The draft is over and 217 young players are newly affiliated with 31 different NHL organizations. Outside of three to six of those players, who could jump right into NHL lineups in the fall, we will not know whether the vast majority of those players are draft successes for two, three, four, or five years.

The lack of clear foresight aside, we should still be able to judge draft classes at least in terms of expected value. In some cases, we can look at strategy as well, although the way the board shakes out based on the picks that came before, we can rarely truly discern what a club was trying to do, but only what they were able to do.

I had hoped that we would be able to provide an average Overall Future Projection of the various draft classes, but there are a few picks from the high school ranks, the NAHL and a few European junior leagues for whom we lack enough information to give a full grade, so we will focus on where we had players ranked as we assess the draft haul of each team, as we run division-by-division through the NHL.

Here is the Metropolitan Division

For starters, a heartfelt congratulations are in order to the Carolina Hurricanes, their employees and their fans, as they did not overthink the #2 selection in the draft and walked away with the best forward money couldn’t buy in Andrei Svechnikov. In his first year in North America, he scored 1.2 points per game for Muskegon of the USHL in his age 16-17 season. After that, he moved up to the OHL and put up over 1.6 points per game for the Barrie Colts, despite missing time to the WJC and assorted injuries and suspensions. I am not saying we can expect two points per game as a rookie next season for the Hurricanes, but I am saying that he will be a rookie next season for the Hurricanes, and 20 goals is my minimal projection. He can play at both ends, but I expect him to be somewhat sheltered as a rookie. He is going to be very good for a long time. Moving on to the rest of the draft class.

After Svechnikov, the Hurricanes selected three more forwards, one blueliner and a goalie. Considering that the strength of the organization is on the blueline and most of their defenders are still rather young, that was a good strategy to take. Unfortunately, while I can say good things about the rest of the players that were drafted by Carolina, I cannot say that they selected the best player on the board at any other slot. Jack Drury is a good player with deep NHL bloodlines. He does a lot of things well. The points he put up for Waterloo were spectacular. On the other hand, way too many of those points were second assists and/or power play points. He is generally not the engine that makes the offense run. Just looking at the USHL, I would have taken either Blake McLaughlin or Sampo Ranta at that spot.

The Hurricanes did not have a third round pick, but selected twice in the fourth. The first pick there was used on Luke Henman, an athletic center from Blainville-Boisbriand in the QMJHL. He is an undersized playmaker, who performed well enough as a rookie in the Q this year and then upped his stock with a very good showing at multiple stations at the Draft Combine. Staying just with forwards from the Q, I would have preferred Dmitri Zavgorodny or Anderson MacDonald. But for those last two picks, it seems like the Hurricanes, with a management team that has not yet spent much time together, heavily weighted combine performance. With their second fourth rounder, the Canes finally took a non-combine player, grabbing Lenni Killinen from their usual stomping grounds in Finland. An explosive skater with promising offensive tools, Killinen put up respectable point totals in the Finnish junior ranks, but we would have preferred one of Ville Petman, Arttu Nevasaari, or Kristian Tanus, among young Finnish forwards.

Jesper Sellgren makes for a nice story as their sixth round pick. In his third year of eligibility, he was named to the Swedish team for the WJC. He is a very good skater and exhibits very good hockey sense, but his ceiling is limited. A reasonable pick in the sixth round, no doubt, but among Swedish netminders, fellow ’98 birthdate Henrik Malmstrom, would have been our pick there. Finally, in the seventh round, the Hurricanes added another netminder to their stable. Jake Kucharski has a lot of tools and can look very good at times, such as his performance in the USHL Top Prospects Game. But he could not keep the job in Des Moines, which brought in Roman Durny from Slovakia after the WJC. Kucharski scarcely played from there on out. This was a down year for netminder in the USHL, but I would have been inclined to gamble on one of Keegan Karki or Vincent Purpura instead. Your mileage may vary. In total, I cannot truly fault the Hurricanes for their draft picks. I don’t love it, but they did under circumstances (new management group) that do not often allow for exemplary draft planning.

OFP - 53

As a testament to the Blue Jackets history of going away from the so-called “consensus”, the example always brought up is when they selected Pierre-Luc Dubois third overall in 2016 instead of Jesse Puljujarvi, who was ranked third by literally everyone else. It is still early, but that pick looks pretty good so far for GM Jarmo Kekalainen. That, and the relative success of other recent unheralded prospect acquisitions by Columbus such as Markus Nutivaara (7^th round, 2015) or Markus Hannikainen (UDFA, 2015), suggest that we reserve judgement after the Jackets only selected two players we had ranked in our top 217, and only one more who made our top 300. The third round pick, Marcus Karlberg, was the biggest head scratcher of the lot. He put up great numbers in the SuperElit, but he is tiny, and outside of his hockey IQ, lacks tools that project to above average.

Their first sixth rounder, Tim Berni, is an accomplished young defender from Switzerland, who did not look completely overwhelmed at the last WJC, but similarly did not show much to suggest a surefire NHL upside is within. There is some promise there, but I would want to see him do something at the top flight in Switzerland. All of his success thus far has come in the junior ranks, or in the second tier. The other sixth rounder, a rare Finnish pick by Kekalainen, is someone I can get on board with. To be completely honest, we have had Vehvilainen ranked in previous drafts, but left him out this year, his fourth of draft eligibility. Mostly, we figured if his amazing run at the WJC in 2017 was not enough to get him noticed, what else could he do. He is borderline undersized by modern netminding standards, but he dominated in the top men’s league in Finland and then led Karpat to the Liiga championship while still mourning the death of his father. He was also named the top goaltender in Liiga. Not every goalie with that hardware makes it in the NHL, but some (Tim Thomas, Kari Lehtonen, Antti Raanta, Miikka Kiprusoff, etc.) do. Trey Fix-Wolansky, the Columbus draftee we listed as an honorable mention selection, does not look like a good player, as he is short and stocky, and he is not the greatest skater, but he is very strong on the puck and has finished first or second in scoring for the woeful Edmonton Oil Kings in each of the last two seasons. So those are the picks that are off our boards. Despite not having the full-throated backing of the McKeens scouting staff, we can see good reasons for liking each of them (OK, maybe not Karlberg).

Thankfully, we really like their first two picks. Liam Foudy was a classic late riser. He began the season in a bottom six role with the London Knights, but when the perennial powerhouse decided that this was not going to be their year, a few veterans were traded away and Foudy ascended way up the depth chart. And he excelled. Over the second half of the season, he was one of the more electric players in the OHL, and backed it up with strong performances in the CHL Top Prospects Game as well as at the WU18s. He also has a strong case to be proclaimed the best athlete in the draft class. Kirill Marchenko was someone who drew mixed reviews from our Russian-based scouts, but raised his play for international events. He has a great skill set and fantastic size and could project to nearly any role down the road. The Blue Jackets are certainly an enigmatic team when it comes to scouting, but they are correct more than their fair share of the time. I wouldn’t put it past them to surprise again.

OFP – 52.25

One year after injecting a boat load of talent into the organization thanks not only to owning the number one pick in the draft, but making 11 total selections, this year, the Devils exhibited a magnificent turnaround and ended up trading away both their second and third round picks, as part of packages for Michael Grabner, and Sami Vatanen. Considering that the team still has the young core drafted in 2017 as well as a surprise playoff berth in their recent past, it’s a pretty good trade off. And even picking 17^th this year, in a deep draft for defenders, the Devils were able to add another high end talent to their system, a player who many had projected to be taken in the top ten. Ty Smith, while small, is an excellent puck mover and plays an advanced positional game in his own end. In league play, he has been very effective at winning the puck back for his team, although he has had his bumps in the CHL Top Prospects Game as well as at the WU18s. Still, between his skating, puck skills, and high, high hockey IQ, there is potential for a future first pairing defender.

When they finally selected a second player, 93 picks later, the Devils were fortunate to get late Xavier Bernard, a player who looks much different than Smith, but has similar attributes. He is a smooth skater, can make the basic passes, and exhibits promising hockey IQ. On the other hand, Bernard is not a natural puck mover, but has much more impressive size and knows how to utilize it. New Jersey went to Europe with both of their fifth round picks, both times taking players from smaller hockey nations who have plenty of international experience. Akira Schmid started his draft off with a bang, thanks to a stellar showing at the Ivan Hlinka tournament. He was then one of the top goalies in the Swiss junior ranks, but struggled at the WU18s to end the year. He has enough size and athleticism to be a decent gamble. Yegor Sharangovich was in his third year of eligibility and has three WJCs (one in the second tier) under his belt for his native Belarus. He played a depth role for the Dynamo Minsk KHL team this year, but has flashed impressive goal scoring ability in the past.

Sixth rounder Mitchell Hoelscher is slight, but wiry strong. His production with the Ottawa 67s was not much in his first full season in the OHL, but he is a good skater, and plays an intelligent brand of hockey. He has energy line upside. With their final 2018 selection, the Devils popped Finnish winger Eetu Pakkila, a winger with great feet and a good shot. Despite decent numbers for Karpat’s U20 team, Pakkila slipped under the radar due to rarely being considered for international duty for any age group in Finland. While one could quibble about the upside about their late round selections, with the exception of Hoelscher, the Devils did a nice job of drafting players with a history of production in their local leagues. And without exception, each player has at least one attribute that suggest NHL upside.

OFP – 52.5

Two years ago, the Islanders drafted Kieffer Bellows from the USNTDP and seem to be pretty happy with their choice. Of course, Lou Lamoriello was not there when that draft went down. He was in Toronto. His Maple Leafs drafted Auston Matthews, another (indirect) USNTDP alum, and a couple of other program graduates in the middle rounds. Prior to his time in Toronto, Lamoriello spent many years in New Jersey and his draft record there is also dotted with players who had come from the program. That history aside, it is still at least somewhat surprising that the Islanders ended up with three players from this year’s stacked USNTDP graduating class. Two of those players, right winger Oliver Wahlstrom and defensemen Bode Wilde, were widely not expected to be available at picks 11 and 41 respectively. Wahlstrom is one of the best natural goal scorers in the draft class. He is a near elite sniper, a fantastic puck player and a very strong skater as well. He can float for some stretches, but his talent suggested he should have gone up to five picks earlier were the other teams not so focused on drafting centers at the top. Wilde elicited some rumors that his stock had fallen before the draft, partially due to a poor showing at the WU18s and partly due to de-committing from Michigan. He is not the most intense defender, but looks downright pretty carrying the puck up the ice. He is a high end skater and puck handler and mostly needs refinements to his game away from the puck to be an impact player.

The third USNTDP player drafted by the Islanders this year, Jacob Pivonka is more of a grinding role player with decent hands, but plays a 200 foot game, and has NHL bloodlines, as father Michal played over 800 games in the NHL. Outside of those three, the Islanders drafted two others with USNTDP ties, although they were not in the program in their draft year. Fifth rounder Blade Jenkins left the program for Saginaw of the OHL prior to this past season. He plays a gritty game and is a gifted skater, although the latter trait does not always show up at game time. He has very good sleeper potential. In the seventh round the Islanders selected Christian Krygier, the more physical of the Krygier twins who spent this season with the Lincoln Stars of the USHL. Krygier has very marginal puck skills, but he skates well and plays hard.

Not every pick made by the Islanders this year was American. In fact, immediately after drafting Wahlstrom, Lamoriello and company returned to their table for a couple of minutes to work the phones (reportedly to trade the pick for immediate NHL help) but then returned to the podium and selected Noah Dobson, another player thought by some to be a potential top five pick and leading the Titan to both QMJHL and Memorial Cup championships, eating up a ton of minutes on the journey. Dobson looks like nothing so much as a future first pairing blueliner, between the wheels, the smarts, and the ability to put that bulk to work. His shot and puck playing ability also grade out as above average. He might be only twelve months from playing in the NHL. Two picks after nabbing Wilde, the Isles made an upside play in drafting pint-sized Russian winger Ruslan Iskhakov, who while not as quick as other players of his stature, has amazing hands and has been hard to catch. He has performed well both in Russian junior league play as well as on the international stage.

Finally, nothing rounds out a diverse draft class like a promising goalie. Along with four forwards and three blueliners, the Islanders selected Jakub Skarek, a highly accomplished netminder from the Czech Republic, in the third round. Although he looked bad at the most recent WJC (his second go round in the high profile tournament), he is very athletic, has prototypical size and reads the play well. He will get to test himself against more advanced competition this year as he leaves his homeland to play for Pelicans in Finland’s top circuit, Liiga. While I would have preferred them drafting the other Krygier with their seventh round pick, this is almost the perfect draft class. Two players ranked in our top ten, another ranked as a first round talent, and three more in our top 100. There are players who will be ready for professional hockey within one or two seasons, and players who will need (and due to where  they were drafted from) and will receive three or four years before forcing the Islanders’ hands. Along with Mathew Barzal, Wahlstrom and Dobson should make up a big part of the team’s core for years to come.

OFP – 55

With three first round picks, including the drafting of my personal favorite player from the 2018 draft class, I want to be able to say nice things about the Rangers’ large draft haul. Unfortunately, I am underwhelmed. Of course, with 10 players taken, they have definitely given their organizational depth, for years an afterthought, a serious injection of talent. Further, considering the imbalance of their draft class, with six blueliners taken among the 10 picks, I know that they did not go for balance, but drafted the top player on their board. Further, with the early success of their two 2017 first rounders (Lias Andersson, and Filip Chytil), both of whom were thought to be reaches at the time, I cannot assume to know more than they do. I can note the six player drafted out of Europe, and how four of those six were already playing in men’s leagues, meaning their lead time to being ready will be shorter than others. That’s definitely a positive. Again though, I wanted to see more upside.

Starting in the first round, they took two Europeans who have already experienced impressive performances in the top leagues in their respective countries. Ninth overall pick Vitali Kravtsov had one of, if not the, best performances ever by a teenager in the KHL playoffs. He earned plus-plus grades for his skating, puck skills and shot. He might be able to come to North America after one more season with Chelyabinsk. If there is a concern here, it is due to having so little international experience, we do not have a great feel for how he would do on the smaller North American ice surface. At pick 22, the Rangers selected my personal favorite in K’Andre Miller. He is a tremendous athlete, has prototype build for a defenseman, is a terrific skater and plays with brawn and skill. If there is a downside, it is how raw he is as a defender, having only converted from forward three seasons ago. He could be a legit number one defender, but will need at least three years in college before he is ready. With the 28^th pick of the first round, the Rangers selected late rising Swedish blueliner Nils Lundkvist. He is undersized, but incredibly skilled with the puck and demonstrates very impressive hockey intelligence. He was excellent in the Swedish junior ranks, but struggled some in roughly half a season in the SHL and underwhelmed at the WU18s. There is also the question of whether he is a good enough skater to mitigate his size issues. All three first rounders could work, but none is without questions.

Similar to their second rounder, Olof Lindbom, the first netminder selected in 2018. He is a good goalie prospect, as far as that class goes, was a world beater at the WU18s, and receives especially high grades for his ability to read the play and his technique, but he is a goalie after all. He is also slightly undersized by modern goaltending standards, listed at only 6-1”. Of their remaining six picks the Rangers selected four defensemen. Jakob Ragnarsson and Simon Kjellberg were both drafted out of Sweden, and Joey Keane and Nico Gross were both selected out of the OHL. Keane is interesting as a second year eligible prospect who took big steps in his second season with the Barrie Colts. He is a very good skater, with a decent all around game. Ragnarsson’s father Marcus played for the Sharks and the Flyers around the turn of the century. He is more of a defense-first defender, who makes a sharp first pass. He has never been tested outside of Sweden’s domestic leagues.

Simon Kjellberg is another bloodlines player, as his father Patric spent time with Montreal, Nashville, and Anaheim. The younger Kjellberg has good size, and plays a muscular game, but his skating is currently very rough. He will need to improve that aspect of his game significantly to have a chance at playing in the NHL. Of the four mid round defenders, I have the most time for Nico Gross, a Swiss national who has already played at two WJCs and three WU18s. He is a solid skater, who plays with poise and energy. While not often an offensive force, he has shown enough flashes there to project for more growth in that side of his game. Of the two late round forwards, Lauri Pajuniemi could surprise. He has high end puck handling ability and held his own in his first year in Liiga. As for seventh rounder Riley Hughes, he is not bad as far as prep products go, but there is a reason why more and more future collegians are electing to play in the USHL instead of staying home. He has never really been tested against high end competition. He is likely to spend next year in the USHL (Sioux Falls has his rights) before attending Northeastern in 2019. I have no doubt but that one or two of the players drafted by the Rangers this year will exceed my expectations, but I would have been happier if I did not have to make this kind of mitigating remark.

OFP – 53.25

As with the Rangers above, I expected to like the Flyers’ draft class more than I did. Again, this has nothing to do with the players taken. Fine talents, all of them. The Flyers have been strong with USHL prospects over the past few years and dug deep in the top NCAA-feeder league once again, with three selections, plus another who will head to college from the pre ranks. They have also scouted Sweden heavily in recent years and took three more Swedish prospects this year. And continuing the theme of visiting familiar territory, the final Flyers’ pick not yet accounted for came from the same Everett program in the WHL where they would have been comfortable in light of top prospect Carter Hart calling it home. I like the Flyers drafting from areas where they are comfortable that they can project out. I like that the Flyers selected players of different positions, with two centers, two wingers, three defensemen and a goaltender (it wouldn’t be a Flyers draft without at least one goalie). And, as stated above, I like the players. I just see this draft class and the draft slots that the Flyers owned, and do not see many high value picks. Some players drafted roughly where they should have been selected, some taken earlier than I would have advised, and one notably higher than we believed was reasonable.

They kicked things off in fine fashion, with winger Joel Farabee, one of two players they selected out of the USNTDP system. Farabee can play up or down the lineup. He has experience in the middle, but is more natural on the wing. He is a true 200 foot player with skill, grit and heavy on the intangibles. He will need to bulk up at Boston University, but his potential is top six, both special teams and a team leader. Five picks later, Ron Hextall and friends stepped to the podium again and dropped jaws across the hockey world. Jay O’Brien is a confident young man, brash even, and he shows some high end attributes, with a fine shot and slick puck handling skills. He plays tough and he has been well coached, but he has very rarely been tested against other high caliber prospects. He was the big man on campus at Thayer, scoring closing to three points per game than two. But in 12 games of experience in Tier I hockey over the last two years, he had only three points. All draft picks are risky, but high picks out of the high school ranks are riskier than most.

Philadelphia’s first three picks on day two were all blueliners, each with good size. Adam Ginning is the stay-at-home type of the trio. Although he contributed offense at a decent clip for Sweden at the WU18s, his game is about positioning and making the first pass to clear the zone. Low upside, but high floor. After sitting out the third round, the Flyers used their fourth rounder on second year eligible Jack St. Ivany of Sioux Falls in the USHL. He was very young in his first year of eligibility and only one year removed from playing U16 hockey in the Los Angeles area. He took a few big steps forward this year for the Stampede and shows some two-way ability. I’m a fan. The Flyers rounded out their blueline haul with Wyatte Wylie, an alliterative late 99 birthdate player who not only played with Carter Hart in Everett, but is actually from Everett. He is not bursting with skill but plays hard.

Later in the fifth round, Philadelphia drafted the obligatory goalie, picking up Swede Samuel Ersson, who has been overshadowed in his homeland by Olof Lindbom and others, but was an absolute workhorse for Brynas’ U20 team and some of the best numbers in the SuperElit. He is a technically proficient goalie with a good frame. Speaking of overlooked, sixth rounder Gavin Hain was often relegated to the bottom six with the USNTDP, below players like Farabee and others, but he is not without a modicum of hockey skill and is responsible in all three zones. I haven’t seen anything to suggest he has hidden talent, but he is not a bad way to use a sixth round pick. Finally, the Flyers used their seventh rounder on big Swedish winger Marcus Westfalt. His skill set is moderate, but he uses his big frame well to create havoc in front of the net. If Jay O’Brien works out, the Flyers will be laughing for ages. If not, Farabee is safe enough that the draft class will not be a write-off, but will be looked at as a relative disappointment.

OFP – 52.5

Only four picks, but the Penguins made them count. Well, most of them anyway. Actually, they would have had a fifth pick, but traded up into the late second round when they saw value on the board. Despite not picking until 53^rd overall, the Penguins walked away with two players who had reasonable arguments to go in the first round. Their first pick, Lethbridge defender Calen Addison is a modern style blueliner, making up in speed and daring what he lacks in size or the ability to play physically. He needs a lot of work off the puck, but he proved both in the Ivan Hlinka tournament and the WHL postseason that he can step up his production in the spotlight.

The player they gave up two later picks to nab towards the close of the second was Swedish center Filip Hallander, who had a very strong draft year in the Allsvenskan, Sweden’s second highest men’s league. The fact that he was as productive as he was (20 points in 40 games) while dealing with a knee injury that kept him out of the WU18s. He is very physical while still playing clean, and grades out above average as a skater, shooter, and for his hockey intelligence. With Timra now in the top flight SHL, and Hallander presumably healthy, Hallander’s stock could leap forward next year. The Penguins went with production over physical maturity when they finally selected again late in the fifth round, selecting Moose Jaw’s second year eligible center, Justin Almeida. After scoring only 28 points between the Warriors and Prince George in his first year of draft eligibility, he was an afterthought entering the year, but with 43 goals and 98 points for the powerhouse Warriors, he could not be overlooked again. He is a strong skater and gifted with the puck on his stick. Finally, they took Massachusetts prepster Liam Gorman, with their final pick. Gorman was not really on our radar, and in fact was only the number three scorer with St. Sebastian’s, behind fellow draft pick Riley Hughes. He has plus size though, and is likely to spend next season in the USHL. The 2018 draft class will not alter the trajectory of the Penguins’ fortunes, but they should be pleased with the type of quality they came away with.

OFP – 52.25

If there is a team for which the draft is a serious afterthought, it would be the team that is still hungover from the release of winning their first Stanley Cup championship. That is not to imply that the Capitals did not draft some good prospects, but that they would not be focused from the top down on these players at the moment. True to the Washington drafting rulebook, they went heavy on the WHL (four players), avoided the QMJHL and Finland, and took a player from a lower level of hockey (NAHL goalie Mitchell Gibson). With three forwards, three defensemen and a goalie, they balanced themselves positionally.

Their first round pick, Alexander Alexeyev, could have been taken higher, but suffered through a trying draft year, most notably dealing with the unexpected passing of his mother in the days before the CHL Top Prospects game. He is a very big player who skates beautifully, handles the puck very well and processes the game wisely. Given a full, healthy season, he could take off. Washington buttressed the blueline with their first of two consecutive picks in the middle of the second round, taking Slovakian Martin Fehervary, who has been playing in Sweden for the last four seasons. A veteran of two WJCs and two WU18s, Fehervary is a great skater and a physical player, but has minimal offensive upside. While we think Fehervary was a slight reach at 46, the selection of Kody Clark (son of Wendel) at 47 was a massive overreach. Like Alexeyev (and his own father) Clark has been injury prone in his two OHL seasons, but has no real standout tool. His skating and shooting abilities are fine, but he looked like a better candidate for the middle rounds than the second round. Also, this is the first time the Capitals have selected a player out of the OHL since drafting Tom Wilson in the first round in 2012.

A more appropriate pick was their use of a fourth rounder on another bloodline player in Riley Sutter, the son of Ron from the famous clan. A big, beefy player, Sutter will never be mistaken for an elite skater, but he plays a responsible, heavy game and can finish. Goalie Mitchell Gibson was not very prominent on our radar, but the NAHL has a knack for producing one or two goalies of note every year, and Gibson was obviously the one for 2018. He was named the top netminder in the league and will likely spend next year in the USHL before moving on to Harvard. The Capitals will give him plenty of time.

The Capitals ended their draft with two more players from the WHL in Vancouver blueliner Alex Kannok-Leipert and Saskatoon center Eric Florchuk. Kannok-Leipert is undersized and does not have a standout attribute, although he is a decent skater and is surprisingly physical. Florchuk, on the other hand, 2018’s Mr. Irrelevant, is quote good value for the end of the draft. His trade at midseason from the competing Victoria Royals to the moribund Saskatoon Chiefs, might have pushed him off the radar for some scouts, but he scored a decent clip for both clubs. He is a fine skater and a gifted puck handler. Although the Capitals selected some interesting players here, the leap to draft safe early will hurt them within a few years when they need to integrate low salaried youth into an aging roster.

OFP – 51.5

The draft is over and 217 young players are newly affiliated with 31 different NHL organizations. Outside of three to six of those players, who could jump right into NHL lineups in the fall, we will not know whether the vast majority of those players are draft successes for two, three, four, or five years.

The lack of clear foresight aside, we should still be able to judge draft classes at least in terms of expected value. In some cases, we can look at strategy as well, although the way the board shakes out based on the picks that came before, we can rarely truly discern what a club was trying to do, but only what they were able to do.

I had hoped that we would be able to provide an average Overall Future Projection of the various draft classes, but there are a few picks from the high school ranks, the NAHL and a few European junior leagues for whom we lack enough information to give a full grade, so we will focus on where we had players ranked as we assess the draft haul of each team, as we run division-by-division through the NHL.

Here is the Central Division

With one difference of opinion, I have a lot of time for the Chicago Blackhawks draft class this year. That they selected six players in our top 100 (top 80, actually), reflects a lot of convergence in our respective scouting opinions. Doing it without a second rounder to play makes the feat even more impressive. With a rare top ten pick, the Hawks selected young Swedish dynamo Adam Boqvist eighth overall. While the pick raised the eyebrows a smidge, considering the availability of Evan Bouchard and Noah Dobson, two better-rounded, potential top pairing blueliners, the gap between the three of them was minute and more down to preference than actual expected value. Boqvist is a little rawer than the other two, but his upside is truly immense.

Where the eyebrows truly shot up was when the Blackhawks selected Drummondville blueliner Nicolas Beaudin with the second first rounder. First, because between Boqvist and their first two picks in the 2017 draft (Henri Jokiharju and Ian Mitchell), they seemed to now have a pretty good core of young blueliners to plan around. Secondly, and more important, how could Beaudin be the first Voltigeur off the board with Joe Veleno still available? Beaudin has high end vision, and moves the puck fairly well, but his skating is a sore point, particularly his first few steps and his reverse. He can get up to a decent top speed, but as he so often falls behind, it is an absolute necessity. Third, as Beaudin is a marauding sort, who likes to engage deep in the offensive end, there must be the worry that his game is too similar in style to Boqvist’s.

As much as I did not like the second first rounder, I loved the Hawks’ two third rounders. Jake Wise is a very good skater who can perform some nice tricks with the puck yet can be trusted in all situations. Were it not for an early season injury that had him miss a good long stretch, he would have gone at least 30 picks higher.  Five picks later, Chicago took another offensively gifted forward in Finnish winger Niklas Nordgren, who scored eight times in seven games at the WU18, but has historically been a stronger playmaker than finisher. He needs to add muscle mass and improve his explosiveness, but he can produce. Chicago took another offensively talented forward in the fifth, reminding us all that successful teams do not just grab bottom six types in the later rounds, but continue to draft for talent. Swiss import Philipp Kurashev has shown improvement year over year in his two seasons with Quebec in the Q. He reads the play well in both zones and has very soft hands. Although he lacks bulk, he is not a peripheral player.

They continued to hunt for point producers as the draft petered out, as seen with sixth rounder Mikael Hakkarainen who had 46 points in 36 games with Muskegon this year. Even after accounting for the fact that the Finnish USHL import was in his third year of draft eligibility, he has scored at every level in which he has played. He missed a chunk of the year to injury, but when he played, he was creating chances left and right. A few solid seasons with Providence, and he could be a real late round gem. Chicago was wise to snatch up a promising, if very raw, netminder in the sixth round in Alexis Gravel, both as his tools rate very highly, even if his results were sub-par in his draft year with Halifax, but also as the net is a weak spot organizationally for the Hawks and will have a chance to make an impact in time. If he can play more like he has in the postseason for the Mooseheads than he did in the regular season, more than a few teams will be kicking themselves for passing up on him for five full rounds. As for the seventh rounder, Josiah Slavin, the younger brother of Hurricanes’ blueliner Jaccob Slavin, the Blackhawks did finally take a low ceiling player who maxes out as a fourth liner, if he even gets there. He has good size and is a decent skater, but has never been a scorer all the way bac to Bantam hockey. Even though I don’t agree with every pick, the Blackhawks’ strategy of largely selecting players with aa history of offensive production and continuing to draft talent even in the middle and (most of the) later rounds, is a winning strategy.

OFP – 53.25

The Colorado Avalanche have never been the type of team to heavily scout the CHL, but to have only one pick from their seven come from the hotbed of Canadian junior hockey is a surprise even for them. Even when accounting for the fact that two additional picks were playing in the USHL, one of those was actually a Finnish import. In short, the Avalanche went the full anti-Don Cherry in their 2018 draft class, with five of seven picks coming from Europe. There was some speculation of whether their first round pick, Martin Kaut, would drop down draft boards after a disputed heart issue was discovered during medical testing at the draft combine. Thankfully, he rushed back to the Czech Republic and had the matter taken care of immediately, and received a clean bill of health before draft day. Kaut does everything at an above average level, and if the early successes of Martin Necas and Filip Chytil last year are any indication, the Czech Republic is back to being a hockey hotbed. Kaut is expected to move to the AHL next season.

In the three of the previous four drafts, the Avalanche selected a netminder from Europe, and they continued that trend with the second pick of the third round, taking Finnish WU18 hero Justus Annunen. Far from a flash in the pan, he was named the top goalie in the Finnish junior league and has the size every team covets in net, as well as above average athleticism. Half a round later, the Avs selected an early season sensation in the USHL, in Finnish import winger Sampo Ranta, who naturally elicited comparisons to former Sioux City sniper Eeli Tolvanen. Ranta is no Tolvanen, and is prone to a few bone-head reads, but he has a fine collection of offensive tools, projecting to top six potential across the board, and is going to a good program at Wisconsin starting next season.

Staying in the USHL, the first North American product Colorado drafted was North Carolina native Tyler Weiss from the USNTDP. The program often relegates talented players to a bottom six role because they are both not as good as the first line players, and they play high energy games. Both are true of Weiss. He plays with great energy and he is not as good as the top line trio of Jack Hughes, Oliver Wahlstrom, or Joel Farabee. Of course, that latter point is a very high bar for comparison. Weiss is very talented, and like a few previous USNTDP grads, I expect his offensive game to flourish in a more fluid role at Nebraska-Omaha. He is a great skater with shifty hands and great puck control. With his inherent grit, I think he is looked upon as a steal in short order.

Fifth rounder Brandon Saigeon was long written off as a disappointment in the OHL, as the former fourth overall OHL Draft pick took four seasons to really break out. Finally, in his third and final year of NHL draft eligibility, he took off with a strong Bulldogs team, at least reaching the point per game mark in the regular season, OHL playoffs, and Memorial Cup. He is eligible to go back to Hamilton for one more year, or join Kaut next year in the AHL. His future success hinges on his shot continuing to sneak past netminders.

After drafting their one and only CHL player, the Avalanche finished their draft with three picks from the Russian junior league. Defender Danila Zhuravlyov is a promising two way player with a good set of tools who needs to refine his game away from the puck. Winger Nikolai Kovalenko, is actually an Avalanche legacy pick, as his father Andrei played with the Nordiques and the Avalanche between 1992-96. Ironically enough, like Tyler Weiss, Kovalenko was born in Raleigh, North Carolina, although Kovalenko moved back to Russia as a youth. He has very high hockey intelligence and grades out very well for both skating and puck skills. If he gets more attention on the international stage, he will be looked at as a late round steal in short order. Finally, for their last selection, Colorado drafted the player with the best name in the draft, in Shamil Shmakov. In his second year of draft eligibility, the towering (6-6”) Russian netminder was a workhorse for his MHL team. He is athletic for his size and reads the play well. Between the Russians and the college bound players, the Avalanche’s 2018 draft class may take four or more years before it can be adequately judged. That said, with the talent selected, they should be optimistic.

OFP – 53.75

Like some teams, the Stars have geographical hot spots that they tend to return to again and again when to comes to drafting. They love the OHL, the WHL, Sweden and Finland. They have sometimes strayed from those areas, most notably for some first rounders from Russia (Valeri Nichushkin, and Denis Guryanov) and Minnesota prep (Riley Tufte) and the NCAA (Jake Oettinger), but the majority of their picks over the years come from the four areas listed above. And low and behold, they stayed true to form this year, drafting entirely from the OHL, WHL and Sweden. Hosting the draft, no matter who they selected would be bound to receive hearty applause and the fans did not disappoint in that regard.

Even though they went off the board with their first rounder, Ty Dellandrea, the Flint center has a few factors that suggest an upside just as high as those who had been ranked in that range of the draft class. He is very young for this draft class, he put up decent numbers despite playing for a tire fire of an OHL organization. He stepped up his game in the high profile events of the CHL Top Prospects Game and the WU18 tournament. He is a great skater with a very high hockey IQ, gets top marks for intangibles and has nice hands. I cannot truly fault Dallas for making this pick. I am less bullish on their second rounder, large Swedish winger Albin Eriksson. He has soft hands for his size and has certainly scored plenty in the SuperElit, but there are questions about his skating and his overall ability to process the game. He was held off the Swedish WU18 team as the national braintrust did not see a fit for him as a top six player, and did not think his game would translate to a bottom six role. I see a lot of risk-reward in this pick.

The Stars went right back to the SuperElit with their third rounder, for versatile forward Oskar Back. Back is not as big as Eriksson, but has more than enough size-wise. He is also a better skater, plays a more effective physical brand of hockey and showed the ability to play a variety of roles at the WU18. Dallas returned to the OHL for their two fourth round picks and their fifth rounder, bookending two picks from the Kitchener Rangers program (Adam Mascherin and Riley Damiani) with the gigantic Windsor center Curtis Douglas. Mascherin was this year’s only redraft player, as the former Florida second rounder never came to terms with the Panthers and took his chances with the league this year. He is a shorter, stockier player, lacking much explosion in his legs, but has been a prime sniper in the OHL for years (at least 35 goals in each of the last three seasons) and is ready for the AHL. His OHL teammate Damiani was selected by Dallas 37 picks later. Rather small, and not overly toolsy, he makes his hay thanks to high end hockey IQ. He has enough in the wheels department to be useful on the penalty kill as well, although he is not likely to ever be a big scorer.

In between those two picks, the Stars drafted the most physical specimen of the entire draft class in 6-8”, 247 pound behemoth center Curtis Douglas. Douglas is very strong, with unbeatable reach, but is not aggressive so much as he is imposing. He is a decent skater for his size and has reasonably fluid hands. Sixth rounder Dawson Barteaux was once a first round pick in the WHL Bantam Draft, but could not eke out a regular role in the WHL until this year, where he emerged as a reliable puck mover for Red Deer. His upside is not tremendous, but he can skate and get the puck out of his own end and could provide reasonable future value for this stage of the draft.

The Stars ended their draft with the first Jamaican born player ever selected in Kamloops’ hulking power winger Jermaine Loewen. In his third year of eligibility, Loewen went from being a bottom line bruiser to someone who could contribute in a top six role at the WHL level. His NHL prospects’ depend on being able to combine the attribute of both areas. Like Mascherin, he could jump right into the AHL next year. Generally speaking, I do not applaud drafting for size, which the Stars were clearly targeting, taking four players who are at least 6-3”, 205, but with one exception, I have no fault in where those big guys were drafted. They took enough in terms of skill and IQ that the organization should see good results from their 2018 haul, even if they are bunched among forwards.

OFP – 52.5

For many years, new Minnesota GM Paul Fenton was lauded as a key driving force behind Nashville’s consistent success at the draft table, where he served as assistant GM since 2006-07 and was involved in other roles with the club since 1998-99 (i.e. Day One). In his first crack at being the final voice on all personnel decisions, the eight players added to the Minnesota organization are very underwhelming. And with four of the eight picks being in their second year of draft eligibility, potential untapped upside is also lacking. In fairness to Fenton, he only took over the franchise with about one month before draft day. With a lack of clarity over how much he could have brought to the scouting meetings, I will reserve judgement on Fenton until the 2019 draft.

They had one pick on day one and used it on a low upside, high IQ defender in Swede Filip Johansson. The right shooting blueliner plays a poised game, keeping his crease clear and featuring heavily in PK rotations. While right handed defenders are always a desired commodity, without the ability to score from the point, that value is diminished. I have a hard time seeing Johansson ever playing much of a role on the power play in the NHL. He projects more as a #4/5 defender at his peak.

The best value picks made by Minnesota this year both came in the third round. With the first pick of the round, they nabbed Jack McBain, a big center who moves well for his size and has been crushing the OJHL since he arrived there two years ago. He was a first round OHL pick too, but preferred the college route. He has very good hands and a hard shot and will be tested by a big step up in competition when he joins Boston College next season. Another high upside pick was made later in the round when the Wild selected Moncton center Alexander Khovanov, who many thought could be a top half of the first round player when the Wildcats selected him very early in last year’s CHL Import Draft. Unfortunately, much of his draft year was wiped out due to a bout with Hepatitis A. When he returned after mid-season, he still showed flashes of puck magic, but his strength and stamina had yet to fully recover by year’s end. A full offseason to return to his previous form could see him take off in a big way and there is a good chance that he ends up as the Wild’s top return from this draft class.

Their third third rounder, Connor Dewar, is more of a late bloomer than the other two, as he really took a few steps forward this year, in his second year of draft eligibility. He has a big motor and can finish. Dewar lacks the upside of McBain, or Khovanov, but it is easy to see a bottom six winger at the highest level in his future. Minnesota went right back to low upside after that point, such as with the pick of Simon Johansson (no relation to Filip, although he is a cousin of Columbus center Alexander Wennberg). Simon Johnasson put up very good numbers from the blueline in his second year of eligibility in the SuperElit, mostly thanks to a strong point shot and good distribution skills. Unfortunately, his skating is rather rough, and he is not nearly as strong away from the puck.

The second fifth rounder taken by Minnesota may have some “diamond in the rough” qualities, as Damien Giroux was one of the top players on a moribund Saginaw team in the OHL. He is very undersized, but he has a good set of offensive tools and could be a solid player in the coming years. There is decent upside in Minnesota’s sixth rounder as well. Although Shawn Boudrias was in his second year of eligibility, had he been born two days later, he would have been in his first year of eligibility. He led Gatineau in scoring by 20 points, and has great size, although he lacks any true standout tools. Minnesota ended their draft with another second year eligible player in Sam Hentges, of Tri-City in the USHL. Hentges put up decent numbers when he was healthy enough to play, although injuries kept him off the ice for much of the second half. The native Minnesotan is going to St. Cloud State next season. With a very low ceiling, medium floor draft haul. Minnesota did very little to move the needle for the organization.

OFP – 51.25

With only four picks to be made, there is not much point in searching for trends in Nashville’s2018 draft class. With their first pick, they went with a tree in USHL center Jachym Kondelik. The 6-6” Czech pivot battled injuries this year with Muskegon, but has decent hands, enough mobility for his size, and shows the ability to play in a defensive role. If he could add more intensity to his game, he could be a real force down the line. He will take his next steps at the University of Connecticut.

With their next pick, the Predators took USNTDP blueliner Spencer Stastney, another player who had some injury trouble early in the year. Stastney is a smart, undersized puck mover, who has shown that he can play in a variety of roles and situations. He has a lot of tools and a generally high hockey IQ, but is overly prone to bonehead plays. If Notre Dame’s coaching staff can iron those out, he has pretty good upside. Later in the fifth round, the Predators drafted Belorussian blueliner Vladislav Yeryomenko, a second year eligible who has been playing in the WHL with Calgary for two seasons, putting up good numbers from the blueline all the while. He turned more heads with a strong WJC for Belarus, showing the ability to withstand a massive workload on a generally overmatched team. He has good hands and in another high IQ player for Nashville’s system.

The Predators completed their draft class with Czech netminder Milan Kloucek, drafted in his third year of eligibility. He performed well in a 10 game run in the men’s league with Dynamo Pardubice, but between never having played in a major international tournament, and moving around a lot between the top two Czech leagues and the junior ranks, he was not really on our radar. Despite not having a big presence in the draft this year, the Predators came away with three skaters who have enough upside to project as potential middle of the roster NHL contributors.

OFP – 50.75

Four guys with youth and physical upside, and two guys who are older and smaller, but with more proof of success at higher levels. Positional balancing. The Blues’ own first round pick was traded to Philadelphia in the Brayden Schenn trade, but they got a first rounder back from Winnipeg in the Paul Stastny trade. The Blues, sensing an opportunity to get their guy, traded away a third rounder to move up a few spots and select German talent Dominik Bokk at 25^th overall. After tearing up the German U19 league as a 16 year old, Bokk moved to Sweden last year and laid the SuperElit to waste as well. He was less successful in limited time in the SHL, but he did enough last year to prove that he is far more than just a big fish in a small pond. He is a fine skater with high end offensive tools. He should get a much longer leash in the SHL next year in order to be ready to move to North America in 2019-20.

With their second rounder, the Blues went for American WJC hero, the third time eligible blueliner Scott Perunovich. He was too small and wild to be drafted in his first year of eligibility out of Hibbing/Chisholm high school in Minnesota. In his second year of eligibility, he performed alright with Cedar Rapids of the USHL, but still struggled in his own end. This year, he went to Minnesota-Duluth and was the leading scorer on the eventual NCAA champions. In the middle, he took time off to play for his country at the WJC and was electrifying with his puck rushes. He will never be a force in his own zone, but he is a very good skater and capable of brilliance with the puck.

The Blues did not get any big upside plays after that, but each of their final four picks had something to recommend themselves to scouts. Fourth rounder Joel Hofer was a backup netminder with WHL champs Swift Current. He put up the best numbers of any draft eligible netminder in the WHL and has the ideal frame for modern netminders. With Stuart Skinner graduating, he is the likely starter for the Broncos next year. In the fifth round, the Blues selected Hugh McGing, another third time eligible player, who had come off a strong sophomore campaign at Western Michigan and almost joined Perunovich on Team USA at the WJC. The undersized McGing is a playmaker and skates just well enough to evade being a target.

Of all of St. Louis picks, sixth rounder Mathias Laferriere has the least upside. He is young and has decent size, but has not lived up to his advance billing as the seventh overall pic in the QMJHL Entry draft in 2016. None of his attributes project to above average. The Blues’ final 2018 selection came in the form of Barrie blueliner Tyler Tucker. Like Laferriere, Tucker was a high pick going into junior who has been little more than OK in his time in the CHL thus far. He has an adequate game with the puck and plays with a mean streak, but needs to improve his skating in order to make it. While I would have liked to see St. Louis go for more upside in the back half of their draft class, the dynamism of their first two picks could be very impactful to the NHL roster in the near future.

OFP - 51

I often consider the Winnipeg Jets among the more astute drafting teams in the league. That is why it is now hard for me to express how much I dislike their 2018 draft class. I believe that when a team trades away their first round pick, it is all the more of an imperative that they aim for upside with their next few picks, as with expectations already lowered, they can only gain. There is very little upside in this class, and relatively little value in the picks they made. This does not mean that I hate the picks or cannot see a path to the NHL for any of the players whose names they called out, but as a group, I don’t see it. If anything, they targeted physicality over skill, a tactic I have a hard time getting behind.

Second rounder David Gustafsson is a decent pick at that spot. He is not the best skater, but he is strong on the puck, demonstrates a high hockey IQ and is big and effectively powerful. He spent the bulk of his draft year in the SHL and plays a mature game. He projects to third line upside. Their next pick, Nathan Smith of Cedar Rapids, was a real head scratcher, though. A second year eligible with a late birthday, Smith is a decent playmaker who plays a somewhat gritty game, but is a mediocre skater whose reads need a lot of work. To be fair, it was only the first year the Tampa native spent outside of Florida, so he may have more upside than his performance suggests, but I have never seen it.

After sitting out the fourth round, the Jets picked up two decent blueline prospects in the fifth round in Declan Chisholm and Giovanni Vallati, both OHL products. Chisholm, from Peterborough, is a good skater and has some puck moving acumen, but was held back by injury and a poor Petes team this year. Kitchener’s Vallati is an even better skater, who flashes high end IQ and a more physical game. For my money, the Vallati pick was the best value the Jets got in Dallas. I might have been more forgiving of their draft class had they selected Vallati with their third rounder and Nathan Smith with the late fifth rounder. Both Chisholm and Vallati have decent third pairing projections. In the sixth round, Winnipeg selected second time eligible Jared Moe, a big netminder who split the crease in Waterloo with Philadelphia prospect Matej Tomek, who he outperformed. Like Nathan Smith, this was Moe’s first season out of the high school ranks. Moe should have the crease in Waterloo to himself next year before going to Minnesota.

The Jets saved their toughest pick for the end, drafting Okotoks pugilist Austin Wong. Wong had decent, but not eye-catching offensive numbers for the AJHL, but one look at the PIM column lets you know wat kind of player the Jets are adding. He is one of, if not the most, physical player in the entire draft class. Of course, there are drawbacks to that style, often leaving his team shorthanded. If he can tone it down just a bit and work on his skating, he could be OK, but he seems more like a 1980s throwback as is. After drafting high end skill for a number of years, the Jets might have taken a step in the wrong direction with these picks, even if some of them hit their best-case projections.

OFP – 50.5

What follows is a simple, binary ranking of the draft classes of 2018. While member will have access to the analysis that went into this list, we are here including only team names and draft class OFP, based somewhat loosely on the grading system we use to rank players. We believe that this approach is far more realistic in terms of the differences in draft classes, as giving letter grades provides a very false assessment – especially so close to the draft itself – as the difference between the best and worst draft classes without the benefit of hindsight is rather small.

Here is an explanation of our grades - A note on the 20-80 scale. We look at five attributes (skating, shooting, puck skills, hockey IQ and physicality) for skaters and six for goalies (athleticism/quickness, compete/temperament, vision/play reading, technique/style, rebound control and puck handling). Each individual attribute is graded along the 20-80 scales, which includes half-grades. The idea is that a projection of 50 in a given attribute meant that our observer believed that the player could get to roughly NHL average at that attribute at maturity.

Also note that the OFPs here do not grade on a curve of where a team drafted, or how often they drafted, but only on the level of talent brought into the fold. Enough talk, you can judge for yourself.

T1. Detroit Red Wings - 55

T1. New York Islanders - 55

3. Buffalo Sabres - 54

T4. Colorado Avalanche – 53.75

T4. Los Angeles Kings – 53.75

T4. Edmonton Oilers – 53.75

7. Vancouver Canucks – 53.5

T8. New York Rangers – 53.25

T8. Chicago Blackhawks – 53.25

T8. Anaheim Ducks – 53.25

11. Carolina Hurricanes - 53

T12. Arizona Coyotes – 52.75

T12. Montreal Canadiens – 52.75

T12. Toronto Maple Leafs – 52.75

T12. Florida Panthers – 52.75

T12. Ottawa Senators – 52.75

T17. New Jersey Devils – 52.5

T17. Philadelphia Flyers – 52.5

T17. Dallas Stars – 52.5

T20. Columbus Blue Jackets – 52.25

T20. Pittsburgh Penguins – 52.25

22. Boston Bruins - 52

T23. Vegas Golden Knights – 51.5

T23. Washington Capitals – 51.5

25. Minnesota Wild – 51.25
26. St. Louis Blues - 51
27. Nashville Predators – 50.75
28. Winnipeg Jets – 50.5
29. Calgary Flames – 50.25
30. Tampa Bay Lightning - 50
31. San Jose Sharks – 49.75

We are proud to release the 2018-19 Hockey Pool Yearbook. It is our 24th year of publication and remains an essential resource for hockey fans.

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It will contain:

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• McKeen's 2018 NHL Draft Guide (Published June 2018)
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• Player updates from rotowire.com as they happen

The Anaheim Ducks have qualified for the postseason nine times out of the last 11 seasons, and for seven consecutive campaigns. Over the past four seasons, they have advanced to the Western Conference Final twice. The point being, the Ducks almost never have a high first-round selection, with only two top-ten picks (Hampus Lindholm at sixth in 2012 and Nick Ritchie at tenth in 2014) since 2005.

So obviously, for a perennial contender like the Ducks, the most important thing they can do to remain relevant and get a constant influx of youthful depth in the NHL is scout and pick well in the later rounds of the draft. Lucky for fans in Orange County, the orange and black have been stellar in finding talent late into the draft.

From the fourth round on, they've nabbed Troy Terry, Josh Manson, Ondrej Kase, and Sami Vatanen (since traded for Adam Henrique) in the past decade. Of course, there's luck involved in cashing out on late-round steals, but this is a trend with way too much convincing evidence to write it off as pure fortune. Having talented youngsters coming in and helping to extend the dwindling prime of established superstars Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry will pay dividends in prolonging Anaheim's competitive window.

They've done it with defense -- snagging skilled d-men like Lindholm, Cam Fowler, and Brandon Montour -- but now the focus evidently has turned to the forwards. The top five prospects on this list, as well as eight of the top ten, play up the ice, including dynamic first-rounders like Sam Steel. Tacking forwards onto the currently-assembled NHL roster is essential, as the Ducks finished 16th -- last amongst postseason teams -- in goals for in 2017-18.

With defense locked down and forwards on the rise, goaltending should be a concern. They have two goaltenders in the top 20, both are under 20 years old, with neither sitting in a top ten position. However, with the eight-year extension of borderline elite starting goaltender John Gibson, they have time to wait. Their only worry right now is the one they are addressing, and with the Ducks' adept ability to produce quality forwards through their AHL affiliate in San Diego, all will work out.

Sam Steel

1 Sam Steel, C (30th overall, 2016. Last year: 1st) One the most complete prospects in the game, Steel's foray into the professional hockey ranks will begin this year, be it with Anaheim or with AHL San Diego. Steel's 2017-18 campaign was abridged due to injuries, but the playmaking center paced all WHL players in points the year prior with 131. The former first-round selection has unreal rink senses and creativity and can be dangerous with and without the puck thanks to his play-reading smarts and his positioning. He's a stellar skater with plus acceleration and has developed his shot into a formidable scoring option. All that needs to improve are his size and strength. With question marks floating around the health of Ryan Kesler, Steel could see top-nine minutes with the Ducks right out of training camp.

2 Isac Lundestrom, C (23rd overall, 2018. Last year: IE) A creative two-way player with pro-level rink discipline, Lundestrom was one of just eight centers selected in the first round of June's entry draft and might be the most mature and smart of them all. Having already completed two seasons in the SHL, the 18-year-old is very responsible with the puck and has great timing down already. Lundestrom has a knack for finding open passing lanes and exposing poor positional play from the opposition and has a strong frame that makes his play on the puck better. He isn't a forceful offensive player, and his issue with compiling points (just 15 in 42 games in 2017-18) is due to a lack of assertiveness; he's imaginative with the puck and has soft hands but is too concerned with defensive efforts to give it his all in the o-zone.

3 Troy Terry, RW (148th overall, 2015. Last year: 5th) Known for his shootout heroics on the World Junior stage, Troy Terry's ridiculously quick hands and innovation with the puck on his stick has translated well in other facets of the game. The former NCAA champion with Denver uses his phenomenal puck-handling to get past defenders and his patient but lethal shooting ability to snipe pucks past fooled goaltenders. His positioning is solid, and his two-way game has been steadily improving over time. Leaving the college ranks before his senior year, the 20-year-old signed his entry-level deal with Anaheim and will likely begin the season with San Diego. All he needs to do is get stronger and grow into his 6-1" frame, but much like Ondrej Kase, the Ducks have found themselves a steal of a late-round winger.

4 Maxime Comtois, LW (50th overall, 2017. Last year: 7th) Projected as a first-round pick back in 2017, the QMJHL star dropped to the Ducks at 50th overall and has worked on rounding out his game with Victoriaville since his draft season. Always a strong scoring threat, Comtois posted a team-high 85 points this season while boasting a better defensive game than ever. He plays a very physical game in the offensive zone and out and leverages that size and grit to his advantage to generate scoring opportunities for his team with strong possession-play and great balance. He's a decent skater, has good hands, and is exceptional in terms of positional play. Whether his scoring touch will translate to the NHL is the only question left to answer, as the remainder of his game is refined and mature.

Benoit Olivier-Groulx

5 Benoit-Olivier Groulx, C (54th overall, 2018. Last year: IE) With a long-time hockey head coach for a father, Benoit-Olivier Groulx comes with the hockey sense and coachability you might expect. Add that to his quality physical game, his strong and accurate wrist shot, and his adaptability into a variety of roles and game styles, and you have a quality second-round pick. The Ducks nabbed the center from Halifax (where he was formerly the number-one pick in the QMJHL draft) at 54th in June, though Groulx was projected by many as a top-40 prospect. His skating is flawed, and he isn't much of a scorer, but he processes the game extremely fast and never makes an irresponsible play. As someone who can play the wing just as well as he plays center, Groulx looks to be a middle-six physical forward with some penalty kill usage.

6 Josh Mahura, D (85th overall, 2016. Last year: 10th) In a system chock full of mobile, puck-moving defensemen, Josh Mahura fits right in. After a torn MCL in his draft year limited the left-hander to just two WHL games, he has since exploded and become point-per-game blueliner with Regina, where he was third in team points last season. He's a fearsome offensive presence who always wants the puck on his stick, and whether that be to shoot or pass, you can be confident it's heading to the right place. He has tremendous vision and a sizzler of a shot, and as the 20-year-old slides into pro play, he'll work on the one thing that ails him: d-zone coverage and zone-entry defense.

7 Blake McLaughlin, LW (79th overall, 2018. Last year: IE) A University of Minnesota commit, Blake McLaughlin is a smart and skilled undersized forward with the vision to match the best playmakers of his 2018 draft class. He was one of few players on a dysfunctional Chicago Steel to routinely create dangerous opportunities, and he does so with his determination, hockey sense, and great tape-to-tape passing skills. McLaughlin has quick hands and holds his own defensively, allowing for potential as a penalty killer at higher levels. A top-40 prospect in our draft guide, the 18-year-old lefty fell due to his inconsistency and his size deficiencies but can workshop the two in the NCAA ranks.

8 Max Jones, LW (24th overall, 2016. Last year: 4th) After injury ravaged his 2017-18 season, Max Jones understandably fell in our rankings compared to last season. Nonetheless, the former first-rounder is a strong, sturdy, and skilled power forward with a goal scorer's acumen and superb wheels. The Kingston Frotenacs winger plays with an angry and feisty demeanor for better or worse (he's twice been suspended for 10+ games in his OHL career) but when he's feeling it, that explosive swagger pays off for him and his linemates. Jones needs to stay healthy as he begins to transition to the AHL and NHL ranks, and additionally, work on staying cool and becoming less prone to penalties. Otherwise, he has the skill and speed to match his fellow first-rounders.

9 Antoine Morand, C (60th overall, 2017. Last year: 9th) Much like Steel, Morand's game revolves around his hockey sense and vision on offense. An assist machine, he has totaled 70 or more points in each of his last two seasons in the QMJHL, while leading Acadie-Bathurst in points this past season. He has good straight-ahead speed, swift hands, a decent finishing touch, and great stick skills. He will need to clean his two-way game up a bit and add more muscle to his slight frame before any move to the pro ranks occurs, but his speed and offensive firepower as a grade A setup man suggests a sure NHL future.

Jacob Larsson

10 Jacob Larsson, D (27th overall, 2015. Last year: 3rd) Jacob Larsson still has a little while to go before the book comes out on him, but he may not be the dynamic offensive defenseman the Ducks drafted him as. Thankfully, with a good core of young d-men at the NHL level, Anaheim has the luxury of waiting on Larsson to improve. He is a gifted skater with poetic pure movement on his feet, boasts fast hands, and possesses NHL-ready size. The Swede puts himself into trouble too often with poor passes and needlessly long shifts, and really, the points are coming like they should for a blueliner with as much pure skill as Larsson (16 in 50 games for San Diego). His flaws are coachable things, but at 21, defensemen of Larsson's pedigree generally have those things down by then.

11 Olle Eriksson Ek, G (153rd overall, 2017. Last year: 11th) With John Gibson locked up long-term, Anaheim has time to wait for their goaltending prospects to fully mature and come to fruition. At just 19, Eriksson Ek has a long way to go, but a whole bunch of raw skill upon which to build. One good sign in his development is his presence as a regular in the SHL at his young age. At 6-3" and 186lbs, he's big and only getting bigger, and when you couple that pure size with his plus athleticism and strong play-reading abilities, you have a near-complete goaltender. The Swede will be given tons of opportunities down the road as the top young goalie in the system.

12 Lukas Dostal, G (85th overall, 2018. Last year: IE) Of course, competition breeds excellence, and Lukas Dostal is the perfect prospect to help push Eriksson Ek out of his comfort zone. An undersized netminder, Dostal was worth the gamble of a third-round pick in June by virtue of his unwavering compete level and above-average athleticism. At 18, he is not the most technically refined goaltender, but he moves well laterally and is calm enough to keep his focus square on the puck. Dostal has one of the highest ceilings out of goaltenders selected in 2018's draft, and his success as an 18-year-old in the second Czech men's league (2.43 GAA, .921 Sv%) is promising.

13 Jack Badini, C (91st overall, 2017. Last year: 12th) Jack Badini is a coach's dream. The Harvard center is already an accomplished one, having led USHL Chicago in goals and playoff scoring during 2016-17's Clark Cup run, but his smarts and willingness to play in a variety of roles makes him one of the most valuable players in a pretty loaded Crimson lineup. Badini just does whatever he's asked; he's a middle-six, penalty-killing checking line forward in one game, and a top-six goal scoring threat the next. He has great speed, energy, size, and hockey smarts. The 19-year-old is a long-term project at Harvard but has a lot of unteachable qualities down.

14 Kevin Roy, LW (97th overall, 2012. Last year: 6th) One of the most dangerous forwards in the San Diego lineup over the past two seasons, Kevin Roy made his NHL debut with the Ducks last season and fared well, scoring six goals in 25 games as a bottom-six winger. Roy has tremendous puck skills and a heads-up gameplay style that can casually spring his linemates out for easy chances, as well as beat defenders in one-on-one situations. He's a bit of a one-trick pony in that his positioning and defensive game is less than stellar, and on account of this, he isn't really a weapon away from the puck. However, the 25-year-old has enough raw skill for the Ducks to utilize him well as a depth scorer.

Kalle Kossila

15 Kalle Kossila, C (Free Agent Signing: March 30, 2016. Last year: 15th) A near point-per-game player in the AHL last season, Kalle Kossila is supremely skilled and mature enough to take on a depth NHL role in the blink of an eye. The undrafted forward, formerly of St. Cloud State fame, has unreal vision and near-elite passing skills that always have the puck moving in the right direction. He is more of a setup man than a shooter, but his wrist shot is heavy and accurate, and his positioning for quick shots when away from the puck is solid. He isn't a two-way player, but he's experienced enough to stay away from risky passes and unnecessary turnovers. Kossila also plays with a pretty greasy physical element that allows him to round out his checking-line forward ceiling. He's the perfect bottom-six depth scoring threat for a contending NHL team like Anaheim.

16 Andy Welinski, D (83rd overall, 2011. Last year: 13th) Andy Welinski has no single dynamic skill, but he's one of those old school defensemen that does all the little things well enough to ensure a roster spot. After four full years at Minnesota-Duluth, he charged into the AHL and has used his above-average skating ability, fiery point shot, high hockey IQ, and exceptional defensive-zone coverage to potentially earn an NHL job with Anaheim as soon as this season. At 25, the right-hander truly has no additional development to do, and his ceiling as a bottom-pair defensive defenseman has been reached; it's up to the Ducks to decide if they want to plug the solid and sturdy 2011 draft pick into a splendid defensive core.

17 Jack Kopacka, LW (93rd overall, 2016. Last year: 14th) Jack Kopacka may not have the highest ceiling of the prospects listed here, but his energy and goal-scoring touch provide some enticing potential for the future. The speedy winger has an electric set of shots, can get a chance on net from a variety of ridiculous angles, and connects on a bunch of those shots, scoring 30+ goals in each of the past two campaigns with the OHL's Sault Ste. Marie. He's also a hard-working winger who can create his scoring opportunities on his own and do it the hard and physical way with his 6-3" body. Kopacka has a year of junior eligibility left, where he will -- for his sake -- work on his backchecking and puck-possession ability.

18 Giovanni Fiore, LW (Free Agent Signing: April 18, 2017. Last year: Unranked) An enigmatic winger out of junior, not many looked at Fiore as a legitimate prospect entering and during his first pro season, but a quality debut year in the AHL erased some of the question marks around him. Fiore is a graceful skater with impressive offensive vision and used those skills to score 18 goals and 12 assists with the Gulls last season after a 52-goal final junior campaign. He clearly has a natural goal scorer's most important traits, including an untiring determination to drive right to the net with the puck and employ his plus finishing skills to pot a goal. He seems to be a pure scoring player with a lack of versatility, but he's a guy that can create his chances solo and provide matchup problems for the defense.

19 Marcus Pettersson, D (38th overall, 2014. Last year: 17th) Maybe Marcus Pettersson never reaches the talent ceiling a high second-round pick should have, but Ducks fans got to see firsthand how smart and calm the big, lofty defenseman is. Pettersson held his own in 22 games with the Ducks and played top-pair minutes with the Gulls when he was down in the AHL. He's an extremely responsible, no-risk defensive defenseman with good reads, great gap control, and solid use of his advantage in size. He has fine instincts and is always on to defend late leads for San Diego. Pettersson will never be a go-to offensive option, but with Cam Fowler and Hampus Lindholm around, he doesn't need to be.

20 Kyle Olson, RW (122nd overall, 2017. Last year: 8th) Though he only played in 36 games with Tri-City of the WHL, Kyle Olson's point total from his draft year fell off a cliff, going from 57 to 18. The undersized but energetic forward has a chance to redeem himself this season with the Americans, however, as the 19-year-old's strong wrist shot, solid two-way gameplay, and impressively tough physical game for someone his size make him a good bet for a big rebound year. He plays with fearlessness and more greasiness than his 5-10", 161lb frame naturally provides, and competes with high effort levels on the Tri-City PK. He needs to stay healthy and consistent to remain on the Ducks' radar going forward.

Review/State of Play - Finished with their fifth straight 100 point season getting swept in the first round by San Jose after making it to the conference finals two out of the three previous years. It was an impressive achievement given injuries would plague their veteran players with Ryan Getzlaf, Ryan Kesler, Corey Perry and Cam Fowler all missing meaningful time. They represent $30.25 million in cap space and a significant factor in any further success this season. There have been some promising young pieces emerging, but the window is closing on this forward group.

GM Bob Murray largely stood pat over the summer except for minor depth additions, despite professing the need to become a faster team. Faithful to coach Randy Carlyle, often the target of criticism for a throw back style of coaching that doesn’t seem to fit the offseason narrative of Murray.  In the bottom of the third of the league in CF% with 48.62, he may succeed in getting the club into the postseason, but are they built to succeed, particularly when other strong teams have added significant pieces to challenge?

Anaheim Ducks center Rickard Rakell (67)

Growing internally – There were some encouraging signs of internal growth of younger players. Rickard Rakell definitively established that last season’s breakout was real and hit new highs in goals (36) and points (69) to lead the team in scoring, after Getzlaf had the honor for the prior six seasons. He finished 10^th in the league in 5v5 goals with 22. He tied for third last season with 26 and is behind only Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews over the two seasons combined. He led the team in scoring with eight goals on an anemic Anaheim power play (tied for second last in power play goals scored).

The emergence of young defenders 26-year-old Josh Manson and 24-year old rookie Brandon Montaur as impactful regulars was key last season. Manson led the backend in scoring with 37 points, all but one of them coming at even strength. He also anchors the shutdown pairing alongside 24-year-old Hampus Lindholm and led the team in shorthanded time on ice. Montour produced 32 points and played over twenty minutes a game leading the team in power play time on ice and points (18). They form one of the strongest core of young defenders in the league when including 26-year-old Cam Fowler.

The biggest development last season came from 24-year old goaltender John Gibson. He turned in an outstanding season and was one of the best keepers in the league from January on posting the leagues second best save percentage (0.937) and third in GAA (1.95) for goalies who played 10 games or more – he was first among tenders who had played 20 games. He was instrumental in keeping the franchise playoff bound and among the top ten teams in the league.

The spectre of age and injury loom - Corey Perry is drawing a cap hit of $8.625 million and at 33 years of age his 30 goal seasons appear to be over after not achieving 20 in the past two seasons. A rebound may be a reach, and his contract remains an albatross with a no trade clause. Ryan Kesler, also 33 years old, had a tough season after hip surgery and a December debut. He did not seem to get back to form entirely by seasons end and there are reports he is in intensive rehab and talk of missing the season entirely. Patrick Eaves missed all but two games last season and whether he can contribute at his past level remains to be seen.

Adam Henrique at 28-years-old added some depth up the middle after being acquired for Sami Vatanen and scored 20 goals for the Ducks in the final 57 games. He brings speed, work ethic and good hockey sense entering his prime. He rounds out a solid experienced group up front. They signed 30-year-old Brian Gibbons on a one year contract in the offseason - having previously played and showed chemistry with Adam Henrique.

Outlook - They enter this season with a similar line up to last season but did add experience and depth on the back end in Andrej Sustr and Luke Schenn, both on low cost one-year contracts ($1.3 million and $800,000 respectively). They replace veteran Francois Beauchemin.

Third in the league in goals against with an improved defense and three solid lines up front when healthy the Ducks have some factors in their favour for another appearance in the playoffs. A sweep in the playoffs exposed their lack of speed and could not produce offense when called upon.

They have made no significant improvements to a weak offense that is reliant on an aging superstar. The power play in desperate need of help did not receive any. The are placing their hopes that a healthy Eakins and Kesler along with general good health amongst the veterans along with an emerging young group will carry them further. A strategy that should see a further, if slow, decline this season.

This year I was fortunate enough to fill my August with a bit of high end hockey as the Hlinka/Gretzky tournament made its North American debut in Edmonton and Red Deer. While I didn’t get to the Edmonton games I watched the medal round on TV and watched a very entertaining pool in Red Deer in which the Russians outclassed the rest. I will only comment on players that I have seen live at the tournament so I will not have anything about the young Swedes who took the tournament by storm (Lucas Raymond, Alexander Holtz, Tobias Bjornfot), the Slovaks lead by Maxim Cajkovic or the Swiss who had a weaker roster than usual. I will speak on Canada though as I watched them in an exhibition game and all through the medal round.

Team Canada

Dylan Cozens uses his size very effectively all over the ice. He is particularly dangerous along the wall where he can engage physically and make skilled plays towards the net. His speed is impressive on the rush and he uses his frame to protect the puck when he drives the net. High end vision and playmaking as well as being a good right shot round out his offensive skills. He is also good in the faceoff circle making him a very attractive guy near the top of most draft boards. His controversial goal in the semifinal against the USA shows his ability to find space and open ice and his ability to get off his shot off under pressure.

Alexis Lafreniere, despite being one of the youngest 2001 born players in the tournament, stood out as one of the most dynamic. There is elite playmaking, vision and skating. He can control the puck in all circumstances and handles puck pressure extremely well. The poise he displays with the puck on his stick is a treat to watch. He led the tournament in scoring and is likely first overall in the 2020 draft.

Kirby Dach has a good frame and was very successful slotting out on the wing despite being a natural center. The vision and playmaking skills at top speed are what impress the most with Dach. His shot has been an underutilized part of his game but he has a great one and it was on display in this tournament. He protects the puck extremely well and is capable of beating players one on one. He has good hands and his vision is exceptional.

Bowen Byram has shown more dynamic qualities to his game then in my viewings from last season. He was willing to make plays with the puck on his stick while holding the blue line that I had not seen in him last season. He created a number of opportunities for his teammates by making smart puck plays, looking off defenders and then making a tape to tape pass. In addition to that he is a minute munching defender who controls his gaps very well and closes out his opponents well in his own zone. He is stable and reliable in his own zone and can carry the puck out or deliver a perfect pass to his outlet guy. His confidence in his offensive game this year over last was the most noticeable.

USA

Josh Groll earned more minutes game by game with his very effective North/South game. Groll was relentless on the fore-check, creating opportunities by throwing his body around recklessly. He was quick to loose pucks and created constant pressure that few defenders were able to handle. As the tournament wore on he established himself on the PK with his good puck pursuit and active stick. He showed good chemistry with another surprise performer in Nicholas Robertson.

Robertson was able to show his good finishing qualities and nose for the net leading the American squad with 4 goals. His effort around the ice made him an in your face player throughout the tournament. His first step quickness made him elusive along the wall where he was able to cycle the puck almost at will with his linemates. While the USA may have had more skilled players on the roster, Robertson was able to carve out a top six role for himself through his play. On the PK he battled hard to get out to the points to take away shots.

Mitchell Miller impressed as an undersized puck moving defender with a bit of an abrasive side.  His most noticeable skills were his passing and vision as he was able to move the puck around the offensive zone really well. He showed some great vision setting up a few goals on the powerplay. In his own zone he competed hard despite being a bit overmatched physically and finished his checks when he had the chance. He got caught up a couple of times but he was quick to hustle back where his skating showed well. His anticipation was very noticeable in pinching off zone exits. He used speed to put opposing wingers under pressure as they tried to exit the zone, which created turnovers that he quickly turned to the offensive by moving the puck.

Arthur Kaliyev showed some very good one on one skills with the puck. A few times he blew by defenders wide leading to great scoring opportunities. His scoring totals don’t reflect the number of chances he created as he played both distributor and finisher for his line. He is able to use his size well and can control loose pucks with his long reach. He skates well for a player of his size and uses that size effectively as he goes to the net.

Russia

Vasili Podkolzin was for my money the most dynamic player in the tournament. He was a constant threat to score with his high speed zone entries catching defenses flat footed throughout the entire tournament. His agility was impressive as he could go inside out or outside in on defenders while carrying the puck. Despite leading the tournament in goals his vision was impressive as he led teammates into open space with passes or put pucks just beyond defenders reach enabling his teammates to get possession. He created 2 on 1s down low by dragging the defender wide and putting the puck into the slot for a trailer. He was dangerous on the cycle as he could stop, start and shed contact very well. His release was very quick and his shot was very accurate. He scored from distance, on one-timers, off the rush, a breakaway, or carrying the puck out from behind the net. He showed a complete offensive tool kit. On the other side of the puck he was exposed a bit for not picking up his man but he was pretty good in the neutral zone rushing the puck carrier or forcing deep dump ins with his pressure.

Yaroslav Likhachyov has great hands and puck handling skills. He carries the puck through the neutral zone extremely well and can make quick plays and reads as he always seems to have his head up. He is able to cradle loose pucks very well as he reacts so quickly to the play in front of him. He has very good agility and speed that defenders in his age group really struggled to handle. He will take the puck to the net and still can make plays as he approaches the net. His passing skills are high end as he consistently made saucer passes onto his teammates’ tape.

Daniil Gutik was a force to be reckoned with throughout this tournament. Few teams save Canada had players with his combination of size and skill set. He was very dangerous along the wall and getting the cycle game started. His linemates were the beneficiaries of his good work down low as he was able to constantly move pucks out to the slot. He has great control of his body and absorbs contact while maintaining possession of the puck. He made a few high skill plays like a give and go off the boards then driving to the net that show he has good hockey sense. He used his body effectively but was not a big hitter.

Finland

Patrik Puistola was the most dangerous forward that Finland had on the roster. He went long stretches of games being contained but when he got his opportunities - especially off the rush - he was a deadly finisher. He has a long lean frame that he uses well to generate puck speed when shooting from distance. His skating is fine for his skill set by he doesn’t really have that dynamic speed or puck handling that would make him an elite forward.

Leevi Aaltonen was the most consistent Finnish forward for generating offense. He showed flashes of high end speed and agility on a few chip and chase plays along the wall. He also drives the net well but he does shy away from contact. He is a natural shooter and is willing to release the puck from anywhere to get it on net. I like the approach in some cases but his teammates weren’t driving to the net without the puck too much so it often went for naught.

Mikko Kokkonen is a smooth skating puck carrying defenseman that I thought struggled throughout the tournament. In part this is a weaker Finnish age group than the past few seasons so he had less to work with. He lost his cool a couple times and took bad and untimely penalties that pushed a one goal deficit to two. That being said, when he had space he was dangerous both with his excellent rising wrist shot from the point, or his ability to move the puck up through the neutral zone. His ability to dance along the offensive blue line is great to watch as he can make the opponent over-pursue or rotate, both of which creates passing or shooting lanes that he is able to exploit.

Czech Republic

Michal Teply impressed with his puck possession skills and his dogged effort in on the forecheck. There is not a lot of high end skill in his game but his size, frame and competitive edge made him the most noticeable player on most of his shifts. Along the wall he can use his body effectively to control the puck or separate his man from it. His hockey sense was impressive being on the right side of his man, knowing who to pick up on the back check, but also in his ability to get to open space and then use that space to create opportunities.

Martin Has is a large lean defender who has some nice offensive tools. He has a real seeing eye shot that beats the first defender over and over. His passing from the offensive blue line is good as well as he can play the top of an umbrella and feed passes all over the ice. His wrist shot has a lot of power and he is able to pick his spots through traffic. He is pretty effective defensively and can use his size to stick check and close gaps quickly. He needs to work on his skating but he can move around the ice ok for a man of his size.

This is by no stretch an exhaustive list of players who performed well at the Hlinka/Gretzky Cup but more a list of the players who stood out the most in my viewings and who have earned the standing of prospects to follow through the course of the upcoming year. Not all of these players have high end offensive upside but there was something noticeable about them most nights in the rink that stood out in a positive way that should garner more attention as their respective seasons begin.

Suspensions, a retirement, and a pair of major trades have transpired since the McKeen's 2018-19 Yearbook predictions were published earlier this month.

The following are updates to our initial player prediction totals.

Erik Karlsson, D, San Jose - Only three defensemen are predicted to crack the 70-point plateau this coming season - and San Jose now have two of them thanks to last week's six-player deal with Ottawa. The former Sens' captain gives the Sharks a lethal point duo along with Brent Burns - and helps bolster a power play ranked middle of the pack last season (16th). It's hard not to see Karlsson's point totals increasing given the superior top-end surrounding cast here - further augmented by a revitalized Evander Kane and healthy Joe Thornton.  INITIAL PREDICTION (GP-G-A-PTS): (78-14-57-71) ... UPDATE: (82-16-65-81)

Max Pacioretty, LW, Vegas - The Golden Knights lost a 25-goal scoring winger in James Neal via free agency this summer - and then snagged a replacement in last week's deal for Max Pacioretty. The former Montreal captain has hit the 30-goal mark five times in his career, but dipped last season to 17 goals (in 64 games). The change of scenery and escaping the Montreal fish bowl should aid his return to the 60-point level - a feat accomplished four straight times prior to 2017-18.  INITIAL PREDICTION (GP-G-A-PTS): (77-31-25-56) ... UPDATE: (77-33-30-63)

MONTREAL, QC - SEPTEMBER 17: Montreal Canadiens left wing Tomas Tatar (90) passes the puck during the New Jersey Devils versus the Montreal Canadiens preseason game on September 17, 2018, at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire)

Tomas Tatar, RW, Montreal - The Slovak winger reached 20 goals for a fourth consecutive season in 2017-18, albeit struggled to make an impact in Vegas after a trade-deadline acquisition from Detroit. Sent to Montreal as part of the Max Pacioretty trade, Tatar gets another chance to establish himself as a top-six NHLer. There's a bit of upside here from our initial projection.  INITIAL PREDICTION (GP-G-A-PTS): (80-22-19-41) ... UPDATE: (80-24-22-46)

Henrik Zetterberg, C, Detroit - A fantasy favourite during an exemplary 15-year NHL career, it was certainly a sad moment when Henrik Zetterberg announced his retirement last week due to chronic back problems. There had been stories all summer about his health struggles, but to have it all end just like that....  INITIAL PREDICTION (GP-G-A-PTS): (65-8-34-44) ... UPDATE: (0-0-0-0)

Nate Schmidt, D, Vegas - The Golden Knights received a major blow when their top defenseman and icetime leader from last season was suspended for the first 20 games of the regular season for violating the league’s performance substance policy. Schmidt's role should be still there when he returns - making him a decent later-round value pick.  INITIAL PREDICTION (GP-G-A-PTS): (78-7-27-34) ... UPDATE: (58-5-21-26)

Erik Brannstrom, D, Vegas - One man's misfortune is another man's opportunity - and such may be the case for rookie Erik Brannstrom. The initial thinking was he would play in his native Sweden for another season, however the plan might have changed thanks to Nate Schmidt's 20-game suspension. Brannstrom has to win a spot in preseason and earn his place in the lineup - and will likely see some AHL time as well. INITIAL PREDICTION (GP-G-A-PTS): (0-0-0-0) ... UPDATE: (45-3-10-13)

Chris Tierney, C, Ottawa - Acquired in the Erik Karlsson deal, Tierney arrives to an Ottawa lineup with all center spots - beyond Matt Duchene - open for the taking. The other candidates include Jean-Gabriel Pageau, better suited to a bottom six role, and Colin White just entering his sophomore pro year with minimal experience. Coming off a breakout fourth NHL season in 2017-18 with San Jose (17 goals, 40 points), Tierney has a prime opportunity here - and could match or exceed his breakout numbers.  INITIAL PREDICTION (GP-G-A-PTS): (80-14-24-38) ... UPDATE: (80-18-24-42)

Austin Watson, RW, Nashville - Watson made a name for himself in the 2018 playoffs on an effective line with Nick Bonino and Colton Sissons, tying for second on Nashville with five goals (13-5-3-8). However, Watson pleaded no contest this month to domestic assault charges related to a July incident - and was suspended by the NHL for the preseason and first 27 games of the regular season. It all but erases Watson from late fantasy radars.  INITIAL PREDICTION (GP-G-A-PTS): (75-10-16-26) ... UPDATE: (50-8-11-19)

Carolina Hurricanes 

TAMPA, FL - SEPTEMBER 18: Carolina Hurricanes right wing Andrei Svechnikov (37) skates during the NHL preseason game between the Carolina Hurricanes and Tampa Bay Lightning on September 18, 2018, at Amalie Arena in Tampa, FL. (Photo by Mark LoMoglio/Icon Sportswire)

There’s some cautious optimism that this might be the season Carolina ends its nine-season playoff drought, but the Hurrianes’ chances took a blow before the season even started.  Victor Rask sustained a hand injury that will cost him months and perhaps the hardest part of it to swallow is the fact that he was hurt in the kitchen and not the ice.

The one thing Carolina did better than any team last season was win faceoffs (54.1%) and Rask was a significant part of that (54.9%) as were Derek Ryan (56.5%) and Elias Lindholm (54.5%), who are no longer with the team.  Those two departures combined with Rask’s tough-luck injury have created a void up the middle that there is no clear answer for.  Sebastian Aho has been tested as a center, but coach Rod Brind’Amour hasn’t liked what he’s seen there.

Lucas Wallmark might end up making the team, especially given the Hurricanes’ need for centers right now.  He excelled in the AHL last season with 17 goals and 55 points in 45 contests.  He also got into 11 games with Carolina, but averaged just 9:30 minutes and recorded a single goal.

Outside of the center issues, the Hurricanes’ other big focus has been Andrei Svechnikov, who is fighting for a roster spot after being taken with the second overall pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft.  It wouldn’t be surprising to at least see him get a nine-game trial with Carolina so that the Hurricanes can test him out in the regular season before coming to a final decision.

Columbus Blue Jackets

When everyone’s healthy, Columbus has a strong blueline, but that ideal isn’t what the Blue Jackets will start with.  Seth Jones suffered a second-degree MCL sprain on Tuesday, which is projected to sideline him for four-to-six weeks.  Needless to say, losing Jones is a far bigger deal to Columbus than Murray.  Jones has been a top-tier defenseman for a while now, but he found another level in 2017-18 with 16 goals and 57 points while averaging 24:36 minutes per game.  That led to him finishing fourth in Norris Trophy voting.

To further complicate the situation, Ryan Murray isn’t expected to be ready for the start of the season.  Injuries have plagued Murray’s career and in this case it’s a groin issue that will cost him time.  When the Blue Jackets were only looking at dealing with the absence of Murray, there was speculation that Markus Nutivaara might be slotted into as David Savard’s partner – at least until Murray was available as an alternative.  It’d be a big opportunity for Nutivaara after he averaged just 16:02 minutes in 2017-18, but it’s worth noting that he did a fair amount offensively in that role with seven goals and 23 points in 61 games.  Now that Jones is out too, the Blue Jackets need to scramble to find new pairings, but this just makes it more likely that Nutivaara will be on the second pairing, whether it’s with Savard or someone else should Savard get bumped to the top unit.  Nutivaara might also be asked to serve on the second power-play unit now that Jones is out.

At least the Blue Jackets also got some positive news on the injury front as Zach Werenski is on track to play in the season opener.  He underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum after playing with the problem for most of 2017-18.  That injury might have been part of the reason he went from recording 47 points as a rookie to 37 points as a sophomore, so he could have a nice bounce back this season provided he’s healthy.  If Columbus had to enter the season without Werenski and Jones, it would have created a massive void, but at least it appears they’re narrowing avoiding that nightmare scenario.

New Jersey Devils

Cory Schneider had an up-and-down 2017-18 campaign, but rather than wonder if he can be consistent going forward, the more immediate question is if he’ll be available.  He had hip surgery over the summer and while he has practiced during training camp, he hasn’t gotten into a preseason game.  That puts his status for New Jersey’s opener on Oct. 6 very much in question.

Keith Kinkaid would start in Schneider’s absence and given how well Kinkaid did down the stretch last season, if Schneider ends up missing a meaningful amount of time, Kinkaid could take that opportunity to make a strong case to steal the starting gig.  Meanwhile, veteran goalie Eddie Lack is projected to make the Devils’ opening game roster if Schneider isn’t ready.

At least the Devils sorted out a different question mark on Sept. 22 when they signed Miles Wood to a four-year, $11 million contract.  Wood missed the start of training camp as a RFA contract holdout, but these events might favor New Jersey in the long run.  Giving Wood four years is a risk given that he still has more to prove, but the 23-year-old forward had an encouraging 19 goals, 32 points, and 84 penalty minutes in 76 contests last season, so if he continues to develop than he should more than live up to that contract.

New York Islanders 

Luca Sbisa joined the Islanders’ training camp on a tryout basis and ended up securing a one-year, $1.5 million contract with time to spare.  In doing so, the Islanders have created a logjam on the blueline with eight different defensemen signed to one-way contracts.  They also have Dennis Seidenberg participating in their camp on a tryout basis, but it’s hard to see him earning a one-way contract after Sbisa already signed.

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - OCTOBER 26: New York Islanders Center Mathew Barzal (13) skates with the puck during a NHL game between the Minnesota Wild and New York Islanders on October 26, 2017 at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN.The Wild defeated the Islanders 6-4.(Photo by Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire)

Of course, the big question for the Islanders going into the season is how their top two forward lines will shake out.  John Tavares signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs naturally created a big hole that no one on the team is capable of truly filling.  The Islanders are fortunate in the sense that Mathew Barzal excelled as a rookie in 2017-18, so they at least have a strong first-line center even without Tavares, but then who do they put on the second line?  Brock Nelson might end up getting that gig.  He’s been tried out with some of the Islanders’ top wingers during camp, including Anders Lee, Jordan Eberle, and Josh Bailey.  Nelson is obviously going to be a huge step down from John Tavares, but taking Nelson on his own merits, he might end up being an okay second-line center.

One player that won’t be trying to fill that offensive void left by Tavares, at least not at the start of the season, is Joshua Ho-Sang.  The Islanders have already reassigned him to the AHL, which has to be extremely disappointing for the 2014 first-round pick.  Ho-Sang hasn’t been able to establish himself as quickly as some hoped and now it seems that even the fresh start he was provided by the Islanders changing their general manager and coach hasn’t moved things in a positive direction.

New York Rangers

The Rangers will began the rebuilding process last season and gave this new era a face when they hired David Quinn to serve as the new head coach straight from Boston University.  A new coach on a rebuilding team creates a golden opportunity for young players and it looks like Filip Chytil has taken advantage of that.  Chytil has been one of the Rangers’ standouts and given Quinn’s philosophy of having his best nine forwards serve on the top-nine regardless of positional considerations, Quinn should find a way to give Chytil healthy opportunities in the regular season provided the 19-year-old forward continues to impress.

Not everyone has had as strong a camp though and Jimmy Vesey might not have done enough to earn more than a fourth-line spot out of the gate.  Vesey might be playing alongside Vladislav Namestnikov on that unit, which would be a huge step down from most of 2017-18 when Namestnikov was primarily playing alongside Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov.  Whether you feel the Rangers won or lost the Ryan McDonagh trade with Tampa Bay, it seems evident that Namestnikov was the biggest loser in the shift.

It’s also worth noting that Kevin Shattenkirk made his preseason debut on Sept. 22, which was his first game since Jan. 18 after undergoing surgery to repair a torn meniscus.  He got a pair of assists in the 5-2 loss and while preseason statistics aren’t terribly useful, it’s encouraging to see him do well after being absent for so long.

Philadelphia Flyers

It wouldn’t be the Philadelphia Flyers if there wasn’t goaltending drama.  The latest chapter starts with Michal Neuvirth, who now appears doubtful for the start of the regular season due to an undisclosed injury.  If he can’t play, then the Flyers safest alternative would be Alex Lyon given that he got into 11 games with Philadelphia last season – but Lyon is dealing with a lower-body injury and therefore also not an option.

VOORHEES, NJ - JULY 06: Carter Hart of the Philadelphia Flyers poses for his official headshot for the 2017-2018 season on July 6, 2017 at the Virtua Flyers Skate Zone in Voorhees, New Jersey. (Photo by Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Carter Hart

That leaves Anthony Stolarz, who is coming off two knee surgeries and played a total of four games in 2017-18 (three in the ECHL), and Carter Hart, the man Flyers fans are putting their hopes and dreams on.  Hart has done great in the preseason, but even so it’s reasonable to wonder if it’s really a good idea to send him straight from the WHL to the NHL?  It’s asking a lot of him and might not be ideal for his development.  The Flyers might end up having to acquire a goalie, which is something that would have seemed crazy just a few weeks ago when it looked like they had an organizational logjam in goal.

Outside of the Flyers’ goalie issues, one emerging storyline has been Corban Knight.  He’s 28-years-old, has only played in 29 career NHL games and spent the last two seasons entirely in the minors so he naturally didn’t come into training camp with any special attention paid to him.  Knight has managed to claw himself into the conservation for the Flyers’ fourth-line spot though, frequently playing alongside Scott Laughton and Michael Raffl.  Knight survived Tuesday’s round of roster cuts, so if nothing else, he would be one of the last players cut if he doesn’t make the team.

Even if Knight makes the team, he wouldn’t have a huge impact, but it would make for a nice feel good story of a guy that kept fighting long after he lost the prospect tag and eventually managed to defy the odds.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Jean-Sebastien Dea has managed to survive the Penguins’ cuts thus far and is consequently one of the final 15 forwards on the roster.  He’s coming off his best campaign in the AHL to date with 18 goals and 50 points in 70 games.  He also has the versatility to play center or right wing and kill penalties.  If he does make the Penguins, it will likely be as a fourth-liner though.

Whatever happens with Dea, the biggest change for the Penguins going into the season will be the addition of offseason signing Jack Johnson.  It wasn’t long ago that Johnson was a workhorse that consistently logged an average of over 24 minutes each season for Columbus, but his role declined in 2017-18 to the point where he averaged 19:33 minutes and was a healthy scratch in the playoffs.  With that all behind him, it looks like Johnson will enter the season on the Penguins’ second pairing with Justin Schultz.  The X-Factor there is the fact that Schultz skipped Wednesday’s preseason game due to a nagging upper-body injury.  Penguins coach Mike Sullivan didn’t make it seem like anything serious, but obviously if Schultz ends up being unavailable for the start of the season then Johnson will temporarily play alongside someone else.

Washington Capitals

After winning the Stanley Cup, the Washington Capitals made a point of minimizing roster turnover, so naturally there weren’t a lot of question marks going into training camp.  That’s led to a quieter preseason, so there has still been a couple smaller storylines.

For example, Devante Smith-Pelly hasn’t gotten into a preseason game yet and that’s reportedly because he hasn’t lived up to the Capitals’ conditioning standards.  At this point it’s not clear if the Capitals will use Smith-Pelly as part of their opening game roster.  It’s unfortunate to see this happen given that he was one of the role players that helped push the Capitals over the top with his seven goals and eight points in the postseason.  Washington felt good enough about what he brought to the table to sign him to a one-year, $1 million contract over the summer, but now it seems like he might not live up to that deal.

The Capitals might also start the season without defenseman Michal Kempny, but for a very different reason.  He’s sidelined after absorbing a high elbow from St. Louis’ Robert Bortuzzo during Tuesday’s game.  Although the Capitals have simply termed Kempny’s injury as “upper body,” it’s reportedly a concussion and if that’s true then it’s hard to say how long he’ll be out for.  Kempny is another one of those role players that came through for the Capitals during the playoffs.  In his case, Kempny logged 17:42 minutes per contest in the postseason, which led to Washington signing him to a four-year, $10 million contract back in June.  If there’s a silver lining, it’s that 21-year-old defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler has looked good in training camp and should be included in the Capitals’ final roster if Kempny isn’t available.

Boston Bruins

The Bruins have a number of veterans that have been working through injuries during training camp, which has raised some questions about who will be available for the season opener.  Fortunately, the news is largely good on that front.

Torey Krug suffered a fractured ankle in Game 4 of Boston’s second round series against Tampa Bay and that injury was still a factor when camp started.  However, he got into his first preseason game on Wednesday, so it looks like he’ll be fine for the start of the season.  His most likely defensive partner is Brandon Carlo, especially after the decision to trade Adam McQuaid to the Rangers on Sept. 11.

Wednesday’s contest was also Noel Acciari’s (sports hernia) first exhibition game of the year.  He said after the game that he felt good so it seems reasonable to believe he’ll also be ready for the season opener.

The jury is still out on forwards Sean Kuraly (lower body) and Patrice Bergeron (back spasms) though.  Kuraly and Bergeron have both been skating recently, but not practicing.  In the case of Bergeron, he might resume practicing on Friday.  If all goes well, he will be in the lineup for the season opener, but if that doesn’t happen then it will likely be David Backes that temporarily takes Bergeron’s place on the top line with Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak.

Buffalo Sabres

The Sabres certainly don’t have a shortage of exciting young players, but one that might get lost in the crowd a bit is Tage Thompson.  The Sabres picked the 20-year-old up from St. Louis as part of the Ryan O’Reilly trade and he went into training camp with a real shot of making the team.  Nothing has been finalized yet, but so far Thompson has made a strong impression with a goal and three points in three preseason games.

He’s been given looks with a lot of different linemates.  On Sept. 17 he was on a line with Alex Nylander and Patrik Berglund before firing five shots on Sept. 22 while playing alongside Jack Eichel and Jeff Skinner.  Buffalo didn’t dress many veterans for Wednesday’s contest, but Thompson was paired with Zemgus Girgensons and Casey Mittelstadt.

BUFFALO, NY - March 29: Buffalo Sabres center Casey Mittelstadt (37) skates with the puck in his first NHL game against the Detroit Red Wings and Buffalo Sabres on March 29, 2018 at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY. (Jerome Davis/Icon Sportswire)

Speaking of Mittelstadt, this training camp has been something of a mixed bag for him.  The hope going into training camp was that he would be the Sabres’ new number two center in the post-Ryan O’Reilly era.  That might be where Mittelstadt ends up eventually, but perhaps expectations were a bit too high for the 19-year-old in the short-term.  Berglund might get that number two slot instead while Mittelstadt begins the season as the third-line center.

Of course, the player attracting the most interest at the Sabres’ camp is first overall pick Rasmus Dahlin.  He’s made some mistakes, but of course he should also be one of the most exciting rookies this season.  We’re still waiting to see who his defensive partner will be though.  Initially it looked like Jake McCabe would get that job, but he was paired with Casey Nelson instead on Tuesday while McCabe played with his old partner, Zach Bogosian.

Detroit Red Wings

Detroit got some terrible news at the start of training camp when it was revealed that Henrik Zetterberg’s career is over due to a back condition.  He was one of the last remaining connections to Detroit’s 2008 Stanley Cup Championship and in that way, his retirement further closes the book on one of the best era’s in the franchise’s long history.

In contrast to those times, the Red Wings have fallen short of the playoffs in back-to-back seasons and while there some long-term hope for the franchise, the 2018-19 edition likely isn’t going to have much success.  Filip Zadina is a good example of that as the sixth overall pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft has a lot of promise, but likely hasn’t done enough in training camp to prove that he’s already NHL-ready.  Instead, the Red Wings might take advantage of the fact that Zadina is eligible to be sent to AHL Grand Rapids rather than return to QMJHL Halifax.  That would allow Zadina to get key minutes against men and still leave the door open to Detroit calling him up as warranted.

Evgeny Svechnikov might be ready though.  He was taken with the 19th overall pick in 2015, but he left plenty to be desired in 2017-18 with 23 points in 57 AHL contests.  In the long run, he’s probably a top-nine forward, but he’s put himself in the conservation for a fourth line spot with the Red Wings to start the season.

Tyler Bertuzzi is set to not only make the team, but play a prominent role.  Based on what’s happened in the preseason thus far, he could very well be part of Detroit’s top line alongside Dylan Larkin and Anthony Mantha.  Bertuzzi scored seven goals and 24 points in 48 games with Detroit last season so he’s already got a good amount of NHL experience on his resume, but 2018-19 is likely to be his first full campaign at the top level.

Right now, the biggest question marks are with Detroit’s defense.  Mike Green is fortunately believed to be over the worst of the viral infection that led to him being shut down, but there’s still no timetable for his return.  Red Wings GM Ken Holland recently said that the plan was for Green to be tested on a bike and then they’ll go from there.  As things are right now, it seems entirely possible that he won’t be ready for the start of the regular season.

Trevor Daley, Danny DeKeyser, and Jonathan Ericsson are all dealing with unspecified injuries and while none of the three defensemen are believed to be seriously hurt, they are all questionable for the season opener.  In other words, Detroit is looking at a worst-case scenario where it will enter the season without four of its top six blueliners.  That does open the door for some young defensemen to get a chance though, such as Dennis Cholowski, who was taken with the 20th overall pick in 2016, and Filip Hronek, who had 39 points in the AHL last season.

Florida Panthers

The Panthers have already made one noteworthy cut from their training camp roster by sending Owen Tippett back to the OHL.  The 19-year-old was the 10th overall pick of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft and got a seven-game trial with the Panthers in 2017-18 and there was some hope that he would force his way onto the team this year.  That ended up not happening and the Panthers’ roster situation when it comes to forwards might be partially to blame.  They have 13 forwards already signed to one-way contracts, so Tippett would have had to do something fairly special to earn a spot in that environment.

That logjam also contributed to Mark Letestu failing to earn a roster spot after joining the Panthers’ camp on a tryout basis.  He has since signed a two-way contract with the Blue Jackets instead.

There might be one forward on a two-way contract that ends up making the opening game roster though: Henrik Borgstrom.  He spent the 2017-18 campaign primarily with the University of Denver, but also got four games with Florida under his belt before the summer.  He’s made a good impression during training camp and has the versatility to play any forward position, which certainly makes him an easier sell.  If the regular season started today, it’s entirely possible that he would be on the third line with Jared McCann and Denis Malgin.

Montreal Canadiens

QUEBEC CITY, QC - SEPTEMBER 20: Montreal Canadiens center Jesperi Kotkaniemi (15) during the Washington Capitals versus the Montreal Canadiens preseason game on September 20, 2018, at Centre Videotron in Quebec City, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire)

Montreal acquired Max Domi from Arizona in exchange for Alex Galchenyuk back in June, but right now neither player is available.  Galchenyuk is dealing with a lower-body injury, but Domi is out because he sucker punched Aaron Ekblad after the Panthers defenseman refused to fight him.  Domi was suspended for the Canadiens’ final four preseason games and while that is arguably just a slap on the wrist given that none of those contests count, it does prevent Domi from properly settling in with his new team.  That lack of discipline, especially in an exhibition game environment, also doesn’t make for a great first impression.  It’s one thing to be gritty, it’s another to make a bad decision because you couldn’t control your temper.

On a more positive note, Jesperi Kotkaniemi has made a good first impression.  It was something of a surprise when the Canadiens took him with the third overall pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft and he wasn’t initially expected to be on Montreal’s opening game roster, but he might end up forcing his way on there.  In particular, he looked good during Montreal’s 5-3 loss to Toronto on Wednesday in what Canadiens coach Claude Julien described as “probably his biggest and best test since the start of training camp.”

One other player of note during training camp has been Joel Armia.  Like Domi, Armia was acquired on the trade market – in this case from the Winnipeg Jets – and while he perhaps doesn’t get the same amount of attention as Domi, Armia might end up playing alongside him.  Right now it’s entirely possible that Montreal’s top line will be Armia, Domi, and Jonathan Drouin.  It would be an interesting combination as they are three players that are old enough and have been in the NHL long enough that it feels like a stretch to call them prospects, but it seems reasonable to say that more is hoped for them than what we’ve seen thus far.  All are former first round picks with Armia being taken the latest out of all of them at 16th overall and yet none of them have done better than Drouin’s 53-point campaign in 2016-17.  Perhaps if they do remain the same line, they can help each other find another level.  That’s probably the kind of luck the Canadiens would need in order for them to surpass their low expectations going into 2018-19.

Ottawa Senators

The Senators naturally quiet a number of upset fans right now and their recent events have arguably made that worse.  First they traded Erik Karlsson to San Jose on Sept. 13, ending months of rumors.  The fact that he was finally dealt can’t be a shock to anyone and it arguably even makes sense given their status as a rebuilding team, but it’s still a bitter pill for fans to swallow and it’s made worse by the return Ottawa got, which is significant, but perhaps not enough given Karlsson’s superstar status.

One item of note that might upset some is the fact that San Jose agreed to give Ottawa a first round pick in the event that Karlsson ends up playing in the Eastern Conference in 2018-19.  That’s likely a responsible to Ottawa’s decision to trade San Jose to Mike Hoffman over the summer, which then turned around and traded Hoffman to Florida at a profit.  So Ottawa wants to prevent history from repeating itself, but then the question has to be asked: Why would Ottawa need that kind of clause?  If San Jose could theoretically turn around and trade Karlsson to an Eastern Conference team for a better return than what Ottawa was provided, then why didn’t the Senators simply trade Karlsson to an Eastern Conference team?  It’s entirely possible that Ottawa simply accept the best offer available, but it also might be that the Senators limited themselves to only talking to Western Conference clubs and for them not to simply take the best return available when the stakes are this high for the franchise’s future is a questionable decision to say the least.

More recently, Ottawa decided to put Zack Smith on waivers in a move that Matt Duchene, who is on the final year of his contract, described as a kick in the pants.  Senators GM Pierre Dorion said it was a move to send a message to the dressing room that what happened last year wasn’t acceptable, but of course, that message would likely carry more weight if the Senators’ front office’s trades dating back to the 2018 deadline weren’t so clearly focused on the future at the expense of the 2018-19 campaign.  For what it’s worth, Smith did clear waivers and while Ottawa might ultimately trade him, for now he might still be part of their opening game roster.

If there’s a silver lining for the Senators right now, it’s Brady Tkachuk.  He made the decision to sign with Ottawa rather than return to Boston University for his sophomore season and it’s looking like he might not only make the team, but play a significant role.  He’s been seeing ice time with Mark Stone and the duo could have a solid season if they stick together.  Tkachuk only celebrated his 19th birthday on Sept. 16 and we still have to see for certain if he will make the team, but there is potential there for him to be a bright spot in what is otherwise looking like a probable gloomy season for Ottawa.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Lightning fans will definitely want to pay attention to injury reports leading up to the regular season.  While Nikita Kucherov (lower body) and Tyler Johnson (upper body) aren’t believed to be seriously hurt, both are questionable for the season opener and obviously they’re two big parts of the Lightning’s monster offense.

Assuming those injuries don’t prove to be a bigger deal than they presently seem, the opportunities they might create are perhaps too short-term to really be of note.  The Lightning do have some fourth-line spots open though and Adam Erne might end up taking advantage of that situation.  He has scored three preseason goals and reportedly made strides in his conditioning over the summer.

Mathieu Joseph, who added 10-15 pounds over the summer, is also in the mix.  He’s coming off an encouraging AHL rookie campaign where he scored 15 goals and 53 points in 70 contests.  Of course, we’re likely talking about a fourth line position, so his offensive output would be low, but if Kucherov and/or Johnson aren’t available at the start of the season, then it might be Joseph that gets added short-term responsibilities.

On defense, Erik Cernak has worked himself into the conversation.  He was paired with Ryan McDonagh during Tuesday’s preseason contest and he’s impressed the coaching staff.  There’s a fair chance he’s done enough to stick with the team.

Toronto Maple Leafs

April 2, 2016: Toronto, ON, Canada; Toronto Maple Leafs center William Nylander (39) skates with the puck against Detroit Red Wings at Air Canada Centre. (Photo by Dan Hamilton/Icon Sportswire)

There’s a lot of optimism about the 2018-19 Toronto Maple Leafs, but the big question mark right now is William Nylander.  At the time of writing he’s still a restricted free agent and it’s possible, if not almost certainty at this point, that he will end up missing the Toronto’s entire preseason schedule.  He’s expected to eventually sign with the Maple Leafs and it will probably be to a long-term extension, but whenever a player misses training camp for any reason, you have to wonder if it will have an impact on his readiness for the regular season.  Even assuming he signed in the period between when this was written and you are reading it, there would still be concerns about him struggling out of the gate in 2018-19 after missing so much prep time.

Fortunately the Maple Leafs have plenty more offense anyways.  Obviously, the Maple Leafs added John Tavares over the summer giving them a second superstar in addition to Auston Matthews, but Mitch Marner is another gem of a player and has looked good in the preseason.  Not that Marner being good is a revelation – he has 130 points in 159 games after all – but there might be another level there, especially if plan to have him play regularly with Tavares works as well as hoped.

It also helps that Tyler Ennis has done well in training camp.  In a sense he’s kept Nylander’s spot warm by playing alongside Matthews and seeing some time on the second power-play unit.  Of course, Ennis will relinquish that role to Nylander once the latter signs, but it’s encouraging to see Ennis step up after enduring two rough campaigns that resulted in him recording just 35 points in 124 contests.  It will be interesting to see how things shake out from here.  Under ideal circumstances for the Leafs, Ennis might even have trouble cracking into their top-nine, but teams don’t often get to dress their theoretical best and in the event of injuries during the season, Ennis might be the first choice to get added responsibilities.

Anaheim Ducks

Anaheim Ducks.  Injury.  Those two went hand-in-hand last season and 2018-19 isn’t off to a particularly good start either.  They’ve already lost Corey Perry for the next five months after he suffered a torn meniscus and underwent surgery to repair it.  If there is any silver lining there, it’s that this presented Perry with an opportunity to repair pre-existing MCL damage.  Apparently, he had been playing through the MCL injury for years now rather than undergo surgery, so once comes back from this, he should be in a much better position than he was at any point in recent years.

In the meantime, Ondrej Kase might end up playing alongside Ryan Getzlaf, though for what it’s worth, that’s not the direction the Ducks went in for Saturday’s preseason game.  Instead, Getzlaf and Rickard Rakell were on a line with Troy Terry.  Kase was on the third line with Andrew Cogliano and Sam Steel.  Terry is someone to keep an eye on.  Even if he doesn’t end up on the top line, the Perry injury does increase the chances that the 21-year-old rookie will see significant ice time.  He excelled with the University of Denver last season, scoring 14 goals and 48 points in 39 games.

Ryan Kesler (hip) has been making progress but hasn’t been cleared for contact yet and probably won’t be ready at the start of the season.  As noted above, Steel was on the third line for Saturday’s preseason game and Kesler’s likely unavailability has improved the chances that he will start with the team.  Steel had 131 points in 66 WHL games in 2016-17 and 83 points in 54 WHL contests last season.

Arizona Coyotes

Clayton Keller

Arizona is a team that’s been pegged by a lot of people as a 2017-18 non-playoff team that might leap into the postseason this time.  That still might happen, but they’ll have to endure a bit of a rough patch right off the bat.  Alex Galchenyuk is week-to-week with what’s probably a groin injury while Christian Dvorak (lower body) is technically day-to-day, but he hasn’t practiced yet during training camp, so his return probably isn’t imminent.  That leaves the Coyotes without their second and third-line centers.

Vinnie Hinostroza or Clayton Keller could potentially start the season playing up the middle to help plug that hole.  Meanwhile, Dylan Strome might open the campaign as the third-line center.  It’s a good opportunity for Strome, who was drafted third overall in 2015 amid very high expectations but hasn’t yet lived up to them.  He’s only played in 28 games with Arizona so far, but he did excel in the AHL last season with 22 goals and 53 points in 50 contests.

The injuries might also have an impact on Lawson Crouse, who was originally projected to start on the fourth line but might play a more significant role.  It helps that he’s looked good in the preseason.  In 2017-18, he had 15 goals and 32 points in 56 AHL contests as well as a goal in 11 games with Arizona.

Calgary Flames

Going into the preseason, one of the big questions involving the Calgary Flames was the status of their top line.  Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan would compromise two-third of it – that much was obvious – but who would be the third member?  The Flames signed James Neal and acquired then signed Elias Lindholm over the summer, creating the expectation that one of those two would take that top line job.  As it turns out, they might share it.

Flames GM Brad Treliving recently raised the possibility that Neal and Lindholm will alternate on the top line depending on the situation.  That might not last as the Flames might ultimately start to favor sending out one with Gaudreau and Monahan more often than the other, but it at least seems like we won’t get a more definitive answer by the end of training camp.

On the defensive side of things, Juuso Valimaki is a strong candidate to make the opening game roster.  He scored 14 goals and 45 points in 43 WHL games last season after being taken with the 16th overall pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.  He’s looked good in the preseason to push himself into this favorable position as we approach the deadline for the Flames to submit their roster.  Dillon Dube has probably done enough to make the Flames as well.  He’s been busy in the preseason with four goals and six points in six games.  Dube, 20, had 38 goals and 84 points in 53 WHL contests.

Edmonton Oilers

Ty Rattie

Ty Rattie has 19 points in 49 career NHL games.  In the 2018 preseason he’s scored seven goals and 11 points in four contests.  That’s pretty crazy, but Oilers fans probably remember another player that excelled in exhibition games only to fizzle out just a year back.  Kailer Yamamoto had five goals and seven points in six preseason games in 2017, which isn’t quite at Rattie’s level, but it was still exciting to see coming from a player that just turned 19-years-old and wasn’t expected to be NHL-ready yet.  When it came to the regular season though, Yamamoto had three assists in nine games before being returned to the WHL.

There’s another similarity between them too.  While Yamamoto didn’t consistently play alongside Connor McDavid, the superstar was Yamamoto’s most common linemate.  Similarly, Rattie is now projected to play alongside McDavid and much of his recent production can be attributed to who he’s sharing the ice with.  There’re differences too though.  While Rattie doesn’t have an extensive NHL resume, the 25-year-old is certainly significantly more experienced and was already expected to make the team.  More importantly though is the position each player is in.  Plus, the Rattie experiment with McDavid has been going on longer than just the preseason.  In Rattie’s 14 games with Edmonton in 2017-18, he spent a large majority of his 5-on-5 ice time alongside McDavid and Rattie recorded five goals and nine points as a result.

So, there is some reason to believe that the Rattie-McDavid experiment has staying power and while we’re not expecting anything like the superstar numbers we’ve seen out of Rattie in the preseason to continue, he should be a pretty solid contributor if he stays on that top line.

On a less upbeat note, Mikko Koskinen, who is slated to be the Edmonton Oilers’ backup goaltender after excelling in the KHL, has been a mixed bag in the preseason.  That created some speculation that Al Montoya would earn the job over Koskinen, but ultimately Montoya was put on waivers while Koskinen is still with the team.  It’s not too surprising of an outcome.  Edmonton made a $2.5 million commitment to Koskinen, so they’re not going to change course before a single regular season game has even been played.

Los Angeles Kings 

The Kings didn’t make a lot of changes over the summer, but they did make one big move by signing Ilya Kovalchuk.  He’s perhaps this season’s biggest X-Factor because he was one of the league’s best snipers when he left, but we’ll have to see what he’s like at the age of 35 and after five seasons in the KHL.  For what little it’s worth, Kovalchuk has a goal and an assist in three preseason games.

There was talk of him rounding out the first line of Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown, but that experiment didn’t last.  Instead, it looks like the 2017-18 line of Kopitar, Brown, and Alex Iafallo will remain intact while Kovalchuk will play on the second line with Jeff Carter and Adrian Kempe.

As far as the bubble players go, it looks like Jaret Anderson-Dolan has managed to earn a spot on the squad.  That’s pretty impressive for the 19-year-old whose pro career only consists of five AHL games thus far, but the reason why he’s being called a bubble player is because he will likely serve on the fourth line and might even end up as a healthy scratch on occasion.  Also, even if he makes the team it could just be a temporary arrangement.  He’s on an entry-level contract, so the nine-game trial rule applies, and it wouldn’t be shocking if he ends up back in the WHL before he gets to log that 10th game with Los Angeles.

San Jose Sharks

The big story for the San Jose Sharks is obvious: They acquired Erik Karlsson from the Ottawa Senators.  With that move, San Jose arguably now features the top two best offensive defensemen in the league between Karlsson and Brent Burns.

That duo are expected to play together on the top power-play unit, but not on even strength.  Instead, it looks like Karlsson will play with Marc-Edouard Vlasic, who is another amazing defenseman and while he’s not an elite offensive force, he’s no slouch in that regard either.  Vlasic and Karlsson might prove to be the best pairing of the 2018-19 campaign.  What about Burns?  Joakim Ryan will probably be his partner.  Ryan was Burns’ most common even-strength partner last season too, so there’s no real surprise there.  That would leave them with a third pairing of Brenden Dillon and Justin Braun.

In terms of forwards, Antti Suomela has been a standout in training camp and it seems like he’s done enough to make the team.  You can pencil him in as the third-line center at this point, perhaps alongside Joonas Donskoi and Kevin Labanc.  Joe Thornton is also good to play after missing the second half of 2017-18 with a knee injury.  Because of the injury, he’s only now getting a chance to play alongside trade deadline acquisition Evander Kane.  They’re likely to be on the top line together with Joe Pavelski.

Vancouver Canucks

VANCOUVER, BC - SEPTEMBER 20: Vancouver Canucks centre Elias Pettersson (40) skates against the Los Angeles Kings in a NHL hockey game on September 20, 2018, at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, BC. (Photo by Bob Frid/Icon Sportswire)

In 2017-18, Brock Boeser established himself as the face of the Vancouver Canucks’ rebuild, but he’s about to get some company.  Elias Pettersson is aiming to break into the NHL directly from the Swedish league and so far, it’s looking like he’ll do just that.  Every rookie comes with a degree of risk, but at least going into the season it’s reasonable to view Pettersson as a potential contender for the Calder Trophy, just as Boeser was last season.

Another very promising forward prospect, Adam Gaudette, has been sent to AHL Utica though after getting a long look in training camp.  He dominated with Northeastern University last season, recording 60 points in 38 contests and it wouldn’t be shocking to see him get called up at some point in 2018-19.

Defenseman Olli Juolevi will begin the season in the AHL as well.  He spent the 2017-18 campaign in SM-liiga, but he also played in the OHL for two seasons, so he does have some experience in North America.  Probably the bigger issue with Juolevi is that he underwent back surgery over the summer and consequently couldn’t start training until the middle of August, so it’s not surprising that he couldn’t force his way onto the lineup this time.  In the long run though, he could be a significant part of the Canucks’ blueline.

Vegas Golden Knights

Vegas has been nothing if not eventful over the last month.  The first big story to break was a rather unpleasant one as Nate Schmidt received a 20-game suspension for violating the terms of the NHL/NHLPA's Performance Enhancing Substances Program.  Schmidt’s agent did assert that his client’s actions were unintentional, but regardless of the circumstances, the bottom line is a defenseman who recorded 36 points and averaged 22:14 minutes last season will miss the first quarter of the campaign.

That naturally left the Golden Knights with an opening on defense.  It did look like Erik Brannstrom might make the team as a result, but the 19-year-old will instead start the season in the AHL.  That’s probably not a bad idea given that this is his first campaign in North America after coming over from Sweden.  Instead, it looks like Jake Bischoff got the final spot on the Golden Knights’ blueline.  He’s 24-years-old and had seven goals and 23 points in 69 AHL contests last season.

The next major event was Vegas acquiring Max Pacioretty from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for Tomas Tatar, Nick Suzuki and a 2019 second round pick.  Vegas gave up quite a bit to get Tatar from Detroit at the trade deadline, but he never really found a spot with the Golden Knights, so it’s not surprising to see him be dealt again, even if it arguably is at a significant loss compared to what Vegas paid.  As for Suzuki, he’s a great prospect, but wouldn’t have been a factor this season, so at least in the near-term, this trade represents a big boost for Vegas.

Pacioretty and the summer signing of Paul Stastny gives the Golden Knights the makings of a really strong second line.  The third member of that unit is up for debate, but Erik Haula and Alex Tuch appear to be the finalists for that gig.

Finally, RFA Shea Theodore agreed to a seven-year, $36.4 million contract on Sept. 25.  He did miss part of training camp, but at least he signed with enough time to get back into the swing of things before the regular season starts.  Having him on board is also particularly important right now given the absence of Schmidt and given that his cap hit looks pretty reasonable, this was a nice signing for Vegas.

The 2018/19 OHL season is underway but it is still early enough to preview the league and converse about some potential season highlights. Who are the contenders? Who are the pretenders? Who are some of the top NHL prospects to keep an eye on? And who are the top NHL draft prospects for 2019?

The Contenders

London Knights

Liam Foudy

Currently the top ranked team in the OHL in the weekly CHL rankings, the Knights also happen to be the top preseason favorite of most in the media. This team has it all; top end scoring talent; a strong defense; quality goaltending. After getting Adam Boqvist (Chicago) from Blackhawks camp, London is still waiting on a few other stars to be assigned; Evan Bouchard (Edmonton), Alex Formenton (Ottawa), and Brady Tkachuk (Ottawa). All three seem likely to start the year in the NHL and late October is probably a more likely arrival date, if it happens at all. A safe assumption would be that London gets at least one of the above. Until then, stars like Liam Foudy (Columbus), Alec Regula (Detroit), and Boqvist will need to pace the offense. In net, overager veteran Joseph Raaymakers and Jordan Kooy (Vegas) should combine to provide quality goaltending. As with any London team, depth is a serious strength. Once the situation surrounding their top players has been given closure, look for the Knights to use their depth to acquire a few big fish to put them over the top.

Oshawa Generals

This is a veteran squad that should be considered among the favorites in the Eastern Conference. Team defense and goaltending are major strengths. At 6-1”, Nico Gross (NY Rangers) is the smallest defender who sees regular playing time, and Kyle Keyser (Boston) is a top contender for goaltender of the year. Up front, Jack Studnicka (Boston) is a serious candidate for the Red Tilson and the scoring title now that he has returned from a long stay at Bruins camp. Swiss import Nando Eggenberger (2019) is another player everyone has their eye on. Overager Matt Brassard (Vancouver) returned this past weekend too, and he should be one of the top defenseman in the OHL this season. The Generals are just a well balanced squad.

Niagara IceDogs

Along with Oshawa, the IceDogs are a preseason favorite to take home the Eastern title. Niagara has a very strong nucleus at forward with Akil Thomas (Los Angeles), Kirill Maksimov (Edmonton), Ben Jones (Vegas), and Ivan Lodnia (Minnesota), which should help them score a ton of goals. They also have a very mobile blueline, which may lack size, but makes up for it with speed, puck skill, and heart. Billy Constantinou (2019) is a player to watch here as one of the most dynamic young defenders in the OHL.

Saginaw Spirit

The Spirit received a bevy of media attention this off-season due to their recruiting efforts. The team brought in Bode Wilde (NY Islanders), Ivan Prosvetov (Arizona), and Cole Perfetti (2020). This was after they were able to bring Blade Jenkins (NY Islanders) into the fold last year. This team has a lot of depth and fans should be excited about the fact that this team is the favorite to take home the West Division. Cole Coskey (2019) is a player to watch as one of the most underrated players in the OHL. Perfetti is an electrifying offensive player and one of the top players in his age group in Ontario, as well as a potential lottery pick in 2020.

Ottawa 67’s

Sasha Chmelevski of the Ottawa 67's. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

Maybe a year early to talk about the 67’s as a potential Memorial Cup contender, but make no mistake, this team is insanely talented. Not only do they have five NHL draft picks already, but they have several top prospects for the 2019 and 2020 drafts as well. Sasha Chmelevski (San Jose) is a top contender for the Red Tilson this year after a breakout last season. The progression he has shown as a prospect has been extremely encouraging. Austrian Import Marco Rossi (2020) is another name to watch. The recent import selection is currently touted as a potential top 5 pick in 2020 and he could have a Nico Hischier type impact for the 67’s. The only thing that this team is missing is a top flight goaltender. Look for them to go out and find one at some point. Worth noting that the 67’s currently have 12 second round picks over the next four OHL priority selections. That is some serious trade ammunition.

The Pretenders

Kingston Frontenacs

The Frontenacs loaded up last year to make a run at an OHL title that ultimately fell short. The cyclical nature of the CHL means that this team could struggle this year due to numerous high end graduations. Star Jason Robertson (Dallas) is still around, but he will be a top trade target at some point. The future of injured playmaker Gabe Vilardi (Los Angeles) also hangs in the balance as Kingston waits to see if they will get him back once he is healthy. But depth is an issue, as is goaltending. Kingston has to capitalize on a few solid trade assets to recoup what was lost previously.

Erie Otters

After an impressive four year run that saw the Otters compete for and win an OHL Championship, the time has come for this team to rebuild. There are still some solid veteran pieces in place that could keep the team afloat, like star overager Kyle Maksimovich. But this team does not have a single NHL affiliated player and that hurts. Hayden Fowler (2020), and Petr Cajka (2019) do give this team hope for the future.

Mississauga Steelheads

Another team that now lacks serious depth after some serious runs the previous years. Graduations and failed draft picks (like Jack Hughes) have left this team pretty sparse in a lot of areas heading into the year. They do have Owen Tippett (Florida) and Ryan McLeod (Edmonton) back in the fold and they should both be among the best players in the league this year. However, just how long they remain Steelheads remains to be seen.

North Bay Battalion

Like Erie, North Bay does not have a single NHL affiliated player. There is some solid firepower up front with overager Justin Brazeau, Brandon Coe (2020), and Matthew Struthers (2019), but depth is an issue. This is especially true on the back-end. The lack of experience on the blueline could mean that this North Bay team gives up a ton of goals. No Stan Butler coached Battalion team has ever given up 280+ goals against, but this year’s edition may be the first. And speaking of Butler, he is currently taking a leave of absence from behind the bench and that may be bad news for Battalion fans.

Flint Firebirds

Disastrous start to the year for the Firebirds. As of the creation of this article, Flint has yet to win and has given up an ugly 24 goals in 4 games. This team has talent, like Ty Dellandrea (Dallas), Fedor Gordeev (Toronto), and Dennis Busby (Arizona). But missing on the 6th overall Import selection this year (Jan Jenik) is a big black mark and the team just cannot seem to separate itself from the drama of their ownership under Rolf Nilsen.

Five Candidates for the Red Tilson

Nick Suzuki

Fresh off being the centerpiece of the Max Pacioretty deal, the new Montreal Canadiens prospect returns to the OHL and will look to the hit the 100 point plateau for the second year in a row. He is bound to miss some time for the WJC, but Suzuki only needs 92 points to pass Bobby Ryan as the Attack franchise’s all-time leading scorer.

Morgan Frost

Highest returning scorer from last year, the Flyers’ prospect should be a shoe-in for a spot in the top 5 in scoring. There were some who felt that Frost should have been the Red Tilson winner last year so maybe this is the year he takes it home. The Hounds offense has lost some talent to graduation, but there is enough remaining to give Frost the supporting pieces he needs.

Michael DiPietro of the Windsor Spitfires. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Michael DiPietro

Reigning OHL Goaltender of the year, the Canucks prospect returns to Windsor to help a young team improve. DiPietro will likely be Canada’s starter at this year’s WJC. He is also a likely trade candidate, unless Windsor is pushing for the division. The talented netminder is one of the few gamebreakers at the position in the league.

Jack Studnicka

Nearly earned the 3rd line center spot in Boston with a strong training camp performance, but the Generals captain returns for a final OHL season and should be one of the league’s elite offensive catalysts. If the Generals are as good as many think they will be, he will be a top candidate for player of the year. His strong two-way play allows him to impact the game on so many different levels.

Sasha Chmelevski

It seems like so long ago that Chmelevski fell at the draft after a very poor draft year showing. He bounced back in a big way last year, re-inventing his game under new head coach Andre Tourigny. Now a committed player away from the puck, Chmelevski will look to lead a young Ottawa team to a championship, perhaps a year ahead of schedule.

Five Draft Eligibles to Monitor

Ryan Suzuki of the Barrie Colts. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Ryan Suzuki (Barrie Colts)

After a strong Hlinka performance, Suzuki is off to a blazing hot start as one of the early leaders in OHL scoring. Suzuki, brother of Nick, is an exceptionally talented playmaker whose vision and puck skill are game breaking qualities. As of right now, Ryan looks like the lone potential candidate for the top 10 from the OHL.

Arthur Kaliyev (Hamilton Bulldogs)

Another of the early scoring leaders is also a draft eligible forward. Kaliyev had one of the best 16 year old seasons in recent memory after scoring 30+ goals last year. He looks to round out the rest of his game in Hamilton, improving his playmaking ability and play away from the puck to match his strength on the puck and NHL quality shot.

Matvey Guskov (London Knights)

An import selection by the Knights this year, Guskov has matched the high expectations thus far, averaging over a point per game. Guskov was one of only three OHL players mentioned on Bob McKenzie’s preseason draft ranking and the playmaking Russian forward looks like a serious first round candidate come June.

Blake Murray (Sudbury Wolves)

A big, power center who is being overshadowed a bit due to the arrival of top 2020 prospect Quinton Byfield. Murray possesses all the qualities that NHL teams look for in centers these days, with size, skating, and finishing ability. Murray has the potential to be that complete package.

Michael Vukojevic (Kitchener Rangers)

Vukojevic may not be the sexiest of defenders at this point. He is not yet a truly dynamic player, but he is as steady as they come and plays the game with the composure of a five year OHL veteran. His defensive acumen projects him to be, at the very least, a terrific stay at home top four defender at the NHL level. The question is, just how much offensive ability does he possess?

The Traverse City 2018 NHL Prospect Tournament is an annual tournament that has been going on for twenty years. Hosted every year at Center Ice Arena in Traverse City, Michigan, it is the most anticipated tournament of the NHL preseason showcasing prospect teams and unsigned players as well as giving new draft picks a taste of the big leagues. This tournament presents the opportunity for scouts and team staff to get a look at how their prospects might fair in the upcoming season.

The stands were filled with fans and scouts as well as team staff looking to get a good preview of the eight participating NHL teams featuring some of 2018’s top draft picks as well as past draft picks who are still looking to prove themselves worthy for a spot on their respective teams’ NHL rosters. The eight NHL prospect teams present were the Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets, Chicago Blackhawks, St. Louis Blues, Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild, New York Rangers and the host Detroit Red Wings. Here’s a look at a few prospects who stood out in Traverse City.

Two of this year’s first rounders who lived up to the hype were coincidentally both right wingers. Czech born Filip Zadina was this year’s sixth overall draft pick chosen by the Detroit Red Wings and the German born first rounder Dominik Bokk who was taken as the 25^th overall pick to the St. Louis Blues.

Images from the 2018 NHL Draft in Dallas, Texas on Friday June 22, 2018. Photo by Aaron Bell/CHL Images

Zadina, who was drafted out of the QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads a year after Nico Hischier was chosen first overall in 2017, also from the Mooseheads, had a strong showing with the Red Wings in his first few games wearing the red and white. He immediately stood out for his overall skating ability and stride as well as his confidence in high pressure situations. He is a great two way player capable of getting back quickly on the backcheck and leading an offensive rush into the zone to set up plays on the forecheck. He is strong on the outside and rarely uses the middle for anything more than a shooting opportunity or to split defenders to circulate the puck during power plays. A smart player with the puck, rarely did he make mistakes passing in the breakout offensive zone. He is equipped with a good set of hands and a heavy shot which he specializes in releasing in the high slot, alternating from quick snapshots to one-timers which he proved to be successful with a few goals throughout the tournament. As he matures as a player, he will be stronger on the boards and his knowledge for the game will improve to keep him from getting lost during five on five action which is currently a weak area of the game for him. Zadina had a strong showing in both Traverse City and preseason play, however Detroit felt that he would be better off starting the season with the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL.

St. Louis’ Dominik Bokk was a player who had my attention from the minute I saw him step on the ice, he plays a very positionally sound game and it is fun to see his creativity with the puck. He is a big presence on the ice and as he grows he will only end up being more solid out there. Throughout the tournament Bokk was able to pick up more assists than goals which is a testament to his strengths as a player. What I like about him is his ability to slow the play down and control the passing flow from the high slot which is surprising considering he played with the Vaxjo Lakers last year in the SHL and had to make a quick adjustment to the smaller ice surface of the NHL. Bokk is strong on the boards and very defensive with how he plays. I was able to catch him in two games in Traverse City and in both games he was very capable of finding space both in the high areas of the attacking zone and getting shots off in the slot. With more experience and a full year back in the SHL, his shot will develop and he will get stronger on the puck.

TAMPA, FL - SEPTEMBER 18: Carolina Hurricanes right wing Andrei Svechnikov (37) skates during the NHL preseason game between the Carolina Hurricanes and Tampa Bay Lightning on September 18, 2018, at Amalie Arena in Tampa, FL. (Photo by Mark LoMoglio/Icon Sportswire)

Having eight NHL prospect teams playing almost simultaneously on two ice surfaces made it very handy to view this year’s top picks. This year’s second overall pick, Andrei Svechnikov, had his taste of NHL preseason play on the Carolina Hurricanes roster. Coming off of a strong performance with the Barrie Colts of the OHL, Traverse City was a good test for him. A strong physical presence on the ice, he was very adept at winning battles along the boards but at times seemed lost or a step behind the play. The puck touches were much quicker in Traverse City and the plays developed faster than in the major junior loop of the OHL. His neutral zone play needs improvement and he needs to keep his feet moving. Overall his skill level indicates that he is ready for the next level but his positional play in the neutral zone and defensive zone needs a little work, he was nevertheless able to get some quality shots off and show that he can move the puck well. Hopefully within this next year he will build more confidence when carrying the puck and make the adjustments required to play at a faster level. Svechnikov will make his debut with the Hurricanes on opening night of the NHL season.

Chicago had a fair showing in Traverse City finishing 4^th. On paper their roster looked to be one of the best in the tournament with Victor Ejdsell, Dylan Sikura, Dominik Kahun and Henri Jokiharju to name a few of their high-end prospects. This year’s newcomer Adam Boqvist, drafted eighth overall, seemed to fare reasonably well with Chicago on defence. His hands definitely stood out along with his ability to carry the puck deep into the zone to set up scoring chances. He also has good sense of timing and knowledge of when to release the puck.  On the other hand, he seemed nervous, as his passing and patience which have typically been present during international play as well as when playing with Brynas’ SuperElite team, were not apparent and instead he made a few crucial errors on both the powerplay and penalty kill when it came to puck movement and positioning. His confidence seemed to go up once he made a few good plays, and he was able to play a highly offensive game and get a few good scoring chances. Although Boqvist played very clean games and stayed out of the penalty box, there was still room for him to be a little grittier and more physical in tight to the net when keeping players to the outside. A year in the OHL with the London Knights might prove to be just the thing he needs to adjust to the size of the ice and the North American style of play.

Having touched on half of the teams present at the Prospect Tournament I will review a few prospects from this year’s draft. Next up; the Dallas Stars first pick Ty Dellandrea, drafted 13^th overall. Having been able to catch two Dallas games I looked for Ty to show up for both games but he was relatively quiet and I had to look for him because his on ice presence was not as noticeable as it could have been. He was relatively strong on the draw and good down low. He activates right off the draw and has good reflexes in the center but a year back with the Flint Firebirds of the OHL will help him better his defensive play and push him to hopefully help carry the Firebirds to earn a call up next season.

Due to the New York Rangers’ 2018 first round pick Vitali Kratzov not being present in Traverse City my focus was drawn to their 2017 picks instead. Lias Andersson (7^th overall, 2017) and Filip Chytil (21^st overall, 2017) were both heavily relied upon. Chytil stood out for his strong offensive play as well as his puck skills. He can maneuver easily and quickly down low to create scoring chances and drive the net. He had a strong showing on the powerplay and was effective on the penalty kill. Andersson was equally effective in shorthanded or powerplay situations. He was very strong on draws, winning the majority in the two games I watched. His ability to read the play stuck out as he is rarely out of position and good at controlling and slowing the play down to set up scoring chances. With strong starts to both of their seasons it will be interesting to see where these two forwards end up, with Chytil starting with the Rangers, making the opening night roster and Andersson starting with the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack. Either way, a year of development will not hurt them, as they can only develop further with both teams.

One of the Tournament’s overall standout players was the St. Louis Blues’ Jordan Kyrou. He stood out with his offensive play, his skating and his puck skills. A very high scoring forward who was able to produce both goals and assists and even picked up a hattrick in one game. Despite his relaxed backchecking ability and defensive play he makes up for it as a hyper offensive forward who gets points instead. Lethal on the powerplay when given any room to skate with the puck and any chance down low, he is an adept passer as well. It will be fun to see where Kyrou ends up, as a player of his skill and caliber, he definitely seems ready for the NHL. However, during preseason play he didn’t seem to fare as well as teammate Robert Thomas and St. Louis has sent him to the AHL for the start of the season where he will further develop his two-way skills with San Antonio.

CHICAGO, IL - MARCH 29: Chicago Blackhawks center Dylan Sikura (95), playing in his first NHL game, skates with the puck in the 3rd period during an NHL hockey game between the Winnipeg Jets and the Chicago Blackhawks on March 29, 2018, at the United Center in Chicago, IL. The Blackhawks won 6-2. (Photo by Daniel Bartel/Icon Sportswire)

Two additional forwards who stood out were Chicago’s Dylan Sikura and the Dallas Stars’ Roope Hintz. Sikura is a clever and sneaky player who was able to pick up points and go into the corners and always come out with the puck. The games I watched he occupied the wing; however he also received the chance to take a few draws which he did well on. He is a good skater with a knack for having good body position with the puck. He protects the puck well and keeps to the outside using clever and simple techniques like button hooks and quick fakes to the middle or outside to split the defence. He is a good two-way player who seems to like to pass more than shoot at times, sometimes attempting to force the puck through.  For now, look for him to excel with Chicago’s AHL affiliate in Rockford. Dallas’ Roope Hintz is a smart, energetic and big presence on the ice. He was fun to watch as he controls the play extremely well and likes to shoot and drive the net. He also excelled in defensive play and the defensive zone penalty kill. He was strong against the boards and quick off the draw despite his big frame. With a strong shot and good awareness of the game I would expect the same thing to be said about him this season where he is starting with the Texas Stars of the AHL.

The last player who stood out based on communication and smarts was the Minnesota Wild’s 2015 draft pick Gustav Bouramman who played a strong two-way game as an offensive defenceman. He seemed to enjoy skating the puck and displayed a good amount of confidence when making breakout passes, setting up regroups and shooting. His smarts are what stood out the most as he rarely made mistakes in judgement with the puck, whether circulating the puck along the point of moving it during the powerplay, he seemed to know what to do without losing his sight lines or using tactless dump-ins as a way out. A full year with the AHL’s Iowa Wild should hopefully enable Bouramman to find an extra gear when making end to end rushes or defending deep in his zone. He needs to be careful not to get pulled deep down low by passing plays, with a year of development the maturity will come and he will have another shot at Minnesota.

As a quick recap, the final game of the Traverse City Prospect Tournament was won by the Blue Jackets over the host Red Wings. The hockey was very competitive and quite a few fights broke out. The tempo was high as everyone was trying to prove themselves, so the effort of the guys listed as well as all those not mentioned did not go unnoticed. I look forward to going back next year and seeing how 2019’s NHL draft picks fare up against some of the veterans present this year in Traverse City.

There is one certainty in the 2018-19 QMJHL season: the Halifax Mooseheads have already punched their ticket to the 2019 Memorial Cup.

They printed the tickets, in fact.

Halifax is the host for the CHL’s holy grail tournament in May, and the question is, what team joins them at the big dance?

Two teams have revealed themselves to be the cream of the crop, at least on paper at the onset of the season: the Drummondville Voltigeurs and the Rimouski Oceanic.

Benoit Olivier-Groulx

But Halifax may be the best of them all, with a deep lineup throughout, led by forwards Antoine Morand, Benoît-Olivier Groulx, Jordan Maher and draft-eligibles Raphaël Lavoie and Xavier Parent. They only lack a minute-eater on defence, depending on the progression of blueliners Jared McIsaac, a Detroit pick, and Justin Barron, and a consistent starting netminder, though Chicago pick Alexis Gravel has the potential to steal games. The acquisitions of Ostap Safin and Samuel Asselin only further bolster a strong offensive attack for head coach Eric Veilleux’s group.

Drummondville’s true potential will depend on the potential return of forward Maxime Comtois. The bruising two-way forward has turned a great showing at Anaheim’s camp, and some luck with an injury to Corey Perry, into a chance at some real live NHL games that count this season, and if he were to stick in the pros, it would be a big blow to the Volts’ title hopes. The team is deep beyond him, boasting Joe Veleno and Pavel Koltygin up front, NHL-draftees Xavier Bernard and first-rounder Nicolas Beaudin on the back end, and the league’s best goaltender in Olivier Rodrigue defending the cage. Top to bottom, Drummondville is Halifax’s biggest challenger on paper.

Rimouski has the league’s biggest name in Alexis Lafrenière, who still can’t be picked until the 2020 NHL Draft. Lafrenière has already made a name for himself on the international stage, and will be looking to improve on his 80 points from last season. The Oceanic finished third in the league last year, and holding onto that spot is the least of their expectations. Rimouski was upset in the first round last March, and will look to improve on that and go on a deep run. Adding Jimmy Huntington, Cédric Paré and Olivier Garneau to the fold up front provides strong depth to an already formidable group.

Beyond the big three, there are several clubs that could surprise, including offensive juggernauts in Baie-Comeau and Moncton, and wildcard teams like Charlottetown, Cape Breton and Quebec.

Ivan Chekhovich

The Drakkar started very hot out the gate with strong offensive play, including San Jose’s Ivan Chekhovich and Tampa Bay’s Gabriel Fortier among the top scorers. Undrafted forward Yaroslav Alexeyev, acquired from Sherbrooke in the summer, has already made an impact. Xavier Bouchard leads a middling defense corps, and Kyle Jessiman joins Justin Blanchette in a bit of a loaded crease.

The Wildcats have the horses up front to do damage as well. Last season’s shot leader Jeremy McKenna returns along with Mika Cyr, while undrafted forward Anderson MacDonald, tries to show teams he deserved to be picked last June. They shipped netminder Mark Grametbauer to Bathurst, opting instead to go forward with former Drakkar and Armada goalie Francis Leclerc. Their defence needs work, but stalwarts Jonathan Aspirot and Gabriel Sylvestre head the group.

Pierre-Olivier Joseph of the Charlottetown Islanders. Photo courtesy of the QMJHL.

Charlottetown was slept on a lot at the start of last season, but they surprised and made it to the third round, where they were finally knocked out in seven games by the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. They hope to build momentum from final four finishes the last two seasons, but if they get off to a cold start, they have two of the best players available for trade at Christmas: Arizona first rounder Pierre-Olivier Joseph and netminder Matt Welsh.

Cape Breton is hungry for a winner, and they acquired 40-goal man Mitchell Balmas and defender Antoine Crête-Belzile to jump to contending status. Ottawa goalkeeper Kevin Mandolese looks to grow this season as the clear number one goalie as Jessiman was traded to Baie-Comeau.

Quebec returns with the biggest wild card in the whole league: new/old head coach and general manager Patrick Roy. Patrick is either loved or hated by every QMJHL hockey fan, but there is no denying he brings excitement and intensity to the product. He adds a few wins to any team he coaches, and will do so here. While Roy’s development record isn’t the strongest in the Quebec league, he is responsible for players like Jonathan Marchessault and Logan Shaw. Potential Minnesota signee Dereck Baribeau and Chicago pick Philipp Kurashev, too.

The league has adjusted their divisions and playoff format this season. Instead of three divisions, there are four. The Maritime Division has six teams, while the 12 remaining squads are split up into three four-team groupings.

Playoffs will be conference based with a 1-plays-8 format, but the 16 best teams will make the playoffs – the conferences will be shuffled so the top 16 will be in the post-season no matter what. This method avoids the top seeds breezing through the first round of the playoffs, and it prevents some of the more extreme travel in the early rounds. However, this format can prevent some monumental upsets, much like 14-seed Moncton defeating third-seed Rimouski last year.

Acadie-Bathurst’s storybook season last year resulted in a Memorial Cup championship, but it’s now time to pay the piper for the party. The Titan acquired netminder Mark Grametbauer to provide some stability in goal but have traded away much of the core from last season’s winning squad.

Noah Dobson on Acadie-Bathurst. Photo courtesy of the QMJHL.

One player to watch is still in a Titan uniform – Islanders first rounder Noah Dobson. The performance of the team in the first two months of the season will depend if the watch is on his talent or his future destination at Christmas time. Teams will be lining up for his services when the mid-season trading period opens up, and there aren’t many teams in the league that would refuse the best defenseman in the QMJHL on their roster for a playoff push.

Tough seasons will be ahead for Chicoutimi and Saint John, but those teams have names to look out for in future drafts – namely Josh Lawrence, William Villeneuve and Jérémy Poirier of the Sea Dogs and Hendrix Lapierre and Théo Rochette of the Saguenéens. They are all up for grabs in 2020 or later.

While there is much time between now and June on the Rogers Arena stage in Vancouver, the first name called from the QMJHL is expected to be Halifax’s Raphaël Lavoie. The Chambly, QC, right winger has great size, speed and hands to succeed at a top-line level in the professional game. He potted 30 goals last season, including a remarkable 10 game winners, and added 33 assists in the full slate of 68 games, and added five points in nine playoff contests.

He does an excellent job of using his 6-4” frame to his advantage as leverage in puck protection, and the long reach to keep the puck away from defenders. With added bulk and physical maturity, he already has the fundamentals to be a strong power forward, puck protector and possession player. He also is adept at firing a strong wrist shot off the rush on the left wing, where he can fire on his off-hand side. At his size, it’s no surprise he is a force in front of the net, either.

While he does have some center potential at the next level, he is an early favourite to receive passes on the right, or left, flank from Antoine Morand, who can most definitely dish with the best in the league. Expect those goal numbers to rise, and the attention with it, by the time the weather heats up in 2019.

Other early favourites to be first rounders include forwards Maxim Cajkovic of the Saint John Sea Dogs, Samuel Poulin of the Sherbrooke Phoenix, Jakob Pelletier of the Moncton Wildcats, Valentin Nussbaumer of the Shawinigan Cataractes, and defender Artemi Knyazev of the Chicoutimi Saguenéens.

All but Nussbaumer featured for their respective national teams at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in Edmonton in August, though Pelletier fractured his wrist at the tourney and missed the first week of the QMJHL season.

Cajkovic is a power forward waiting to blossom. He has tremendous confidence in the offensive zone to let go his big shot, one of the best available in the draft, and the speed and soft hands to give him the space needed to get it off. His speed separates him from the pack, as well. He is a leader on the ice for a young Sea Dogs team and can inspire his team with a big hit or a big goal.

Poulin is the son of former NHLer Patrick Poulin. He has had a hot start to the season with the trigger finger, and he is just as strong making plays as scoring. He already has a pro size at 6-1” and 204 pounds, and is strong along the boards. He plays much like his father; strong along the boards, in the offensive zone, and defensively where his speed and anticipation make him deadly on the backcheck or on the penalty kill.

Pelletier has a motor that doesn’t quit and a nose for the net, even with his currently small frame. He has been an emotional leader for the Moncton Wildcats since his first shift in the league, and he always works hard to the final whistle. His hockey sense is off-the-charts, as well. He is a strong playmaker and a great passer, and finds his way into traffic to shoot his shot.

Nussbaumer holds two advantages over his league-mates in his quest to get drafted – he can play all three forward positions, and he has already played against men in his native Switzerland. He had a 26-game cup of coffee with his hometown team, Biel-Bienne, last season, with five goals and six points. He is a late September birthday, which also gives him an edge in performance, though he would have been a very good 2018 pick if he was eleven days older.

Knyazev is an offensively talented defenseman who can move the puck crisply. He is also strong in his own end. He isn’t the biggest defender but can handle the speed of oncoming forwards very well and steer them where they need to go. His transition game is an instant offensive tool, and he doesn’t give up on plays.

The Halifax Mooseheads also owns the rights to Victoria Grizzlies forward and potential first rounder Alex Newhook, but even the enticement of the Memorial Cup was not enough to convince the St. John’s, Newfoundland, native to make the jump to the QMJHL. He is committed to Boston College for next season.

Last weekend, with my wife’s blessing, I packed a small suitcase and drove close to eight hours from our home outside of Chicago to Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania, to watch some hockey in the arena generally used by the Pittsburgh Penguins as a practice facility.

Of course, I didn’t make the 15 hour-plus round-trip to watch Sidney Crosby do a bag skate. Instead, I made the journey to watch the opening of the 2018-19 USHL season. The league, which stretches from Youngstown, Ohio in the East to Kearney, Nebraska in the west, had all gathered in the Pittsburgh suburb to play a series of games, such that each club in the circuit would play two regular season contests between Thursday and Sunday.

I only arrived on Friday evening, but was able to watch seven and a half games, seeing at least one full game from 12 of the 17 teams in the league. 12 of 18 if you consider the USNTDP U17 and USNTDP U18 squads as different teams, which the league standings do not. Besides, the U17s weren’t there.

When I do the math and note that I drove around two hours per game, the investment was pretty good. Factor in the ability to purchase two hard drinks after the games for a grand total of $8 (US), and let’s just say I’d do it again.

The only downsides to the weekend were an arena announcer who struggled, mightily in some cases, to pronounce player names, and sightlines that were not ideal, with netting that extends to the ceiling throughout the side of the ice on which there were stands.

While these were regular season games, as is the case with any league, a team’s first few games of any campaign are bound to be on the sloppy side. Players are still getting accustomed to their line mates. Not everyone can ramp out their focus and intensity level at the same pace. Also, while the Youngstown Phantoms were pretty close to home, around 50 minutes’ drive west of Cranberry Township up the I-76, none of the teams were playing home games.

In an event like this, where all games are regular season games, and there is no tournament feel, there are no winners and losers, although Team USA, Muskegon, Des Moines and Tri-City each won both of their games, while Youngstown, Madison, and Omaha returned home without any points in the standings.

Instead, in a scout-heavy affair, a large number of undrafted players, mostly those entering their first year of eligibility but also a few second and third timers, put out notice that they all deserve to be watched very closely by NHL scouts and people like me over the next six months or so. For a few lesser prospects, the event helped more than a few receive offers for NCAA scholarships.

For the sake of transparency, I will start the season preview portion of this article with a few words about the teams that I have not yet watched more than half a game of hockey.

The defending champion Fargo Force split the weekend, with a win and a loss. Four of their top five scorers from last season have moved on to college, but there are some players of note who have begun to audition for the 2019 draft. Michael Mancinelli, was a smaller, skilled forward who impressed me in viewings last year. A few others who have gained some notice include Swiss-American defender Cedric Fiedler, and forwards Kyle Bettens, Aaron Huglen, and Josh Nodler. The latter spent some time last year with the U17 team, but will spend this year with the Force. He also drew the most positive feedback when I discussed the team with others who were able to see them.

The Des Moines Buccaneers scored 15 goals in their 2 games, including 10 in a game that I saw a portion of against Chicago. Both of the team’s goalies have been drafted by NHL clubs and Roman Durny (Anaheim) was impressive, although Jake Kucharski (Carolina) was not. There are also a pair of affiliated players on the blueline with Michael Kesselring (Edmonton) and Arvid Henrikson (Montreal) both getting their first tastes of the league. Both are physically imposing players who move well for their size. Their most impressive player was probably 18 year old TJ Walsh, who will always be small, but is moving better than he did in previous viewings. Draft eligible to watch include blueliner Kirby Proctor, who showed good vision, and forwards Brady Meyer and Kaden Bohlsen. All three have plus size.

The Madison Capitals lack drafted players, first time draft eligible of note, and points in the standings. When I asked around, the only player who was even mentioned was defender Christian Berger, whose three older bothers all play, or have played, at the NCAA level.

The Central Illinois Flying Aces have a drafted goaltender in Mitchell Gibson (Washington) who had a rough first game at this level. After a few years as an also-ran, they look like a team worth watching this year. Winger Trevor Janicke played with the USNTDP last year, but as a late 2000 birthdate, he has aged out of the program without yet being eligible for the draft. Lynden Breen is another forward of note with the Aces. Brehdun Engum (who is this guy not playing in the WHL?) is in his second year of draft eligibility, but turned some heads after spending most of his draft season playing Minnesota high school hockey.

The Chicago Steel always draft well and while defender Casey Staum was once drafted by Montreal, the fact that he has yet to start a collegiate career means that his draft rights have expired. The team has a few sons-of and brothers-of on the roster, including draft-eligible forward Jake Schmaltz, brother of Nick and Jordan, and Matthew Barnaby, son of…also Matthew Barnaby. They also have a really interesting 2021 draft eligible in Owen Power, a preternaturally large defenseman who has game. But when scouts go to see the Steel this year, they will be going to watch Robert Mastrosimone, who is small, but plays with some snarl and thinks the game a step or two ahead of most of his peers. He may be the top prospect in the league who is not in the USNTDP.

The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders seem to have emerged from a few rough years in the wilderness, and their current roster is led by Winnipeg draft pick Nathan Smith. You may have noted that we were not very high on Smith in our draft previews and reviews last year. He has promising puck skills, but I am still not convinced that his feet work well enough, which may not be surprising considering he is still somewhat new to ice hockey, having grown up as a roller hockey player. He is also penalty prone. Of note for the 2019 draft, defender William Francis needs to work on his pivots, but has a big point shot. I am more interested in winger Grant Silianoff, who has patience with the puck and is very comfortable playing in the dirty areas despite his small frame. He could be a big point producer for the Rough Riders.

Moving on to the Lincoln Stars, we have a team with more than a little bit of NHL representation with Chicago picks Josiah Slavin and Wouter Peeters, as well as Carolina pick Ville Rasanen patrolling the blueline. Slavin is a hard working winger who has quick hands but still has to answer questions about his skill level. Peeters has a big frame in the crease, covers his posts well, but made a few questionable decisions. More regular time in net will surely help define his future prospects. Rasanen is tall and thin and never produced much in the Finnish junior ranks. He is still a bit of a wild card. The team also has some draft eligible players of note in defenders Declan Carlile and Jordan Power and forwards Josh Lopina and Shane Pinto. Lopina showed me a promising energy game, replete with strength and size and a shot with potential. Power impressed me most from this roster. He is a very good skater, enabling him to prowl with confidence. He also has a decent defensive game, standing up opponents who try to enter his zone on his side of the ice. This is a plyer I want to see more of.

Anaheim pick Jackson Perbix is the most skilled player on the Green Bay Gamblers roster. A very good skater who shows 200-foot commitment and has some skill, he is worth a follow. Looking to the future, there are a pair of late 2000s on the blueline in Christopher Giroday and Ethan Frisch. Both played with an offensive bent before joining the USHL, while the latter showed a gritty side that will serve him well as he attempts to move up the ranks. There is another smaller, skilled forward to note in Nicholas Zabaneh, himself a USHL rookie. He is the type of player who adds enough away from the puck, that he is still worth rostering even on his off days. For a sleeper, I will keep an eye on netminder Evan Fear, a 1999 to be sure, but he was among the top netminders in the NAHL last year and looked very sharp in the game I saw of him.

The Dubuque Fighting Saints have an older, more experienced roster. There are a few players who have a couple of years of NCAA experience under their respective belts already but are taking a year to refresh, including Toronto draft pick JD Greenway. Jordan’s younger brother has great size and strength, can skate and has really good puck skills for a blueliner. His decision making is questionable. Also patrolling the Dubuque blueline is Rangers pick Simon Kjellberg. For as raw as Greenway is, Kjellberg makes him look refined. The American-born Swede is big and skates reasonable well, but lacks puck skills and can be ineffective in his own zone. As his North American career has only just begun, I am willing to withhold judgement for the moment. Netminder Matthew Thiessen (Vancouver) is also moving his development forward after being drafted last year out of the MJHL. He looked much better in his second game than in his first. He keeps his glove up, has decent athleticism and absolutely loves playing the puck up the ice. There is one first year eligible of note in winger Matias Maccelli. Although very small, he has nice hands, can create plays for his teammates, and has good edges. In short, a fun player to watch. One last player to follow this year on the Fighting Saints is second year eligible blueliner Jacob Semik. A smooth skater and puck mover, he plays a fearless yet quiet game, is a trusted penalty killer and can play in all situations. What he lacks in flash, he makes up for in smarts. I suspect that over the length of the season, this here is the team to beat.

The Sioux Falls Stampede have a few interesting draft eligible players to pay attention to this year. Defenseman Ryan Johnson is trying to follow in the footsteps of fellow Southern California product Jack St. Ivany, who went from the USHL to the NHL draft. Big, versatile forward Andre Lee started hot after being overlooked in his first draft eligible season as a Swedish junior. Rangy blueliner Anthony Follmer is a St. Louis area product who impressed with his reads and decision making. Winger Anthony Romano is one to watch closely as he has a great deal of skill, offensive instincts and skating as well as a decent amount of physicality. That said, the most impressive player on the Stampede for my money was Finnish import Jami Krannila. The Sioux Falls offense runs through him as his puck skills are high end. He lacks size and needs to get stronger but his game will take him places.

The Waterloo Black Hawks are always a contending team in the USHL. Netminder Jared Moe was drafted by Winnipeg last year and had an up and down weekend, showing good movements at his best, and a lack of focus at his worst. Czech winger Matej Blumel was better in international play than league play last year, and was thus passed over in the draft. If he brings more of the offense to the USHL, he could get back on the radar this time. Among first time eligibles, big Texan winger Ryan Drkulec is an effective 200-ft player. Center Austen Swankler has enough speed to be dangerous if the rest of his game catches up. Their most intriguing prospect looks like Russian forward Vladislav Firstov, who has a nice blend of offensive tools and needs only to gain strength to be a real impact player.

The Omaha Lancers had a rough weekend and they similarly lack any drafted prospects or high end 2001 borns. A few second or third year eligible will have to suffice. Winger Tyler Carpenter may be ready to take a step forward. He plays a two-way game, with patience and poise on the puck. Defender Travis Mitchell is big and mean and uses his stick well to break up opposing rushes. Finally, netminder Vinnie Purpura plays a composed goal. He skates well for a goalie and is not afraid to come way out to play a puck. He single-handedly kept his team in one of their games and is expected to play the bulk of the games this year for the Lancers before going to Boston University.

The Sioux City Musketeers have a pipeline for talented Finnish forwards. Two years ago, it was Eeli Tolvanen drawing the scouts. Last season, the man was Sampo Ranto. This year, his name is Marcus Kallionkieli. An opportunistic winger with size and strength, he has a good first few steps and pair of plus shots to his name. His name is a mouthful, but at some point soon we will need to learn to pronounce it. Undersized winger Bobby Brink received some attention last year from the national program thanks to his plus skating and work rate, but needs to show better puck control skills. Tommy Pasanen is a gigantic defender from Germany. He plays with a huge stick and is a beast in the corners but his play with the puck can be rough. His mobility is very impressive for his size and he can pass well enough despite hard hands. Finally, Flames pick Martin Pospisil has a very good shot if he can stay on the right side of the rulebook. It is a fine line between being heavy on the forecheck and heavy in the penalty box.

The Muskegon Lunberjacks, recently the proving grounds for one Andrei Svechnikov, have another 16 year Russian wunderkind to enjoy this year in Daniil Gushchin. He is incredibly talented, but who knows where he will be playing in his draft year. Although he did not play on the weekend, netminder Keegan Karki is one more year removed from the troubles that saw him leave the USNTDP and seemingly prevented him from being drafted last year. If he keeps his nose clean, he has a number of fans among USHL scouts. Hunter Skinner is a big-bodied stay-at-home blueliner who has never scored at any level. If he can show a modicum of ability to contribute to the offensive game, he might have a chance. As far as the 2019 draft goes, Gushchin’s countrymate Egor Afanasyev is the player to watch. He played a smaller role last year, but showcased some very impressive puck skills on the weekend, scoring four times, including one beauty off a spinorama.

After close to two seasons at Penn State, Buffalo draft pick Brett Murray needed a reset and returned to the USHL with the Youngtown Phantoms. He is a very big boy, with a decent first few steps, but subpar top speed. He should be an impact player at this level and once he returns to the collegiate game, but needs better wheels to have professional impact. Winger Jack Malone plays a solid two-way game, but has yet to show the dynamic skills that would cause an NHL team to sit up and take notice. The player I expect to see take a step forward is right winger Trevor Kuntar. He is skilled with the puck, able to create room for himself to shoot and has a quick release on a hard snap shot.

USNTDP Fall Classic, photo by Hickling Images.

Finally, we come to the USNTDP. I will not mention every 2019 eligible player on the roster, but suffice it to say that the majority of them will be in scouting crosshairs all season. Everyone knows of Jack Hughes. He has eyes in the back of his head and sticking out from his ears as well. He is a supremely talented playmaker and can dominate shifts on his own. He doesn’t shy away from the physical stuff either. He is the odds-on favorite to be selected first overall next June. I will leave the comparisons with other recent top picks for later in the season. Another first round talent on this squad is Matthew Boldy. A big winger with a big, big shot, he is in the mold of recent USNTDP graduates Kieffer Bellows and Oliver Wahlstrom. He can be more of factor in getting the puck back, but he is deadly in the offensive zone. Competing with Hughes in the fun quotient is tiny winger Cole Caufield. Think Alex DeBrincat with this one. He has amazing offensive instincts, speed and acceleration. Someone will overlook his size deficiencies and take him in the first round. Blueliner Cam York played with the U18s last year and the maturity in his puck moving game is apparent. His puck skills are also high end for a blueliner. Alex Vlasic has ideal size at 6-6”, and a good boomer from the point to boot. His skating is fine at his size as well. He needs to improve his overall decision making, but the tools are there. Spencer Knight is the early favorite to be the first netminder selected next summer. He is composed, does not overcommit and responds impressively to broken plays. He is comfortable playing the puck and keeps second chances to a minimum. Marshall Warren really opened my eyes before being removed from competition with a suspected concussion. He has excellent puck control, plays with great poise, and is superb at defending his line from entry attempts. The last player from this veritable All Star squad I want to call out is tiny blueliner Domenick Fensore. Despite looking up to Cole Caufield, he is exceptionally dynamic from the back end. He is exciting with the puck, waiting out the Omaha defense in the second game to score the winner with 10 seconds remaining. He can even play a physical game, raising his arms into a hit to blow the opponent up. Players his size – especially defenders – are few and far between. Scouts will be asking themselves all year if the size of his skillset is big enough to overlook the size of his skates.

Another exciting season is underway in the WHL, and 2018-19 should be a good one. The 2017-18 season ended with the WHL’s Regina Pats hosting the 2018 Memorial Cup, in which they were defeated 3-0 by the Acadie-Bathurst Titan in the final. This season, the Kelowna Rockets have been awarded the 2020 Memorial Cup, and as the host team, trying to retool and rebuild in transition, they have a bit of work to do before then.

The WHL had some great players move on, including prolific scorers, dynamic defenders, and some top goaltenders. Now the next draft class of players is developing into prominent roles with their respective clubs, and will see more of the spotlight and new opportunities as we head towards the 2019 draft in Vancouver.

Cody Glass of the Portland Winterhawks.

The WHL was dominated primarily by the US and Eastern Division, but there will be a change in the power and balance with all of the player turnover. The US division has established itself as the strongest division over the past few years and there is no reason to think that this season will be any different. It is likely that this division will boast five playoff teams as well. Along with the three seeded division teams, two other teams will battle for the conference wild card spots.  The Portland Winterhawks and Spokane Chiefs should battle for the top spot in the division. The Hawks look poised to take the division, under the leadership of the Vegas Golden Knights first franchise pick Cody Glass, who will challenge for the WHL scoring title this season and be one of the best players to take the ice in the league. The Hawks lost two top defenders in Dennis Cholowski (Detroit) and Henri Jokiharju (Chicago), as well as forwards Skyler McKenzie (Winnipeg) and Kiefer Bellows (NYI). They have a solid supporting cast, and overage forward Joakim Blichfeld (SJ) and defender Brendan DeJong (Car) will flourish this season. They also boast two top draft prospects in defenders --Clay Hanus and John Ludvig who should produce on the back end.

Jaret Anderson-Dolan, photo by Larry Brunt/Spokane Chiefs

The Chiefs are set to push for the division title with plenty of offense even after losing Edmonton prospect and team leader Kailer Yamamoto, and graduate Hudson Elynuik (Toronto Marlies). They will be led by LA Kings prospect Jaret Anderson-Dolan (who will surely be one to watch after he returns from the NHL), Sharks prospect Jake McGrew, a nice complement of 19-year-old players, and New Jersey Devils first round selection Ty Smith who will step up his game. This season the Chiefs will also show off prospect Luke Toporowski, who will contribute with a larger role for the club.

The Seattle Thunderbirds, Tri-City Americans, and Everett Silvertips will follow up jockeying for position. The T-Birds are building and are looking to improve after a big changeover in players. The load will be shouldered by Nolan Volcan and Zach Andrusiak, who will play as 20-year- olds this season and lead the team offensively. Jared Tyszka (Montreal) will lead the blue line, and help draft eligible prospect Jake Lee. Secondary scoring will come from Noah Philp, Matthew Wedman and eligible prospect Dillon Hamaliuk. Tri-City will be anxious to get back prospects Michael Rasmussen (Detroit), and defensemen Juuso Valimaki (Calgary), but it may take some time, if they return at all. Aside from that they will have a solid set of forwards led by Kyle Olson (Anaheim), Nolan Yaremko, and top draft eligible prospect Sasha Mutala. The defence is young and could be shaky, meaning that the offence and goaltending will both have to be better. The Everett Silvertips have had the biggest turnover, losing scoring leaders Patrick Bajkov (Florida) and Matt Fonteyne, as well as elite goaltender Carter Hart (Philadelphia). They will get back forwards Riley Sutter (Washington) and Connor Dewar (Minnesota) to lead the attack. Goaltender Dustin Wolf is a top prospect and played admirably behind Hart last season. He will have his chance to be in the spotlight and shine this year. Wyatte Wylie (Philadelphia) will lead the blueliners the depth of which is a strength of this team.

Milos Roman. Photo by Chris Relke/Vancouver Giants

The B.C. division took a step back, as the powerhouse teams have slipped. Now the Vancouver Giants seemed poised to sit atop the division along with the Victoria Royals. The Giants lost forwards Tyler Benson (Edmonton) and Ty Ronning (NYR), but have a great follow up with James Malm, Brayden Watts, and prospect Milos Roman (Calgary) to lead their offence. The Giants also have a great stable of defensemen, including Alex Kannok-Leipert (Washington), Dylan Plouffe, and a definite 2019 first round selection in Bowen Byram. The goaltending is also sound with the tandem of Arizona Coyotes pick David Tendeck and highly touted prospect Trent Miner who has put up great numbers with his play between the pipes.

The Victoria Royals will also challenge for the division title, as they have a good nucleus of players, solid goaltending, and great coaching. They lost a lot of firepower in Tyler Soy (San Diego Gulls) and Matthew Phillips (Calgary), but will be led by Dante Hannoun, Dino Kambeitz, and Oliver Kaid. The back end is good with Scott Walford (Montreal), Lane Zablocki (Detroit), and Ralph Jarrett. The Royals will be backstopped by one of the top goaltenders in the league in Griffin Outhouse who will help them with their push for another division title.

Kyle Topping of the Kelowna Rockets. Photo by Marissa Baecker/Kelowna Rockets

The Kelowna Rockets, Kamloops Blazers, and Prince George Cougars round out the division, as they will jockey for the third spot and possibly a wild card. The Rockets, after winning the bid to host the 2020 Memorial Cup will have to step things up, as this season looks a bit rough for them. They lost a good portion of their team, and top players Cal Foote (TBL), Dillon Dube (Calgary), Kole Lind (Vancouver), Carsen Twarynski (Philadelphia), have graduated and the team is in transition. They do however show five top rated prospects this season including Kyle Topping, who surprisingly went unselected in last year’s draft and will lead the team offensively this season. Top prospect and projected first rounder Nolan Foote will bear a larger role and be relied on to provide some much needed offence along with Leif Mattson. The Rockets are known for turning out defensemen, and they have top rated prospects in Kaden Korczak and Lassi Thomson in the works. In goal they have Roman Basran, another top prospect who pitched a shutout in his first ever WHL game, and will share backstop duties with James Porter.

The Kamloops Blazers are looking to take a step up after going through many changes last season. The Blazers seem like they are in rebuild mode, but they will be led by Jermaine Loewen returning from the Dallas Stars. The Blazers have some young players on their roster, and the back end will be anchored by Nolan Kneen, who should be in store for a big year. The Blazers could very well surprise a lot of teams, especially if returning goaltender Dylan Ferguson (Vegas) can put up solid numbers as he should be busy. The Cougars are also in the midst of a rebuild, as they unloaded many of their assets to finish at the bottom of the division. They have a young team without any returning NHL draftees on it, but will be led by defenders Joel Lakusta, Ryan Schoettler, Rhett Rhinehart, and forwards Ethan Browne and import Vladislav Mikhalchuk. They have a top rated goalie prospect in Taylor Gauthier between the pipes, and he looks to face a lot of shots behind a weak defence.

The battle of the Central Division should come down to the Lethbridge Hurricanes and Medicine Hat Tigers, followed by the Red Deer Rebels and Edmonton Oil Kings, leaving the Kootenay Ice and Calgary Hitmen battling for the wildcard positions.

Calen Addison. Photo by Robert Murray.

The Hurricanes seemed primed and ready, as they welcome back their leaders from other camps and tryouts. The offence will certainly be dynamic with Jordy Bellerive (Pittsburgh) returning, and prospect Dylan Cozens -  who will definitely be an early first round pick in next year’s draft - leading the charge as they both push for the WHL scoring title as well. The secondary scoring will be in the hands of eligible prospect Logan Barlage, Taylor Ross, and Kelti Jeri-Leon. On the back end, Calen Addison (Pittsburgh) returns to beef up this blue line and contribute from the point. The goaltending looks solid with Reece Klassen, who should have a good nucleus of defence in front of him to help him put up good numbers. Medicine Hat should also be able to keep up with Lethbridge on the offensive side of things, as they also have some firepower up front. Ryan Chyzowski and Josh Williams are one of the top tandems in the league, and Williams is a likely first round selection in the upcoming draft. Captain James Hamblin will also provide some scoring punch, as they also show a very balanced group of forwards.

The Tigers lost offensive defensemen David Queneville (NYI), meaning defenders Linus Nassen (Florida) and Dylan Macpherson will have to step into bigger roles to help fill that void. The goaltending will be fine with Jordan Hollett (Ottawa) stopping pucks on the back end, but the defence is young. The Rebels also have some nice players returning, and coach Brett Sutter will be happy with Brandon Hagel and Jeff DeWit coming back to lead the forward group. The Rebels also welcome back Alexander Alexeyev (Washington) and Dawson Barteaux (Dallas) to the group, as they should both have very productive seasons. The Rebels have two players of note for draft hounds with import center Oleg Zaytsev and goaltender Ethan Anders, who should both improve this season with expanded roles.

The Edmonton Oil Kings have also been in a rebuild mode, and are looking to take the next step of their transition. They have a young team who will be led by Trey Fix-Wolansky (Columbus), along with veterans Quinn Benjafield and Vince Loschiavo to play along side of draft eligible prospects David Kope, Vladimir Alistrov, and Brett Kemp. On defence, a top prospect and projected first round selection Matthew Robertson leads the blue line with fellow draft-eligibles Jacson Alexander and Conner McDonald. The Oil Kings also have some young goaltenders in their net, and could help this team move up the ranks with some solid play.

Riley Stotts. Photo by Candice Ward/Calgary Hitmen.

Calgary will have forwards Jake Kryski and Riley Stotts (Toronto) back, along with defenseman Vladislav Yeryomenko (Nashville) who will all take larger roles and provide leadership for their maturing team. The Hitmen have a hulking defender on the radar as Jackson Van De Leest is a top draft-eligible prospect. The Kootenay Ice have been developing and rebuilding for a few years now, and they are showing a lot of youth, and a top end talent in Peyton Krebs (yet another definite first round selection). He will be joined by Brett Davis (Dallas) to lead the charge for the young ICE team. They will rely on Jonathan Smart to anchor and lead their group of defensemen as this team looks to improve and make a surge for a playoff spot.

The Eastern Division standings will look different. This division has been hit the hardest as the top teams from last season have had major overhauls, and return depleted rosters. After being defeated in the Memorial Cup Final, the Pats have lost forwards Sam Steel (Anaheim), Cameron Hebig (Edmonton), and Matt Bradley from their impressive lineup of scorers. They will be led this year by Jake Leshyshyn (Vegas), Nick Henry (Colorado), Austin Pratt, and eligible prospect Koby Morrisseau to carry the load. On defence, losing Josh Mahura (Anaheim), Cale Fleury (Montreal), and Libor Hajek (TBL) opens the door for Aaron Hyman to take a leadership role, and allow eligible prospects Nikita Sedov and Jonas Harkins to play larger parts and flourish on an experienced team. In goal, they have Max Paddock, who should get some consideration, as he backstopped the Pats to the Memorial Cup final as a rookie netminder and looked good in the process.

Cole Fonstad

It looks like the Prince Albert Raiders are ready to take a major leap and push for the division crown. The Raiders are loaded up front with players to watch in Cole Fonstad (Montreal), Noah Gregor (SJ), undrafted Brett Leason, and returnee Kody McDonald leading the way. They have an experienced blue line with Sergei Sapego, Max Martin, and Brayden Pachel ready to deliver in larger roles. Goaltender Ian Scott (Toronto) is ready to be one of the top tenders in the DUB this season and lead this team. They will battle with the Brandon Wheat Kings and the Saskatoon Blades for the division crown in what should be an exciting division to follow. The Wheat Kings will also boast a stellar offence and solid goaltending. With last seasons leading scorer Ty Lewis (Colorado) eligible to return, which would add even more scoring punch to this already impressive lineup of forwards.

Ty Smith

Stelio Mattheos (Carolina), Connor Gutenberg, Cole Reinhart, and draft eligible Luka Burzan will lead the charge for the Wheat Kings. The defence will be led by Schael Higson and Chase Hartje, with youngsters Braden Schneider and Johnny Lambos getting increased minutes. Las Vegas prospect Jiri Patera will handle duties in net, and looks to be very solid for the Wheaties, which will also help push them to the top of the division. The Saskatoon Blades have also made enormous strides this year, and will take a step up as well. They have some great prospects on the roster that will make their way to the draft this spring. They also have a forward group that can fill the nets with Max Gerlach, Eric Florchuk, and Josh Paterson returning to support Kirby Dach. Dach will be a prolific scorer and early first round pick at the draft. He will be joined by import defensemen and fellow top prospect Emil Malysjev who will settle in to a prominent role by playing with the likes of Dawson Davidson and Jackson Caller. The Blades also feature a top goaltending tandem with top prospect Nolan Maier who will carry the load this season after a stellar rookie season, and Dorin Luding, who has looked very impressive in his appearances.

Jett Woo

The Moose Jaw Warriors will find themselves in the mix as well with Justin Almeida (Pittsburgh) back in the fold, and leading the way as one of the top players in the Dub. Almeida will take the reigns of the offence after the loss of Jayden Halbgewachs (SJ), Brayden Burke (Arizona), and Brett Howden (NYR). He will be joined by Ryan Peckford, who looked promising last year despite being passed over in the draft. He will look to make amends for that with a good showing this year with an increased role on this club. He will be joined with fellow prospect Brayden Tracey and veteran forward Tristan Langan. The back end will miss top defender Kale Clague (LAK), but will be in good shape with a strong core as Josh Brook (Montreal) and Jett Woo (Vancouver) are back there. In net, the Warriors have Adam Evanoff who was great in a limited role in his rookie season, and will get to display his skills this year in a main role. He will share time with ex-Kelowna Rocket Broden Salmond who will add some experience.

Last but not least, last seasons WHL Champion Swift Current Broncos will be hit the hardest of all teams. They have lost most of their scoring, and are in a definite rebuilding mode. Gone are the likes of Glen Gawdin (Calgary), Aleksi Heponiemi (Florida), Giorgio Estephan (Buffalo), Matteo Gennaro, Beck Malenstyn (Washington), and their leader in Tyler Steenbergen (Arizona). The defence was also depleted by losing Colby Sissons (NJ),  and surprisingly undrafted Artyom Minulin (who will miss lots of time with offseason surgery). This team will be led by Max Patterson, Alec Zawatsky, and defender Connor Horning. The Broncos are young, and will be in development mode for the next few seasons. Goaltender Joel Hofer (St. Louis) is the only player that has NHL labelling, and will be extremely busy throughout the year and will face a whole lot rubber. He will have to hone his skills and stop a lot of pucks, but is unlikely to steal many games for this team.

I had the opportunity to go to Vaasa to watch some of the top teams in the Finnish U20 league (Jr. A SM-liiga). It took me four hours from Helsinki by train to get there early on a Friday morning. Vaasa is a city located on the West coast of Finland, founded by Charles IX, the king of Sweden, in 1611 and it is the 11^th oldest city in Finland. It is a smallish, pleasant city with approximately 67,000 inhabitants. It has a long history and beautiful buildings. The weather was fine with the sun shining during most of the weekend. Since I spent most of the time at the arena, I didn't have much time to see the city, however I did get a pretty good impression of the town as I walked the 30-minutes from the hotel to the arena and vice versa.

The participating teams at the tournament were Blues (Espoo), HIFK (Helsinki), Jokerit (Helsinki), JYP (Jyväskylä), KalPa (Kuopio) Kärpät (Oulu), SaiPa (Lappeenranta), Sport (Vaasa), TPS (Turku) and Ässät (Pori). The tournament, featuring the ten teams, lasted from October 5 to October 7. It was one of the several tournaments that will be played this season and there were quite a few scouts in attendance. The event was well organized. It was a nice bonus that there was a restaurant at the arena and the food was healthy home food sold at a reasonable price. The tournament provided me with an opportunity to see a number of teams that I normally don't get to see as often.

Without further ado, here are the players who stood out at the tournament. I have divided the players by teams for clarity.

TPS won one of their three games during the weekend. Despite missing their top draft eligible player, center Juuso Pärssinen, there were a  few players who stood out. Leevi Teissala is a smaller, skilled winger, possessing very fast hands and quick feet. However, he had a tendency to get too fancy with the puck at times, plus he was stagnant without the puck in his own end. Arttu Nevasaari scored a nice goal in the shootout to seal the win against KalPa. He has a very good shot from the slot. On the downside, his speed hasn't improved a whole lot and he still lacks quickness in his first few strides. 2002 born Slovakian Samuel Knazko had a good weekend. The mobile defenseman moved the puck with crisp and accurate passes. He processed the game quickly with the puck and didn't spend much time in the defensive end. Knazko is the type of a defenseman whose style of play would fit well in today's NHL.

Jokerit winger Aleksi Halme played in only two games. The former USHL forward showed excellent speed, acceleration and great offensive skills. However, his competitiveness off the puck and defensive awareness left a lot to be desired. He did score a nice goal in the last game where he used his quickness to cut to the net. Defenseman Santeri Hatakka was one of the better Jokerit players here and his play improved as the tournament went on. He is more of a defensive defenseman with good four-way mobility, but he also made some good plays with the puck and might have some untapped offensive potential. Besides Hatakka, Jokerit also had several other first-time draft eligible names. One of them who stood out was Rasmus Lahnaviik, who had some good moments. A highly competitive forward, Lahnaviik played a gritty game and did not take a shift off. That said, I don't think his skill level is particularly high and his agility and speed both need work. Third-line center Tomas Totro is also worth mentioning as he was solid, yet not spectacular. A quick skater who reads the game well, Totro has been playing in a defensive role for Jokerit this season.

There were not many players who impressed more than KalPa defenseman Kim Nousiainen. A skilled puck handler with very good agility and active feet, Nousianen quarterbacked the power play like a seasoned veteran. He was calm at the point and distributed the puck well. He used his stick well to break up plays and his small stature did not hurt his game much. Nousiainen made some mistakes and didn't have a perfect weekend, but the positives definitely outweighed the negatives. Center Karri Kapanen, another late 2000, was moved up to the second line for KalPa's last game. While not related to Sami Kapanen, his flashy style of play was reminiscent of the former NHLer. Very quick first few steps and made smart passes in the offensive zone. He was quite strong at face-offs, too.

Detroit Red Wings prospect Otto Kivenmäki wasn't dominant, but he clearly separated himself from most top prospects with his play at the tournament. A quick, agile skater with strong edge work, Kivenmäki is creative and possesses above-average offensive vision and puck skills. In my opinion, he should have been playing in the Liiga against men instead of in juniors. Antti Tuomisto is a draft eligible to notice from this Ässät team. A tall and rangy right-shot defenseman, he showed pretty good mobility and used his long reach well to defend. His point shot featured a heavy relase, though the accuracy on his slap shot could have been better. He was calm and composed with the puck. Good first pass out of the zone, making many tape-to-tape passes. Tuomisto is an intriguing prospect for the draft with a high ceiling.

Kärpät wingers Zdenek Sedlak and Aku Räty both made a strong impact. Sedlak scored three goals and didn't hesitate to put pucks on net. He has looked like a much more well-rounded player this season, playing with more energy and intensity. Sedlak has started to emerge as one of the best goal-scorers in the league and might not be passed over again in the 2019 NHL Dtaft. Räty has high-end puck handling skills and is very crafty offensively. Another positive to note is that he has become physically stronger and that has affected his skating in a positive way. His role increased for the last game after having two good performances. Kärpät defenseman Kalle Loponen is a highly mobile prospect who can create time and space at the blueline with his movement. Even though he isn't that big in stature, he has a strong stick and played a rough game at times. He has a pretty good point shot and while I don't think his puck skills are at the highest level, he can make a good first pass to start the attack.

Teemu Engberg (HIFK) has already been playing in the Liiga and re-enters the draft as a third-time eligible. The winger possesses great technical skills and moves really well laterally. His experience of playing against men showed in his poised play with the puck. Engberg should have a good chance to make the Finnish World Juniors team. 2001 born goalie Roope Taponen had good quickness and some athletic ability. Overall, I thought the goaltending wasn't particularly strong over the weekend, but Taponen played well while HIFK struggled to find the back of the net.

The host team Sport had a successful tournament, winning all three games and rising to second place in the standings. The improvements have been quite remarkable from last season when they finished dead last in the league. Ville Immonen played well throughout the weekend, scoring four goals in three games. The 6-2” center moved very well, showing quick bursts of acceleration, and played a responsible game at both ends. He was strong in battles and protected the puck well. Immonen may not have enough offensive ability to be drafted, but his development is worth monitoring. Conrad Mölder (Sport) was the tournament's top goalie in my book. The 1999-born Estonian tracked the puck well, had good vision and came up with big saves when needed.

There were a couple of notable prospects among the rest of the teams. Center Matias Mäntykivi (SaiPa) possesses nice puck skills and was useful both on the power play and penalty kill, but I thought his skating had improved only marginally from last season. Still, he was a bright spot on the SaiPa team which fell to the last place in the league after losing each game at the tournament.

Last but not least, I will highlight 2002 born center Roni Hirvonen (Blues) who looks like a top prospect in the making. He thinks and anticipates the game at a high level, constantly being a step ahead of the others on the ice. Great quickness and playmaking skills, flashy and smart offensively. He is also versatile and just plays the game the right way. Hirvonen is already the first line center on a solid U20 team and should be able to make the jump to the Liiga next season.

All in all, there was a lot of high-level talent on display over the weekend, for both the 2019 and 2020 NHL Drafts, as well as several older prospects who have alread been passed over in previous drafts, but who still show some long-term potential in light of their notable performances and skill-sets.

Don’t call it a preview. The NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey slate technically kicked off in the last weekend of September with the beginning of the annual set of exhibition games between American schools and Canadian ones as Simon Fraser (the only Canadian school to hand out athletic scholarships) went up to Alaska to play one each against Fairbanks and Anchorage.

In 36 total exhibition games played between NCAA schools and their north-of-the-border equivalents, mostly stocked with CHL graduates, the American schools only lost four times, with one draw, coming out victorious 31 times.

There are currently 60 schools participating in Division I Men’s Ice Hockey, and the majority have taken their first few tentative steps toward a hopeful berth in the year ending Frozen Four, this year set to take place in Buffalo, New York, after four regionals in Providence, Rhode Island, Manchester, New Hampshire, Fargo, North Dakota, and Allentown, Pennsylvania.

The clearest way to run through the level is conference by conference, of which there are six, but in fairness, a word should be spared for the sole independent school, Arizona State, which has not been able to find a suitable conference home since joining the top flight of the collegiate ranks in time for the 2015-16 season. In three seasons, the Sun Devils have won 23 games out of the 95 they played. As impressive as their four wins in their first six games of the new season is, they have come against Alaska-Fairbanks and Alabama-Huntsville, not exactly powerhouses in their own rights either. To their credit, they played well in losing a set against Ohio State, and goaltender Joel D’Accord, an Ottawa draft pick has been spectacular, with a .956 save percentage playing every minute. ASU may be improved but they are still far from a regional threat.

Atlantic 10

The A10 is both the only conference to have started inter-conference games in earnest, and the only conference that can be generally overlooked from a scouting perspective, at least as far as future NHLers are concerned. Of the 194 NHL drafted players currently suiting up for NCAA teams, only three play for A10 schools and there is a good chance that none of the three ever signs an NHL contract. Robert Morris is usually a good bet to compete for the conference’s automatic NCAA entry, but Mercyhurst is worth a look this year, if their early-season, non-conference games are any indications, as they include an exciting 6-6 tie against powerhouse Notre Dame, as well as a victory over Ferris State. If there is a dark horse candidate to have NHL teams sniffing around, keep tabs on Dylan McLaughlin, a senior center with Canisius. He was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award last year after putting up 48 points in 37 games and has six in his first four games of the new season.

Western Collegiate Hockey Association

Although not quite as overlooked as the A10, the WCHA is no longer a collegiate powerhouse conference, as the formation of the NCHC has left the once-feared conference lacking in world beaters. The conference is currently home to only seven NHL drafted players, but there are usually a few more every year who garner NHL interest and a number of others who wind up playing on AHL deals after graduation. Of the ten teams in the WCHA, we can almost dismiss out of hand the two Alaskan members, as Fairbanks and Anchorage are hamstrung by insane travel schedules and lack much in the way of impact talent. We can also skip over Alabama-Huntsville, which has not had a winning season since 2005-06 and has lost its top two scorers from last year to graduation.

In the uninspiring middle, we find schools such as Lake Superior State, Ferris State, Northern Michigan, and Bemidji State. LSS has fallen a long way from the near dynasty that claimed three NCAA titles between 1988-1994 and has been among the weakest teams in the country over the last four years. They will need big years from Latvian netminder Mareks Mitens and senior forward Diego Cuglietta to have a chance. Ferris State has been known to have the odd big year of late, and have a few interesting players on the roster, including Boston draft pick Cam Clarke, and captain Corey Mackin, an undersized point producer. Northern Michigan rarely gets much press, but they quietly put up a very good year last year and have some impact forwards returning, including Darien Craighead and Adam Rockwood. Keep an eye on tiny freshman Griffin Loughran, who was a key contributor with USHL champions Fargo last year. Bemidji State is similarly unheralded, although with a veteran roster including returns from three of their top five scorers from last year, could be strong, even without any NHL prospects of note.

Michigan Tech was a surprise NCAA tournament team last year and could make noise again. They start a pair of senior forwards in Jake Jackson and Jake Lucchini, the former of which is a Sharks draft pick. Minnesota State (Mankato) was the top team in the conference last year, but have lost two of their better players to the NHL. There are still a number of good college players on the roster who should keep the Mavericks competitive, including Parker Tuomie, Marc Michaelis, Reggie Lutz, Jake Jaremko, and others. With decent goaltending, they could top the conference once again. That said, the favorite going into the year should be Bowling Green State. The only team in the WCHA with more than one drafted player, the Falcons have three, between start netminder Ryan Bednard (Florida), defenseman Adam Smith (Nashville) and winger Brandon Kruse (Vegas). Sophomore Max Johnson also seems primed for a big year. The team has youth and offensive depth to challenge any team in the conference.

Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference

As is typical, the ECAC lets the rest of the college hockey world get started before they drop the puck, with murmurs of academic integrity among the conference’s Ivy League schools the typical explanation. Only five of the 12 schools have played regular season games so far. Let us hand wave away the chances of RPI and St. Lawrence, the former of which has won only 14 games combined over the past two years. Their most interesting player is Penguins’ draft pick Will Reilly, an offensive defenseman. St. Lawrence has been good in the recent past, but the bottom fell out last year (8-27-2) and they seem to lack the horses to turn that around too much. Blueliner Bo Hanson earned some attention in his USHL days, and 6-8” Keenan Suthers struggled to assert himself in his time in the USNTDP or as a freshman, but has started strong this year. Dartmouth could be mildly interesting, if not a true contender, what with most of their top scorers returning. I am most curious to see if big Will Graber could take the team on his broad shoulders. He will be supported by Shane Sellar and Quin Foreman. Another Ivy League dark horse is Brown, which has not surpassed eight wins in a season since 2013-14. They have some interesting recruits arriving for the 2019-20 season, but for now will be reliant on co-captains Tom Marchin, and Max Gottlieb to spearhead the attack. The back half of the conference should be completed with Colgate and Yale. Colgate was a surprise competitor last season behind the goaltending of Colton Point, but he is now in the Dallas system. AJHL alumnus Mitchel Benson is the new netminder in town and the offense seems to have a “by-committee” construct. Yale has a lot of talent on the team, including four drafted players, but lacks much in the way of offensive experience after returning leading scorer Joe Snively. Between Phil Kemp (Edmonton) and Jack St. Ivany (Philadelphia), their blueline will be worth watching.

Despite losing top defenders Terence Amorosa and Kelly Summers to graduation and speedy forward Sheldon Rempal early to LA, Clarkson returns enough talent to threaten in the ECAC again. Netminder Jake Kielly has been a workhorse since first stepping foot on campus. The offensive attack will be led by the returning trio of captain Devin Brosseau, tiny sophomore Jack Jacome, and big German Nico Sturm. Among the prized newcomers are included Nick Campoli (Vegas) and big Josh Dunne, whose game I liked in the USHL. Union shocked the hockey world by winning the NCAA title in 2013-14, led by Shayne Gostisbehere, Daniel Carr, Mike Vecchione, and others. Those days are long gone, but this team still attracts a fine standard of player. Cole Maier has matured into a leading player, while fellow senior Brett Supinski has been a top scorer since first stepping foot on campus. San Jose draft pick Jake Kupsky seems ready for his big chance to take over in goal and Detroit pick Jack Adams could take a step forward.

Princeton surprisingly won the ECAC postseason tournament last year, and despite losing Eric Robinson to Columbus, top scorers Max Veronneau, Ryan Kuffner, Jackson Cressey, and Josh Teves eschewed the pros for another kick at the can. Netminder Ryan Ferland needs to take another step forward to convince me that they can return to the dance. Quinnipiac struggled somewhat last season, looking little like the team that made the NCAA finals twice in a four year span earlier in the decade. With big netminder Keith Petruzzelli (Detroit) looking like he has put a disappointing freshman season behind him, they could be returning to the former heights. There is proven talent up and down the roster, led by blueliners Chase Priskie (Washington), Karlis Cukste (San Jose) and Brandon Fortunato and forwards William Fallstrom, Craig Martin, Odeen Tufto, and the speedy Wyatt Bongiovanni.

That leaves us with two serious contenders for the conference crown. Cornell lost its top three scorers, but returns a ton more and should prove to be very strong at the back. Netminder Matthew Galajda was sensational as a freshman. The blueline is talented and deep, featuring Yanni Kaldis, Alex Green (Tampa Bay), Alec McCrea, Cody Haiskanen, and the hope that Edmonton pick Matthew Cairns can stay healthy and show some of the talent that he displayed two years ago. Rangers pick Morgan Barron, along with returning contributors Brenden Locke, Jeff Malott, and Mitchell Vanderlaan should lead the offensive attack. Freshman Maxim Andreyev is also one to watch. The stacked roster in Ithaca aside, the team to beat in the ECAC should be Harvard. This is a team with six drafted players on the roster, all of whom are legit prospects, as opposed to the late round fliers that we sometimes see on NCAA rosters. The strength of this team is on the blueline, starring Adam Fox (Carolina), Reilly Walsh (New Jersey), John Marino (Edmonton) and freshman Jack Rathbone (Vancouver). All play two-way games, and Fox and Walsh are both particularly dynamic talents, on the small side, mobile and skilled with the puck. There is less up front, but captain Lewis Zerter-Gossage was a big contributor last season, Anaheim draft pick Jack Badini should increase his production as a sophomore and freshman Jack Drury (Carolina), Baker Shore, and Casey Dornbach were all big point producers in the USHL. The main question the Crimson will have to answer is who will replace Merrick Madsen in net. Big Michael Lackey probably gets first dibs, but keep an eye on freshman Derek Schaedig, who also has ideal size and has had success in his time in the NAHL and USHL.

In yesterday’s look at the NCAA season that is slowly cracking open. We touched upon the Atlantic 10, WCHA, and ECAC conferences. While national champions have come from the latter two conferences in recent years, there is no doubting that the strength of the collegiate game lies in the three conferences discussed here.

Hockey East

While some of the more well-known traditional powerhouses are based in the northeast, the vaunted Hockey east conference had a down year last season and seem to be in line for a repeat (in relative terms) this year. There are teams that were also-rans last year and who will likely continue to be league doormats this year. Chief among those is Vermont. Outside of leading scorer, who left school early to sign an ELC with Tampa, the majority of last year’s roster has returned, but the roster was not a strong one. There are three players who have been drafted by NHL clubs on the roster, but none has yet made a strong case that they are worthy of high-level professional careers after leaving the Catamounts. If there is a player to watch, it is junior captain Matt Alvaro, the leading returning scorer. Despite their conference schedule opener, in which they shut out Boston University by a 4-0 total, Merrimack will be in tough to be a factor as the year draws out. Defenseman Jonathan Kovacevic, a Winnipeg draft pick, plays a strong two-way game, but each of the top four point getters from last year have moved on and the team will need younger players to step up and contribute in ways they never have. The early season results are promising, but it is far too early to assume the growth is real. That said, netminder Craig Pantano was strong in partial duty last year and may be the type of unsung hero the Warriors need to stay competitive. New Hampshire used to be a staple at the NCAA conference, but they have been on the outside looking in for each of the last five years. Unlike the other bottom feeding systems, the Wildcats have a few impressive players available to them. Sharks’ pick Mike Robinson barely played last year as a freshman, but he seems to have a grip on the job early on and has performed well so far. Athletic Panthers’ prospect Max Gildon leads the blueline, and senior captain Marcus Vela (San Jose) is the center-piece of the offensive attack. Joining the attack will be veterans Ara Nazarian, Liam Blackburn, and Charlie Kelleher.

In the next rung of teams in Hockey East, we can look at UConn. Still a relative neophyte to the upper rungs, the Huskies are only in their fifth season in the conference, after migrating from the Atlantic. They are an interesting team in that the majority of their players of note are European-raised players, including their top two netminders, Adam Huska (NYR) and Tomas Vomacka (Nsh), blueliner Philip Nyberg (Buf), and forwards Ruslan Iskhakov (NYI) and Jachym Kondelik (Nsh). A few scoring forwards of note who have not been drafted include a pair of juniors in big Benjamin Freeman and Alexandre Payusov. A seeming concussion sustained by Iskhakov in the season’s second game could be a big setback to the team if he is unable to recover in a speedy fashion. The Maine Black Bears were seemingly ready to get back on the upswing, if not quite reach the heights that the program has in the past thirty years, which has seen them crowned NCAA champs twice, and reach seven other Frozen Fours. Unfortunately, days before the opening game, defender Patrick Holway, a Detroit pick, left the team due to unstated personal issues. In his absence, the team will lean more heavily on senior Rob Michel, the team captain, and sophomore Brady Keeper, both of whom have two-way bonafides. Up front, the team will rely on Detroit pick Chase Pearson to generate offense, and he will be joined by freshman Jacob Schmidt-Svejstrup, one of the top scorers in the USHL last year. More than anything, though, Maine’s hopes will rest on the crease work on Boston pick Jeremy Swayman, who was stellar as a freshman, earning Hockey East All-Rookie team honors and playing for Team USA in the WJC. He needs to be at least as good again for the school to have designs on a Tournament berth.

Next up are a couple of Massachusetts schools in UMass and UMass-Lowell. The UMass-Lowell River Hawks have been a solid contender ever since Norm Bazin took over the head coaching duties of a floundering program in 2011-12. They rarely get the press they deserve as they tend to lack in high profile, drafted players. With only four drafted players at present – only one of whom was taken before the sixth round, expect the team to be a sleeper again. Most of their top scorers return, led by Kenneth Hausinger, Ryan Dmowski, and Ryan Lohin (TB). The team has seen more turnover at the blueline, but Croix Evingson (Wpg) is slated to take a step forward, while Detroit pick Seth Barton has gotten his collegiate career off to a good start. Swedish puck mover Mattias Goransson could also garner NHL looks. Also, while Christoffer Hernberg had the lion’s share of the goaltending workload last year, Rangers pick Tyler Wall seems to have the coaches’ trust this time around. UMass Amherst does not have the recent success of Lowell to look back to, but they do have one of the top prospects in the collegiate game on the roster in Cale Makar (Col). The talented blueliner was strong last year, both as a freshman for the Minutemen as well as for Team Canada in the WJC, and should be even better this year, in what is likely his final season on campus. He is joined on the blueline by Mario Ferraro (SJ) and Marc Del Gaizo, both skilled puck movers. The forwards are less imposing as a group, but most of the big producers return from last year, led by Mitchell Chaffee, John Leonard (SJ), and Oliver Chau, who has missed the start of the season due to illness. A couple of exciting freshmen in Bobby Trivigno and Anthony Del Gaizo (Marc’s older brother), coming off strong USHL campaigns, make the team more of a scoring threat. Incumbent starting netminder Matt Murray returns, and he will be challenged by Finnish freshman Filip Lindberg.

Staying in the state of Massachusetts, powerhouses BC and BU have both gotten off to lousy starts to their respective seasons, but both have far too much talent up and down the roster not to expect brighter days ahead. Boston College may have the most deserved pessimism among the two, having scored only five goals in their first three games. Toronto pick Joseph Woll has as much talent as any collegiate netminder and he should keep the Eagles in most games, but he will need help. The most likely offensive presence is in the form of freshman Oliver Wahlstrom, a top draft pick of the Islanders and a pure sniper if such a beast exists. Another freshman with the burden of great expectations is Minnesota pick Jack McBain. Among returning forwards, Logan Hutsko (Fla), David Cotton (Car) and Graham McPhee (Edm) are the most consistent offensive threats. The talented and undersized Jacob Tortora could also take a step forward. The blueline lacks a true dynamic two-way threat, but Michael Karow (Ari) and Casey Fitzgerald (Buf) can both hold their own and Michael Kim is a good college player. Boston University also has a star between the pipes in Jake Oettinger, a former Dallas first rounder, who has been inconsistent, but with high end flashes in his collegiate career. The Terriers are deepest along the blueline, with five drafted players, all of whom deserve their high press. They are led by co-captain Dante Fabbro (Nsh), and supplemented by skill in David Farrance (Nsh) and Chad Krys (Chi), and more defensively centered defensemen, such as Cam Crotty (Ari) and Kasper Kotkansalo (Det). Up front, there are former first rounders including Shane Bowers (Col) and Joel Farabee (Phi) and later picks who are almost as talented in Patrick Harper (Nsh) and Jake Wise (Chi). Co-Captain Bobo Carpenter, a senior, has long been rumored to be a free agent contract beneficiary after graduation. While they have not done so yet, this team is chock full of players who can beat you on any given night.

Although Northeastern will no longer be able to rely on NCAA superstars Dylan Sikura or Adam Gaudette, they are still loaded with talent up and down the lineup and feature a stud netminder in Cayden Primeau (Mtl). An offensively inclined team, the attack includes assistance from the blueline in the form of Jeremy Davies (NJ), Ryan Shea (Chi), Eric Williams, and freshman Jordan Harris (Mtl). Even absent Gaudette and Sikura, the Huskies feature freshman Tyler Madden (Vancouver) and Matt Filipe (Car) up front, in addition to proven producers including Zach Solow, Brandon Hawkins, Grant Jozefek, and many more. In a conference full of outstanding goaltenders, it should be no surprise that our top ranked team, Providence, has one of their own in Hayden Hawkey (Edm), who is more than just a fantastic hockey name. Like with Northeastern, the Friars get a lot of offense from the blueline, led in their case by Jacob Bryson (Buf), Ben Mirageas (NYI) and Spenser Young. The Friars can also roll three solid scoring lines if everyone performs up to expectations. Philadelphia first rounder Jay O’Brien has been slow to start, but he should acclimate from the prep ranks to Hockey East in short order to take a place of prominence alongside player including Kasper Bjorkqvist (Pit), Brandon Duhaime (Min), Jack Dugan (Veg), Josh Wilkins, and Scott Conway. Any of the last four teams mentioned could feasibly end the year as Hockey East champions and pose legitimate title hopes. But if the last two seasons are any indication, they will have to prove they can hang with the titans from the Midwest.

National Collegiate Hockey Conference

For each of the past three seasons, when it came time to crown a national champion, the last team standing was a member of the NCHC conference. To give an idea at the depth of strength in this conference, the threepeat of sorts was accomplished by three different schools. One of those schools was not Miami University, although RedHawks were a finalist in 2009, their best ever finish. After three losing seasons, for them to threaten the powerhouses atop the conference once league play begins would be a shocker. Florida prospect Karch Bachman, one of the speedier players in the college ranks, may finally be ready to be a legitimate offensive contributor if his first few games are an indication. The team has some talent from the blueline as well, namely Grant Hutton, who is expected to have a few NHL options to choose from at the end of his senior season, and freshman Derek Daschke. The top new recruit though, and Miami’s big hope for the future, is Johnny Gruden, a top line player with the USNTDP last year and a fourth round pick by Ottawa. The team has a number of other solid players dotting the roster, but lacks much in the way of dynamic skill. A team with more higher end talent on the roster but a less cohesive team game is Nebraska-Omaha. Up front, there are offensively inclined forwards sch as Frederik Olofsson (Chicago), Steven Spinner (Washington) and Zach Jordan (watch out for this guy). Colorado pick Tyler Weiss should also be fun to watch, as he was often pigeon-holed into a bottom six role last year in the USNTDP, but his inherent skills suggest a higher ceiling. Pittsburgh draft pick Ryan Jones and Arizona pick Dean Stewart lead the blueline. Incumbent netminder Evan Weninger returns, but his position is not entrenched and Philadelphia prospect Matej Tomek will challenge after leaving North Dakota, where he never got a chance to play.

At this point, Western Michigan is probably also an underdog. Flyers’ prospect Wade Allison has dynamic scoring potential, and is one of, if not my absolute favorite player to watch in the college game, but he has not played since last January due to a lower body injury, and there are only rumors about the imminence of his eventual return. In his absence, St. Louis pick Hugh McGing will play a prominent role in the attack along with free agent Dawson DiPietro and Vegas pick Paul Cotter. Senior Colt Conrad is also auditioning for an NHL contract, after scoring at a point per game pace last year. From the blueline, the player to watch is Mattias Samuelsson, recently a second round pick of Buffalo’s. As he is more of a defensive defenseman, watch for smaller Cam Lee to add to the offense from behind. The squad will need more steadiness in net than they have received of late to launch a strong challenge for postseason play. Colorado College is a team on the rise, but it may be a year too soon to put them near the top. After four seasons with no more than eight victories, they took off with 15 wins last year, and should breach a .500 record this year with continued development from some of their key contributors. Netminder Alex Leclerc is too small to garner NHL interest, but is a very good collegiate goalie. Up front, Florida pick Chris Wilkie is ready to contribute after sitting out last season as a transfer. He joins a quarter of talented upperclassmen in Nicholas Halloran, Mason Bergh, Trey Bradley, and Westin Michaud. I also have my eyes on freshmen Benjamin Copeland and Erik Middendorf, both of whom were overlooked at the draft last year after strong seasons in the USHL. Although the forwards drive the Tigers’ attack, the defensive corps is not without talent, particularly in the forms of Kristian Blumenschein, and Benjamin Israel.

Three years removed from a championship, the North Dakota team that takes the ice today bears little resemblance to the title team. The only players of note with ties to the title are Dallas pick Rhett Gardner, a beefy two-way forward, and Hayden Shaw, a smaller, reliable and non-flashy defender. Hope and indeed expectations for continued contention is drawn from the Fighting Hawks’ recent recruiting classes. The blueline is receiving a talent injection from freshmen Jacob Bernard-Docker and Jonny Tychonick, who were ironically both drafted early by Ottawa last June. They join Colton Poolman, whose game is very reminiscent of brother Tucker’s. Versatile forward Grant Mismash, a Nashville pick, is expected to take his game up a notch up front. The team also needs to figure out which of Adam Scheel or Peter Thome (Clb) will take over as the starter from the departed Cam Johnson. Denver has more connections to their recent title, but now that Dylan Gambrell and Henrik Borgstrom have both turned pro, the core has changed. The team still has the makings of a contender though, with dynamic defender Ian Mitchell (Chi) set to be the main attraction. He is joined by a couple of freshmen blueliners of whom greatness is expected in Slava Demin (Veg) and Sean Comrie. Up front, the team will have to take a committee approach to scoring, as there is skill, but little of it is truly high end. There is a trio of drafted freshmen who could be better than anticipated in Cole Guttman (TB), Mathias Emilio Pettersen (Cgy), and Brett Stapley (Mtl).  They join big game hero Jarid Lukosevicius. As with North Dakota, the Pioneers have to answers questions in net, as heralded recruit Filip Larsson is out indefinitely and Devin Cooley, who has taken the reins to start the season, is largely unproven.

The best hope for a fourth different NCHC championship in four seasons is St. Cloud State, which was actually the top ranked team in the country heading into the playoffs last year. There are teams in this conference with more NHL-bound talent than at St. Cloud State, but the Huskies do not lack in that regards either, while they fill in at the edges with a high caliber of support player. Former Montreal first rounder Ryan Poehling is ready to take the next step offensively and breach one point per game. Helping him to fill the nets are Patrick Newell, Robby Jackson, Blake Lizotte, and Easton Brodzinski. The blueline is similarly deep and skilled, led by tiny Jack Ahcan, Nick Perbix (TB), Jon Lizotte (no relation to Blake) and Jimmy Schuldt, who surprised many by ignoring the lure of the NHL after his junior season. Finally, in net, the team is equally comfortable going with David Hrenak (LA) or Jeffrey Smith, both of whom have displayed the ability to stop pucks at an above average rate in the NCAA. Of course, the NCHC could easily claim another title from a repeat champion. Last year’s champions, Minnesota-Duluth, were not expected to make a strong push, as they had a very young roster and were widely thought to be a season or two way from their “window”. Amazingly, only three of their top ten scorers from last year are gone. The blueline returns three sophomores who both spent time on the American WJC squad in Scott Perunovich (StL), Mikey Anderson (LA), and Dylan Samberg (Wpg). Netminder Hunter Shepard is still anonymous, despite his workhorse status on last year’s title run. Up front, former Dallas first rounder Riley Tufte is overdue to breakthrough, as he has been slowly refining his game to the point where he is nearly unstoppable down low. Helping out with the attack will be Peter Krieger, Nick Swaney (Min), and freshman Noah Cates (Phi). This year’s Bulldogs may be even better than last year’s champs.

Big 10

While last season saw the NCHC claim the crown for the third year in a row, it should not be forgotten that each of the other three teams in the Frozen Four came out of the Big 10. Of course, Michigan State was not one of those teams. The Spartans are now 11 years removed from their most recent title. They should see their wins total grow for the third year running, but are still not quite a challenger. They return nine of their top ten scorers from last year and Taro Hirose, Mitch Lewandowski, and Patrick Khodorenko are expected to lead the team once again. As promising as that trio is, it is unclear where the secondary scoring will come from. Starting netminder John Lethemon is good enough to keep MSU in games, but should not be expected to steal too many. After the Spartans, any team could reasonably reach the NCAA tournament, but some are less likely than others. Next up would probably have to be Penn State. It is easy to forget that the Nittany Lions have only been back in the NCAA for six seasons. Most of their top scorers from last year are returning, but the talent level is still something short of dynamic. Chicago pick Evan Barratt could be ready for the next step and Colorado pick Denis Smirnov is probably the most talented of the bunch. Upperclassmen Chase Berger, Brandon Biro, and Nathan Sucese are auditioning for NHL scouts and are productive, if not necessarily exciting players. The blueline is a relative weakspot, led as it is by Cole Hults (LA) and Kris Myllari. In net, Peyton Jones has had a nice career thus far, but it is unclear that he can be anything more than adequate at this level.

Since a pair of Frozen Four appearances earlier in the decade, Minnesota has been a bit of a hit-or-miss team. Last year saw a bit of both, but without second leading scorer Casey Mittelstadt on the team, the Golden Gophers could struggle once again to get back to the top. As always, they are exceptional recruiters, with this year’s star freshmen including Blake McLaughlin (Ana), Sampo Ranta (Col), and the draft eligible blueliner Benjamin Brinkman. Some of the returning players who could be critical include forwards Rem Pitlick (Nsh), Scott Reedy (SJ), Thomas Novak (Nsh), Brent Gates (Ana), and Tyler Sheehy along with blueliners Clayton Phillips (Pit), Ryan Zuhlsdorf (TB), and Tyler Nanne (NYR). In the early going it seems that last year’s backup netminder, Mat Robson, has surpassed former starter Eric Schierhorn. If Robson can maintain his performance over the full season such as he has in a part time role, the Gophers could be better than expected. The talent is here, but it needs to come together. Put anther way, Minnesota’s talent with Penn State’s structure could be a front runner. Wisconsin won 20 games in 2016-17 after combining for 12 victories in the two seasons prior, eliciting visions of grandeur. Unfortunately, the team sunk back down to 14 wins last year, prompting a rethink of the team’s standing. The Badgers are a team whose strength is on the blueline with five drafted players – all underclassmen -  taking charge. Returning from last year are the physical Tyler Inamoto (Fla), the quiet puck mover Josh Ess (Chi), and offensively inclined puck rusher Wyatt Kalynuk (Phi). Joining them this season are a pair of USNTDP grads in checker Ty Emberson (Ari) and the dynamic K’Andre Miller (NYR), who has superstar potential. Veteran Peter Tischke rounds out the blueline corps. Up front, Wisconsin is not as exciting, but Sean Dhooghe, among the smallest high level players I have ever watched is a joy. Linus Weissbach (Buf) and Max Zimmer (Car) look like they will contribute and I have reasonably optimistic expectations of Tarek Baker as well. Like much of the conference, the Badgers are unsettled in net.

Notre Dame has been to the Frozen Four for both of the last two seasons, but the graduation of Jake Evans, the school’s number three scorer since the turn of the century, will have an impact. That said, the Fighting Irish are constantly restocking, so the team should be a strong competitor once more. Cale Morris was exception in net last year, winning the Mike Richter Award as the top goalie in the nation and will still be very good even if he takes a step back. Big Andrew Peeke (Clb) and mobile Matthew Hellickson (NJ) make a strong start to the blueline while veteran Bobby Nardella along with new recruit Spencer Stastney (Nsh) look like a good second pairing with two way capability. The top players up front include Callahan Burke, Cam Morrison (Col), and Dylan Malmquist. Even big Joe Wegwerth can overcome his stiff hands by being a tank in the opposing crease. Freshmen Jacob Pivonka (NYI), Graham Slaggert, and Alex Steeves could also go a long way to giving the Irish attack the needed depth to succeed. Ohio State does not have the flashy names that dot the rosters of most of the rest of the Big 10, but they have talent up and down the team and can win in many ways. They seem to be using a rotation in net, with both incumbent starter Sean Romeo and the younger Tommy Nappier in line to play a good amount. None of their key blueliners have been drafted, but any of Wyatt Ege, Grant Gabriele, Matt Miller, Gordi Myer, or Sasha Larocque can hurt you. There is a smattering of NHL interest up front, such as power forward Dakota Joshua (Tor), playmaker Carson Meyer (Clb) who transferred from Miami, smaller dynamo Mason Jobst and Hobey Baker candidate Tanner Taczynski (Phi). I could go on, but that might be enough to get back to the Frozen Four.

As good as Notre Dame and Ohio State are, not to mention Wisconsin, Minnesota, or Penn State, if the Michigan Wolverines get even halfway decent work in net, they could be the best team in the country. Quinn Hughes was a top ten pick last year by Vancouver and is as dynamic as blueliners get. This will be his last tune-up before moving to the NHL. First line center Josh Norris had a fine freshman season and then was one of the main pieces moving from San Jose to Ottawa in the Erik Karlsson trade. Will Lockwood (Van) is healthy again and provides an agitating, skilled presence. The Pastujov brothers, Nick (NYI) and Michael, provide strength and skill up front. Minnesota pick Nicholas Boka is a talented puck mover from the blueliner who can get the puck moving in the right direction when Hughes is catching his breath. Luke Martin (Car) and Joseph Cecconi (Dal) has shutdown qualities. Brendan Warren (Phi) can contribute offense while playing the tough minutes up front. Moving down the lineup there are other surprises in store as well. Ohio State may be a safer bet, but Michigan has the best chance among any team in the nation, to dominate any given night.

A member of the Finnish gold medal 2018 U18 championship team in the spring, Konsta Hirvonen is off to a strong start to the season leading the HIFK U20 squad team in scoring with 20 points in 22 games. The versatile forward can play either center or wing and Marco Bombino projects as a middle round pick for the 2019 NHL Draft early in the season.

A note on the 20-80 scale used below. We look at five attributes (skating, shooting, puck skills, hockey IQ and physicality) for skaters and six for goalies (athleticism/quickness, compete/temperament, vision/play reading, technique/style, rebound control and puck handling). Each individual attribute is graded along the 20-80 scales, which includes half-grades. The idea is that a projection of 50 in a given attribute meant that our observer believed that the player could get to roughly NHL average at that attribute at maturity

CHELYABINSK, RUSSIA - APRIL 29: Finland's Konsta Hirvonen #13 celebrates with the championship trophy following a 3-2 win over team USA in the gold medal game at the 2018 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship. (Photo by Andrea Cardin/HHOF-IIHF Images)

Skating: Hirvonen's greatest strength is his skating. His acceleration and agility are top notch and stand out significantly in the U20 league. He has very quick and active feet, as well as good quickness in his first few strides, allowing him to reach top speed quickly. His quickness also helps him to catch opponents and apply back pressure on the opposing forwards. Grade: 60

Shot: More of a playmaker than goal-scorer, yet has a good wrist shot with a pretty quick release. Hirvonen does not have the most heavy shot and thus he relies more on accuracy. He has shown good scoring touch around the net. However, at the moment he does not shoot often enough to be a consistent goal-scorer. Grade: 50

Skills: Hirvonen has smooth hands and is a crafty stickhandler, enabling him to carry the puck well at high speeds. He can protect the puck effectively along the boards. His ability to handle the puck in tight spaces is quite impressive. While I would not call him a particularly dynamic or creative player with the puck, his skill level is fairly high nevertheless. Grade: 55

Smarts: Has good vision and offensive instincts. Hirvonen passes the puck into good spots, rarely makes difficult passes or puts his teammates in a difficult position. He makes smart, short outlet passes under pressure and generally uses his teammates effectively. He reads the game well without the puck and he can find soft spots in the offensive zone. He is also highly versatile – can play both center and wing, plus up and down the lineup. Grade: 55

Physicality: Hirvonen is rather small and while he does not shy away from battles, he lacks the strength and aggressiveness required to have a strong physical presence. He can be effective and disruptive on the forecheck, but that is more because of his speed, rather than being a physical force. Grade: 45

Summary: Konsta Hirvonen has been a key player on the HIFK U20 team this season. He has made solid progress since last season, playing in a more offensive role while still being consistent and reliable defensively. I believe Hirvonen will be able to make a smooth jump to the pro level because of his versatility and strong skating. His game might be better suited for wing rather than center in the future, as he would be able to utilize his speed even more effectively as a winger. At the moment I see Hirvonen as a potential mid-round pick for the NHL Draft.

Overall Future Projection (OFP): 54