Last night was shaping up to be a beautiful night of hockey, was it not? Bob Cole had called his final game, Leon Draisaitl found a way to score #50 for the Oilers, and it was the final Battle of Alberta for 2018/19.
Then the unthinkable happened early into the 2nd period.
I think that this injury could’ve been avoided 100% and here are a couple of my reasons as to why:
I hear a lot of people asking why Mark Giordano didn’t “let up” on McDavid. It was game 82 and a meaningless game. So in that same vein, why did Connor have to try and pull that move off at that time of the game? Why did he feel the need to try and score another goal for his team?
Sounds ridiculous, right? Just as a scorer wants to score every chance he/she gets, a defender wants to stop a goal every chance HE/SHE gets. You don’t ask the players to let up nor would you expect them to. Personally, I don’t think it’s in either player’s DNA to EVER give up on a play. That’s character and leadership on display and that’s why they’re the captains of their teams.
McDavid grabs Giordano’s stick (as he’s done countless times to numerous defenders in his entire hockey career to gain an advantage), but this time I feel like that combined with Giordano colliding with his rear-end causes him to lose balance.
I don’t believe that Giordano intentionally took out McDavid’s legs with a “chop-block” style hit you might see in football.
You really have to wonder what the end result would’ve been had he not grabbed hold of the Flames captain’s stick here…
If we try to break it down using screencaps, it helps a bit but I feel like if you’re still convinced that it was a malicious play by Giordano, you’re probably not going to change your opinion on the matter. Regardless, I’d like to take a gander.
This is the moment that Giordano decides he’s gonna make a leap of faith here. It’s do or die and whatever happens, happens. He’s got a pretty good case to make the play too… From this screen cap. I think McDavid knows what’s about to happen and leans in to protect the puck, not only by shielding it with his leg but also with his shoulder. This is where he decides grabbing Gio’s stick would also be beneficial to his cause. A mistake that would cost him, in my opinion. Now with his opponent’s stick fully gripped in his free hand, Giordano bumps into Connor’s hind quarter and all hell is about to break loose. McDavid, still holding onto the stick is now about to go full flight into a steel pipe designed to stop a vulcanized disc of rubber that might reach speeds of 120 MPH.
So, what if instead of bearing down and driving the net, Connor pivots back towards the blue line and gets the shop set up? Is there a different result knowing that Giordano is starfishing into the corner?
Here’s the thing, Giordano didn’t injure McDavid. The collision with the goalpost did. Giordano simply facilitated the injury by poorly executing a desperation play. Did he have to dive for the puck? No, he didn’t, but then we’re getting back to questioning the character of the player. On an odd-man rush, a defender can trust his goalie to take the shooter. On a play where a forward is driving the net, the defender has to be there to do whatever he can to deny the scoring chance.
So should we be mad at the Flames defender for doing something we’d expect Adam Larsson or Darnell Nurse to do in the same scenario? There was no intent to injure on this play nor was it malicious, it was merely the worst possible scenario playing out.
Should we be focusing our attention on the NHL and directing our rage at their inability to provide nets that don’t injure players if there’s a collision of this magnitude?
It’s 2019, do hockey nets really need to be made of steel now? Is there not a material available that is not only strong but lightweight that could withstand the force of a player going 42 km/h going into it?
If there is a silver lining to this, it’s that it happened on the last game of the year and there are a good 5 months of off-season to rehab depending on what the MRI reveals.
McDavid injury not considered serious. They will wait for MRI confirmation, but as of now it looks promising. #Oilers
I don’t know how you feel, but there’s a part of me that doesn’t want the Oilers to release the information. I think everyone has a good idea of what the injury could be but where’s the benefit of making it public? I mean did you know that Mats Zuccarello lost the ability to speak temporarily after sustaining a concussion last year? I didn’t but I might’ve felt different about head-shots and concussions had I known.
L50N
Congratulations to Leon Draisaitl for scoring his 50th of the year. I didn’t expect him to put up 50 dingers, I always thought of him as more of a playmaker. But good on our big German! Maybe he’s the winger we’ve been looking for all along and it’s incumbent upon the new GM to build a line around RNH?
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2019 NHL DRAFT LOTTERY
Today, the Oilers have the 7th overall pick but by Tuesday night they could be selecting first through third or eighth through tenth. They’ve got a 20.4% chance of jumping up into the top-three and a 6.5% chance at winning the lottery outright and getting the chance to select Patrick Kane v2.0, Jack Hughes.
Nearly every time I’ve launched the lottery sim at Tankathon.com, the Oilers have won a place in the top-three. It’s actually pretty maddening because it’s getting my hopes up. And so for that reason, I’m going to go WAY out on a limb and say the Oilers will NOT be winning the lottery nor will they be selecting 1st, 2nd, or 3rd in Vancouver.
This is not a bad thing. You’d love to have a crack at Hughes (he trains with McDavid in the summer in Toronto) Kakko, or Byram, but there’s no shame in picking top-ten this year. I mean, after Hughes, Kakko, Byram, and Podkolzin, there’s a drop-off but that group from 5-10 is pretty close and then it drops off again.
So who are we looking at from 5-10?
Alex Turcotte – C – USNTDP: Smaller version of Chris Kreider. He’s a bulldog out there. Hunts the puck like he’s possessed. Will that disregard for personal safety bite him in the ass at the pro level? He’s already had injury problems.
Trevor Zegras – C – USNTDP: Highly skilled pivot. Drives lines. Lacks intensity and physicality according to some. Needs to add muscle. Might take a bit of time before he’s NHL-ready.
Matthew Boldy – LW – USNTDP: Best two-way forward in the draft? Is he going to be more Doug Jarvis or Sergei Federov though? Reminds me a bit of Nugent-Hopkins.
Kirby Dach – C – Saskatoon (WHL): Ryan Getzlaf with less bite. Can slow down a game to his speed and has no problems making highlight reel passes. Slightly inconsistent during the regular season mind you.
Dylan Cozens – C – Lethbridge (WHL): Jeff Carter-like ability to dominate games. Has a laser of a shot and knows exactly where to go and how best to get there at both ends of the ice, but what happened in the playoffs this year?
Peyton Krebs – LW – Kootenay (WHL): A better version of Sam Bennett. Highly intelligent and skilled junior player. The best player on a poor team. Not a smooth operator to me though. His movements seem forced and they lack fluidity.
Who’s on your list right now if the Oilers are picking in the latter half of the top-ten?
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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.
“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.
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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TSN’s Bob McKenzie released his NHL trade deadline special podcast yesterday and within it, he went over an interesting scenario in which the Edmonton Oilers could relieve themselves of Milan Lucic’s contract AND perhaps the Jesse Puljujarvi issue.
If Mark Stone is not back with the Senators and Duchene, they’re going to have to get to the salary cap floor. They may have to do some deals where they bring in money just to bring in money. But if you’re going to do that, weaponize that ability to take on other people’s bad contracts and I’m thinking Lucic.
I’m thinking out loud but if I were a general manager and I had plenty of room and didn’t mind shelling out the money and I’ve got to get to the cap floor, I might go to Edmonton and say, “Tell you what, I’ll take the Lucic contract from you but I want Puljujarvi and something else to do it.”
And that’s how you get out from underneath it. I don’t know how Edmonton would feel about that. Maybe Puljujarvi is going to get traded anyways but maybe they want an asset for him… But cap space is an asset and if the new general manager comes in there and is hamstrung with all these contracts, it’s going to be really difficult for them to turn the corner… (source)
I know my good friend SPR brought this exact scenario up earlier this week and I think he’s a little pissed that the Bobfather has stolen it…
This whole Puljujarvi debacle has me in pieces. I’m way too emotionally invested in this player, but it’s one of those things, right? We all have something or someone that we’d die on a hill for and for me it’s Pulju. I think I was the same with Yakupov though. I have a soft spot in my heart for those uber happy go lucky players who are always smiling.
I think I’m so used to seeing what Leon and Connor bring to the table that I’ve been watching the Oilers games this year to see what Jesse might do.
Well, he might not be doing much for them anymore. I’m pretty resigned to him leaving now and it’s upsetting. I did say that I’d hop on the “Fire Chiarelli” bandwagon if he traded Pulju and I feel like I’ve got nowhere to go now. OH, THE IRONY!
So I’m on the “Retire Hitchcock” bandwagon now. I blame him for this mess because he’s the one that said: “I can fix him”. Instead, he’s done the ol’ “Hitch and Ditch” with Puljujarvi and it won’t matter to him because he’s gone at the end of the year…
THE 2019 NHL ENTRY DRAFT
Anyways, I didn’t want to just talk about my boy. I wanted to talk about the draft a little bit.
Right now, as I write this, the Oilers are sitting at 5th overall according to Tankathon.com. They have a 26.1% chance of hopping into the top-3 and an 8.5% chance of winning the draft lottery outright and getting the chance to draft Jack Hughes.
Wouldn’t that be something if the Oilers won the lottery again? Could you imagine the outrage? You’d have to think that the NHL would institute some rule (again) that would prevent a team from drafting 1st overall more than three times in a five year period or something to that effect if it did go down.
But I’m looking at the top-5 of this year’s draft and I’m seeing a lot of skill on the wing.
Mynhldraft.com has the following players in their top-5:
Jack Hughes – C – USNTDP (USA)
Kappo Kakko – RW – TPS (SM-Liiga)
Kirby Dach – C – Saskatoon (WHL)
Dylan Cozens – RW – Lethbridge (WHL)
Trevor Zegras – C – USNTDP (USA)
That website aggregates all the major rankings and posts a mock draft once or twice a month. So I enjoy using that resource to see where the draft prospects are situated at any given time during the season.
So if Edmonton were to draft today and the rankings didn’t change, then their man would be Trevor Zegras. I’ve read reports that have referred him to as “Jack Hughes-lite”.
“A creative player with exciting puck skills. Zegras blends good speed with unique lines to cause separation through the neutral zone and distribute effectively to his mates.” (source)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQWUNxfbGV4
Tankathon.com’s top-5 players for the 2019 entry draft look like this:
You’ll probably notice the position change for Cozens there from RW to C. He can play both but I expect him to be a winger to start his NHL career at least and perhaps make the jump a bit later when he’s grown into his body a bit.
I simmed the draft lottery and what do you know, the Oilers jumped up two spots into 3rd overall. They’d have the enigmatic Russian known as Vasili Podkolzin if that were the case.
A multi-tool force who plays nasty but also can beat you with ridiculous puck skills, Podkolzin’s desire to develop in Russia shouldn’t trump his game-breaking upside.” (source)
I’ve heard Podkolzin being described as a mean mother f*cker and with his skill and ability to take over games, doesn’t that remind you of Evgeni Malkin? Edmonton could take him and then leave him in Russia for a year or two and bring him over as a 20-year-old to maximize the impact upon arrival too.
One thing for certain, this guy is no Nail Yakupov.
For me, my top-5 players I’d like to draft go as thus:
Jack Hughes – Closest thing to Patrick Kane you’ll see.
Kappo Kakko – Combine Matt Duchene’s speed and agility with Joe Sakic’s wrist shot.
Vasili Podkolzin – Russian Peter Forsberg?
Kirby Dach – He reminds me of Ryan Getzlaf sans the jerk part.
Dylan Cozens – I get a Jeff Carter feel when I watch Cozens play.
The comparisons are a bit glorified but you get the gist.
I think we all hope that the Oilers aren’t drafting in these spots anymore but the reality is that the combination of Chiarelli and Hitchcock has left us where we are. So we might as well cover it and get to know the players that could be part of the organization.
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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.
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.
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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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.
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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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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It’s never too early to learn about the upcoming draft crop and today Max from TPE Hockey has three profiles on a few lesser known prospects playing for the US National Development Program U18 team.
Trevor Zegras | Center | USNTDP Comparison: Patrick Kane | Rank: 15th
Trevor Zegras is the US National U18 Team’s third line center, but that does not do justice to Zegras’ ability. This because NTDP holds two top 5 centers for the 2019 NHL Draft in Jack Hughes and Alex Turcotte. Last year Zegras was held back for a long time because of this, but eventually, Hughes and Turcotte both earned promotions to the U18 team. Zegras then went on to play on the 1st line and dominated the USHL with 32 points in 31 games. This season Zegras has thrived on the 2nd line as Turcotte battles injury problems. He sits at 2 goals and 6 assists for 8 points in only 4 USHL competition games which is good enough to earn him USHL player of the week.
The Boston University commit is a playmaking center that plays a very similar game to Patrick Kane plus some two-way ability. Zegras is a phenomenal passer that can thread the needle through traffic and make perfect tape to tape passes. He is creative at setting up scoring opportunities on the powerplay. Passing is the most important quality in his game, and it’s complemented very well by his vision of the ice. He is so often able to make a pinpoint pass because of how well he can spot open ice and his teammate moving into it. Zegras also has some very Kane like stick handling abilities. He never has to look down at the puck and can pull off some crazy moves with no problems. Puck handling comes naturally to him, he can do it without thinking.
Zegras’ hands, plus his skating prowess, also allows him to be a great puck carrier. Much like Kane, he is a zone entry/exit machine and is great at setting up plays off the rush. Also like Kane, he succeeds at finding teammates coming into the zone and setting them up after a zone entry. Patrick Kane had a league-leading 904 controlled zone exits in the 17-18 season. I wouldn’t expect those kinds of totals from Zegras, but his approach to these types of plays are very similar to Kane. Zegras’ aforementioned skating prowess is another notable quality. With great north-south speed combined with excellent agility, Zegras is a nightmare to defend one on one. He is great at catching defenders flat footed and blazing past them with his lightning-quick feet. He often gets up to top speed before his defender can even get his feet going.
Not only is Zegras an offensive dynamo, but he allows exhibits excellent two-way skill. Due to his high hockey IQ he knows how to defend. He can cut off passing lanes and cover for defensemen very well. What holds him back from being a contender for one of the best two-way centers in the draft class is his physicality. Zegras shows little physical ability and lacks aggressiveness on the puck.
That said, Zegras’ overall ability shows prowess in all three zones. He’s an entertaining offensive threat, and impossible to look away from.
The California native is the key piece on the blue line for the elite NTDP squad. The team relies heavily on his contributions in both zones as their top two-way defender.
In his play last season he split time with the U17 and U18 squads. At the end of the season, he was able to go to the U18 World Junior Championships with the 2018 draft eligibles and he was easily the team’s best defender.
So far this season York has been scoring at a point per game pace in the USHL and in other competitions with the NTDP, like NCAA bouts. Speaking of his NCCA games, York has undoubtedly been a dominant force in those games. He’s easily held is own against players four years his senior.
York is most easily defined as a mobile two-way defender. He is a very slick skater that is good at dodging defenders with quick feet and agility. His feet are always moving, so he doesn’t struggle to get going when the direction of play shifts. York doesn’t have a dynamic top speed, but he really doesn’t need it. He’s a smart enough player to make the right decision as to where he doesn’t need to use his top speed to get out of a tricky situation or create a play. He knows when to rush the puck or to try to make one of his electric stretch passes across the neutral zone. York is so good on the breakout because he can make that quick decision to rush the puck or try to create a play. He also has some silky mitts on him that help him out in transition.
Defensively, York thrives due to his smart approach to defense. He covers his own zone very well and shuts down the opposing team’s attempts to set up on a powerplay.
The problem with York’s defensive play is his physical capabilities. He’s another small defender that has trouble playing the body. York has struggled a good bit when paired up with high-level power forwards. He has issues containing larger players with speed but his superb stick-checking can help him out with that.
Generally, York is still a very good defender but he would benefit a lot from some time playing college hockey, which is known for being good for physically needy prospects.
York is currently not committed to any college as he de-commited from Boston College. York could head to the WHL where the Red Deer Rebels holds his rights, but college is the best path for him.
Overall, Cam York has been for two years one of the best, and now the best, defensemen in the NTDP system.
Spencer Knight is one of the most touted players let alone goaltenders by the NTDP.
For a long time, the program has had some goaltending troubles with the occasional gem in Jake Oettinger or Thatcher Demko. But Knight has become a potential star in the making. He’s ranked very highly by various scouts and scouting services. Some who have him as high as 15. Knight has recently gone on a tear against multiple NCAA teams who he repeatedly shut down in games that the NTDP would’ve gotten killed as recently as last year. Knight is doing things we haven’t seen from an NTDP goaltender since, well, ever.
The Boston College commit shows a lot of the qualities we commonly see in top goaltenders nowadays. Knight is a 191cm tall monster. He takes up a lot of room from body size alone but also loves to challenge shooters far past the top of his crease. Sometimes he gives up too much space for a backdoor pass through.
All of his movements are very quick and he is good at sealing the ice and closing holes while moving. He’s very explosive too, which we rarely see from such a well-composed goaltender. He’s very much like the Maple Leafs’ Frederik Andersen in that regard. Knight tends to favor the butterfly, as he should with all these qualities.
Knight is pretty much an impossible goalie to beat with a straight up shot, and he’s quick enough to recover for a passing play. It takes a very crafty player to get one past the NTDP’s star in net.
You can connect with Max on Twitter @TPEHockey if you have any questions or comments.
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