Tag Archives: 2020 NHL Draft

Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, NHL Entry Draft, Prospects

2019/20 Edmonton Oilers GM44: Oilers @ Bruins – 3P2W Plus A Little Prospect Talk

The Boston Bruins’ pace has slowed considerably lately. They’re 4-5-1 in their last ten games and I’m hoping that’s some sort of blessing for the Edmonton Oilers. A win will take them right back up into 3rd spot in the Pacific should the Rangers find a way to beat Vancouver.

On Twitter, I sent out a tweet that said that I believe that JJ Khaira’s days are numbered and with the way that Tyler Benson has been playing lately, the writing is basically on the wall. Now, we’ve seen the Oilers not be afraid to move NHL vets to Bakersfield, will that be the route they take with Khaira? Tough call. Is there a market for him out there? Also an unknown. He’s a big guy who’s not afraid of the physical side of the game but I don’t know if he owns a fast-twitch muscle in his body. On the other hand, he’s been a decent penalty killer during his career… So, who knows?

The 2020 Draft and Current Oilers Prospects

I had an extra hour to sit down and watch a bit of the Bakersfield Condors game against the San Diego Gulls. This is what I noticed,

  • Ryan McLeod has elite speed. The way he skates reminds me of Mike Modano. In this game, he was absolutely flying! The best game I’ve seen him play in a Condors uniform for sure. One of the big knocks on him is that he’s a perimeter player, but in this game, he was getting mucky and driving the net. I’d say he’s got one more year in Bakersfield before he’ll be ready for the NHL.
  • Kirill Maksimov had a really slow start to this season but he’s really come on since being placed on a line with Colby Cave. I think Cave’s speed and tenacity really opens things up for Maksimov to use his frame and shot. His confidence has really grown over the last month and that’s displayed in his point production. Both he and McLeod are feature penalty killers for the Condors and that speaks to the trust that their coach has in them. Another full season in Bakersfield with some more responsibility and he could be ready to go for the Oilers.
  • Evan Bouchard is ready to go as a bottom-pairing defender in the NHL. In this game, his passing and his shot were too obvious. It was the final minute of the game that should have the Oilers grinning like a butcher’s dog though. He was fully engaged in forcing the Gulls passes to the outside and their final shot of the game he blocked, then gathered the rebound and skated it right up the guts of the ice nearly dangling between two defenders. He was stopped before getting a shot off on the open net but his efforts drew a penalty and wound down the clock. BEAST MODE!
  • Tyler Benson, as we spoke about before, is stirring the drink for the Condors this year. For a second consecutive season, he’s one of the team’s leading scorers. I’m still not convinced by his skating, but I can put that aside since he’s basically scoring at a point and a half per game. What he’ll bring to the Oilers is someone who is very smart on the walls. His vision is outstanding and he’s got fantastic hands. The thing I really like about Benson’s game though is that he’s gritty. When the game’s not going his way, he inserts himself into it physically.
  • Joel Persson, he’s racking up points like it’s nothing in the AHL but the problem is he’s pretty chaotic away from the puck. He makes some mistakes that have you wonder how he got to this level as it is. Sometimes his urgency on the ice simply isn’t there and that goes back the Gaetan Haas story where he told Bob Stauffer that the first time he was asked to forecheck was when he arrived in Edmonton. I get that the game is a bit slower (or can be) in Europe, but sometimes it looks like Persson’s feet are stuck in wet cement. He can make a three-zone pass on the tape if you want though…

If I had to make a prediction, I would say that it’s the end of the road for the likes of Joe Gambardella and Cooper Marody. They’ve not really progressed in my opinion. These two players might simply be good AHLers at the end of the day.

The 2020 NHL Draft is set to be a pretty decent affair. I don’t know where the Oilers are going to be picking, but here is a list of names in different ranges that I think the Oilers should have peak interest in.

#3-#10

Anton Lundell (C) – HIFK, SM-Liiga: 20gp 6g 6a 12pts
Yaroslav Askarov (G) –  SKA-Neva St. Petersburg, VHL: 12gp 2.38 GAA .922 SV%
Alexander Holtz (RW/LW) – Djurgardens, SHL: 21gp 5g 3a 8pts

I love the idea of Anton Lundell suiting up in Oilers silks. This is the elite two-way centre that Edmonton has been needing since Shawn Horcoff was in his prime. Lundell is a mix between Alexander Barkov and Mikko Koivu.

The Oilers haven’t drafted and developed an elite goalie since the dynasty days and I’m not sure even then if Grant Fuhr and Andy Moog spent much time developing in the Oilers’ system. Times were different then though. So, could it be inferred that the last goalie to be developed into a starter was Devan Dubnyk? And in his case, he never turned elite until he hit Minnesota. Askarov is a rare breed of netminder but is looking like he’ll fall in line with the Luongos, Prices, and Vasilevskiys.

If you like Filip Forsberg, you’ll love Alexander Holtz. He’s a pure sniper with skills to kill. He can also skate very well. I know we said it with Puljujarvi and it should’ve worked out with him, but with Holtz, McDavid or Draisaitl would have a guy on their flanks that they know and trust will shoot when the puck is given to him.

#11-#20:

Dylan Holloway (F) – Univ. of Wisconsin, NCAA: 17gp 3g 4a 7pts
Jan Mysak (LW) – HC Litvinov, Czech Extraliga: 26gp 5g 4a 9pts
Connor Zary (C) – Kamloops, WHL: 34gp 22g 25a 57pts
Dawson Mercer (RW) Drummondville, QMJHL: 26gp 18g 24a 42pts

Dylan Hollaway is an all-round forward in the mould of a Charlie Coyle. Big bodied and isn’t your typical power forward in that he skates around banging bodies. He can dangle, pass, check, and basically play any role required.

Jan Mysak is a guy that I’m really leaning towards if he’s in Edmonton’s range. I love his speed, his offensive IQ, and to be frank, he reminds me of David Pastrnak a bit.

Zary and Mercer I’ve got to do some more homework on but by the way that they’re putting up stats, and from what I’ve heard from talking to scouts in the WHL and QMJHL, these are players that will have definite NHL careers. To me, they seem more middle-six than top-six forwards, but I could be convinced otherwise.

#21-#31:

Zion Nybeck (RW) – HV71 U20, SuperElit: 26gp 13g 30a 43pts
Vasili Ponomaryov (C/LW) – Shawinigan, QMJHL: 31gp 14g 16a 30pts
Alexander Pashin (F) – Tolpar Ufa, MHL: 23gp 11g 13a 24pts
Jake Neighbours (LW) – Edmonton, WHL: 40gp 13g 29a 42pts
Noel Gunler (RW/LW) – Lulea, SHL: 29gp 1g 7a 8pts

I reckon if the Oilers are picking in this range, there’s no better time to swing for the fences. Nybeck has Yamamoto-like size but with a little bit more skill and a higher offensive ceiling. I don’t think he’d be killing penalties in the future like Kailer is.

The Russians, Ponomaryov and Pashin, can really move and they’ve got a history of scoring a lot of goals against their peers. They’re both sub-6 ft but in their cases, that won’t matter going forward. If you’re an Oilers fan and you’re a tad scared of Edmonton drafting Russians, I get it. But let me assure you, times are changing with this new regime. Ken Holland has a history with the Ruskies and we should feel at ease knowing he’d be at the helm in the event Edmonton does pick one here.

Those that are living in Edmonton know Jake Neighbours very well. He’s your blue-collar favorite. At the junior level, he’s highly skilled but he plays a meat and potatoes style of game. His own coach likened him to the Islanders Anders Lee.

Noel Gunler is that player this year. The Josh Ho-Sang or Ryan Merkley of this draft class. They say he’s got some attitude issues and the Swedish Ice Hockey federation keeps leaving him off of their national junior squads. That’s not great, but if you listen to the scouts who describe his game, you’d think he’s a top-ten talent. This guy has the tools to be a top-six goal-scoring winger, but he likes to do things his way. He really is the kind of skater that you’ve got to do all your homework on because you could be passing up on a really good player by taking a shot at him if he doesn’t work out. But if everything does come together for him, he’ll make a GM and scouting staff look really good.

The Next Ten Games (41-50)

  • vs. Calgary Flames (19-15-5) – The Oilers should be bitter as hell coming back from the Christmas break and looking for retribution. In terms of gf/ga on the year, the Flames are -12 and Edmonton could feast on that. The Oilers have taken two of the past three contests. (WIN) LOSS
  • vs. New York Rangers (17-15-4) – Edmonton will get its first look at 2019 2nd overall pick Kaapo Kakko and welcome back former Oiler, Ryan Strome. This should be a scheduled win for Edmonton as the Rangers aren’t anything special this year. The Oilers have won three on the trot vs. the Rags. (WIN) WIN
  • @ Buffalo Sabres (17-14-7) – Generally, over the years the Oilers have had pretty good luck in Buffalo, but this year Jack Eichel is a man possessed and last time Rasmus Dahlin was out of the lineup. If Dahlin is back in for this game, he’ll add a significant threat. I like Edmonton’s chances here though. (WIN) LOSS
  • @ Boston Bruins (22-7-9) – The Bruins went into the Christmas break on a bit of a slump going 2-4-4 in their previous ten. This is going to be a challenge for the Oilers to win even when Boston is at their worst and there’s no better team to bust a slump against than Edmonton, right? (LOSS)
  • @ Toronto Maple Leafs (20-14-4) – Toronto’s confidence was sky high before baby Jesus’ bday, but guess who comes to play each time he’s back home. That’s right, Connor McDavid. It will take a complete team effort for the Oilers to beat their nemesis, Freddy Andersen, though as he’s really had Edmonton’s number. (OT LOSS)
  • @ Montreal Canadiens (18-13-6) – I really enjoyed Edmonton’s performance against the Habs in their earlier match. If the Oilers can replicate that, I don’t see why a win is out of the question. (WIN)
  • @ Calgary Flames (19-15-5) – Round two! Ding. Ding. In Calgary, I think the Flames might be able to muster up a win here. (LOSS)
  • vs. Nashville Predators (18-12-6) – Is Pekka Rinne in net? If so, I’ll give this one to the Oilers. If it’s Saros, the Preds have a much better chance of success. They’ve been an interesting team to watch this year and are playing in a tough division. Their 42pts at the break had them in 3rd last in the Central… (WIN)
  • vs. Arizona Coyotes (21-14-4) – Hallsy’s back and if the Oilers would like to go that extra mile, they could show him how much of a powerhouse they plan to be next season by wiping the floor with Arizona, but it’ll be a tough game. Arizona is a lot deeper than the Oilers and their netminding has been much better. This needs to be a game where Edmonton’s defense shines. (OT LOSS)
  • vs. Calgary Flames (19-15-5) – Coming off of a 10-day break, Mikko Koskinen and the Oilers will be well-rested. In theory, they should be as ready as they’re ever going to be to take on their inter-province rivals. (WIN)

(Standings as of December 26th, 2019)

Three Players to Watch for the Bruins

  • #41 Jaro Halak – He’s been outperforming Tuuka Rask lately with a 2-0-2 record in his last 5 games, a 1.94 GAA, and a .939 SV%. Will that be enough to stop McDavid and Draisaitl?
  • #47 Torey Krug – This little defender has been a consistent point producer during his NHL career and he’s been linked to the Oilers for what seems like forever. Health has been his biggest nemesis though. He’s got a massive shot and doesn’t take any guff on the ice.
  • #63 Brad Marchand – Only two goals in his last ten games, the NHL’s premier pest will be looking to add to that tally.

Three Players to Watch for the Oilers

  • #93 Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – The Nuge has seven points in his last five games and is on quite the heater which is great to see since he was slumping so badly earlier.
  • #6 Adam Larsson – Bob Stauffer said on his radio show that he thought the Iron Swede was struggling lately and that he needed to get back to his best. I thought Larsson’s been playing well, so I’ll be keeping an eye on him to see if Stauffer’s on to something.
  • #97 Connor McDavid – We could use some McDavid magic in this game. He was clearly frustrated after the Sabres game and I hope he brings that emotion into this one.

Below are the lines Edmonton used against Buffalo. There’s some chatter that Kris Russell might be out tonight and Caleb Jones reinserted into the lineup as his replacement. The d-pairings were mixed up during practice as Bear was back with Nurse and Larsson was back with Klefbom. That’d leave Lagesson to be partnered up with Jones should Russell actually need a game off. Mikko Koskinen will be starting the game.

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Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, Kieron Vick, NHL, NHL Entry Draft, Prospects, Rumors

BLH’s NHL Trade Rumors and Ramblings PLUS 2020 Draft Talk w/@Keithfries

The Latest on Tayor Hall

Chris Johnston from Sportsnet is saying that it could take 3-4 pieces to acquire Hall and that the Colorado Avalanche appear to be the front-runners for the former league MVP.

“The feeling in the industry … is that the Colorado Avalanche are the favourites right now pushing to try to get Taylor Hall; perhaps as soon as the Christmas break, which starts Dec. 19,” Johnston said.

Scribes out of Colorado are split on the idea of bringing Hall in. Mike Chambers (Denver Post) said Hall would be the perfect addition to Nathan MacKinnon’s left-wing but Colorado Hockey Now’s Adrian Dater reckons re-signing Hall could offer problems when it comes time to re-up the Avs’ other big guns like MacKinnon, Gabe Landeskog, and Cale Makar.

BLH’s Thoughts: The Oilers have just recalled defenseman Caleb Jones and sent struggling Swedish dman Joel Persson back to Bakersfield (AHL). It’s odd because Jones and Persson had just swapped rosters very recently, this tells me that Jones is possibly being showcased for the Devils. Is that for a Taylor Hall trade? Possibly. I think that there’s a different line in the sand for each team that is asking about Hall and Edmonton’s is the one that Chris Johnston is talking about above since they’re unwilling to include Philip Broberg or Evan Bouchard in a trade. If I had to guess what those pieces might be, I think that Jesse Puljujarvi, Caleb Jones, a conditional first-round pick, and a player who is on a larger contract but is expendable (Gagner, Manning, Chiasson, Russell?), would be who the Oilers are content to send over for Hall with 50% retention on his salary. 

Long-term, is Jones in the Oilers plans? We know Puljujarvi isn’t and what are the odds that the first-round pick becomes a better player than Hall? This sort of deal clears out a bit of space for Ken Holland to continue his re-vamping of the Oilers roster and I am of the belief that Hall would sign a contract with the Oilers that would be considered “team-friendly” and at a discount. Think what Leon Draisaitl makes which is $8.5M last I checked. 

Galchenyuk Soon to be an Ex-Penguin?

Elliotte Friedman has reported that Nail Yakupov’s BFF is on the outs in Pittsburgh and the Buffalo Sabres are interested. The upcoming UFA has absolutely hit the skids since being dealt from Montreal for Max Domi last year and even playing him on the wing with mega stars like Sid Crosby and Evgeni Malkin hasn’t helped.

“I do think Buffalo was one of the teams that looked at him,” Friedman said during the Headlines segment of Hockey Night in Canada. “I’m sure there’s more. But Galchenyuk is someone who could be finding a new home.”

BLH’s Thoughts: Some might say that if you can’t score on Sid’s wing, who can you score with? It’s not easy to play with elite players, even for skilled wings like Galchenyuk but this player is on his third team in a year and that leads me to believe there’s something else going on. When his own GM is saying that there isn’t a fit for him on Malkin’s wing and that he’ll have to work very hard just to get into Pittsburgh’s top-12, that’s a good indication that things aren’t working out. Might they send the former 3rd overall pick to Buffalo for former Pen, Conor Sheary? 

Could the Rangers move Buchnevich and/or Howden?

In the post below, Rangers beat writer Larry Brooks muses about the futures of forwards Pavel Buchnevish and Brett Howden.

Buchnevich is a taffy-pull for Quinn. The winger is simply not physically engaged consistently enough to warrant the minutes and assignments his skill-set would otherwise merit. It has been a year-plus of cajoling from the coach and a year-plus of intermittent responses from the player. If the 24-year-old Russian cannot get top-six and power-play minutes, then it is probably better for all concerned that he play elsewhere.

And if Howden is going to continue in a fourth-line role in which he can expect a ceiling of 10 minutes a night, it is probably best for both the center’s development and the organization that he join Andersson in Hartford. Howden has three assists in his past nine games and five points (one goal, four assists) in his past 20 contests.

BLH’s Thoughts: This is a scene from a movie Oilers fans have witnessed far too many times before. Rushing young players before they’re ready and/or not putting them in a position to succeed. 

Look, if the Rangers don’t want Buchnevich, I’m sure they’d find a trade partner in the Oilers. The big Russian would look wonderful alongside one of Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, or Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. He had over 20 goals last year and Edmonton is starving for offense aside from 97 and 29.

Quick Hits

  • Sizing up the backup goalie market. Oilers fans will probably want to read this. (source)
  • Are Sami Vatanen (NJ) and Andreas Athanasiou (DET) available? (source)
  • Should the Islanders be in on Taylor Hall? (source)

2020 NHL Draft Talk with Keith Fries

Breaking Down Craig Button’s Top-5

(1. Alexis Lafreniere, 2. Quinton Byfield, 3. Cole Perfetti, 4. Yaroslav Askarov, 5. Hendrix Lapierre)

I’m not going to completely obliterate Button’s recent top-5 ranking as 3/5 prospects listed are also in my own top-5. But, I will say I am 100% certain that neither Cole Perfetti nor Hendrix Lapierre should be in this conversation.

There seems to be a consensus top-3, in Alexis Lafreniere, Quinton Byfield, and Lucas Raymond. Then, when you factor in elite-level talents like Anton Lundell and Yaroslav Askarov, that top-5 fills up rather quickly. So why does Button feel like Perfetti and Lapierre are in that discussion? First off, I can’t answer for the man. However, my educated guess is that he’s leaning toward the market he’s selling to – Canadians. One gripe I have with Canada-based scouting services and/or pundits are their leanings in-favor of homegrown players, rather than simply ranking the best prospects in their rightful spots. Such is the case, here, as both Perfetti and Lapierre are (realistically) more mid-to-late first-rounders. What further baffles me about this list is how Button was one of the first analysts to jump on Lucas Raymond and Alexander Holtz as premiere, international, prospects, well-over a year ago, yet they’re both completely absent from his list.

Rankings that Make Sense; Rankings that Don’t

I thought listing Tim Stutzle (7) and Jamie Drysdale (8) in the top-10 – and notably in the back end of the top-10 – was really accurate. They’re definitely in that draft stock category of, ‘’Ok, now that the first wave of talent has been selected, who’s the best available prospect on the board?’’ Additionally, having Justin Sourdif at 18 was reasonable. His high-end skating should keep him in the running for a pick within that range.

Where Button lost me was, as I mentioned above, having Hendrix Lapierre (5) in the top-5 and not Lucas Raymond (6). But, what’s even more whacky is seeing Anton Lundell at 13 and Noel Gunler at 28. Lundell, as my rankings show, is a highly-regarded prospect in most circles and seen as a guaranteed top-10 selection. Some might even make the same claim for Gunler. But, no one – and I mean NO ONE – will let Lundell slip to 13. Getting back to Gunler… If a team snagged him at 28, we’re talking about one of the biggest steals in NHL Draft history!

“He has Dylan Holloway at 12, do you see him creeping into the top 10?

Holloway isn’t in my top-10 but one could certainly the argument as to why he should be. When you look at how well he’s performed on such a talented U. of Wisconsin team, especially as an underager, it’s easy to see why he’s in that 10-20 range. 12 actually isn’t a bad place to be for Holloway, as a team selecting there may be a consistent playoff bubble team who could use his services sooner-than-later to make that push into the post-season. Furthermore, I think NHL clubs are really seeing the value in sending a high-end prospect to the NCAA for a year-or-two. Wouldn’t be surprised to see him crack the top-10, though, as anything really is possible.

Who the Oilers Should Select from Button’s List?

With Edmonton currently as the third-best team in the NHL standings, at this point, it looks like the Oilers won’t be selecting until late, on night one. Button currently has Ottawa 67’s’, Jack Quinn, at the 29th-overall spot, but, I’m going to include the players from 27-31. These would be Lukas Reichel (27), Noel Gunler (28, as mentioned above), Yan Kuznetsov (30), and Ryan O’Rourke (31).

For myself personally, seeing Lukas Reichel as a first-rounder (in Button’s eyes) puts a huge smile on my face. I absolutely love this kid and would be ecstatic to have him in the Oilers organization – largely so I could watch him during his stint with Bakersfield. However, as I said earlier, if Gunler’s still sitting on the board you’d be hard-pressed not to pull the trigger on drafting him. Either would be a solid pick, but I’m going to lean toward Gunler simply for draft stock reasons – a prospect I feel should be in the top-10.

Antonio Stranges to Edmonton

Start pounding this drum, now, Oilers fans, as Stranges has solidified himself as one of this draft’s best skaters available. The Oilers could definitely stand to add some more speed to their depth chart and Stranges certainly fits that bill. In fact, his offensive success is largely from his pace of play. He can quickly hit the jets and separate from trailing defenders, much in the way that Connor McDavid does. If both were to play on the same line, we’re easily talking about the fastest 2-on-none breakaway in the league. Fortunately for Edmonton when it comes to Craig Button, Stranges doesn’t appear AT ALL in his top-62 ranking. Meaning, if Edmonton really has their eye on him, they could grab him in the second-round, even while picking at #60.

If the Oilers could walk away from the 2020 NHL Entry Draft with both Noel Gunler and Antonio Stranges, it doesn’t matter who they select in rounds 3-7 as these two will give Edmonton a high draft grade on their own.

Thanks for joining me, Heroes. Until next time, cheers!

Fries TOP-20 

  1. Alexis Lafreniere
  2. Anton Lundell
  3. Quinton Byfield
  4. Lucas Raymond
  5. Yaroslav Askarov
  6. Tim Stutzle
  7. Noel Gunler
  8. Alexander Holtz
  9. Marco Rossi
  10. Jamie Drysdale
  11. Cole Perfetti
  12. Jaromir Pytlik
  13. Justin Barron
  14. Jeremie Poirier
  15. Alexander Nikishin
  16. Kasper Simontaival
  17. Lukas Reichel
  18. Antonio Stranges
  19. Justin Sourdif
  20. Hendrix Lapierre
Keith Fries, NHL, NHL Entry Draft, Prospects

2020 NHL Draft: Five Players from the WHL to Keep an Eye On by @Keithfries

While there’s plenty of time for draft boards to change, before next June, I thought it’d be fun to look at some of the top prospects coming out of Canada, this year. 

For this article, we’ll be examining five players from the WHL that I’ll be keeping a close eye on. 

So, without further ado, let’s get started. 

Justin Sourdif – Center – 5’11” – 165 lbs. – Vancouver Giants 

Heading into his full sophomore season, Sourdif has been a prominent fixture of the Giants’ offense, contributing 46 points (23Gs|23As) in 64 games played, last season. In 17 post-season appearances, Sourdif continued to find the score sheet finishing with 8 points (2Gs|6As). 

He’d go on to play in this year’s Hlinka Gretzky Cup, representing Team Canada, where he averaged 1 PPG over 5 games. 

Those numbers speak volumes about his consistency and ability to find the back of the net, but that doesn’t tell you the full story about his game and style of play. Foundationally, Sourdif’s ice-vision and positioning drive his success. 

Although 5’11” and a bit lanky, Sourdif has no issue getting to the net. In fact, crashing the net seems to be his first instinct. He can take his fair share of chops and dish ‘em out, too; very rarely looking out of place, physically, when attacking the dirty areas. 

He’s a remarkably good skater with clean edges and up-tempo speed. As a shooter, he quickly corrals the puck for a one-timer and can go top cheese, with ease. …Ch-ease. 

HockeyProspect.com currently has Sourdif ranked as the 11th-best prospect available for the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. While that may be a bit of a reach, in my opinion, it still speaks volumes about his potential. I currently have Sourdif ranked as a mid-1st-round prospect, but even I might move him up my draft board by the time June gets here.

Seth Jarvis – Right-Wing – 5’9” – 165 lbs. – Portland Winterhawks 

Jarvis, much like Sourdif, is an undersized forward who finds a lot of success down low. 

A natural goal scorer, Jarvis does a nice job of tracking the puck and running with his linemates on breakaway opportunities. His paddle and the puck seem magnetized, as he’s usually around the puck cleaning up rebounds. Has excellent control on his backhand shot. Jarvis’ WHL career statistics suggest he could be quite the playmaker with nearly 60% of his points generated from assists. 

As a skater, Jarvis does a nice job of reaching top acceleration before moving at a fast-paced glide, widening his stance for greater balance. 

2020 is shaping up to potentially be one of the best drafts in NHL history. The top-5 is more like a top-10, and thus, a late first-round pick would hold greater value than in years past. My feeling with Jarvis is, he could end up being the benefactor of a team with one of those late picks – a team already in Stanley Cup contention who could work Jarvis’ into their line-up as a spark plug. 

A solid performance in this year’s Hlinka Gretzky Cup has Jarvis fresh in the minds of scouts. 2019-20 could prove to be a make-or-break season for Jarvis’ draft stock, who I currently have ranked in the 20-35 range. 

Kaiden Guhle – Defense – 6’3” – 187 lbs. – Prince Albert Raiders 

Selected with the 1st-overall pick in the 2017 WHL Bantam Draft, Guhle had an added level of pressure put on him before he ever made it to Prince Albert. 

A physically imposing defenseman, Guhle does a nice job of locking down the opposition with solid board battles and bone-crushing checks. I’d liken him to a freight train, a north-south powerhouse of force. 

Naturally, as you might expect, Guhle’s shot is heavily rooted in what a defensive defenseman’s offensive game usually looks like: heavy bombs from the point and a powerful wrister. 

An inconsistent performance at this year’s Hlinka Gretzky Cup left scouts with as many questions as they had exclamations. But, I like to err on the side of optimism and I’ll say that, while it wasn’t his best outing, a stacked Team Canada might’ve handcuffed Guhle, to an extent. 

That doesn’t excuse untimely penalties and defensive hiccups, but this hit on top 2022 draft–eligible prospect, Brad Lambert, sure does.  

Guhle is going to have to live up to the hype of being a former 1st-overall selection, this season, with Lukas Cormier, Noah Delemont, Jamie Drysdale, and Jeremie Poirier nipping at his heels. With a stacked group of forwards leading the head of the class, I wouldn’t expect to hear Guhle’s name called until the lottery selections have been made. 

Kyle Crnkovic – Left Wing – 5’6” – 154 lbs. – Saskatoon Blades 

I’m sure you’ll hear Crnkovic referred to as a “bulldog,” many times, throughout the season. But, he’s not really a bulldog so much as he is a poodle. He’s small, sure, but he puts on a show. I’m saying all of that to give you some context because Crnkovic is VERY good, but I don’t think his story will be properly told by draft analysts. 

In an era where smaller players are becoming the norm, Crnkovic will draw comparisons to [INSERT NONSENSICAL COMPARISON, SOLELY BASED ON HEIGHT, HERE]. 

All jokes aside, Crnkovic is a deceptive playmaker with a hell of a shot. He does a nice job targeting an open linemate for an assist or picking his spot to fire one in, himself. For a left shot, left-winger, Crnkovic creates a lot of space for himself to operate. 

He can play at varying speeds, but his stride is a bit… for a lack of a better word, clunky. By comparison, Sourdif is an elite skater that captivates your attention, whereas Crnkovic impresses you with his ability to hang in the play. 

And while many are going to point to his size as a question mark for physical play, know that Crnkovic isn’t afraid to attack the net or fight through traffic. 

As for his draft stock, I can’t see it rising high enough for Crnkovic to hear his name called on day one. That said, he’ll be a fixture of many teams’ draft boards on day two. 

Cross Hanas – Left Wing – 6’1” – 165 lbs. – Portland Winterhawks 

Son of Winterhawks’ scout, Trevor, Cross was selected by Portland with the 77th-overall pick, in the 2017 WHL Bantam Draft. But, don’t go thinking he got the job because of his dad. 

Hanas is a reliable two-way forward whose work on the defensive end leads to his offensive production. He’s a patient player who anticipates well. 

From an IQ standpoint, Hanas might be overlooked by analysts. He seems to make the most out of every shift, whether he’s seeing the scoresheet for a goal/assist or simply balancing the scales in his +/- column. 

He’s very mature and hasn’t backed down from big moments, having already represented Team U.S.A. in various international tournaments. From Highland Village, Texas, Hanas had been a fixture of the Dallas Stars’ Tier 1 bantam club.  

His skating is fun to watch. He can dance with defenders just as easily as he can blow right past them while heading north-south. 

Once he makes his way into the offensive zone, Hanas has a knack of finishing his stride with a wrap-around attempt; which he can score on with his forehand or going Lacrosse-style. Away from the net, Hanas has shown great accuracy and power in his wrist shot, as well as great passes while quarterbacking the play.

Hanas is easily a day two prospect because the first-round is loaded more than ever, this year. But that said, he’ll be a wise pick up on day two.

Anywho, that’s it for me this time. Cheers, Heroes!

Follow Keith on Twitter @keithfries

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