Tag Archives: Nolan Patrick

Armchair GM, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, Rumors

Edmonton Oilers Rumors: Fresh Rumors for the New Year!

What a game last night! What have I been saying for nearly two weeks now? The Oilers aren’t getting scoring from the secondary because they aren’t going to the net and they aren’t shooting. What happens vs. Anaheim? They get shots on net and there are players there to clean up the garbage and against a potential Hart Trophy candidate in John Gibson no less.

The boys saved Chia’s ass last night 🙂

Would like to see them limit the other team’s shots on goal mind you. They’re not going to get goaltending like this every night and Anaheim is the 2nd worst scoring team in the league right now. With all of that depth and talent, it’s a shock their GM is even employed.

I’m still upset with Lucic even though he made a great play on Draisaitl’s goal by wallpapering Montour in order to get to the puck first so that he could make the play out front.

Speaking of that goal. The whole thing where he walks past Montour to give him a piece of his mind for the high stick, get’s punched in the head, headlocked, and receives 4 minutes in penalties for it… That was BS but it isn’t what caught my eye.

What I noticed was Montour not even thinking twice about throwing a punch at Lucic. That tells me he’s not feared anymore. Even little Leipsic in LA was giving it back to him.

It might just be time for Milan to hang them up OR he could go on one last tour of destruction. Either way, he’s not fooling anybody on the ice anymore.

I’m not even going to talk about the garbage with the reffing.

That’s a lie, I will for a second here.

Has anybody considered that maybe the league WANTS hitting taken out of the game? So they allow this BS to go on because they’re playing the long game? Take hitting out, no more headshots, no more concussions from hits, no more lawsuits. Plus faster play, more goals, more excitement… Bla bla bla… It’s all dumb because it’s all a lie.

I know for a fact there are some markets in the US that go to hockey games to see if a fight breaks out. I watched minor league hockey in Huntsville, AL (where Talbot played and Woodcroft coached) and the fans there couldn’t have cared less what was going on on the ice until there was a fight. THEN everyone stood up and cheered.

The NHL is looking after itself here. No doubt. I for one hope a new league forms one day that is a call-back to the great days of hockey.

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Anyways, on to the rumors…

I’ve got a hunch that the Oilers have a plan to ice a more veteran-laden lineup for 2019-20. Letting the kids run the show has not worked one bit and that goes back to the days of H.O.P.E (Hall, Omark, Paajarvi, Eberle)… I’ll tie this together at the end to show you.

Bob Stauffer has been talking a lot about the weak draft coming up and how fans would feel if the Oilers used their first rounder in this year’s draft (lottery protected of course) to upgrade the roster.

So on Twitter the other day I threw out a hypothetical trade with the Flyers,

That proposal was only slightly hypothetical and after that performance against Anaheim, I’d be hard-pressed to trade Talbot but I believe the Oilers are interested in bringing Wayne Simmonds to play alongside Connor McDavid. Hitchcock likes having big bodies who are good along the boards and can play net-front, right? Yes, Simmonds is a UFA at season’s end and he’ll be 31 next season but he can still skate, score (on pace for 24 goals this year), and get dirty (53 PIMs).

I’m guessing the Flyers are having a tough time re-signing him and their desperation for a starting goalie is growing stronger by the loss. I am not sure how much money the Oilers would offer him to stay, perhaps just a bit more than he’s making now which is $3.975 million.

What would you offer him? $5.5 million for four years? Three years? How could the Oilers learn from the Milan Lucic debacle but still get their kind of man without developing him from within.

You probably noticed a former 2nd overall pick and 4th overall pick in that trade too. I’m not exactly sure what’s going on with Patrick in Philly. He’s not progressing as quickly as they’d like I suppose and he’s been injured quite a bit, but he’s a name I tossed out there to my source and I was told he’d very likely be the ask if Jesse Puljujarvi was included in the deal.

NOOOOOOO!!! DO. NOT. TRADE. PULJUJARVI!

I will not be a very happy Oilers fan if Pulju gets dealt, that much can be said.

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Another name that is making the rounds is that of former Edmonton Oilers, Jordan Eberle!

Bob Stauffer brought him up on Friday during his show and I was asked how I felt about the Oilers potentially bringing him in by my source. To me, that says this is a serious consideration from the organization. To add to that, Jordan isn’t having a great time in Long Island since joining the club and I guess his significant other feels the same. They’re looking to go to a smaller market after this year and what better small market than Edmonton, right?

What would you pay Eberle now? He’s on pace for 14 goals right now and those are not numbers worthy of a $6 million player. Would you give him three years at $4 million per? I think I might.

Two other names that have popped up are Charles Hudon of the Montreal Canadiens and Daniel Carr of the Vegas Golden Knights.

Hudon has three goals and one assist in 23 games this year. That’s a stark contrast to what he produced last season (ten goals and 20 assists). He’s on an expiring contract worth 650k and he’ll be an RFA at the end of the year.

Whereas Carr is dominating the AHL right now (15g 20a in 24 gp). He makes 750k this season and is a UFA this summer.

The interesting thing about Carr and Hudon is that they have a history together ripping it up for Montreal’s farm teams in Hamilton and St. John’s from 2014-15 to 2016-17. They’re both high energy players, they’re quick and they play an honest game.

Bonus: Carr is a local lad. Born in Sherwood Park, he played midget in Leduc and junior for the St. Albert Steel.

I imagine Edmonton might try to peddle Matt Benning to Montreal for Hudon and wait to sign Carr in the off-season. \

I’ve also heard Colton Sceviour is a target the Oilers have been watching this year. He makes $1.2 million for two more years after this.

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Tying It All Together

Here’s a potential snapshot of what the Oilers roster COULD look like next year if everything were to go to plan.

Draisaitl-McDavid-Simmonds
XXX (Lee)-RNH-Eberle
Hudon–Patrick-Yamamoto
Sceviour-Khaira-Kassian
Brodziak-Carr/Tanev

I have the Oilers buying out Spooner. It would cost them $1.3 million for two seasons to do that. The alternative is playing him beside RNH and Ebs… Can’t see it though.

Rattie, Gambardella, Rieder are all let go or signed to two-way deals.

There are some tasty UFAs that could hit the market this summer for that LW spot that include Jeff Skinner, Anders Lee, Ryan Dzingel, and Michael Ferland but at what cost? Lee would be awfully nice to have there for $6.5 million or so…

As for that extra forward spot, I think a player like Brandon Tanev would fit in there perfectly. His tenaciousness and work ethic would be very welcome on this team. Similar to Carr in my mind.

There’s also the question of Alex Chiasson. Would the Oilers walk away from his career-high in goals or re-sign him and for how much? I have him gone in my scenario though.

Klefbom-Larsson
Nurse-Russell
Jones-Gravel
Bouchard

Brandon Manning is either bought out as well (916k in year one, 666k in year two) or sent to the minors and I think his cap hit would only be a shade over a million dollars then. I’ve also got Petrovic walking but I feel like they’d prefer to retain him over Manning.

I’m of the belief that the Oilers won’t trade Russell. We’re seeing just how valuable he is to the players on this team. The emergence of Caleb Jones is making me wonder if the team might reconsider trading for a PP QB like Justin Faulk or Tyson Barrie now…

Kevin Gravel has played his way to a new contract in my opinion. He’s been very good when deployed in the correct slot and I hope they keep him.

As for Evan Bouchard, he’ll be too old for the OHL next season. My prediction is that he makes the team out of camp due to him having the best shot and the best passing ability. What concerns me is that his defensive reads and skating aren’t up to par and maybe two months in Bakersfield would do him a lot of good learning under the tutelage of Dave Manson.

Koskinen
XXX (Francouz)

I would see if Pavel Francouz would sign on the cheap here and form the KHL duo. Do you think Mikko Koskinen would sign for $4M?

Now when I said “if everything goes to plan”, that means the following,

  • Lucic is moved with 50% retained and no players come back to Edmonton. (Better case scenario is he retires and forfeits the pay.)
  • Andrej Sekera never plays another game for the Oilers again and it’s off to Ference island for him. That’d be a headache come day 1 of the season each remaining year on his deal though as the Oilers would only be able to dig into his IR cushion after that date.
  • New signings and re-signings take haircuts on their deals.

I’m not getting too in-depth here. I think there are some problems cap-wise with my roster above but I just wanted to give a brief overview of what the Oilers roster COULD look like if the hockey gords shined the good light on Edmonton for an off-season.

What do you think? Let me know in the comments section!

PS: Hi Darcy! How’s the wood? Need any shirts done up?

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Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, Stanley Cup Playoffs

Oilers/Ducks G3 Review Plus: I Know Who’s Getting Moved This Summer

2 Comments

Chills… So proud of the folks back in the YEG.

First things first, apparently Oilers prospect William Lagesson is on his way to the SHL in Sweden. At least according to the tweet below. It’s only rumored right now and nobody from the Oilers has announced it, so I suppose we’ll play the waiting game on this one but would it surprise you at all with all of the depth on the left side in the organization already?

Klefbom-Sekera-Nurse-Oesterle-Reinhart-Jones etc. I’m sure I’m missing someone but just off of the top of my head, Lagesson is behind all of them.

The draft lottery was something eh? Taylor Hall, man that guy has ZERO luck with the NHL teams he plays on aside from their sweet lottery wins.

The question I have is, will the Devils go the old Oilers route and take the skilled winger OR will they take the stud center who’s been compared to Sean Monohan and Mark Scheifele but has major injury concerns.

My advice, trade down Ray! Trade down!!

Philly and Dallas must’ve had horseshoes up their butts. Wow! Did they ever luck out! Philly, in theory, should get that dynamic winger in Hischier they’ve been looking for for quite some time and Dallas’ options are WIDE open. Maybe they go for the sharp-shooting Owen Tippett?

Burning the Midnight Oil

The start to last night’s game was horrendous, to say the least, but with that said, the comeback was glorious! I think I could hear the roar of the crowd all of the way over here in Taipei after Connor scored that beauty.

Another player who was on his game was Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Wow, he was firing on all cylinders from the get-go and I wondered aloud if Todd McLellan might be tempted to get him out there a bit more often. I haven’t checked the TOI in the 3rd but I know McDavid and his dash three didn’t play all that much once the game was out of hand. So maybe RNH did, in fact, get more ice-time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcJXIkO6i9E

The Wagner goal was unfortunate though and Darnell Nurse is struggling. I think Nurse really wants to make a difference but he’s not quite there yet and he’s hurting the team a bit.

Is it time to take him out for a game? Just a break to watch the game from the box and get his head squared away. Could Eric Gryba fill in for a game?

Can somebody answer me this? Why do I keep seeing Benning and Nurse out at the same time as Connor is on the ice? You’d think you’d want your best pairing w/97 out there. Maybe that is Nurse/Benning though… Either way, it’s seems off and I expect to see Klefbom and Larsson. Just thinking out lout here.

Here’s the thing though the Oilers kept the pedal to the medal and had their chances to score after that 4th goal by the Ducks but John Gibson stood on his head and Anaheim got a few more bounces their way.

The Oilers are still up 2-1 in the series. Let’s keep that in mind.

To address the title of my post, I’d like to start with a tweet from Mark Spector.

https://twitter.com/SportsnetSpec/status/858884974774112256

I’m right with ya there Spec! And I really think that Edmonton will do their damnedest to move Eberle and his $6M deal out of Edmonton and it’ll be another deal you don’t like on the surface but the difference between this year and the Hall trade from last year is that you trust Chiarelli’s judgment now.

I did hear that the Oilers were looking at the Sabres before the season ended and before Tim Murray and Dan Bylsma were axed. Maybe there’s a fit in Buffalo for Ebs but in my opinion, their offense isn’t the no.1 problem.

Can’t really say as to what the Oilers would want back for the button-hook assassin. Where do you think the Oilers need to address?

Let us know in the comments below!

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Brennen York, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, NHL Entry Draft, Prospects

15 Names to Keep an Eye On in 2016/17

Could Timothy Liljegren top Nolan Patrick for 1st overall in 2017?

 It’s hard to gauge where the Oilers will finish in the standings come April, but it would surprise no one if they ended up with a lottery pick on draft day. As opposed to last year, no player has emerged as a potential superstar, the closest being Nolan Patrick who looks like he’ll be a top line NHL’er, but may not reach the same productivity levels as a Jamie Benn or John Tavares. Timothy Liljegren is the other player competing for Timothy Liljegren is the other player competing for

Timothy Liljegren is the other player competing for Timothy Liljegren is the other player competing for top spot at the moment, however, defenceman can be tricky, and we may not know exactly what he’ll be for another three or four years. Where this draft differs from most is in the amount of players who fit a specific role nearly perfectly. Players like Nico Hischier projecting to be a top 6 playmaking right shot

Where this draft differs from most is in the amount of players who fit a specific role nearly perfectly. Players like Nico Hischier projecting to be a top 6 playmaking right shot winger, or Stellio Mattheos who’s looking more and more like he’ll become a big-time producer while also maintaining a prominent role in the team’s defence.

In an attempt to paint a clearer picture of the prospects I predict to be selected by a lottery team, I’ve included a player comparison, however, the comparison carries very little weight.

  • Timothy Liljegren – RD – Rogle BK (SHL)

Comparable: Kris Letang, John Klingberg

Liljegren plays an up-tempo, offensive style of game without sacrificing his responsibilities in the defensive zone. He’s a dynamic skater with excellent puck moving abilities, and will likely be a top two NHL defenceman. Liljegren is currently out with mono, something that may hurt his draft stock.

  • Nolan Patrick – RC – Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)

Comparable: Taylor Hall, Blake Wheeler

Given his innate ability to score goals, Nolan Patrick may be the first selection come June, but it won’t be without debate. The Wheaties captain has a similar demeanor to Taylor Hall, and doesn’t jump off the sheet as the smartest player, however his offensive abilities cannot be denied. Likely a winger at the NHL level.

  • Kristian Vesalainen – LW – Frolunda HC (SHL)

Comparable: Filip Forsberg, Loui Eriksson

The speedy Finnish forward looks to join fellow countrymen Jesse Puljujarvi and Patrik Laine as a top five pick, and there’s a very good chance he does so. Vesalainen appeared in 19 games for the SHL’s Frolunda HC where he scored two points, and has already matched that total this year through seven games.

  • Gabe Vilardi – RC – Windsor Spitfires (OHL)

Comparable: Sean Monahan, Ryan O’Reilly

Though he is more of a puck handler than the two comparable players above, Vilardi’s strengths come in his two way game. He’s a big, speedy center who’s capable who can play in every situation. Vilardi is currently out with a knee injury sustained at the Team Canada U18 Summer Showcase.

  • Kailer Yamamoto – RC/W – Spokane Chiefs (WHL)

Comparable: Mats Zuccarello, Matt Duchene

There are a dozen Patrick Kane comparisons every year, and this year that same comparison will fall on the shoulders of Kailer Yamamoto. He’s a cerebral offensive force who’s shot accuracy is as strong as his passing ability. He’s a tad undersized, but he definitely has the skill.

  • Maxime Comtois – LW – Victoriaville Tigres (QMJHL)

Comparable: Rick Nash

Maxime Comtois has not gotten off to the start he was hoping for, however it won’t be long before he breaks out offensively. He may not be the strongest defensively, however he’s competent in defensive roles. He’s a guy that will produce 40-60 points per season if he pans out.

  • Eeli Tolvanen – LW – Sioux City Musketeers (USHL)

Comparable: Jonathan Drouin, Tomas Plekanec

Eeli Tolvanen is an interesting player to keep an eye on in that he plays with such a calm demeanor, rarely forcing plays, creating space and time, but when he gets the chance, he can absolutely devastate a goalie. He’s a skilled left winger who should be a 30 goal scorer in the NHL.

  • Callan Foote – RD – Kelowna Rockets

Comparable: Brent Seabrook

Callan Foote doesn’t do anything that’s exceptional, but boasts a well rounded game that allows him to be an all situations defender. Foote isn’t the fleetest of foot, but he has a long stride that allows him to cover a ton of ice. He’s also a right shot defenceman, something teams are beginning to pay a premium for.

  • Michael Rasmussen – LC – Tri-City Americans

Comparable: Jeff Carter

Through seven games, Michael Rasmussen already has eight goals. The 6’5 pivot has established himself as one of the premier goal scorers in the Western League, and you can only imagine he’ll get better from here on out. He’s a heavy player who competes hard.

  • Cale Makar – RD – Brooks Bandits (AJHL)

Comparable: Shayne Gostisbehere

Cale Makar is the best player in the Alberta Junior league, and if he were to take the jump to the WHL, he’d likely end up a consensus top ten pick at the end of the year. Makar is an explosive, powerful skater with unbelievable vision. He’s this years riser.

  • Ryan Poehling – LC – St. Cloud University (NCAA)

Comparable: Ryan Johansen

Not much is known about the St. Cloud center ranked in the top five by Craig Button, but he is sure to become a household name very soon. He’s a powerful center with excellent hands, and pretty strong finishing ability. He will be a consideration for Team USA come the World Junior Challenge.

  • Lias Andersson – LC/W – HV71  (SHL)

Comparable: Artemi Panarin

Andersson is a highly talented winger who is entering his second season in the SHL. The Smogen native already has three goals in six games, and his goal totals will only soar from here as the slippery winger has an innate ability to put himself in great scoring positions.

  • Klim Kostin – RW(LH) – Dynamo Balashikha (VHL)

Comparable: Kyle Okposo

Klim Kostin will garner top five consideration for quite a while. He has been placed in the top five by a number of scouting organizations, however after a rough start which involved being sent to the VHL after receiving very little KHL ice time, he may begin to fall on the majority of lists. Kostin opted not to play for the Kootenay Ice after being selected first overall in the CHL Import Draft.

  • Nico Hischier – LC/RW – Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL)

Comparable: Derek Stepan

Nico Hischier could be the best Swiss player to enter the league since Nino Niedderrieter. The Halifax Moosehead has started off his rookie QMJHL season quite strong, registering six points in the first seven games. Hischier is a skilled playmaking winger, who if he pans out, puts up between 40-50 assists per year.

  • Nicolas Hague – LD – Mississauga Steelheads (OHL)

Comparable: Tyler Myers

At 6’6, Nicolas Hague is the biggest defender poised to ebe selected in the top 30. Hague has taken criticism for his skating ability which is his biggest obstacle from reaching the NHL. He does boast a strong defensive game and has the ability to contribute on the score sheet.

There are players at nearly every position inside the top 15, who boast a wide range of skill sets, meaning teams will have a plethora of options when they make their choice on draft day. When you look at the Oilers prospect pool, nearly every prospect listed would fit a role whether it be their ability to be a top six goal scorer or a puck moving right handed defenceman. The three players which Oiler fans should keep their eye on is Brooks Bandits defender Cale Makar, Rockets defenceman Callan Foote, and Swedish winger Lias Andersson.

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Brennen York, NHL, NHL Entry Draft, Prospects

WHL Players to Watch

Another exciting season of WHL hockey is right around the corner, and with main camps kicking off this week, the anticipation of opening night is almost unbearable. There are tons of enticing storylines to watch for as the season gets underway, and the one I will be watching the closest is how the 2016 draft eligibles will perform. Over at DraftGeek.ca, we currently list six WHL’ers in our top thirty which is somewhat underwhelming, however I fully expect to see Sam Steel, Tyler Benson, and Jake Bean’s stock rise over the course of the year, meaning we could see three WHL players in the top ten come draft week. Aside from the draft eligibles, there’s a laundry list of players to keep an eye on this season for a number of different reasons.

Mathew Barzal (C) – Seattle Thunderbirds

After an injury plagued campaign in 2015, Mathew Barzal has possibly the most to prove out of any Western Hockey League player. Barzal will be a huge threat this year as his elite level puck skills and vision make him a dangerous junior hockey player. The T-Birds are a team on the rise with a good, young core in place; it’s possible we see them take over as the top squad in the U.S division. Though they will lose veterans like Shea Theodore, Roberts Lipsbergs, and Justin Hickman, players like Nolan Volcan, Gropp, Kolesar, and Bear will be able to pick up the slack, and along with Barzal carry the team into the playoffs.

Nolan Patrick (C) – Brandon Wheat Kings

Nolan Patrick may be the next superstar to come from the WHL. Since Ryan Nugent Hopkins, the WHL has lacked in elite talent near the top of the draft order, and I’m not saying they haven’t been producing great talent, there just hasn’t been a Jonathan Toews or Steven Stamkos level prospect come around for a while. That changes with Nolan Patrick. I believe he’s the next one. Nolan brings a unique package to the Wheat Kings in that he’s as good of a goal scorer as he is a puck distributor. He has a big frame and gets around the ice extremely well. The Wheaties will push for a memorial cup this season, and it will be on the back of Nolan Patrick.

Carter Hart (G) – Everett Silvertips

The 2014/15 season was an interesting one for the young netminder. Playing behind a veteran goaltender usually means you won’t see a ton of starts, and it’ll be a while before you see time as a regular. Carter had a different story to write. After unseating Austin Lotz as the starter late into the season, Hart ran with the starting gig throughout the playoffs posting a .929 save percentage along the way. Coming off a gold medal at the Ivan Hlinka tournament, expect Carter to come into the season with a ton of confidence. Without anyone to really push for the job, I fully expect Carter to run with the job and finish top 10 in the league.

Conner Bleackley (C) – Red Deer Rebels

It wouln’t be a huge surprise to see Bleackley stick around in Colorado this season, but with the additions of Carl Soderberg and Mikhail Grigorenko, it’s more likely he suits up for the Rebels this season. With a lack of game breaking forwards up front, Bleackley will be heavily relied upon as the key offensive spark plug for the Mem Cup hosts. Conner is a strong two way player who isn’t necessarily considered an offensive minded player, but this will be the year we get to watch him emerge as a dominant junior hockey player. If all goes well for Conner, his offensive totals will be in the 70 point range. If he can prove to be a reliable point producer this season, it’s likely he’s brought in as a third line NHL’er next season.

Of course there are a ton of players who will play key roles on their clubs this season, but if I were to list every player who’s poised to have a breakout campaign I’d be writing for weeks. In a year that almost any team will be able to push for a playoff spot, I think this will be a very exciting season, and I can’t wait to get things rolling.

Edmonton Oilers, NHL Entry Draft, Prospects

Day 4 of the Ivan Hlinka Tournament!

Our coverage from the Ivan Hlinka Memorial continues with Brayden Sullivan guest posting for us! Follow him on Twitter @sullydraftgeek!

The beginning of the day started off with a consolation game for seventh place between Slovakia and Switzerland. The game went back and forth but Team Switzerland tied the game up with 27 seconds remaining! Overtime solved nothing and in the shootout is where Lee Roberts(SWI) scored to clinch seventh place for the Swiss.

The second consolation game featured the Czech Republic meeting the United States. The Americans won 4-3 including a five minute stretch in the third in which they managed to score three goals. Though they had a less than impressive performance, forwards Kailer Yamamoto and Casey Mittlestatd were more than impressive as both players combined racked up seven points.

Next up were two semi-final games which featured Sweden against Finland and Canada taking on Russia.

The first semi-final game was a Scandinavian grudge match where we saw Sweden take the win 2-1 and advance to the finals. A tightly contested match saw much of the game a 1-1 draw until the 7th minute of the 3rd period. That’s when Alexander Nylander’s shot was tipped by William Fallstrom. That goal stood and the Swedes moved on to the Finals.

The last game of the day was a classic as Canada matched up against Russia. Fans got more than they bargained for as the barn burner ended in a 2-1 decision courtesy of the shootout. Nolan Patrick scored the shootout winner against the hottest goalie in the tournament, Vladislav Sukhachev.

Tomorrow will be the last day of the Ivan Hlinka and will feature Russia vs. Finland for Bronze, and on the other side will have Canada vs Sweden for Gold. Canada has won seven straight U-18 championships, but Sweden has a loaded roster that will make Canada fight for that eight championship.

 

After some very impressive showings throughout day four of the Hlinka here are the players who stood out to me:

Nico Hischier (Switzerland): The 2017 draft eligible had a remarkable tournament. He has been a regular on the Swiss number one power play unit, and also finished 3rd in round robin scoring with six points in four games.

At 5`11, Nico is slightly undersized but possesses high end playmaking skills and good skating ability. He is very skilled with the puck and always has his head on a swivel. He was trusted in many key situations and saw more time than any of his teammates, which is impressive considering he is only 16 years of age. The downgrade to his game is his physical play, as well as his lack of support during puck battles in his own zone. He is a 2017 draft eligible which means he will have more than enough time to round out as a player. He was the sole spotlight on a sub-par Swiss squad.

Vojtech Budik (Czech Republic): Budik is a big, strong defender who has been impressive considering the caliber of his defensive partners. Players like Hrdinka, Hajek, and Novak were bound to be stand outs, but Budik held his own. The young Czech plays a powerful two way style and contains his opponents very well along the wall and in front of the net. He brings an awareness and reliability factor that scouts salivate over, and will likely trend upwards over the course of the coming year. Budik will fly over and ply his trade for the Prince Albert Raiders in the WHL this coming season. Everyone will expect him to have a strong start in his first year in North America. He will be a huge addition to a team that has struggled to make its mark on the WHL in quite a while. One aspect of his game that will need improvement is his offensive awareness as he is frequently caught going too deep into the zone and being the cause for odd man counter-rushes.

Ty Farmer (USA): Farmer demonstrated his smart two way game throughout the tourney but had an exceptional day four. He utilized his body well and wasn’t afraid to step up to make a big hit. In the game versus the Czechs he looked very confident with the puck and was very vocal at both ends of the ice. He currently plays for Youngstown Phantoms in the USHL and is committed to Michigan State. He looked to be having trouble distributing the puck today, but ended up scoring the second goal of the game. Farmer is a 2016 draft eligible who could climb up the ranks as he looks to have a successful season in the USHL.

Filip Gustavsson (Sweden): The top player in today’s semi-finals matchup between Finland and Sweden as he saved 38 of 39 shots in a 2-1 win. Gustavsson is a 6’2, 2016 draft eligible goalie, who currently plays for Lulea HF J20. Gustavsson is someone who looks big in his crease and isn’t afraid to step up on the shooter. He made a few smart poke checks when the opponent came close to his net but didn`t give up his position. Playing behind a strong defensive team like Sweden helps, but having a goaltender like Gustavsson instills a tremendous amount of confidence in his teammates. He finished as the only goalie to start in all 4 games and ended up 3rd amongst all goalies with a 1.50 GAA and a 0.956 SVG%.

Dante Fabbro (Canada): This 6’0″ 190lbs right-handed defender plays a good two way game. Fabbro currently plays for the Penticton Vees of the BCHL. He is someone who is very aware of which man he needs to pick up and isn’t afraid to step up to make a big hit. Fabbro is very confident in his own abilities and loves to get a bomb off from the point. He had plenty of ice time, and proved to be one of Canada`s best in the 4 on 4 overtime. Fabbro was relied upon for special teams, playing both penalty kill and power play. Currently ranked eleventh by HockeyProspect and twentieth by Future Considerations, he is likely to be a top twenty pick if he continues to progress. Should be interesting to see how his year goes in the BCHL, and if he can maintain or raise his draft stock.

Nolan Patrick (Canada): Patrick, the top ranked prospect for the 2017 NHL Draft, has been relied heavily upon by the Brandon Wheat Kings dating back to mid-season last year, as the 30 goal scorer has proven to be dominant in all situations. Though he`s not yet the fleetest of foot, Nolan makes up for any skating deficiencies by being agile and evasive.

Nolan Patrick brings a unique style as he is as much a goal scorer as he is a distributor, and though his offensive talents are talked about quite often, it`s his defensive abilities that push him over the edge. He is the definition of all-around player. He possesses great vision, good size, great puck handling abilities, and a deadly shot from all angles. One aspect of his game that doesn’t get much attention is his “Smytty” side, where he sets up his 6’2 body frame and parks it right in front of the goalies face. As the Brandon Wheat Kings will make a push for the memorial cup in the 2015-16 season, it will be interesting to see if he is featured in a prominent role on their run.

Vladislav Sukhachev (Russia): Sukhachev is the sole reason as to why Russia stayed in it against a loaded Canadian squad. He was spectacular. Sukhachev is small in stature but very mobile in his crease. He`s a very stylistic net minder who doesn’t shy away from the flashy save. He sees the puck well and challenges the shooter hard on odd man rushes. He finished the tournament with a 0.949 SVG % through one game and should likely have started more, but was caught in a 3 goalie rotation. He has played two games this year with Belve Medvedi Chelybinsk in the MHL and was perfect in both performances.

 

Only two days remain heading into the final day of the tournament. Sweden has some solid young guns on the back end, such as Jacob Cederholm, as well as a high flying offence with the likes of Bratt and Nylander.

On the other side, Team Canada is a defensive powerhouse, with tremendous goal scoring ability up front. I predict Canada comes out ahead 3-2, and 4-2 Russia in the bronze medal game. All games tomorrow will be aired on YouTube live and I will be keeping everyone up to date on Twitter @sullydraftgeek.