Tag Archives: Kaapo Kakko

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Edmonton Oilers: Mike Gillis, Ryan Strome, and Where the Oilers Will be Shopping for Players

I woke up this morning to see the Oilers Twittersphere still going bananas over Ryan Strome and Mike Gillis and who can blame them really. It’s not as if the fans of the team have anything to be happy about. They wanted McLellan out and they got their wish. They wanted Chiarelli out and they got their wish. Now there’s a sentiment out there that had the Oilers now made the Strome and Caggiula trade that the team would be in a better position in the standings, possibly in the playoffs?

Yikes…

Take a second and think about that for a second. Does that make sense?

The trades overshadow the players I think more than anything here. At the end of the day, the return that Chiarelli got for Strome and Caggiula wasn’t satisfactory but I do understand the reasoning for the trades.

Drake Caggiula did have seven goals for the team before being traded right after Christmas but he hadn’t scored the 12 games prior and there were no Ginos for another nine after the deal. In fact, he’s only scored 4 goals in Chicago. The Drake has a total of 18 points and is dash seven on the season. Don’t tell me that he was the missing link in Edmonton. That’s almost as bad as blaming Toby Rieder for the team NOT making the playoffs.

Good player, fun to watch, but obviously not the guy Edmonton was expecting when they signed him out of NoDak.

As for Strome, he had seven points in his previous 35 games in Edmonton before being dealt to the Big Apple. Three points in 18 games this season. THREE! Nobody can argue that that is brutal production and he was given a defined role on the team (3C/PKer) to boot. So it’s no wonder that in a season that meant so much, the Oilers felt they needed to move him on.

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My friend, SPR, had some interesting things to say on Twitter today regarding Strome that I will share with you here.

Question for the masses. Are the failures of Lucic, Rieder & Strome all Chia’s fault, or should we be looking at the philosophical approach of both coaching staffs too as a culprit? If u look at their #’s pre-EDM & post-EDM (Strome), guys tend to have success in different systems. I’m almost of the thought that it doesn’t really make a difference which bottom 6 players u bring in, if u take away all their offensive creativity & just tell them to dump & chase all game, like Yamo & JP were told to do, no one will have real success. It’s more of system thing

Two old school, heavy hockey coaches now in TMac and Hitch. Why do guys like Chiasson and Kassian have success? Is it because they play with 97 & 29 or is it because they’re ALLOWED to play a more creative style when they play with them?

Dump and chase from lines 2-4 and not getting there 75% of the time seems to be the M.O. of this team for years. If u want 3 scoring lines, u have to let 3 lines be offensively creative. Forcing them to dump and chase every night won’t achieve that.

Those teams do it with a purpose and immediately look to get puck to the slot for a high danger scoring chance. EDM continuously looks to cycle the puck back and forth till they get it to the point for a weak shot on net with anyone in front. It’s like all Edmonton does is stall and try and maintain possession on lines 2-4 till McDavid is ready to come back out. Let him open it up offensively then back to what doesn’t work again. Rinse, repeat.

I think there’s a lot of wisdom in what Sean is saying there. I mean considering that the skilled creative types were moved out (with the blessing of a couple of the greatest coaches in NHL history I might add) in exchange for players who were more predictable, it’s fair to ask what SPR is asking.

MIKE GILLIS

Today you might’ve read what Cult of Hockey Journalist (and Oilers insider) wrote about Mike Gillis. If not, you can do so here. The overriding sentiment is that Gillis should be interviewed, had information gleaned from, and ultimately not hired. But my question is, he’s going to know this going into any interview, so how much gold do you think you’re going to get out of him?

I don’t know if Gillis will get hired in Edmonton or Seattle or any other team looking for a new GM but I do know that he wants to wipe the front office clean in Edmonton if they’re interested in hiring him and I can see how that would rub people the wrong way in Edmonton. The Edmonton media doesn’t seem to like him because he’s not a nice man to deal with.

What I will say is that it hasn’t been working in Edmonton with the nice men. Thirteen years and one playoff appearance to show for it. Most of the front office has been the same in that time frame. So don’t you think it might be time to flip the switch here?

Maybe it’s time to hire the mean man and make things uncomfortable.

Is everyone projecting Mike Gillis in the wrong role though? Should we be talking about him as the Oilers’ President of Hockey Operations? How much would he be dealing with the media then? He could still implement his forward thinking and install whatever analytics department he wanted in this role but all the things that everyone shits on him for wouldn’t so much as apply to my belief.

Thoughts?

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WHERE THE OILERS WILL BE SHOPPING FOR HELP

I’m of the thought that the Oilers will be sending a pretty solid group of scouts to the World Championships in Bratislava, Slovakia this year in hopes of unearthing some affordable additions to the team next season.

Names that have come up in the past are Joakim Nygard (W), Jacob Lilja (W), and Anton Wedin (W) from Sweden. Oula Palve (C), Otto Leskinen (D), Oliwer Kaski (RHD), and Ville Leskinen (W) from Finland. Perhaps Ilya Mikheyev (F) and Vlad Tkachyev (F) (Remember Vladdy Hockey?) from Russia as well.

Interim-GM Keith Gretzky did make mention of procuring some talent from Europe that is a bit more pro-ready on Oilers Now recently.

THE DRAFT

At this very moment, the Oilers are sitting at 8th overall. This means if the standings were to remain the same, they could draft either in the top-3 with a lottery win or move down as far as 11th if I’m correct on that.

Obviously, the Oilers will be looking for the best player available where ever they end up.

They can’t go wrong with 200pt man Jack Hughes if they win the lottery outright. Kaapo Kakko IS the winger they need and if you’re worried about another Finn getting picked and taking a bit more time to settle in, don’t. Kakko plays a much different game than Puljujarvi. His English might not be as good as yours or mine but the game is played on the ice and he reminds me of Matt Duchene in how he uses his edges and Joe Sakic with his shot. He’s lighting up the SM-Liiga as a 17-year-old…

After those two players, here are four more that impress me.

  • Alex Turcotte -C/W- (USNTDP)
  • Trevor Zegras -C- (USNTDP)
  • Vasili Podkolzin -RW- (SKA St. Petersburg)
  • Bowen Byram -D- (Vancouver/WHL)

Turcotte is a wrecking ball out there, not only with his physicality (he never gives up on the puck) but also the scoresheet. For the USNTDP U-18 program, he has 53pts in 30 games and for their junior team that suits up against USHL and NCAA teams, he has 34pts in 16 games.

Trevor Zegras is often referred to as Jack Hughes-lite. He’s a crafty line driver that doesn’t rely on others for point production according to Evan Oppenheimer.

https://twitter.com/OppenheimerEvan/status/1075869454192558081

“Betweenness” is a new metric that I’ve discovered that intrigues me. The most basic way I’ve seen it described is from DraftGeek’s Sam Happi,

Betweenness is a metric that estimates the influence of a player within his team’s scoring network. I like to look at it as a measure of how much the team would suffer if that player was suddenly removed from the scoring network of his team— the higher the betweenness, the more the team would feel the negative effects.

Of course, this stat isn’t the be-all, end-all that should determine a player’s worth. Its creator sums it up like this,

A player’s betweenness score may provide us with a lot of information about that player’s context, but it is only one way of doing that. Employing betweenness scores in one’s analysis may be extremely valuable — but it’s more like a thermometer than it is an actual doctor.

Zegras has also been racking up the points for that stacked USNTDP roster. For the U-18 team he’s amassed 76pts in 53 games and for the junior club he has 40pts in 27 games played.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-jv-71HZLM

Vasiili Podkolzin is a contested figure. He lit up the Hlinka-Gretzky tournament in Edmonton this past summer but he’s failed to really shine for his teams in Russia.

Admittedly, I have only seen a shift-by-shift video of him for SKA St. Petersburg but I was impressed with how smart he played. He’s quite good at being in the right spot at the right time both offensively and defensively.

I’ve said in the past, his aggressiveness is something I really enjoy. He reminds me a bit of Peter Forsberg or Evgeni Malkin in that manner sans Malkin’s size. Meaning he doesn’t take any shit out on the ice and he’ll come right at you if he feels he’s been done wrong by.

He’s probably going to stay in Russia for another season or two and that might be exactly what the Oilers need. Just to prevent them from rushing another 18-year-old kid into the lineup and blowing his development as their so apt to do.

Lastly, if Edmonton can get their hands on Bowen Byram, they should be jumping for joy. He’s the best defender available and he’s the perfect partner for Evan Bouchard if we’re projecting three-to-five years into the future.

Byram is a clutch goal scorer (I think he has 6 GWG OT goals this year). He can skate, shoot, and pass. He hits like a freight train despite not having a massive frame and he oozes leadership. Edmonton would be nuts to pass up the opportunity to grab him.

Might a good comparison to him be Morgan Rielly?

If the Oilers find themselves drafting lower than 8th, I would hope they explore a trade then. Either to upgrade the roster, which could be by subtraction (Lucic) or to trade down and pick up additional draft picks where they could select a forward like,

  • Cole Caufield (USNTDP) -W- Debincat 2.0. This kid scores at will.
  • Bobby Brink (Sioux City/USHL) -W- Fast rising up the rankings. Very smart and very skilled.
  • Phil Tomasino (Niagara/OHL) -W- Barzal-lite? You want speed and skill, Tomasino’s got it.

None of these players are big, apart from Kakko, who is 6’4″ and 200lbs plus but none are as slight as Kailer Yamamoto either.

Check out how the rest of the draft class is doing here.

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Edmonton Oilers, NHL, NHL Entry Draft, Prospects, TPE Hockey

Edmonton Oilers: Kakko Vs. Puljujarvi by @TPEHockey

Kaapo Kakko has spent this season dropping jaws on the ice and on the scoresheet. He’s held up to and thrived against professional competition while putting up big numbers unlike almost anyone before him. The newly turned 18-year-old holds a 0.82 PPG in the Finnish pro league, the Liiga. This tremendous season puts him at 3rd for all time U18 PPG and putting him behind only Mikael Granlund and NHL superstar Aleksander Barkov. He’s making it clear Finland has produced another prospect of the highest tier.

THE PULJUJARVI COMPARISON

In terms of production, Kakko lacks an accurate comparison. Although when it comes to his on-ice game Kakko highly resembles that of Jesse Puljujarvi. Kakko plays almost exactly Puljujarvi. The two are both high tempo power forwards. Each has all-around offensive arsenals that allow them to play any situation. Puljujarvi especially has a booming shot that will give any goalie nightmares, and Kakko is around there too. Both serve as major shooting threats when the puck is on their stick. They can also play hard nose grinding hockey to retrieve pucks and create opportunities for their teams. With size, speed, and strength both can take the puck into dangerous areas and get a shot off under pressure and at high speed. They drive the net hard and either score or create rebounds. The two also possess elite puck skills with the ability to walk opponents and cut around defenders in tight spaces. Each protects the puck exceptionally well. Using size and speed it’s very hard to strip each of the puck.

LOOKING BACK AT PULJU’S DRAFT YEAR

Looking back to each of their draft years it’s clear who stands ahead. Kakko, as we know, is having a historic season for TPS Turku in the Finnish Liiga. Puljujarvi played a stellar year for Karpat Oulun. He was a player that couldn’t be overlooked on the ice as he routinely creates chances due to his ability to carry the puck into dangerous areas while maintaining status as a shooting threat. Statistically, he had an extremely impressive season, but not to the quality of Kakko. Although at the World Junior Championships Puljujarvi really made his mark. In a nothing less than dominant performance he scored 17 points in 7 games to win himself tournament MVP as a 17-year-old. He had a performance we will likely never see again from a draft-eligible player at that tournament. Kakko also had a great World Juniors, but he didn’t dominate. He was under a point per game but played a large role in Finland’s victory even scoring the Golden Goal. As he returns to international play at the U18s later this year we should expect a big showing from Kakko.

HOW ARE KAKKO AND PULJUJARVI DIFFERENT?

The question now is what sets the two apart? If Kakko plays so similarly to Puljuarvi then how do we know he will have the success that Puljujarvi hasn’t so far in his career. And this isn’t to say Puljujarvi is a bust or that he isn’t good, but it’s clear at this point in his career he isn’t where we thought he’d be. It’s likely he still has top 6 or even 1st line potential, but so far we haven’t seen it. Kakko is projected as a high caliber 1st line player that will easily step into a top 6 role, so what’s going to allow him to do that that Puljujarvi couldn’t do? In the end, it seems like it’s going to come to hockey IQ and smarts on the ice. Puljujarvi was a very aware player of what’s going on on the ice in Finland and at the international level. Although when he made the NHL jump he couldn’t process the game at NHL speed. At some points, he’s caught drifting. In the offensive zone he can retrieve the puck and is dangerous with the puck, but often he struggles to get in position and set others up. He still sees the ice quite well, but the decision making isn’t there.

Kakko, on the other hand, processes the game at the fastest and best levels in the draft. Kakko is the quickest thinking, and best decision maker out of the European class. Puljujarvi can get to the dangerous areas, but Kakko can open lanes, make passes, or rip a shot if there aren’t other options. Kakko utilizes his talent as well as anybody other than Hughes.

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IS KAKKO READY TO GO?

Kakko is NHL ready in all categories. While Hughes might be the best prospect with the highest potential, Kakko is the most NHL ready prospect for this draft. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Kakko taking the Calder Trophy at the end of the 2019-20 season. He can be described as a Swiss-Army Knife, he can and will do it all. In any role, in any situation, Kakko will thrive. Even as my second ranked prospect he is no consolation to Jack Hughes. Kakko is part of the new wave of Finnish talent that has started coming through the draft.

This year we will see Kakko, Heinola, and Honka. Soon we will witness other Finnish talents like Anton Lundell enter the draft in 2020. Other prospects like Aatu Raty and Samu Tuomaala in 2021 look to be top 5 prospects at just 16. Even a prospect that is flourishing in the Finnish U20 league at just 14 and 15 in Brad Lambert who could be a top 3 guy for the 2022 draft.

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@TPEHockey’s 2019 Mid-Season NHL Draft Rankings

1) Jack Hughes C (USNTDP, USHL) – 179cm, 73kg

It was unfortunate that due to injury Hughes missed much of the World Juniors. Although in his few games we saw his unparalleled skating ability and skill. He registered an assist in each of his games and played a crucial role in the Americans silver medal run.

From what I saw, Hughes was the best player on the ice every time he went out. He had an especially good game against Russia where, when given ice time, he was clearly the best player on either team. It was really too bad the USA staff favorited their veterans over their better young stars.

2) Kaapo Kakko RW (TPS Turku, Liiga) – 186cm, 82kg

The gold medal-winning Kaapo Kakko played an enormous role in Finland’s gold medal run. He scored the game winner in the finals and was clearly a top 2-3 player for Finland. In my opinion, only Aleksi Heponiemi played better for Finland.

Kakko has gotten a lot of attention as a possible #1 pick after this performance, but personally, I still see Hughes as better. Nonetheless, Kakko still shows the top talent and hockey IQ in the class outside of Hughes. Nobody is even close to challenging Kakko for the 2nd spot.

3) Dylan Cozens C (Lethbridge Hurricanes, WHL) – 191cm, 80kg

Outside of Hughes and Kakko, Cozens is clearly the most NHL ready player in the class. He has the size and speed to hold his own in the NHL right now. The top 3 players are the only players could survive the NHL game right now. His straight line speed is the best of the 6ft plus players in the draft class. He’s also got an NHL ready shot and elite playmaking abilities. If a team wants an immediate solution at the 3rd or possibly 2nd line center spot, and a future number one center then Cozens is the guy.

4) Trevor Zegras C (USNTDP, USHL) – 180cm, 72kg

Nobody is trending up like Zegras has been. During Turcotte’s now ended absence, Zegras showed he is every bit as good as anyone in the draft class. He’s outproduced Hughes in the USHL and sees the ice as good as Hughes does. To continue the Hughes comparisons Zegras plays exactly like him. He usually plays center but due to some new found chemistry and Turcotte’s return, he’s being tested out on Hughes’ wing. Zegras is the 2nd out of 3 possibly elite centers out of the NTDP.

5) Alex Turcotte C (USNTDP, USHL) – 180cm, 88kg

The 3rd NTDP center in the top 5 is Alex Turcotte. The draft’s second-best skater is finally back from his injury that has cost him his entire season up until a few weeks ago. It hasn’t taken him long at all to get back up to pace as he’s already had a 3 point game against a collegiate opponent. With the rise of Zegras in his absence, there will be a coming battle between the two as to who the 2nd best center out of the NTDP will be.

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6) Kirby Dach C (Saskatoon Blades, WHL) – 192cm, 84kg

Saying Kirby Dach hasn’t had a good month is an understatement. In December, Dach scored only 4 points in 10 games with 3 of those points being in the last game of the month. He went on a 7 game point drought and had 1 point in his 1st 9 games. None the less, Dach is still one of the best players in the class. He has exceptional playmaking skill, underused shooting ability, and two-way prowess.

7) Peyton Krebs C/LW (Kootenay Ice, WHL) – 180cm, 78kg

Krebs continues to tear up the WHL without any support from his Kootenay Ice teammates. Krebs is the only major offensive driver on his team and still manages to be at over 1.2 points per game. None of his teammates are even close to one point per game with the highest being 0.79. Krebs has begun to be one of the more underrated players in the class. He’s showing he’s every bit as good as his fellow WHL stars in Cozens and Dach.

8) Alex Newhook C (Victoria Grizzlies, BCHL) – 180cm, 83kg

It’s really too bad that Newhook is stuck playing in the BCHL. He clearly exceeds the talent level in that league and is totally dominant. Newhook looked less than dominant at the recent World Junior A Challenge when the best players in non-CHL junior leagues compete for their countries. He was outplayed by players like Bobby Brink and Vasili Podkolzin, who will be found further down this list. Due to the lack of exposure in the BCHL, it’s going to be important for him to have a good showing at the U18 World Juniors.

9) Bowen Byram D (Vancouver Giants, WHL) – 183cm, 81kg

Vancouver’s star defender has rounded out another impressive month for the Giants. Byram has been a consistent threat from the blue line all season. He’s shown abilities in every aspect of the game including defense which many young flashy defensemen tend to lack. He’s up there as the best transitional defensemen in the class and impresses offensively. Expect Byram to plant himself in a top 10 spot as he continues to dominate the WHL from the blue line.

10) Ryan Suzuki C (Barrie Colts, OHL) – 183cm, 78kg

Ryan Suzuki has had a drop off in his stats as of late, but statistics don’t reflect the prowess of Suzuki. He is clearly the best passer in the draft, in my eyes. He makes impossible passes that you’d think he wouldn’t be able to see. He has unrivaled vision of the ice. He seems similar to your player in NHL 19 that can see the entire ice and make crazy passes because you have a bird’s eye view of the game.

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11) Cole Caufield RW/C (USNTDP, USHL) – 168cm, 70kg

Nobody in this class has the nose for the net that Caufield does. In the NTDP college cross over game, Caufield has 12 goals in 16 games. These goal counts from a draft eligible player is unheard of. Teams have learned from the success of Alex DeBrincat and getting Caufield anywhere past the 15th pick would be an absolute steal.

12) Bobby Brink RW (Sioux City, USHL) – 178cm, 75kg

Despite an injury, Brink has moved up my list. He’s been out for a while, but the more I watch him the more I like him. He does everything right, and it’s a shame he won’t be able to go to the U18 World Juniors since he isn’t on the NTDP. Playing in the USHL he doesn’t get the exposure other prospects do. It will be interesting to see where he ends up going come draft day.

13) Ville Heinola D (Lukko, Liiga) – 180cm, 80kg

Heinola is my sleeper pick to be the best defensemen out of this draft. Bowen Byram still remains well ahead of him but Heinola has surprised us before. He played as a top pairing defenseman for the gold medal-winning Finnish team alongside Henri Jokiharju. He thrived in that role not only showing offensive acumen, but very good defense too. While he hasn’t gotten a lot of attention up until now I think that will change after his WJC performance.

14) Vasili Podkolzin RW (SKA St. Petersburg, MHL) – 181cm, 75kg

Podkolzin is another draft-eligible player that attended the World Juniors. He seemed a bit out of his league but was able to hold his own and be a productive player. One of my criticisms of his play at that tournament was that often he would lose the puck in his feet and have his head down. Multiple times the tougher competition would realize that and he’d get lit up. This is less of a big criticism and more of a sign of a bigger problem. Podkolzin has the skill, strength, power, and versatility to be a great NHLer, but it’s the little things he seems to get wrong.

15) Arthur Kaliyev LW (Hamilton Bulldogs, OHL) – 188cm, 86kg

In terms of statistics, Kaliyev is one of the top performers. He’s got 33 goals in 42 games as a 17-year-old in the OHL and is on pace for over 100 points. With that, there is still some controversy around him. Many scouting services still have him ranked in the late first round due to some consistency, skating, and a few other small problems. For me, I see some of the same problems with Kaliyev but his sheer production is starting to override any doubts.

16) Anttoni Honka D (KeuPa, Mestis) – 179cm, 77kg

Nobody has fallen this season like Honka. At the World Juniors Summer Showcase Honka looked like the top 5 player we thought he could be last season. He had the trust of the Finnish staff and looked to be an important part of the World Junior team. But at the World Juniors Honka played the 7th defensemen spot and the Finnish coaching staff clearly had no confidence in him. It’s frustrating to see such a great player fall off as he has.

17) Connor McMichael C (London Knights, OHL) – 183cm, 77kg

With high expectations of players like Alex Formenton and Liam Foudy, they have both been outplayed by Connor McMichael. He’s been London’s best forward throughout every game. He’s got great vision for the ice and blazing speed. McMichael also plays a great 200ft game. It looks like London is going to have a player selected in the first round again.

18) Jakob Pelletier C/W (Moncton Wildcats, QMJHL) – 175cm, 72kg

Jakob Pelletier is another player ripping up the CHL. He’s been a key part of the Moncton Wildcats offense. He’s been one of the more underrated and underexposed players in the draft.

19) Mikko Kokkonen D (Jukurit, Liiga) – 180cm, 86kg

Kokkonen has been an offensive dynamo for Jukurit in the Liiga. To put things in perspective, Miro Heiskanen finished his draft year with 10 points in 37 Liiga games. Kokkonen, on the other hand, already has 13 points in 36 games. It was criminal that Kokkonen was not named to the Finnish World Junior team.

20) Matthew Boldy C/W (USNTDP, USHL) – 183cm, 79kg

Boldy is going to be a favorite for many NHL teams. As big, fast, skilled power forward Boldy can contribute with goals, assists, and physical play. I’d consider Boldy to be one of the “safer” picks in the first round with a very high floor.

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21) Raphaël Lavoie C/W (Halifax Mooseheads, QMJHL) – 193cm, 87kg

The only 2019 eligible player named to the Canadian World Juniors selection camp was Lavoie. It was really unfortunate for Lavoie that he didn’t make the team because he hasn’t lived up to last season’s expectations and he hoped to prove himself at the World Juniors. Hopefully being cut will motivate him to get back on track.

22) Philip Broberg D (AIK, Allsvenskan) – 190cm, 90kg

The large and powerful skating defender out of AIK in the Allsvenskan finally got his first goal of the season recently. Broberg has been steadily adjusting to the pro game since his rough start to the regular season. While I think Broberg has been massively overhyped he’s still a solid option for a team looking for an offensive defenseman.

23) Moritz Seider D (Alder Mannheim, DEL) – 192cm, 83kg

Seider has been quite the force in the German league after returning from a more than dominant performance in the second-ranked division of the World Juniors. He served as captain and earned Germany a promotion to the main division of the World Juniors. The defenseman was astoundingly good by all accounts. He scored at more than a point per game and ended the tournament only one point behind 2018 first rounder Dominik Bokk (STL) for the lead in points.

Remember that Seider is doing this all from the blue line, and is more of a two-way defender than an all offense guy.

24) Cam York D (USNTDP, USHL) – 180cm, 75kg

The best of the NTDP blueliners hasn’t had the great season we’d hoped for, but he remains an integral part of the NTDP. He’s the best American puck-moving defensemen and has two-way abilities.

25) Spencer Knight G (USNTDP, USHL) – 191cm, 90kg

Knight remains as the top goaltender in the draft. He was the third goalie for the Americans at the World Juniors but didn’t get into any games. He’s a big, aggressive goalie that has been able to handle collegiate competition with the NTDP. Watch for him to be a player that jumps up on draft day to a team in need of goaltending.

26) Nathan Légaré F (Baie-Comeau Drakkar, QMJHL) – 182cm, 89kg

Légaré has been a big offensive producer all season. He’s on pace to be just short of 100 points by the end of the season. He has benefited a lot from being on a very high scoring Baie-Comeau team.

27) Alex Vlasic D (USNTDP, USHL) – 196cm, 86kg

Standing on the blueline at 6’6” (197cm) Alex Vlasic immediately stands out. Being a such a vertically gifted defensemen Vlasic is an easy candidate to be overrated. Although I don’t think this is the case. Vlasic is more than just imposing. He can shoot, move the puck, and defend exceptionally well.

28) Nils Höglander LW (Rögle BK, SHL) – 174cm, 84kg

The first Swedish forward off the board comes pretty late. After a tough start to the season, Höglander has shown he can contribute for Rögle in the SHL. He’s been able to score and play physically at the pro level. Watch for Höglander to be one of the more NHL ready players in the class, and he could surprise people by making the NHL a little earlier than you’d think from a late 1st pick.

29) Dustin Wolf G (Everett Silvertips, WHL) – 183cm, 73kg

The anchor in the CHL’s 4th ranked team’s net has been Dustin Wolf all season long. Before the acquisition of a reliable back up, Wolf played nearly every game. Wolf is top 5 in WHL GAA, save percentage, wins, and shutouts at 17. Dustin Wolf has also increased his assists total this season to 4. This gives him 8 career WHL assists in 60 games.

30) Nick Robertson C/LW (Peterborough Petes, OHL) – 175cm, 76kg

The brother of top performing American World Junior player Jason Robertson has a similar outlook as his brother. Injuries derailed his season early, but he’s recovered and become the Peterborough Petes best player. He’s one of the more underrated players in the class.

31) Pavel Dorofeyev W (Stalnye Lisy/Metallurg Magnitogorsk, MHL/KHL) – 184cm, 74kg

The hard-working winger and Nizhny Tagil, Russia product has been a player worth watching all season. He’s split time between the KHL and MHL but has shown his best in the MHL. Dorofeyev is phenomenal on special teams and a great forechecker.

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Pre-World Juniors 2019 NHL Entry Draft Top 31 Rankings from @TPEHockey

It’s that time of year again. The World Juniors are upon us! As Oilers fans, we’re very lucky to have three defenders playing at the tournament this year. Evan Bouchard and Dmitri Samorukov will be very important pieces to Team Canada and Team Russia respectively. Phil Kemp also managed to make Team USA but he’ll play a minimal role on that club. It should be very exciting nevertheless.

As for the draft eligibles themselves, this is usually an 18/19-year-old tournament, so not too many players who will get selected in June’s draft play but this year is looking to have more than in past years.

According to MyNHLDraft.com, Edmonton is sitting with the 16th overall selection and if they were to pick today using Max’s (@TPEHockey) list below, they’d be taking dynamic Russian forward Vasili Podkolzin. I wouldn’t mind that too much but I wouldn’t hold my breath thinking Podkolzin will be around when the Oilers are selecting either.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPsrshIGsFI

1) Jack Hughes C (USNTDP, USHL) – 179cm, 73kg
To the surprise of nobody, Jack Hughes remains at the top of the list. Hughes is about to take on the biggest test of the season as he heads off to the World Juniors. Expectations are high for Hughes so all eyes will be on him. It’s time for Jack Hughes to crush any doubts that he is the best player in this draft class.

2) Kaapo Kakko RW (TPS Turku, Liiga) – 186cm, 82kg
Kakko’s dominance of the Finnish men’s league will be on hold as he was named to the Finnish World Junior team. Kakko will take a top 6 or possibly a first line role for the squad. Even as a 17-year-old Kakko is still expected to be a pivotal player for the squad. We all remember when Jesse Puljujärvi and Patrik Laine took the tournament by storm in 2016 and while that sheer dominance may be out of reach for Kakko, we can expect him to be another great draft eligible in the tournament.

3) Kirby Dach C (Saskatoon Blades, WHL) – 192cm, 84kg
With all the tools to become the next big thing in the NHL, Kirby Dach is truly a special player. He’s a big, powerful center out of St. Albert, Alberta that plays a dynamic style. Dach had world-class playmaking skills and vision that is already NHL level. He also has a very underrated and underused shot. Even as a pass-first player I think he has high goal scoring potential if he would shoot more. This not to mention responsible defensive play. Dach has some of the best stick checking and takeaway ability I’ve ever seen from a forward. Kirby Dach looks like a future number one center in the NHL.

4) Dylan Cozens C (Lethbridge Hurricanes, WHL) – 191cm, 80kg
With his size and power, similar to Dach, Dylan Cozens is another projected number one NHL center. Cozens is a high speed, versatile player that is uncontainable at the junior level. He’s likely the most NHL ready player outside of the top two. His speedy power forward play style is one that will be highly touted by teams in the new NHL.

5) Trevor Zegras C (USNTDP, USHL) – 180cm, 72kg
This month’s big-time riser is Trevor Zegras. For too long Zegras was relegated to the third center on the stacked NTDP squad, but with Alex Turcotte injured he shown himself to be an elite center like Hughes or Turcotte. For the NTDP Zegras has actually been a primary offensive driver at the level of Hughes. Statistically, Zegras matches up very closely with Hughes. I’d also say that Zegras plays a very similar style to him. Think of Zegras as a Jack Hughes-lite.

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6) Alex Turcotte C (USNTDP, USHL) – 180cm, 88kg
It’s been a rough season for Turcotte. He’s finally back from injury, but missing so much time hasn’t been good for his draft stock. As Turcotte returns he is getting a 1st line center role as Hughes is off at the World Juniors. Turcotte is an elite skating two-way center with dangerous offensive capabilities and high-class defensive responsibility.

7) Alex Newhook C (Victoria Grizzlies, BCHL) – 180cm, 83kg
The BCHL’s leading scorer has torched the league with his dynamite speed and tenacity. Projecting out performance at the Jr. A level can be tough, but Newhook isn’t just producing. Newhook has all the tools to fit right into the new NHL’s focus on speed and skill. He is still a pretty raw prospect and could be a while off the NHL, but the collegiate system is very good at developing those types of prospects. Newhook is a Boston College commit.

8) Bowen Byram D (Vancouver Giants, WHL) – 183cm, 81kg
Skill, skating, poise, and playmaking are how Bowen Byram will take over the NHL. He is 3rd in points on his WHL team, the Vancouver Giants, and their clear MVP. Night in and night out Byram has been nothing but stellar all season. He can do anything a team needs of him. A shutdown role, a power play quarterback, anything.

9) Peyton Krebs C/LW (Kootenay Ice, WHL) – 180cm, 78kg
The Kootenay Ice have had a rough go this season. They’re in the bottom three in the WHL standings, and it sounds like the team is bound for a move out of their current home in Cranbrook to Winnipeg. Although the constant bright spot in the organization has been Peyton Krebs. Krebs leads the team in points by 10 plus points. Peyton Krebs is a high IQ center that plays a smart game with and without the puck.

10) Ryan Suzuki C (Barrie Colts, OHL) – 183cm, 78kg
Ryan Suzuki possesses some of the best playmaking capabilities in the draft class. He sees the ice better than anyone which allows him to make passes nobody on the ice can anticipate. Suzuki started the season at a monstrous pace in terms of points but has slowed down since. He still is a playmaking threat every night despite his slowed pace.

11) Anttoni Honka D (KeuPa, Mestis) – 179cm, 77kg
Anttoni Honka has begun to fall out of top 3-5 consideration. After his performance last season he looked like he could be the next Miro Heiskanen. Although he has now been demoted to the Finnish 2nd league. Honka will be at the World Juniors and that will be his chance to prove himself to be the same player we saw last season.

12) Cole Caufield RW/C (USNTDP, USHL) – 168cm, 70kg
The highest ranked pure sniper in the draft class and Alex DeBrincat clone, Cole Caufield, has dominated at every stage of his career. He was right around a goal a game with the NTDP U17s last year and is on a similar pace this year. His size won’t be able to hold back his ridiculous goal scoring ability.

13) Bobby Brink RW (Sioux City, USHL) – 178cm, 75kg
Brink’s season has turned scouts on their heads. Before the season he didn’t crack a USA Hlinka roster that excluded NTDP players. Some players on that team aren’t even expected to be drafted. Now, Brink floats around 1st or 2nd in USHL points and is well in the lead for USHL points per game. He later went on to play on the USA’s World Jr. A Challenge team and was named MVP. Bobby Brink is an elite offensive driver that creates more offense than anyone of his team. Brink is even making an argument for him to be a top 10 player.

14) Jakob Pelletier C/W (Moncton Wildcats, QMJHL) – 175cm, 72kg
Pelletier currently leads the QMJHL’s 2019 draft eligibles in points and assists. He’s been a major offensive contributor for the shining Moncton Wildcats. My growing problem with Pelletier is that he’s not driving his team’s offense like Bobby Brink is. Although Pelletier is still a very good offensive threat when he’s put in the right situations.

15) Ville Heinola D (Lukko, Liiga) – 180cm, 80kg
The biggest riser out of Europe this month is Ville Heinola. After gaining a lot of confidence in the Finnish top league he’s put on display his full skill set. Heinola can skate circles around the opponents in the offensive zone. He’s often able to dish the puck to a teammate after creating space with his skating. Heinola is seen as a 2nd rounder now, but it won’t be long before he’s a consensus top 20 pick.

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16) Vasili Podkolzin RW (SKA St. Petersburg, MHL) – 181cm, 75kg
After his stellar Hlinka performance, Podkolzin has struggled shockingly in league play. He hasn’t produced to the standards of a top 5 rounds pick, let alone a top 5 overall pick. The thing is that in international play he’s looked like an easy bet for the top 5. He’s got all the tools to be a top 5 pick, but he has to put it together in league play.

17) Mikko Kokkonen D (Jukurit, Liiga) – 180cm, 86kg
As a 17 year old defensemen, Kokkonen is 10th in his Liiga team’s scoring. Unfortunately he’s been cut for the Finnish World Junior team, but hopefully that only serves to motivate him as he goes back to the Finnish Liiga. Kokkonen is a offensive minded defensemen with the abilities to open lanes and create opportunities for his teammates.

18) Matthew Boldy C/W (USNTDP, USHL) – 183cm, 79kg
Boldy’s stock has exploded since his MVP worthy All American Prospects Game performance. The big power forward is hard to contain and dominant at the junior level. Boldy stands out as one of the first players you’ll notice when watching the NTDP. He stands out every time he’s on the ice with his big body and quick feet.

19) Raphaël Lavoie C/W (Halifax Mooseheads, QMJHL) – 193cm, 87kg
Lavoie has been the only former top 10 player falling significantly. The main factor that has contributed to this is his lack of improvement from last season. Point total wise he isn’t far ahead of last season, and I haven’t seen improvements on his IQ based deficiencies. With that being said he’s still a very good prospect.

20) Arthur Kaliyev LW (Hamilton Bulldogs, OHL) – 188cm, 86kg
Outside of the top 5, nobody has produced like Kaliyev. He’s top 10 in OHL scoring and approaching the top 5 in OHL goals. Although, my problem with this is that, from what I’ve seen, he benefits greatly off his stellar line of him, Brandon Saigeon, and Matthew Strome. Still, Kaliyev shows an ability to score and compete against the toughest competition in the OHL.

21) Cam York D (USNTDP, USHL) – 180cm, 75kg
York hasn’t exactly lived up to expectations after his stellar performance at the World Under 18s. He’s still the number one defensemen on the best NTDP team we’ve ever seen, but we don’t see that top 10- 15 potential we did last season. With that York is still one of the best skating and puck-moving defenders in the draft. I could see a team in need of a defender (Edmonton?) taking a chance on him much earlier in the draft.

22) Philip Broberg D (AIK, Allsvenskan) – 190cm, 90kg
Broberg is another player similar to Podkolzin. He’s slaughtered U18 play after his wowing performance at the Hlinka but has failed to produce in the Swedish 2nd league. Still, Broberg possesses impressive skills and straight-line speed that NHL team will covet.

23) Spencer Knight G (USNTDP, USHL) – 191cm, 90kg
The only American draft-eligible not named Jack Hughes heading to the World Juniors is Spencer Knight. The top goaltender for the 2019 draft possesses all the abilities that NHL teams look for. He’s got the size, athleticism, technicality, and puck tracking. Don’t sleep on Knight going top 20.

24) Connor McMichael C (London Knights, OHL) – 183cm, 77kg
A big breakout player this season is London’s, Connor McMichael. He’s been London’s best forward while being in the presence of Liam Foudy and Alex Formenton. In the past weeks, he’s looked like a top 20 talent and maybe top 15. I don’t like to shoot players up significantly from one month to another, but McMichael is close to making me do that.

25) Nathan Légaré F (Baie-Comeau Drakkar, QMJHL) – 182cm, 89kg
The QMJHL has another competitor for the 1st round. Légaré is a tank of a player that has thrived on a very good Baie-Comeau team. He does benefit a lot from being on such a great team, but I still see a high professional upside.

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26) Nils Höglander LW (Rögle BK, SHL) – 174cm, 84kg
The top performer out of the Swedish elite league has been Nils Höglander all season. It took some time to adjust to the pro game, but he’s doing great now. He was named to the Swedish World Juniors preliminary squad.

27) Alex Vlasic D (USNTDP, USHL) – 196cm, 86kg
The big defender out of the NTDP has long been on the radar due to his towering stature. My early concerns were that his size was being overvalued, but this season he’s really brought out his complete game. Think of him as a cross between Zdeno Chara and his cousin Marc-Édouard Vlasic.

28) Moritz Seider D (Alder Mannheim, DEL) – 192cm, 83kg
The top player in the 2nd division (D1A) of this month’s World Juniors could be argued to have been Moritz Seider. He was Germany’s captain as a 17-year-old. He was 2nd in points in the tournament behind only St. Louis 1st rounder Dominik Bokk. Seider is no doubt another German star talent.

29) Dustin Wolf G (Everett Silvertips, WHL) – 183cm, 73kg
Of all the goalies that have come through the draft, no goalie has the offensive upside of Dustin Wolf. Of course, I’m being sarcastic, but it’s not wrong. He has 4 assists this season with Everett and had 4 assists in 20 games last season. Other than that Wolf is one of the better puck tracking goaltenders we’ve seen in the draft class. His problem is going to be his height which seems to be about 5’11”. This could serve a problem as many teams, unfortunately, won’t draft a goalie under 6 foot or even 6’2”.

30) Pavel Dorofeyev W (Stalnye Lisy/Metallurg Magnitogorsk, MHL/KHL) – 184cm, 74kg
With KHL games under his belt, Pavel Dorofeyev has been the top performing MHLers eligible for the draft. He’s got a lot of heart in his game as he plays with a lot of tenacity and drive for the net. Dorofeyev doesn’t let up and he is willing to do whatever it takes to win. Not to mention his high skill and great skating.

31) Albin Grewe C/RW (Djurgårdens IF J20, SuperElit) – 182cm, 80kg
The last player to make the 1st round cut is Albin Grewe (pronounced Grey-vey). Despite going pointless in 10 SHL games, Grewe showed he can compete. He even laid a few heavy hits on grown men. Grewe is a ruthless center that plays with an unstoppable nose for the puck.

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

Edmonton Oilers: Chiarelli Gets His Puck Moving Dman and @TPEHockey’s November 2019 NHL Draft Rankings

Well, there it is. The Oilers have gone out and picked up the right-handed puck-moving defenseman we’ve all been clamoring for. Chris Wideman is the newest Edmonton Oiler after being acquired from the Ottawa Senators for the draft pick that Edmonton received from the Blues for Jakub Jerabek.

https://twitter.com/phillyphilstl2/status/1065739588633804800

Now if Patty’s brother likes Wideman, then we’re in the money! But where’s the catch?

Well, he’s not the most proficient defender defensively. He’s a smaller fella (5-foot-ten 183 pounds) who tends to get knocked around a bit when facing larger forwards but if he’s as good at getting that puck out of the d-zone as Phil Maroon says he is, he won’t have any problems.

My concern is where Ken Hitchcock is going to have Wideman draw in? Will he play the Will Butcher role and be a 3rd-pairing dman who plays on the top PP unit or will he be used even more and slide in on the 2nd-pairing with Darnell Nurse and QB the 2nd PP unit?

Another thing is, who is he replacing? The Oilers have 8 defenders on their roster right now, right?

  • Klefbom/Larsson
  • Nurse/Russell
  • Gravel/Benning
  • Garrison/Wideman

Someone is going to have to move and if it were my choice, I’d probably work with Jason Garrison and see if he’d be willing to go to Bakersfield and work with the kids down there because, from my viewings of the Condors defense, I think they need work on their positioning and timing. They’ve been caught on quite a few bad pinches in their last 3 games.

I don’t think the moves are over for the Oilers. Remember, Chiarelli is super loyal to his coaches and will move mountains to try and get the players they want or don’t want. I’ll be curious to see if Ken Hitchcock makes any requests to bring someone in or move a player out.

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Max from TPE Hockey is back with his November draft rankings and I must apologize for dragging my ass on getting this posted. It’s been super busy recently with the Oilers that I simply haven’t found the time to get Max’s rankings up.

1) Jack Hughes C (USNTDP, USHL) – 179cm, 73kg
Jack Hughes has been the most dominant force in international U18 play so far this season. Over 4 games he scored 6 goals and 10 assists for 16 points and was +14. Hughes has been an unstoppable force in every game he’s played this season. Against collegiate teams he lit up the best in the NCAA, leading the NTDP to defeat teams like the Univ. of Michigan, Harvard, and Dartmouth. Jack Hughes is the pivotal piece on the best NTDP team we have ever seen.

2) Kaapo Kakko RW (TPS Turku, Liiga) – 186cm, 82kg
Early in the season, Kakko was causing a real debate about who could go 1st overall. He was a point per game in the Finnish Liiga and looked like one of the best Finnish prospects we’ve seen. Since then he’s fallen off a little bit. He is still the consensus 2nd pick, but he now holds 3 goals and 7 assists for 10 points in 17 games. This is still impressive, but it’s not up to par with what he was doing earlier this season.

3) Kirby Dach C (Saskatoon Blades, WHL) – 192cm, 84kg
Dach is this month’s top performer outside of Jack Hughes. He sits at 4th in WHL scoring as he lights up that league. One of the keys to Dach’s early success has been his recent tendency to shoot the puck more. Last season Dach was a pure passer that had a great shot but he just didn’t use it. He scored 7 goals over 52 games that year. Now, Dach has 12 goals in 22 games. While he still hasn’t shot as much as I’d hope, the improvement has been substantial and a major key to his individual success thus far.

4) Anttoni Honka D (JYP Jyväskylä, Liiga) – 179cm, 77kg
The time for Anttoni Honka is now. Despite the lack of production, Honka has been a player ranked highly for me. He shows all the abilities of the best defensemen in this draft, but the points haven’t been racking up. He has now been demoted to the Mestis (Finnish 2nd league) from the Liiga. JYP said in a statement it is to give him more ice time. His Mestis team, KeuPa, will heavily rely on Honka as he will be a top pairing defenseman for them. This is Honka’s opportunity to show he’s a top 5 pick or risk falling out of that grouping.

5) Alex Turcotte C (USNTDP, USHL) – 180cm, 88kg
Right now there isn’t a lot to say about Turcotte. He’s sat out most of this season with an injury. Turcotte is a smooth skating two-way centerman for the NTDP. He is the best skater in the draft other than Jack Hughes. He’s shown the ability to take over a game and put momentum in his team’s favor.

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6) Dylan Cozens C (Lethbridge Hurricanes, WHL) – 191cm, 80kg
Cozens has so far played up to expectations going into the season. The only problem is that everyone else has been exceeding expectations all year. Cozens has suffered a bit being played on the wing rather than at center where I’d like to see him play. I’d also like to see him score some more goals this season, but he has good enough linemates as to where he doesn’t need to score as much as before.

7) Alex Newhook C (Victoria Grizzlies, BCHL) – 180cm, 83kg
The Boston College commit is the most dominant player in Junior A Hockey. His speed, skill, and IQ make him unstoppable with the puck. He only sits at 4th in BCHL scoring, but 1st in points per game. While the BCHL isn’t as competitive as Major Junior hockey his level of play in the league is still impressive.

8) Ryan Suzuki C (Barrie Colts, OHL) – 183cm, 78kg
Ryan Suzuki’s success this season was foreseen by many. Last year we saw his magical playmaking abilities and hockey sense. Unfortunately, the pucks just didn’t go in the net for him or his linemates. This year, Suzuki was handed a much larger role for the Barrie Colts. He is now the 9th player in OHL points per game and a key payer for Barrie. Suzuki is one of the top 3 playmakers in this class, but also has a very underrated shot and scoring ability that he should use more.

9) Bowen Byram D (Vancouver Giants, WHL) – 183cm, 81kg
After a slow start to the year, Byram has really taken off this month. He’s established himself as one of the best two defensemen in the draft class. Byram has flashy offensive abilities but has developed a better defensive game this season. Of the defensemen in the class, Byram is the most skilled and most fun to watch.

10) Peyton Krebs C/LW (Kootenay Ice, WHL) – 180cm, 78kg
Krebs has been consistently impressive so far this year. All year Krebs has dazzled scouts with unreal abilities to create space and opportunities for his teammates. He isn’t a major goal scoring threat, but his puck handling skills make him a dangerous player. He compares very closely to Johnny Gaudreau.

11) Mikko Kokkonen D (Jukurit, Liiga) – 180cm, 86kg
Kokkonen is up there as one of the most underrated eligible prospects this year. As a mostly 2nd pairing defensemen in the Liiga, Kokkonen has produced and thrived. In terms of point production adjusted for his league, he is the top defender by far. Notably, Kokkonen was the youngest player to play in the Liiga as a 15-year-old back in the 16-17 season.

12) Jakob Pelletier C/W (Moncton Wildcats, QMJHL) – 175cm, 72kg
The QMJHL’s top prospect has now become Jakob Pelletier. His quick feet and quicker thinking have made him one of the most valuable players on the QMJHL’s top squad. When you face off against the Moncton Wildcats, you can’t take your eyes off Pelletier.

13) Raphaël Lavoie C/W (Halifax Mooseheads, QMJHL) – 193cm, 87kg
Lavoie is the biggest dropper on this month’s list. Lavoie is still an impressive player, but he lacks the game-breaking abilities that his competitors in his draft class have. He is one of the “safer” picks in the draft as he has the size and build for the NHL. Although I don’t see as high of a ceiling for Lavoie. In my mind, he is a high floor, low ceiling type of player.

14) Cole Caufield RW/C (USNTDP, USHL) – 168cm, 70kg
The NTDP’s sniper comes in at number 14. Caufield has greatly benefited from being on a line with Jack Hughes. He is great at finding open space and receiving a pass, and when he gets that pass he doesn’t miss. So far in international competition, he has shown he is simply too good for the U18 level. He’s also dominated collegiate competition in the NTDP’s NCAA series. Caufield is easily the best pure sniper in the draft class. I’d put a high likelihood on the possibility of him being named to the USA World Junior team.

15) Trevor Zegras C (USNTDP, USHL) – 180cm, 72kg
Zegras has arisen as of late as a Jack Hughes lite. He plays a lot like Hughes but isn’t as good. I’d compare his style of play very closely to that of Patrick Kane too. I detailed his success in a previous article on some of this year’s NTDP talent.

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16) Vasili Podkolzin RW (SKA St. Petersburg, MHL) – 181cm, 75kg
The title of the most volatile and hard to predict prospect goes to Vasili Podkolzin. In the Hlinka Gretzky Cup he was the best 2019 eligible performer. He showed capabilities in all zones and areas of the game, and put up massive point totals. But in the regular season he has failed to produce at the junior level or Russian 2nd league. Podkolzin has been a massive disappointment in terms of production. Despite this, he did get a shot in the KHL where he got his 1st KHL shift in the 3rd period of that game.

17) Cam York D (USNTDP, USHL) – 180cm, 75kg
York remains as the number one defensemen on the best NTDP team ever. He’s the vital blueliner that is the glue to his team. I detailed him, Zegras, and one more (mystery) NTDP player in a recent article.

18) Matthew Boldy C/W (USNTDP, USHL) – 183cm, 79kg
This month’s buzz has centered around Boldy. He started off with an amazing performance at the All Americans Prospects Game where he earned the game’s top player award. Since then, he has lit up every team he’s played against. Boldy is one of the draft’s top power forwards.

19) Arthur Kaliyev LW (Hamilton Bulldogs, OHL) – 188cm, 86kg
The OHL’s 9th leading scorer is one of the surprise top performers this season. Kaliyev followed up a very weak Hlinka Gretzky Cup by lighting up the OHL. He still ranks outside of the top 15 where his point totals might argue he should be because he doesn’t show the high-end talent and IQ that other players in this class do.

20) Nathan Légaré F (Baie-Comeau Drakkar, QMJHL) – 182cm, 89kg
Légaré continues his rise up the rankings. He is the QMJHL’s 5th leading scorer and is outperforming any expectations set for him before this season. Of 2019 draft eligibles coming out of the “Q”, he is the leading scorer. Légaré will continue to rise these rankings if he continues with these point totals.

21) Pavel Dorofeyev W (Stalnye Lisy/Metallurg Magnitogorsk, MHL/KHL) – 184cm, 74kg
After a promotion to the KHL, Dorofeyev failed to put up any points in his very limited role over 9 games. Still, Dorofeyev is one of the top players coming out of Russia. He is one of the hardest working players his age and shows tons of talent.

22) Nils Höglander LW (Rögle BK, SHL) – 174cm, 84kg
The prospect out of Rögle in the SHL has spent his entire season in the Swedish top league. Höglander has also competed for Sweden in international tournaments at the U20 level rather than the U18s. In his 3 game stint with the squad, he has 3 goals and 3 assists for 6 points.

23) Philip Broberg D (AIK J20, SuperElit) – 190cm, 90kg
Broberg, despite his high talent, has continued to struggle with AIK in Sweden’s 2nd league. It has become very clear that Broberg isn’t the player he was hyped to be at the Hlinka tournament. He has to become more of an impact player in Sweden before he can be considered as a top-15 player that some believe he is.

24) Albin Grewe C/RW (Djurgårdens IF J20, SuperElit) – 182cm, 80kg
The commanding force in Swedish junior hockey has been Albin Grewe. He played well enough to earn a small role in a few SHL contests. While he was unable to register any points, he showed he can hang with the pros and even laid a few huge hits.

25) Alex Vlasic D (USNTDP, USHL) – 196cm, 86kg
Going into this season we knew Vlasic was a very solid defensive defenseman much like his cousin Marc-Édouard Vlasic. Although he has now exerted some new found offensive abilities. Vlasic has always had a scary shot, but his vision and playmaking have improved greatly.

26) Moritz Seider D (Alder Mannheim, DEL) – 192cm, 83kg
Seider is the youngest player currently competing in Germany’s pro league. He only has 1 goal over his 15 games, but his role has been severely limited on the DEL’s top squad. Moritz Seider was also the subject of a profile piece I did on him before this season.

27) Spencer Knight G (USNTDP, USHL) – 191cm, 90kg
Knight has now established himself as the draft’s top goaltender. He broke into this spot, for me, after his play in the NTDP’s NCAA series where he shut down the nation’s best collegiate athletes. Spencer Knight was the 3rd player featured in my NTDP feature piece.

28) Victor Söderström D (Brynäs IF, SHL) – 181cm , 80kg
Brynäs’ two-way defender is a very dependable talent. Söderström is a smooth skating, intellectual defender. He reliably makes great decision in any situation you need him in. Söderström is a prime candidate to be a player that makes a huge jump up in draft day because one team is really fond of him.

29) Tobias Björnfot D (Djurgårdens IF J20, SuperElit) – 183cm, 85kg
Björnfot is currently a player that could be entering a free-fall down the rankings. He’s showed very little improvement over the summer, and in fact has regressed in terms of points. Björnfot needs to make a change to stay in the 1st round.

30) Bobby Brink RW (Sioux City, USHL) – 178cm, 75kg
Brink is the biggest riser so far. He was unranked (outside of the top 70) going into the season, but now sits at 30. He is 2nd in USHL points, goals, and assists. Brink is a high drive athlete with phenomenal abilities to create offensive off the rush. Few players can insight zone entries and distribute the puck off the entry like him. He is also a great shooter with high end puck skills including his puck handling and stick checking.

31) Dustin Wolf G (Everett Silvertips, WHL) – 183cm, 73kg
No player has been as consequential to their team as Dustin Wolf. He has played the most games of any WHL goalie as a 17 year old, playing 21 of 22 games. He’s been granted no breaks so far, but continues to hold very good numbers compared to his peers.

What a hilarious phrase! Click the pic to get yours today!
The Vegas Golden Misfits are going to the Stanley Cup Final in 2018!!! Love ’em or hate ’em it’s an amazing story and this is one punk rocker’s way of giving tribute! Click the pic above and get yours today!
Click the image above and get this sweet Leon’s parody shirt!