveness in his skating, there are plenty of areas to explore with a player like Gustafsson and I'll have an eye on him for a while from here.

• John Whipple | RSD | U.S. National U18 Team | Apr. Rank (WL)

  John Whipple has had an understated season compared to what I expected after last year, and Whipple is a player that continues to simply not even begin to scratch the surface of what he seems to be capable of. He brings a fluid skating stride with good lateral mobility and a decent level of skill that he combines with a strong view of the ice with the puck. The defensive metrics for him are excellent, and the intent behind his play with the puck is there, but the execution isn't. Whipple is a potential college free agent perhaps rather than a draft pick but he has an interesting future ahead of him with the right guidance in my view.

• Oskar Vuollet | W | Skellefteå AIK | Apr. Rank (80)

  Go fast, shoot hard. That's the name of the game for Oskar Vuollet. I find that the pace of his game ratcheted up in his limited time in the SHL. He played with aggression, quickness, and has a ton of finishing skill that he was willing to deploy often. In fact likely too often, as there just isn't enough distribution skill and playmaking in his game to project him to higher levels confidently. There are interesting traits here and he may have a ways to go, but I imagine worse players likely get picked if he isn't taken.

• Jamiro Reber | F | HV71 J20 | Apr. Rank (WL)

  Jamiro Reber is so fun but falls short of being a projectable player in my view. I still can't ignore what he brings to the table with great straight line speed with good skill at high pace, with great efficiency in his carries offensively. There are just so many instances where he'll have a great possession but get absolutely nothing out of it. He has the advantage of age and will have plenty of chances to gain more experience playing internationally as a key '06 for Switzerland. There are plenty of interesting traits, it's just a matter of putting them all together in the coming years and gaining more confidence in the offensive zone.

• William Nicholl | C | London Knights | Apr. Rank (WL)

  I'm a little bit surprised more aren't sniffing around on Will Nicholl with London. He barely played minutes on an extremely strong team, but I found him impressive when I caught him this year. High energy, high pace with some really great skill moments cutting into scoring areas and showcasing creativity to adapt to pressure and move pucks around the ice effectively. With numerous Knights likely graduating to the pro level after this season, I would expect Nicholl to have a jump in production next season with more ice time and better linemates with a strong offseason of development. The mindset and approach to the game is there already, the skill level and skating ability are very good but not quite at a high enough level to be a player higher on my list, but I've really, really liked what I've seen of him and could see him being a sneaky good pick in the NHL Draft should he be selected. If he isn't, I would not at all be surprised to see him higher on my board next season as a re-entry.

• Brittan Alstead | LW/C | Des Moines Buccaneers | Apr. Rank (NR)

  Another standout from the Minnesota high school tournament this season with some bright flashes with the Des Moines Buccanners, Brittan Alstead is a quick, agile and skilled undersized winger that seemed a step behind processing the USHL level, but showcased some really interesting moments that left me thinking there might be an interesting offensive player here after a full season at that level. Alstead had problems reading the ice, often crossing up his linemates and taking strange routes both on and off the puck. He could put a ton of risk on his own shoulders and skate directly into a turnover, but the pace of his game is strong, and similar to Uhlenkamp, showcased a good ability to make quick cuts and quick skill moves to get himself to scoring areas and create offense for himself. He often wasn't very involved in rushes going either direction, with play often needing to come to him rather than him pursuing it himself, but he was efficient when involved. He's a compact player without a ton of reach so pure speed and agility are going to be paramount for his development, but I could at least see a skilled, exciting offensive college player here who has been an interesting one to watch for me since catching him in high school this season.

• Tanner Henricks | LSD | Lincoln Stars | Apr. Rank (NR)

  Another raw but highly intriguing player I caught a few times this year, Henricks' point totals might not jump out at you, but in my view he's still feeling out and getting used to the USHL and playing a more conservative and cerebral brand of defending to this point. There's skill here, and some strong moments of deception in transition and great positioning defensively, he just needs to fill out. He's a wiry, lanky player but the potential is there if he can get a bit more explosive and confident in the offensive zone to create some passing and shooting lanes to help elevate others a bit more and put some points on the board. Henricks is a player I might not draft until the later rounds, but if your team does, don't be disappointed because there aren't many points there. If he goes undrafted I wouldn't be surprised if he takes a jump in the next couple of years offensively, and I get the feeling that at least one NHL team feels similarly and he'll hear his name called at some point in Vegas.

• Joel Abrahamsson | LW | HV71 J20 | Apr. Rank (WL)

  A player who caught my eye many times watching HV71 this season, Abrahamsson is a tall, lanky, but impressively skilled forward who stuck out more than I expected in limited usage. He dominated the U18 circuit with a goal per game over 20 games, and for his usage at 5v5, produced well at the U20 level in Sweden. He's a powerful, determined skater, attacking defenders one-on-one with pace and skill, and there were some isolated moments that were really, really impressive. There's a very interesting development case here for Abrahamsson and I would think he should produce well in an elevated role next season, perhaps even earning an SHL call-up at some point if he fills out, gets a bit more intense off the puck and applies his size defensively more than he does. He's an exciting player especially as an individual generator of offense, and with time there could be an interesting power forward in Abrahamsson.

• Josef Trojna | LHD | Rytiri Kladno | Apr. Rank (NR)

  The last name on the board is another Marge Simpson with a potato player. He's neat. Yeah, you look at Trojna's production in the 2nd division of Czech junior hockey with Kladno and may wonder what the hell I'm doing, but I watched every minute of him when he earned a call-up to the Czech top division and was really intrigued with what I saw. He's got size, still has room to grow physically, but skates very, very well relative to what I expected and has some skill that just hasn't quite all been put together to drive results as well as it could. Granted, the jump from the 2nd junior division in Czechia to the top division is... large. He seemed physically outmatched defensively, but not much worse than other pro defenders I've seen, his shot and offensive zone play largely isn't a threat yet, and there isn't enough gusto behind some of his passes that can lead to turnovers, but there are great tools here with Trojna and you can see why he earned a few games at the top levels of Czech hockey. This isn't a player I'm drafting, but he's on this list largely so I don't forget about him, and I'm hopeful that he can earn quite a few more games at the top division next season to see more, and hopefully see some growth and confidence in his game.

Goaltenders

1. Eemil Vinni - Mid 2nd

2. Evan Gardner - Late 2nd

3. Mikhail Yegorov - 2nd-3rd

4. Carter George - Mid-Late

5. Ryerson Leenders - Mid-Late

6. Ivan Yunin - Mid-Late

7. Vladislav Bryzgalov - Mid-Late

8. Kim Saarinen - Mid-Late

9. Teodor Munther - Late Flyer

10. Martin Neckar - Late Flyer

11. Kirill Zarubin - Late Flyer

12. Nikolai Nikulshin - Late Flyer

13. Pavel Moysevich - Late Flyer

14. Simon Wolf - Late Flyer

15. Dawson Cowan - Late Flyer

16. Kam Hendrickson - Late Flyer

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There we have it, a year of work done. Thank you so much for all the views, likes, subscriptions and discussion both private and public. This is a slog of hard work, and I still am left leaving plenty open to fate in the next few years. It’s a pleasure to share my views and work with everyone, and if you’re interested in joining the community and supporting what I do, click below to get subscribed to the site where you’ll get exclusive content, access to a Discord server, exclusive datasets and more depending on the tier. If not, that’s all good but be sure to subscribe to us on YouTube, Twitch, Instagram and Tiktok, and give us a follow at Scouching on Twitter! Thanks so much, and if you see me in Vegas, be sure to say hi!

2024 IIHF World U18 Championship Recap

Well fellow draft nerds and hockey fans, another year in the books for the Under-18 World Championship and what a spectacular tournament it was. At the top, the Americans and Canadians dominated as expected, but everywhere else was absolutely filled with surprises. Kazakhstan’s young team winning their first ever game at this level and scoring 3 of the 7 goals Canada allowed in the round robin were huge bright points, but barely getting relegated against another young and promising Norwegian roster ended their tournament in a thrilling shootout finish sending them back to Division 1A. The Slovaks, the youngest team in the tournament, shocked a Czech team with a few players expected to be drafted in the top 50 in the NHL Draft this year, earning their second surprise semifinal appearance in a row. The Finns beat the Latvians who lost to Norway but beat the eventual fourth place Slovaks who surprised the Czechs who surprised the Swedes who barely scraped up a win over the Swiss. Got all that? Essentially outside of the top two teams, it was a bloodbath of craziness.

The real story of the tournament to me was how impressive the 2025 and 2026 NHL Draft-eligible players performed here. Gavin McKenna and Porter Martone formed a dominant pair with Malcolm Spence being a great talent on the Canadian roster as well and Kashawn Aitcheson providing rock solid defense when called upon. James Hagens and Logan Hensler were dynamite, with Hagens breaking the scoring record at this tournament and showcasing himself once again as serious consideration for the 1st overall slot for next year’s draft. Even beyond the biggest names, the 2025 NHL Draft eligible and beyond Slovaks led the way to a second consecutive medal round appearance which I certainly did not expect, and L.J. Mooney, Victor Eklund, Matthew Schaefer, Adam Benák and Daniels Serkins all performed very well and ended up on my preliminary watchlist for next season if they weren’t there already. The future looks bright for many countries here and it’s always a pleasure to see what’s coming beyond this upcoming draft.

In the end, the two best teams got to the end of the tournament and battled it out, with Canada gaining the upper hand after a poor start against the relentless Americans thanks to a silly major penalty from Trevor Connelly that ended their tournament. On the whole, there weren’t a ton of 2024 NHL Draft prospects in this tournament that completely changed my opinion of, but the stage was beginning to be set for the 2025 and 2026 Draft on multiple teams. The teams down the standings were young and energetic, and the teams at the top were relentless and insanely talented, but let’s dig into each team and some key takeaways.

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• 10th place (Relegated) - Kazakhstan - MVP - Abzal Alibek

  The Kazakhs had a very different looking roster than the team that earned their placement in the top division in 2023. Largely coming on the back of Ottawa Senators draft pick Vladimir Nikitin, all but one player from that team joined the roster in Finland. They were one of the youngest rosters in the tournament with 8 potential returnees, so their status as underdog was earned. In reality, Kazakhstan really showed well throughout the tournament. Sure, losing 5-2 to Switzerland and 7-1 to Sweden isn’t a great start, but they shocked the Czechs and earned their first ever win at this tournament in an overtime thriller. Of course an 11-3 loss to Canada is a drubbing, but considering Canada only allowed 7 goals in the round robin and the Kazakhs snuck in 3, that seems like another win to me. At one point they were tied! If you can set aside the scores in these games, there were some really impressive moments to take home for this group.
  
  Unfortunately, another thriller ending in a shootout loss to Norway relegated them back to Division 1A, and their young roster will have to battle their way back into the 2026 tournament. They deserve a level of credit and attention regardless, scoring more goals in the round robin than Switzerland and the Czechs, looking like a team trying to make a statement, playing with surprising speed and strong intensity that rewarded them often.

  Abzal Alibek was the name that stood out to me, but may players performed much better than expected. He had an ability to skate with the best in the tournament, on and off the puck, finding routes and lanes to get through defenses and showing a great release that landed him on the scoreboard a few times. He had points in all but one game they played, and seemed just as big a threat as any of the top forwards on the Czech and Swiss teams in their games. The team was a committee of solid players, but Alibek was the one that jumped out to me the most.

• 9th Place - Norway - MVP - Mathias Dehli

  Kazakhstan might have been the team I was hoping Norway would be, but the Norwegians came out with a strong tournament themselves, staying in the top division after a tremendous relegation win in the shootout. Their youth provided good supplemental offense with Mikkel Erikson and Niklas Aaram-Olsen leading the way, but there was strong talent up and down the roster that may not have been able to keep up with the higher end teams in the tournament, but had enough skill to keep themselves in the top division. Their goaltending was subpar, and while a .841 save percentage isn’t great, facing 40+ shots per game is a heavy workload at this level. The positive to take away is that while Norway is losing a skilled, pace-y player in Elias Vatne, they have quite a few strong players eligible to return next season and perhaps take a step into the quarterfinals if all goes well.
  
  Mathias Dehli literally stood out to me with 3 key goals in the round robin and 3 key assists in the relegation round. His size made a difference for Norway with strong pace in his game, landing him in scoring areas offensively when Norway got there. His performance against Latvia tilted things in an extremely important game for them as they fought for a quarterfinal spot. Dehli was a great foil off the puck for the smaller, more skilled players he shared the ice with, but he came away as a name to keep an eye on.

• 8th Place - Switzerland - MVP - Christian Kirsch

  The Swiss were a funny bunch in this installment. Some of the names on their roster have been players I’ve seen in passing and gone “huh, neat!”, but very little in the way of threats that could challenge the best in the tournament. That said, they kept themselves in the top division thanks to a win over Kazakhstan, and very nearly upsetting the leaky Swedes in overtime. They only managed to score 8 goals in the whole tournament, but there were some strong performances worth noting.
  
  Basile Sansonnens was the strong, dependable defender with plenty of range with his skating and reach, closing gaps, challenging rushes and keeping play outside of scoring areas well. He’s been a player I’ve popped in and out on over the year and might be an interesting player to monitor as he ages and fills out. You can see why he wears a letter for his country with how much he solidifies a team of speed an intensity. Jamiro Reber was another talented player who showed up and was about what I expected. He was a tremendously fast and skilled player who as clearly relied upon heavily as a key puck transporter and play creator, but he often seems to struggle to actually produce once the puck gets to the offensive zone, overhandling and skating himself into the boards and losing possession. A player with loads of potential but a ways to go, he came away playing a ton but getting no production out of it.
  
  Losing Leon Muggli after a strong first few game was also a serious gut punch for the Swiss. Muggli was showcasing his confidence carrying pucks through the neutral zone with skill and deception, and some good finishing ability that landed him one of Switzerland’s few goals. While other defensemen rose to the occasion without him, there’s no telling what they may have been able to do with a bit more firepower on the defensive end of their offense. On that note, Daniil Ustinkov continues to perplex. On one hand, you see the potential of this player. He’s mobile, intense with his skating, pushing defenders back and using skill in stride to mess with the feet of opponents and creating gaps to get shots through. You would be remiss looking at his stats thinking he deserved to be anywhere near the top few rounds of an NHL Draft, but he’s a player of potential. Yes, he’s not a physical stopper of a defenseman just yet, and his pass selection is often very safe, understated and reserved, but he shows a good release from the point, he can quarterback a power play, and he transports the puck up the ice well, most projectably so through his passing. He can delay, see the ice properly and hit targets easily, but you always are left wanting a bit more out of him. More confidence to step into scoring areas himself, more quickness to explode out of skill moves and challenge defenders more. I’ve said all season that he’s the best boring player in the draft, but there are signs of more. He’s extremely young for the draft class and while I was expecting more out of him here, he was still Daniil Ustinkov.

  Ludvig Johnson managed to find himself in the lineup replacing Leon Muggli, and I’ve had Johnson in my back pocket all year. If you ask me, his dynamic skill and remarkable skating ability should have been on the roster from the start. Sure, his performance against the US National Team wasn’t great, but that was by far his biggest test of the season after spending much of the year in the Swiss junior league. He landed a secondary assist on his first shift of the tournament against Sweden and showed extremely well as a puck mover and offensive zone possession player. I’m still not sure anyone is paying attention about him, but I’ve seen enough of him that him being the last name selected if you have a bunch of picks and seeing what he is in four years might not be the worst idea.
  
  Through it all, Christian Kirsch got my MVP nod. The team as a whole played strongly by committee, similar to the Kazakhs, but Kirsch was solid, even if the numbers don’t back that up. He was facing down some tough chances against some very good teams with three of Switzerland’s five games coming against Canada, the US, and Sweden. There were some big key saves at key moments, and the games against Sweden and the States could’ve gone quite differently had he seriously struggled. They weren’t a great team, but they surprised a few teams in a few key moments and stayed in the top division once again, which is always a nice win.

• 7th Place - Czechia - MVP - Adam Benák

  How do I describe the 2024 Czech U18 experience? Disappointing perhaps? The Czechs brought a handful of potential NHL Draft picks, including a few that could go quite high, but pretty much everyone struggled to continuously get the upper hand on their opponents. Yes, losing to Kazakhstan is embarrassing on it’s own, and losing to a young, weaker on paper Slovakia roster is also not great, but a shootout win over the Swedes is something to note! I struggled a bit to really see who the standouts were on this roster though. There were some good talents, but it simply didn’t seem to come together in a cohesive way to get them to a medal game. Adam Jecho and Max Curran certainly were… big? I still think that those two are “draft them for the size and cross your fingers” players to a point in the draft, but they did make somewhat of an impact with Jecho leading the team with three points, including two key even strength goals, but I can’t help but think there should’ve been more there from so many players.
  
  Jakub Fibigr showcased his mobility but really struggled to control possession of the puck and seize the role as a premier transporter. Ondrej Kos hasn’t played in months, and the skill level I’ve seen in the past was certainly here with good finishing ability, but he was sticking to the perimeter and taking low percentage shots on extended possessions that simply won’t lead to offense against good teams here. Tomas Galvas was his shifty self, but it seems like he was trying to do too much with the puck, too much with his feet, and struggled to gain enough separation to make offensive plays like he needs to in order to be effective. Petr Sikora has flirted with my list all year, but the more I watched, the less curious I was considering his lack of strength and projectable offensive tools, and he struggled to be a serious even strength threat at this tournament. I did enjoy watching Tomas Poletin who had some good skill and showed some potential for better output when he’s eligible to return for next year. Captain Adam Hlinský also deserves a shoutout for his literally pointless but important job in this tournament. He’s never been known as an offensive creator, but it wouldn’t surprised me to see an NHL team take a swing on him late. He leads through dependability on the ice with good mobility, hard work, good body positioning to cause turnovers, and quick, easy, basic thinking to move pucks up the ice. There’s enough skill to create passing options, and there’s enough talent to move play in the right direction one pass at a time, and on a team that lacked a level of cohesion, Hlinský showed up and did what he could to change that.
  
  The one name I was firmly set on and paying attention to was Adam Benák. He’s small, but he’s a dynamite player. Constantly in motion, constantly hounding puck carriers, driving possession up the ice on his own stick and really taking leadership of the transition game for the Swiss. Other players brought some brawn and strength that is desperately needed when Benák is on the ice, but it doesn’t take long to see why he’s already playing hockey in the Czech top division. Super skilled, high energy, not entirely focused on offense, there are plenty of good things going on in his game that bodes well for his future in the 2025 NHL Draft, and I’m hoping he can grow into a vital producer for this team next year.

• 6th Place - Latvia - MVP - Mikus Vecvanags

  Over the years I’ve come to see Latvia as a kind of mini Finland. They bring teams that on paper shouldn’t be quite as strong as they turn out to be. This team was a surprisingly pace-y, energetic group with some flashes of skill and finish through the lineup. They were the youngest team in the tournament, and kept themselves in almost every game. A 3-1 loss to Finland, a 5-3 win over Slovakia, a nail-biting 5-3 loss to Norway, and a pesky and annoying 4-0 loss to Canada with goaltender Mikus Vecvanags standing tall through it all. The key takeaway for the Latvians is that this was their most productive tournament at this event since 2015 scoring 10 goals with a 2007-born player leading the team in scoring.

  On that note, while my MVP went to their goaltender, Daniels Serkins was a player that came out of nowhere or me to showcase some impressive finishing ability both in open ice away from the net and in front. The Latvians had some speed and physical play in their lineup, but Serkins was a key name in the offensive zone with some highlight moments, including a great snipe on the rush against the Americans. Not bad for a 16 year old playing second division junior hockey in Switzerland.
  
  I always enjoy watching the Latvian roster. They have a bunch of players coming out of Riga’s main hockey school, but they bring together players from all over Europe and are always a selfless, hard working group that punches above their weight class. From my very basic recon work, the Latvian program looks like it should have a strong 2025 roster with some key names returning. Unfortunately they will lack goaltender Mikus Vecvanags who was the second busiest goaltender in the tournament behind Kazakhstan’s Tanirkhan Alpysbayev but he stood strong, almost maintaining a .900 save percentage on a nearly 40 shot workload. He stopped 34 of 37 against eventual champions Canada and looked good doing it. He bailed his team out with 12 key saves on 12 shots against Norwy, and backstopped them to victory over Slovakia. Sure, 6 goals against the US isn’t ideal, but this is also an American roster that popped 9 against Finland, so that’s a plus. It’s tough being a goaltender for teams in this tier, but he’s one I’ve had my eye on this year leading into this tournament and while he wasn’t spectacular, he did more than enough to keep his team in the top division and kept their elimination game somewhat close in the only way he could.

• 5th Place - Finland - MVP - Tuomas Suoniemi

  It was another frustrating tournament for the Finns who have just one bronze medal to their name since 2018 and three quarterfinal losses instead. 18 goals in the preliminary round is respectable including two shutouts against Slovakia and Norway, and their quarterfinal game against Sweden could easily have tilted their direction, but frustrating is certainly the word I would use to encompass their performance.

  Seeing Aron Kiviharju in action was fascinating for me, seeing as his play at the highest levels has left me wanting when projecting him as an NHL talent, and he was still Aron Kiviharju in this tournament. Great puck skills, a great mind for moving pucks through his passing, especially on the power play, and limitations with his skating that left him behind defensively, especially on the rush and shutting down defensive zone cycles. I have a couple of his games downloaded to track and will be interested to see how his deeper metrics look and if my eyeballs are tricking me, but he came in and showcased both the pros and cons of his profile.
  
  Everyone and their dog is probably interested in Konsta Helenius and I’ve already gotten a few questions about how I felt about his performance, and my response is pretty simple: He was Konsta Helenius. He’s a player who doesn’t carry a ton of pace, doesn’t carry gamebreaking skill, but certainly has all the smarts in the world to time his passes and find targets, but he and Kiviharju’s production was seriously limited to Finland’s power play. Going into the tournament, I was much lower on Helenius than most, and after a lacklustre World Junior and now an okay U18 performance, I still don’t see many reasons to put him up as the top European available as some have portrayed. Five of his seven points came against Slovakia and Norway, with just one point against the US and Sweden, He still projects well to the NHL and you can bet on the smarts, but the question is where in the draft do you do so?
  
  My MVP pick could have gone to a few names, including Kiviharju, but I was really pleasantly surprised by a few names on the roster. Emil Hemming refreshed my memory of his potential as a powerful winger with pace and a great shot on the rush with flashes of skill you love to see at this level. Daniel Nieminen skated well, controlling possession well and defending with his feet, and Joona Saarelainen was a real standout as well that I wasn’t anticipating with his separation speed, scary pace to his offensive zone cycles and a shot he wasn’t afraid to use. The most impressive all around player for me was Tuomas Suoniemi. Six even strength points, including a key assist on their only goal against Sweden dishing the puck to Kiekko-Espoo teammate and fellow impressive player Heikki Ruohanen. He was cutting into scoring areas and daring to push play and generate offense. He’s an undersized skill player that gives me echoes of Jere Lassila from a few years back.
  
  It was a tough tournament for the Finns, but there were some good supplementary performances down the lineup that are worth taking another look at before the NHL Draft.

• 4th Place - Slovakia - MVP - Tomas Pobezal

  What the heck was that? Who are these guys? I gave the Slovaks very little credit going into the tournament, and depending on the game, they alternated between what I thought the were, getting shut out by Finland and Sweden, and looking energetic and skilled with an 11-1 win over Norway and a shocking 3-2 win over the Czechs. Another one of the youngest rosters in the tournament with eight potential returnees, they were absolutely fascinating to watch. Luka Radivojevic looked dominant controlling play on the power play, and fellow 2007’s Tobias Tomik and Tomas Chrenko also had strong tournaments pushing the pace of the game and using skill and lead the offense. In fact, all four of their top scorers were 2025 and 2026 draft eligible players.

  Of the 2024 NHL Draft class on the team, to me it was an eye-opening experience seeing Miroslav Satan Jr. He is on stilts out there standing 6’7” with about the same amount of weight on him as a 155 pound 6 footer. There is plenty of room for growth but the speed he carried himself with was absolutely insane. It was about all he brought to the table but the potential is hard to ignore. He wasn’t a great physical player, relying on soft stick checks and getting turned around and left behind often, but it’s going to be hard for NHL teams to leave a player this tall, this fast, and this curious completely off the board at the draft. He may be a home run swing, but this is a guy who has some high end traits in his game while also being a giant.
  
  My MVP goes to the guy I was most excited to watch going in, Tomas Pobezal. Barely ineligible for the 2024 NHL Draft, Pobezal has been a mainstay on international ice for Slovakia. Scoring 4 of their 14 goals is nothing to scoff at, making great reads in transition defensively and bursting into scoring areas, including a gorgeous drive to the net against Norway. Sure all of his goals came against Norway, but he was a serious offensive piece for the team with his all-around quickness between his feet, hands, and shot leading the way for the plucky Slovaks who once again outperformed, earning their second medal game spot since being promoted to the top division in 2022.

• Bronze Medal - Sweden - MVP - Lucas Pettersson

  I hate throwing around the word disappointing, especially as a not particularly talented hockey player myself, but Sweden was a weird team that didn’t quite live up to expectations. I felt that this team could quietly find their way to a medal, and while they did win the bronze, they won just two games in the preliminary round for the first time in a full length tournament since 2017, with only one regulation win. The last time that happened? 2015. They barely beat the Czechs and Swiss, squeaked out a 2-1 victory over Finland, but put up a heck of a fight in their game against Canada. The only problem is they were down 4-0 at the first intermission, making the rest of the game about as uphill a battle as possible, ultimately losing 5-4. There were a lot of very okay performances from many of the players, and quite a few of the key names have only just emerged from SHL and HockeyAllsvenskan playoffs. Losing Alexander Zetterberg who was a key cog in their power play was a hit, and there didn’t seem to be enough to fill the gap he left. Goaltender Love Härenstam was a name for me to watch going in, and when push came to shove, he struggled, allowing 5 goals on 26 shots to Canada, and another 5 in the opening game to the same team on just 25 shots. Every other game against weaker competition though, he was excellent, capping everything off with a shutout against Slovakia to win the bronze. He’s eligible to return next year, and a .953 save percentage against everyone except Canada isn’t bad.
  
  I felt Linus Eriksson improved as the tournament went on, as did Viggo Nordlund who both brought good puck distribution ability and smarts at both ends. Victor Eklund was pushing the pace of the game with his combination of energy and skill leading the way in goal scoring. Of course, my eyes were firmly trained on Alfons Freij, and I came away feeling absolutely no different. Sure there were shaky moments against more physical and speedy competition with his pass selection and evasion on the rush, but boy can this guy play. He was creating chance after chance, using stick checks effectively to cause turnovers, and in my view was Sweden’s best defender and probably the best defender to not be on my all star team.
  
  Lucas Pettersson was the player of the tournament for me. Sweden struggled to consistently generate offense, especially against speedier teams, but Pettersson was a huge factor in generating the high energy offense needed to win at the highest levels. His confidence is arguably his strength as well as a downside at times, but he was attacking scoring areas hard, and had key scoring moments including points on all three goals in the OT game against Switzerland and a point in their 2-1 victory over Finland. There are ups and downs to Pettersson and I’m fascinated to see where he goes in the draft and how his career pans out.

• Silver Medal - USA - MVP - James Hagens

  Another year, another dominant tournament for the American national development program. They scored 33 goals in the round robin, slicing and dicing through every single team they played, emphatically punching their tickets to the gold medal game with lopsided with after lopsided win.
  
  An excellent performance in the gold medal game went unrewarded unfortunately, with a Trevor Connelly major penalty in the third period handing Canada the tying, go ahead and insurance goals, but they started that game firing on every cylinder outshooting the Canadians significantly leading into the fateful third period. Every line and every pair showed strong abilities, whether it be Cole Hutson’s puck control and creativity, Brodie Ziemer’s vision and complimentary playmaking, Cole Eiserman’s laser bombs, or Teddy Stiga’s limitless energy, they were terrifying almost every shift right up to the very end. It was pleasant seeing L.J. Mooney at this level after some impressive viewings here and there during the season. Playing up an age group, he didn’t look out of place with a hilarious amount of quickness and energy that found him zipping and zooping around the offensive zone and forechecking through the neural zone against anyone. They got great goaltending, strong neutral zone defense from EJ Emery, John Whipple and friends, and some absolute monsters leading the way up front.
  
  Cole Hutson was another standout with an impressive showing of puck rushing ability and offensive creativity that drove play significantly. He’s been a player who has steadily improved in my eyes over the year, especially with his play on the puck and how he manages his rushes. He’s making strong plays without taking on too much risk, reading multiple options on offensive zone entries, and all-in-all looking like a more and more projectable version of his archetype as time goes on. There are some downsides to his game off the puck, but he continues to impress more and more every time I see him.
  
  Speaking of which, did everyone meet James Hagens yet? Well if you haven’t, go watch some of the highlights of this dude. I’ve had some doubts in the past with Hagens’ pace and footwork but I didn’t think much of it considering the skill level and smarts he brought. This tournament only solidified just how talented this player is and how special he could be. He was relentless. He generated turnovers, he immediately made plays, he scored himself from range and in tight, he shipped pucks up the ice effectively through carries and passing, but above all, he was a tactical master at this level. He seemed to read defensemen as well as you could at full speed, and his awareness of teammates, cleanliness of his passes were top notch. Every game, he was a factor even if he was held scoreless in the loss to Canada. It was an excellent tournament for Hagens and he certainly cemented himself on this big stage as a premier talent for next seasons NHL Draft.

• Gold Medal - Canada - MVP - Gavin McKenna

  As expected by many, the Canadians and the Americans met in another gold medal matchup this season. Pre-tournament, Canada appeared to be one of the most interesting and talented rosters at this tournament in a while for the powerhouse. The future of the sport was showcased in spades featuring Malcolm Spence, Matthew Schaefer, Porter Martone, Kashawn Aitcheson and the star of the show, Medicine Hat’s Gavin McKenna. It was a coming out party for McKenna, scoring 20 points in 7 games, including 10 goals, many of which were highlight reel material, and from start to finish was a creative force in every game. He uses his skill so well at just the right times, and sliced through defenses time and time again. He’s eligible to return next year and I can only imagine what happens if that comes to pass. It was a tremendous tournament for McKenna with very few meaningless points thrown in there. He was a tidal wave of offensive creativity creating space from defenders with his edges and skill, threading passes into scoring areas and following up on chances himself. Credit to Carter George as well, who put on an astounding performance to lock down the gold medal game, capping off a 6-0 tournament and made the saves he needed to make at every turn.
  
  The entire lineup just blew everyone out of the water, even when the ridiculously talented top line was off the ice. Tij Iginla led the way with his intensity and diverse offensive toolkit with his wrist shot release finding the net almost once every game, he showcased his playmaking side and pushed opposing defenders into oblivion. Harrison Brunicke ate minutes in almost any situation, making strong defensive stops and adventuring into the offensive zone off the puck on cycles to push for offense. He and Kashawn Aitcheson put on a good show of principled, solid defending and got the puck up to the skilled players in the neutral zone. Cole Beaudoin also deserves attention as a key forechecker and pace-pusher, driving pucks up the ice with strength and power, finishing checks, and being a big reason why Canada found themselves physically pinning opponents in their defensive zones. They played with discipline, they played with structure, and were rewarded for it with another gold medal for the trophy case.

Will’s All-Star Team and Awards

Gavin McKenna - James Hagens - Porter Martone
Cole Hutson - Harrison Brunicke
Carter George

MVP - Gavin McKenna
Top Defenseman - Cole Hutson
Top Goalie - Carter George

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2024 IIHF Under-18 World Championship Preview

It’s that time of year again! The 2024 IIHF World Under-18 Championship is a must-watch event for any NHL Draft nerd such as myself. Scrappy, skilled teams giving everything they have to put a cap on their junior seasons before the big weekend in June, doing what they can to make an impact on the limitless NHL scouts and managers that will be in attendance. For a team like the USA who have played all season together, this is their pinnacle and this season is no different. This iteration looks to be a huge toss up, especially in the middle of the field as many teams are bringing rosters that are strong in key areas but may lack some depth. Switzerland, Finland, Czechia, and even Norway are bringing impressive talents to the table and could make a serious impact at just the right time.

This tournament is a great tool for evaluators such as myself to see their understandings of these players put to the test against their own cohort. To a point, the U18s are a great way to see if the strengths and weaknesses you may see are as much of a factor as you believe them to be when put in a best on best junior hockey situation. Pro players in Europe are back playing junior competition, standout junior players in smaller countries are put up against the best young talent in the world, and players from teams that may overinflate or deflate their perceived value are given a chance for a fresh start and a new perspective. Going and changing your rankings a tremendous amount at this point, or overthinking great and poor performances on the scoresheet in this tournament is a dangerous game, however, and it is always important to remember that any player born in 2005 or from Russia/Belarus are not eligible to be here and don’t receive the same chances that those in this tournament get. There’s plenty of room for biases to kick in, but sticking to the lens of curiousity and open-mindedness has been the right path forward more ofthen than not.

As usual, you can check the embedded sheet in this piece to track the standings, the rosters and all your favorite players in one spot so be sure to keep this open as you watch the games and pick your favourites! As a note, NHLeS is a position, league and age adjust measure of a prospect’s overall value as they are. Generally 20-25 is a baseline for first line production but it is only a guideline and certainly not a rule.

Kazakhstan - NHLeS Average Unavailable - Ranked 10th

Player to Watch: Svyatoslav Yevplov - D - SKA St. Petersburg U16

Last season, Kazakhstan was promoted largely on the back of Ottawa Senators draft pick Vladimir Nikitin who backstopped the team to the championship with a 1.50 GAA and a .936 SPCT. He is not eligible this year. Neither is his backup. In fact there is only one returnee from last season’s team in Roman Bolshedvorsky and he was not a particularly effective defender at the MHL level this season. Many of these players are coming from the junior league in Kazakhstan which is essentially impossible to project into this tournament, so I have no idea how to evaluate their NHLeS metric. I honestly have no clue what to expect from this team, but what does intrigue me is that 8 of these players could be back next year, with one eligible for 2026s installment. All but one of these are playing lower level junior hockey in Russia. Could these be the names that surprise us and put on the list for the next three NHL Drafts? Potentially, because the 2007s don’t bring a tremendous amount of promise. They’re underdogs to say the least, and my hunch is that they’re bringing a very young team to prepare them for a likely Division 1A placement next season that can work their way back in down the road. Going from the Russian U16 level to the Canadian U18 team for 15 year old Svyatoslav Yevplov and his fellow kids would be quite the eye-opening experience to learn from. I’m always interested in the extreme youth that mid-level nations sometimes bring to these tournaments, especially if they’re playing in better nations, but I’m not expecting a ton from this inexperienced Kazakh roster lacking the key player that brought them here last season.

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Latvia - NHLeS Average Unavailable - Ranked 9th

Player to Watch: Darels Uljanskis - D - AIK U20

Speaking of youth, Latvia is bringing the youngest team to the tournament on average with three 2026 NHL Draft-eligible players on the roster in Olivers Murnieks, Martins Klaucans and Karlis Flugins coming to Finland. From what I’ve seen of the players on this roster, I don’t think Latvia will be a team to be trifled with. Darels Uljanskis is always a shooting threat on the power play, what I’ve seen of Karlis Flugins has been excellent in Sweden and he may be one to make an impact in this tournament as well. The name I am truly interested in is Maksims Haritoncevs, however. With 25 goals in 22 games with Swedish juniors-only program IFK Täby being fed pucks by current 2026 NHL Draft darling Viggo Björck, he earned himself a transfer to Mora IK where he has performed well, working his way to U20 competition for a game. He’s a shooting threat with some good skill and could be a major part of the team’s potential success. This is likely going to be a team that will need some stellar goaltending however, and I’m not totally sure who is going to be getting the nod in net. None of them have been tested internationally for this team all that much, and while I’ve liked what I’ve seen of Mikus Vecvanags this season, the Latvians will be in tough to match up in their group and are likely to be battling Norway for a quarterfinal spot. There is plenty of room to set the stage for the future of Latvian hockey, however with some interesting younger names like Murnieks and Flugins who could catch some lightning in a bottle if things break their way.

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Slovakia - 5.12 Average NHLeS - Ranked 8th

Player to Watch - Tomas Pobezal - C - HK Nitra

After a few very strong teams at this tournament, I’m not sure this Slovak roster quite holds up to those previous iterations. There are some serious bright spots, let most notably by Tomas Pobezal, and 2026 eligible Adam Nemec, brother of Simon has been impressive in the limited pro hockey I’ve seen him play. There are some players that I’ve caught and enjoyed here and there in Adam Belusko and Pavol Prokopovic but there isn’t much in the way of elite talent that makes this team competitive. Miroslav Satan’s gigantic son Miroslav is going to be here and I’ve always had time for the lanky, fluid skating big boy, but my expectations for the team are somewhat limited. That said, this is a group where a large chunk of them have played together at some point this year and last for extended periods with the national team program, which can give you a bit of an advantage in short tournaments, but this is going to be a tough battle for this group of players. They have a bit of an easier trip by avoiding Sweden, Canada, the Czechs and the Swiss, but my expectations are pretty reserved.

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Norway - 8.53 Average NHLeS - Ranked 7th

Player to Watch - Mikkel Eriksen - C - Vålerenga U20

If there’s a country outside the top echelon of nations that I am bullish on, it’s Norway. They managed to stay in the top division last year over Germany, bolstered by 2005-born Stian Solberg and returnee Elias Straume Vatne and looked like they deserved it. Four players return from last year’s roster, and at least three of them should be key cogs in the machine this year. The really interesting thing about Norway is their serious talent at the younger end of things. Five players are eligible to return next year, Niklas Aaram Olsen eligible for the year after that. From what I’m told, Aaram Olsen is a serious talent to keep an eye on. For me, Mikkel Eriksen has impressed whenever I’ve seen him and was a bit disappointed to see him leave Sweden to play with hometown team Vålerenga midseason. He was simply dominant at the Norwegian junior level and in the limited time I saw at the pro level, he didn’t look out of place. Nephew of Norwegian legend Espen Knutsen, I’m very curious to see what the youth of Norway can do. On top of that, Elias Vatne could be a player who reminds scouts in person that they shouldn’t completely forget about him. He’s rambunctious, highly skilled and zips around the ice extremely well and may be the most entertaining player at his best to not be ranked on my draft bord for 2024. He should have a serious role for this team as he did last season. In a group with Slovakia, Latvia and Finland, the Norwegians could surprise people and set the stage for a strong few years for junior hockey in Norway, hopefully reviving a hockey federation that has been struggling politically and financially over there. There’s a bright future here, and while Marcus Walberg is going to be very very busy, he did just turn away 27 of 29 shots in two periods of work in a 4-3 overtime loss to, excuse me while I check my notes, Canada.

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Switzerland - 7.57 NHLeS Average - Ranked 6th

Player to Watch - Jamiro Reber - C - HV71 J20

The Swiss team this year is not to be looked over with some strong areas that should keep them in contention to perhaps challenge for a quarterfinal upset. Is it likely? Probably not, but with names like Leon Muggli, Daniil Ustinkov, Jamiro Reber and a strong trio of goaltenders who could steal a game here and there. The middle of the roster is also quite impressive as I’ve enjoyed what I’ve seen of Robin Nico Antenen’s well-rounded skill-forward game with plenty of pace in the tank. Basile Sansonnens’ production may not jump out at you but he’s been a solid defensive presence both in Switzerland and internationally. Reber is going to need to be the quarterback of the whole show however. In my viewings of him he’s been an excellent transition presence, getting pucks up the ice with great efficiency and being a pesky defensive presence off the puck, but actually generating offense under pressure and creating space for himself with the puck have been a challenge for him in Sweden and his success is likely Switzerland’s success here. Luckily they have some weapons to deploy on the power play that may be able to keep Switzerland hanging around. Leon Muggli’s shot from the point as well as his timing and vision are key factors for this group, and Daniil Ustinkov always brings the shifty skill and creativity to his power play time that you don’t get to see nearly as often in an offensive situation at 5v5. Does this team come home with a medal? I would be stunned, but this is a team that may be able to hang in there in an elimination game and hold back much better teams while chipping away at them with their offensive pieces on the roster, especially with strong goaltending from arguably any of the three that they’ve brought.

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Czechia - 11.72 NHLeS Average - Ranked 5th

Player to Watch - Tomas Galvas - D - Bílí Tygři Liberec

The Czechs are always a bit of a tricky team to project. They often bring strong teams that may not immediately look like they match up well against the top end teams, but they always put forward an effort that puts them right there with them. This year’s iteration of the roster is a strong one in my opinion. Sure, Adam Jecho and Max Curran are probably going to be names people will first look at with their hulking frames and impressive moments of skill and thinking under pressure, but the rest of the roster is peppered with players who have impressed me this season. Adam Benák may be small, but the guy is electrifying. He pushes defenders onto their heels, challenges them, isn’t afraid to chase after his own chips into the offensive zone, and has been a serious offensive catalyst that earned time in the top pro division in Czechia. Not bad for a 5’7” 2025 NHL Draft-eligible. Tomas Galvas has been a favorite of mine, even if his NHL upside may be somewhat of a question mark. He’s agile, dynamic, has creative vision on the ice and certainly puts in the necessary effort defensively that should work just fine at this tournament. I was also legitimately very unhappy when Ondrej Kos was shut down for the season after a pretty strong first few months playing 2nd division pro hockey in Finland with KOOVEE. He’s big, highly skilled, and gives me echoes of what I remember of Jani Nyman a few years ago. Plenty of tools to be a strong power forward with some real high end moments and a quick release that should be a threat, especially if he’s out on the power play. Jakub Fibigr is coming off a great year with the Mississauga Steelheads as a defenseman who leads with his skating and patience with the puck, and while I’ve had some mixed viewings of him this year, he’s still got plenty of great tools that should showcase well here, and he should be a great supplementary offensive weapon behind Galvas for the Czechs. In my view this is a team that certainly could surprise people a bit and work their way to a medal performance with a balanced lineup with some pop at the top. That goes doubly if Matyas Marik can put up numbers like what he’s done in Czechia this season.

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Finland - 12.1 Average NHLeS - Ranked 4th

Player to Watch - Aron Kiviharju - D - HIFK

Remember one of the cardinal rules of junior hockey: Never underestimate the Finns. Ever. If there is a country that somehow manages to find a way to win, it’s Finland, regardless of who they put on the roster. This season they seem to have brought quite a strong roster with some serious names in consideration for the 2024 NHL Draft. Of course, all eyes will be trained on Aron Kiviharju who has missed all but 7 games this season and is playing his first competitive hockey since October, and in my view, this tournament is a major point of interest for me to see if his relatively weak performance in Liiga is something to be legitimately concerned about. Veeti Väisänen will bring mobility and skill to the defensive side of the game, and there should be plenty of physical play to go with him in Emil Hemming, Joona Saarelainen and others. Up the middle the team is led of course by Konsta Helenius, coming off of an excellent season in Liiga donning the golden helmet a number of times at the pro level. Daniel Nieminen is a name I’ll have my eyes trained on specifically, though. The skating and skill combination are intriguing and he’s found himself on my list at various points this season, currently sitting on my watchlist for the 2024 NHL Draft. It’s a high profile tournament for him to showcase himself, but his international performances have been strong to date. Up and down the lineup there are players where I’ve gone “huh, that was neat” a number of times when seeing Finland play internationally. Mitja Jokinen, Natan Teshome, Markus Loponen, and Aatos Koivu should ring some good pace to the team even if many lack a certain level of finishing ability that could put this team over the top. Taken as a whole, this is a strong group at the top and should contend for some hardware if things break right, especially with someone like Konsta Helenius being a key focal point for the roster at both ends.

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USA - 16.83 Average NHLeS - Ranked 3rd

Player to Watch - James Hagens - C - U.S. National U18 Team

The US national program is often favoured significantly in this tournament every season, but this year I have them a bit lower. This is largely due to just how evenly I see these top three teams. The NTDP roster is deep, and loaded with well-rounded high IQ players with an elite finisher in Cole Eiserman, who I expect will have a feast here, especially on power plays. I’m partially hoping Teddy Stiga has a coming out party, but selfishly I’d prefer him to keep flying under the radar. The defense group is deep and well-rounded, and I’m certainly looking forward to how Logan Hensler performs as he goes into his NHL Draft season next year. There are a lot of similarities to Sam Dickinson in my view and I am imagining that he will be taking the reins a bit here. Trevor Connelly is the only non-NTDP player on the roster but it shouldn’t take long to see why. I’ve found his play with Tri-City to be very individual and a bit ham-fisted, but regardless he was extremely productive and you should be able to see why very quickly here. Fast, skilled, resilient and above all else, confident, Connelly doesn’t shy away from challenging defenders and goaltenders and should be a key offensive weapon for the Americans. Another name I was pleasantly surprised to see here is L.J. Mooney. He’s a very small guy and a 2025 NHL Draft eligible player, but he’s just a lightning bolt out there with tons of skill and a high fun factor that should be an interesting watch. James Hagens may very well be the star of the show, however. The skill level he brings, combined with the smarts and timing with his playmaking are high-end, landing an assist per game this season to go with his 30 goals. While I’m not totally sold on “#1 Prospect for Next Year” status, I can’t see him being much further back and he should be a key cog on the American roster this year. While they may not have the unbelievably deep and skilled offensive roster they have had in years prior, they should have no problem going toe-to-toe with anyone while blowing out some of the smaller teams down the standings.

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Sweden - 15.91 Average NHLeS - Ranked 2nd

Player to Watch - Alfons Freij - D - Växjö Lakers HC J20

There is a lot of hesitation in the hockey community about the 2006 class of Swedes but I’m not sure it’s as bad as portrayed. There is plenty of depth and very little in the way of weaknesses here. They have size and strength up the middle in Jack Berglund, and Hugo Orrsten, they have skilled playmaking in Viggo Nordlund, Alex Zetterberg, Lucas Pettersson and Victor Eklund, and defensively have a bit of everything as well. I look forward to Gabriel Eliasson being an insufferable jerk out there in a good way, even if he’s unranked on my board, and Felix Öhrqvist brings almost the polar opposite as an undersized, zippy and skilled offensive defenseman. The Växjö boys should be serious stars of the show though, and while eyes will likely be on Leo Sahlin Wallenius, I’ll be firmly trained on Alfons Freij. This is the biggest test he’s faced, and he’s been absolutely fantastic almost everywhere on the ice in every game I’ve seen, with NHL-projectable offensive skill and playmaking for a defenseman, or at least the kind of offensive defenseman that I’d be looking for personally. Viktor Eklund, brother of William is also here, and he along with Linus Eriksson have had excellent showings in HockeyAllsvenskan playing together. With intensity up and down the ice and remarkable smarts and positioning at any pace of play, especially with Linus Eriksson, they only continue to help round out a talented, balanced and relatively deep Swedish team that can go at it with anybody in the tournament. On top of it all, don’t look away from Love Härenstam in net. He has been excellent as a 2025-eligible in J20 Nationell this year and could backstop this team to a gold medal if he keeps up his level of play that I’ve seen this year.

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Canada - 21.54 NHLeS Average - Ranked 1st

Player to Watch - Gavin McKenna - F - Medicine Hat Tigers

Canada often brings a somewhat lower quality team to this tournament as the CHL playoffs are ongoing and some players choosing to heal minor injuries or take some time off before the NHL Draft and Combine. This season seems different, even if they’re missing some key names. At least up front and in net, this roster looks stacked. Up and down the lineup there are just so many names that should be able to take over shifts in this tournament. Cole Beaudoin, Tij Iginla, Marek Vanacker, Carson Wetsch, Liam Greentree and Porter Martone are physical, resilient and determined players who can make an impact in all areas of the ice. Roger McQueen brings a solid power game with good finishing ability, and Ryder Ritchie, Jett Luchanko and Malcolm Spence bring intelligent offensive tools to the picture that should supplement everyone else well. In net you have the highly touted duo of Ryerson Leenders and Jack Ivankovic with Owen Sound’s Carter George, and while I’m partial to the Mississauga boys based on my viewings, any of the three should be strong options here. Defensively, the Canadians should at least have enough there to prevent dangerous chances against and move pucks into the neutral zone with strong efficiency. Harrison Brunicke gets around the ice well with solid shot-first offense, Henry Mews has great vision with the puck on his stick, Charlie Elick will try to ride the line between taking penalties and committing murder, with the rest of the group being younger and a little less refined but showing plenty of promise. I’ll be very curious to lay eyes on the 2025-eligibles, especially Matthew Schaefer who I’ve really enjoyed when watching Erie this year. Of course the star of the show to many will be Gavin McKenna. I’ll admit that I think the hype train on him is a little bit out of control already, he’s still an extraordinarily skilled and confident playmaker with strong finishing ability on his own. If he can avoid being too pressured physically which is where his game fell a bit short in my viewings, he could be a serious offensive threat here. Regardless, he’s the player on this roster who sits #1 in my NHLeS in the entire tournament, and has all the skill, creativity, vision and confidence necessary to be a hugely impactful player here. To me, Canada just brings a tsunami of offensive pieces across the spectrum of how offense can be generated, with a physical side to them that should still manage to keep them out of the box, at least as the tournament wears on. The defense group may be young, but it may not matter a ton with the talent elsewhere in the lineup and they at the very least sit in the top tier of teams in this tournament with the USA and Sweden.

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Will’s All-Star Team Predictions

Forwards - Gavin McKenna (CAN) - Tij Iginla (CAN) - James Hagens (USA)

Defense - Alfons Freij (SWE) - Cole Hutson (USA)

Goaltender - Love Härenstam (SWE)