Intro (repeated from Part 1) - The art of scouting is an imperfect science. For various reasons, players get missed. Maybe said player was on a bad team and was subsequently under-scouted. Maybe said player worked through injuries in their draft year and as a result could never fully show what he was capable of. Or maybe said player did not get the ice time required to shine.
On the other hand, players can be skipped over because scouts felt that they were not good enough. That said, teenagers are far from a finished product on the ice. Their games mature just as their minds and bodies do. That is why it is critical to track players as they move through their second and third years of draft eligibility. For North American players with birth dates from January 1st to September 15th, they will be eligible for three NHL drafts. For players with birth dates from September 16th to December 31st, they will be eligible for two NHL drafts. And for European players (who are still developing in European leagues), extend that eligibility by one year in both cases.
In recent years, we have had a major shift in drafting philosophy, with more teams selecting players in their second and third years of eligibility. For one, these players are finding success at the NHL level, such as Cam Atkinson, Mike Hoffman, Ryan Dzingel, Brandon Montour, and Connor Hellebuyck, to name just a few. Secondly, teams are able to draft more polished products who have shown a steep progression curve. And thirdly, in the case of draft and follow NCAA bound players, NHL teams will have a few years longer to decide whether they want to sign said players to one of their precious 50 contracts inside the limit.
Last year, eleven “re-entry” candidates went in the Top 100 alone (four more than 2018); Pyotr Kochetkov, Samuel Fagemo, Brett Leason, Mattias Norlinder, Erik Portillo, John Ludvig, Ronnie Attard, Ilya Konovalov, Viktor Lodin, Tyce Thompson, Matej Blumel. In our “second chances” article last year (LINK HERE Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 ) we wrote about six of these eleven. In total 42 were taken among the 217 total players drafted in Vancouver. While that is down from the 46 taken in 2018, it is still nearly 20% of all draft picks. Additionally, of those 42, we identified and wrote about 14 in our aforementioned second chances series. We hope to identify even more this year.
In 2020, we have some very interesting candidates. OHL goaltender Nico Daws has been one of the best goaltenders in the CHL and was a member of Team Canada at the WJC. Lethbridge defenseman Alex Cotton currently leads all WHL defenseman in scoring only a year after being passed over at the draft. Hulking Slovakian goaltender Samuel Hlavaj has been one of the best goaltenders in the QMJHL and played for team Slovakia (again) at the WJC’s. Parker Ford of Providence is among the top freshman scorers in the NCAA and played for team U.S.A. at the WJC. This series of articles intends to highlight them and many other candidates who could be part of that 20% this year. We started with the Canadian Junior Leagues - WHL, OHL, QMJHL and the BCHL. Today we are publishing the prospects playing in the United States in the USHL and the NCAA. We will wrap up the series with the European prospects tomorrow.
United States Hockey League
Gunnarwolfe Fontaine 2020 All American Game. Photo By Rena Laverty.
Trevor Kuntar - Center - Youngstown Phantoms
Kuntar is an 18-year-old (2001 born) power center with good size (6-0”, 200lbs) who was passed over last year in his first year of draft eligibility. However, the Harvard commit has had a much better year this year, currently leading Youngstown in scoring by a significant margin and inside the Top 3 of USHL scoring. Kuntar was also a standout performer for the U.S. at the World Junior A Challenge, finishing with 5 points in 6 games.
“Kuntar is a solid skater who has good top speed, especially given his frame. He has a good wrist shot and is capable of high skill plays on occasion. He did flash some great things occasionally last year but has taken the steps to be more consistent this year.” (Ryan Wagman)
Gunnarwolfe Fontaine - Left Wing - Chicago Steel
The kid with the amazing name who had some buzz surrounding him at last year’s draft due to a very strong performance in the USHL playoffs. However, after going undrafted, the Northeastern commit has returned to Chicago and has elevated his game to be among the better forwards in the USHL. He finds himself near the top of the league in points per game and has excelled on a strong Chicago team. Fontaine was also fantastic at the World Junior A Challenge where his 5 goals and 10 points were among the tournament’s scoring leaders.
“I love watching Fontaine and he is a player that I am very familiar with. Last year he was basically a pest/energy winger who could add secondary offense. Now he is a second line staple and would be on the 1st line of most other USHL teams. Still plays with energy but now he is incorporating a ridiculous wrist shot, which he elevates in a hurry. Fontaine also often finds himself in a position to utilize his cannon, which speaks to high end hockey sense. He will score at higher levels.” (Ryan Wagman)
Kristof Papp - Center/Left Wing - Des Moines Buccaneers
A Hungarian born forward who has been playing in the United States for several years now, initially out of the Honeybaked program, but now playing in his second year in the USHL. The Michigan State commit has been a standout for both Madison and Des Moines, elevating his play from the year prior. Papp has also been a standout Internationally playing for Hungary, both at the U18 and the U20 levels. At 5-10”, he may not have a ton of size, but he is scoring enough this year to be on the draft radar.
“Papp has good, soft hands. He is playing much more assertively with the puck this year and it's working. He now has the confidence to try things; to be more creative offensively. Attacks the net with the puck. Active defensively as well, as he is consistently the first man back. As stated, he can be a very creative playmaker, who generates scoring chances for he and his linemates because of his awareness of game situations.” (Ryan Wagman)
Travis Treloar - Center - Lincoln Stars
18-year-old Swedish center in his second USHL season who is up over a point per game with the Lincoln Stars after playing more of a depth role with Chicago last year. The Western Michigan commit is slight of build (5-11”, 170lbs), but the improvement he has shown this year, especially in the goal scoring department may be enough to warrant an NHL selection.
“Treloar is a good playmaker, but slight. He started strong with Chicago last year, but slowed down considerably in the second half. Starting even stronger this year, which could be a function of added physical maturity. His shot certainly looks better, too, with a solid one-timer. He is playing more assertively, and is being used as the triggerman on the power play. Sees the ice well. If he has better staying power this year, hard to see him go undrafted again. Still some concern about the frame and lack of strength, even if it is improved.” (Ryan Wagman)
Ben Meehan - Defense - Cedar Rapids RoughRiders
A raw offensive blueliner who is playing in only his first USHL season after staying close to home with Dexter School the previous three years. Only 18 and with adequate size given his skill set (6-0”, 180lbs), Meehan is drawing NHL draft interest this year. His 8 goals are tops in the USHL among defenders, and even though consistency has been an issue, the talent level of the UMass-Lowell commit is undeniable. However, a shoulder injury will keep him out the rest of the year, which could hurt his NHL draft status.
“One of the main reasons for Meehan’s respectable production are his quick feet which he uses to lead the offensive attack. He is aggressive in pinching in deep and has soft hands and strong puck protection ability. While he does have a substantial amount of goals from the blueline, his shot should not be classified as booming, instead he scores by getting himself in deep and capitalizing on his scoring chances. Away from the puck and in the defensive end, his play needs refining. He plays a lot on the penalty kill, but he is prone to lapses where he can be caught floating around his own end. Additionally, even with good mobility, his gap control needs work and he can get manhandled by attacking forwards due to his lack of strength. His high penalty totals are more reflective of deficiency in coverage than physicality. However, Meehan does possess great potential and should continue to improve.” (Ryan Wagman)
Josh Lopina - Right Wing - Lincoln Stars
UMass-Amherst commit who wears an ‘A’ in Lincoln and is having an excellent second season in the USHL. Rewarded with a spot on the U.S. team at the World Junior A Challenge, although he only had two assists at the event. A confident two-way winger, Lopina plays a very pro ready game; the type of game that interests NHL scouts.
“Lopina is strong enough to win puck battles and is engaged in all three zones. He is a very good shooter who can beat a goalie from the slot without a screen. He has a physical component to his game and is very physically mature. Lopina has a great defensive stick and plays heads up, reading plays correctly. Strong two-way forward.” (Ryan Wagman)
Jesse Tucker - Center - Green Bay Gamblers
Jesse Tucker is the twin brother of OHL defender and St. Louis Blues prospect Tyler Tucker. It is interesting to see the different paths that the two have taken, with Jesse playing in the OJHL, then the USHL, rather than report to Owen Sound (who drafted him in the OHL). The Lake Superior State commit is in his final year of draft eligibility, but has taken big steps forward after dedicating himself to improving his conditioning. He leads Green Bay in scoring by a significant margin and should draw interest from NHL scouts this time around.
“Tyler's (of Flint in the OHL) twin brother. He is in considerably better shape this year. Smart, has quick hands. Crafty with the puck from down the middle. Still not a great skater, but better than last year. Also effective when playing angry, with physicality.” (Ryan Wagman)
Sam Stange - Right Wing - Sioux City Musketeers
Stange, an ‘01, is playing in his first full year in the USHL after staying close to home in Wisconsin to play high school hockey the last few years. However, he has been a breakout star with Sioux City this year, as his 20 goals (as of this writing) place him tied for third in the league. A Wisconsin commit, Stange is firmly on the draft radar now.
“Stange plays with a really good pace. Have spoken to NHL scouts who really love his skating ability. Additionally, on top of his goal scoring ability, he is a committed two-way player who sees time on the penalty kill.” (Ryan Wagman)
NCAA
Parker Ford - Center - Providence
In his final year of draft eligibility, Ford has been one of the best freshmen in the NCAA this year with Providence, where he is a shade under a point per game. Ford also suited up in a depth role for the U.S. at the World Juniors, showing his versatility by sliding up and down the lineup. The 6-0” Rhode Island native definitely looks like a potential NHL player.
“He's a goal scorer who is dangerous around the net. Ford is quick down the ice, gets the stick down quickly and his release his fast. He is especially dangerous on the power play and can set up a score with an accurate pass, too.” (Russ Cohen)
Carl Berglund - Center/Right Wing - UMass-Lowell
Speaking of impact freshmen, look no further than Swedish forward Berglund, who leads UMass-Lowell in goal scoring and is second in points. UMass-Lowell has been one of the surprise teams in the NCAA this year and much of that is thanks to the strong play of their freshmen like Berglund. The 6-2” Swede also won a Clark Cup with Sioux Falls last year.
“Berglund looks good on the wing. He gets in the flow of the play and has an extra gear when he sees a play developing. He has fast hands around the net and well above average eye-hand coordination. As such, Berglund can score in a variety of ways.” (Russ Cohen)
Zachary Uens - Defense - Merrimack
At this point, Uens looks like a lock to be drafted this year thanks to a standout freshmen performance for Merrimack. The 6-2” defender is currently the leading scorer among U19 defenders in the NCAA and has produced more than recent Top 50 NHL picks like Ryan Johnson, Jackson LaCombe, and Jayden Struble. As a team, the Warriors have not been terrific this year, but Uens has unquestionably been a standout. We at McKeens had him ranked 157th for last year’s draft, after a strong year in the OJHL with the Wellington Dukes.
“Uens gets up the ice OK. He has a very accurate point shot; the one-timer is fast and he gets set up and gets it off quickly. He is dangerous on the power play. But also has an active stick on defense and will lay a hit.” (Russ Cohen)
Matt Kessel - Defense - UMass
After winning a Clark Cup with Sioux Falls along with the aforementioned Berglund last year, Kessel has been a standout as a freshmen for the talented UMass Minutemen, combining with Rangers draft pick Zac Jones to help offset the program’s losses of Cale Makar and Mario Ferraro. At 6-3”, Kessel has the size on the back-end that scouts like to look for and his production (7 goals, 3 assists, +13) in 26 games has been impressive.
“Kessel has an active stick on defense. He makes quick clears on the penalty kill. Offensively, he is capable of good, smart dump-ins. He also has a good hard, accurate one-timer that gets him some goals on the power play and at even strength.” (Russ Cohen)
**Special thanks to the McKeen’s Hockey staff for contributing to this article (Ryan Wagman, Vince Gibbons, Mike Sanderson, Kevin Olexson, Marco Bombino, Jimmy Hamrin, Alessandro Seren Rosso, and Viktor Fomich). Additionally, thanks to Russ Cohen (@sportsology) and Will Scouch (@Scouching) for their contributions.