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Future Watch 2015

The Hockey News - Future Watch 2015

<div class="byline">BY BRIAN MCNALLY</div>B&ndash; RANK 17<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0052-0137/147387-1-eng-US/f0052-012.jpg" title="f0052-01" width="273" height="132"></div>GEORGE MCPHEE IS OUT AS GM, but the staff he built to acquire amateur talent remains under protege Brian MacLellan. Washington has a consistent track record, with 10 firstround picks since 2003 still on the roster.That success rate hasn&rsquo;t dried up. Recent first-rounders Evgeny Kuznetsov (22), Tom Wilson (20) and Andre Burakovsky (20) are in the NHL, and 2012 pick Filip Forsberg (20) is a Calder Trophy favorite with Nashville. The quick graduation has left behind a mixed bag. Boom-or-bust players dominate the prospect chart, but the depth can&rsquo;t compete with the best minor-league systems.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0052-0225/147380-1-eng-US/f0052-022.jpg" title="f0052-02" width="525" height="678"><figcaption class="caption-body">MADISON BOWEY (MARISSA BAECKER/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>1 MADISON BOWEYD, 19, 6-2, 209Kelowna (WHL)46-14-35-49-522013 draft, 53rd overallBowey is again one of the WHL&rsquo;s topscoring D-men. He had four points in seven games to help Canada win WJC gold. He looks AHL-ready for 2015-16. He has a big shot and is a swift skater, a classic puck-mover who should contribute offensively in the NHL. And right-shot defensemen are at a premium, anyway. That all makes for a high ceiling. But Bowey&rsquo;s decision-making with the puck can lead to mistakes in his own end, where he remains a work in progress.OVERALL 252 JAKUB VRANALW, 19, 5-11, 185Linkoping (Swe.)39-12-11-23-122014 draft, 13th overallVrana is the latest European Caps prospect chewing through the Swedish League with a solid offensive season. Like with Forsberg, Vrana&rsquo;s size is a concern, but his speed and skill with the puck make that worth the risk. Vrana&rsquo;s stats mirror those of star center Nicklas Backstrom when Backstrom was 18 and playing in Sweden. Vrana&rsquo;s flaws were on display for the Czechs at the WJC. His defensive awareness bordered on indifferent and needs to be addressed.OVERALL 333 CONNOR CARRICKD, 20, 5-10, 195Hershey (AHL)52-7-28-35-1042012 draft, 137th overallCarrick was overmatched as a rookie at 19 last season and forced into NHL minutes thanks to a thin blueline in Washington. He was granted an AHL reprieve this season and has thrived at a more appropriate developmental level. He&rsquo;s become a reliable scorer for Hershey and effective on the power play. He was a late addition to the AHL All-Star Game roster, an encouraging sign for a player who has appeared in 34 NHL games but was playing above his head for much of 2013-14.4 PHILIPP GRUBAUERG, 23, 6-0, 192Hershey (AHL)21-10-4, 2.11, .9232010 draft, 112th overallGrubauer joins a long line of homegrown Washington goalies. With Braden Holtby their clear starter, the Caps signed Justin Peters as a backup and let Grubauer &ndash; who appeared in 17 NHL games last year &ndash; start for the AHL Bears. He played well enough to be an All-Star Game replacement. His first recall this campaign came in February. Next year is up in the air with Holtby excelling. Grubauer has at least positioned himself to stay in the NHL as a reserve or draw trade interest.5 RILEY BARBERRW, 21, 6-0, 188M-Ohio (NCHC)29-13-14-27-82012 draft, 167th overallA fixture for three years at Miami, Barber has a decision to make after the season. Does he sign an entry-level contract and start his pro career? Or should he return to school and become a college free agent next summer? A fine two-way player and former U.S. captain at the WJC, Barber has dipped offensively as a junior even as the RedHawks have rebounded from a losing season. Still, he averaged five-plus shots per game most of the year. He has offensive skill to go with his physical play.<h2>ON THE HORIZON</h2>6 CHANDLER STEPHENSONC, 20, 5-11, 201Hershey (AHL)41-5-4-9-82012 draft, 77th overallGiven chance to stick at center in first pro season. He&rsquo;s a key penalty killer.7 STANISLAV GALIEVRW, 23, 6-1, 187Hershey (AHL)46-20-17-37-182010 draft, 86th overallFinally had his breakthrough year in AHL. Stayed healthy and productive.8 VITEK VANECEKG, 19, 6-1, 181B-Jizerou (Cze.2)GP 20, 2.24, .9252014 draft, 39th overallAfter a rough start to year, became No. 1 goalie for tier-2 club in Czech Republic.9 ZACH SANFORDLW, 20, 6-4, 191Boston College (HE)32-5-16-21-222013 draft, 61st overallFollowing a year in USHL, freshman is one of the highly regarded Eagles&rsquo; top scorers.10 PHEONIX COPLEYG, 23, 6-4, 196Hershey (AHL)9-3-3, 2.15, .921Free agent, March 19, &rsquo;14Good size in net. Rookie has been solid as the primary backup in Hershey.21-AND-UNDER NHLERSA. BURAKOVSKY, LW, 20TOM WILSON, RW, 20 &#9632;

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In This Issue

FRUITS OF LABOR

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0022-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-0218/146293-1-eng-US/f0022-022.jpg"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-0143/146300-1-eng-US/f0022-012.jpg" title="f0022-01" width="177" height="200"></div> &#9632;

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NHL Team Reports

<div class="byline">BY ERIK ERLENDSSON</div>A&ndash; RANK 5<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0049-0139/147279-1-eng-US/f0049-012.jpg" title="f0049-01" width="273" height="132"></div>AT ONE TIME, THE LIGHTNING farm system had all the usefulness of undeveloped swampland on the edge of Lake Okeechobee. How things have changed. Since Al Murray took over as director of amateur scouting, Tampa Bay has consistently drafted and developed some of the top young players in the league.The first signs came last year with Tyler Johnson and Ondrej Palat. The success continues with Cedric Paquette and Nikita Kucherov. The next wave awaits. &ldquo;They see the success our other young guys have had in Tampa,&rdquo; said Stacy Roest, director of player development. &ldquo;These guys are next in line.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0049-0234/147272-1-eng-US/f0049-022.jpg" title="f0049-02" width="516" height="671"><figcaption class="caption-body">ANDREI VASILEVSKIY (SCOTT AUDETTE/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>1 ANDREI VASILEVSKIYG, 20, 6-3, 210Syracuse (AHL)14-5-5, 2.38, .9192012 draft, 19th overallOVERALL 8Vasilevskiy, the first goalie drafted in 2012, is Tampa&rsquo;s future at the position. He&rsquo;s exceeded expectations in his first North American season. He started slowly in the AHL but put together a strong run starting in late November and earned his first call-up to the NHL. He supplanted Evgeni Nabokov as Ben Bishop&rsquo;s backup by February. &ldquo;He puts in the work, he wants to be a pro, and he&rsquo;s a very good pro,&rdquo; Roest said. &ldquo;He looks more comfortable with every game.&rdquo;2 ANTHONY DEANGELOD, 19, 5-11, 177Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)47-16-53-69-1032014 draft, 19th overallOVERALL 51GM Steve Yzerman and company raised eyebrows selecting the talented but volatile D-man. DeAngelo has earned multiple suspensions in junior in the past but has settled his game down. There&rsquo;s no denying his offensive talent, which earned him a spot on the U.S. WJC roster. &ldquo;He needs a little more strength, as they all do, and for him it&rsquo;s learning a little more of the defensive side,&rdquo; Roest said. &ldquo;But in moving the puck and the way he sees the ice, he&rsquo;s fun to watch.&rdquo;3 VLADISLAV NAMESTNIKOVC, 22, 6-0, 182Syracuse (AHL)31-12-18-30-42011 draft, 27th overallOVERALL 62Namestnikov&rsquo;s solid-two way game has made him a dependable top-line player in the AHL. He improved his strength over the summer and made the Lightning out of camp, but a numbers game forced him back to the minors. With another organization he&rsquo;d be an everyday NHLer now. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s just rounding out his game, learning all the little parts of the game,&rdquo; Roest said. &ldquo;He just needs to keep adding more strength and getting more experience.&rdquo;4 ADAM ERNELW, 19, 6-1, 218Quebec (QMJHL)52-37-38-75-892013 draft, 33rd overallErne, a power forward, is a force down low with the Remparts. He has the compete level and hockey smarts Tampa seeks in the draft. &ldquo;He plays big minutes, he&rsquo;s one of (Quebec&rsquo;s) leaders and I like the way he plays,&rdquo; Roest said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s got a little more size than other forwards, so he has a little more power game. There are games where he just controls the puck. He&rsquo;s got good hockey sense, he&rsquo;s a really smart player. He just needs the conditioning part and more experience.&rdquo;5 NIKITA NESTEROVD, 21, 6-0, 183Syracuse (AHL)32-3-11-14-262011 draft, 148th overallNo Lightning prospect has improved this season like Nesterov has. In 2013-14, his first pro year in North America, the Russian looked uncomfortable in his new surroundings. Some questioned if he would develop. This season? He made the AHL All-Star Game but missed it for a Tampa call-up. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s mobile, he can chip in offensively and it&rsquo;s just learning the NHL,&rdquo; Roest said. &ldquo;There is a big future for &lsquo;Nesty.&rsquo; He&rsquo;s more comfortable now with North America off the ice, and it&rsquo;s helped his game.&rdquo;<h2>ON THE HORIZON</h2>6 DOMINIK MASIND, 19, 6-3, 191Peterborough (OHL)47-7-18-25-702014 draft, 35th overallGood gap control. Teammates love his toughness as he adapts to North America.7 SLATER KOEKKOEKD, 21, 6-2, 197Syracuse (AHL)52-3-13-16-322012 draft, 10th overallShoulder surgeries slowed development. Looks good with big minutes in first pro year.8 KRISTERS GUDLEVSKISG, 22, 6-3, 211Syracuse (AHL)17-8-2, 2.70, .9022013 draft, 124th overallShowed flashes in call-up last year. Takes over as AHL No. 1 with Vasilevskiy in NHL.9 ADAM WILCOXG, 22, 6-1, 185Minnesota (Big Ten)17-9-3, 2.50, .9072011 draft, 178th overallJunior has played all but one game. May turn pro after junior season if situation suits him.10 BRAYDEN POINTC, 18, 5-10, 163Moose Jaw (WHL)48-27-38-65-402014 draft, 79th overallUndersized playmaker produces points, earned surprise spot on Canada&rsquo;s WJC team.21-AND-UNDER NHLERSJONATHAN DROUIN, LW, 19NIKITA KUCHEROV, RW, 21CEDRIC PAQUETTE, C, 21 &#9632;

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BOLTS BUILD GOES BOOM

<div class="byline">&#x2013; Brian Costello</div>TOP 50 FIXTURESJacob Markstrom is back after a one-year leave of absence from Future Watch. We deemed him an NHLer in 2013-14 because he had spent the majority of the season on an NHL roster and looked to have crossed the threshold from prospect to big-leaguer for good. But since he&rsquo;s tearing up the AHL with a new organization, he&rsquo;s back in our pages for a sixth year &ndash; he debuted in Future Watch 2009 when he was third among our top 50. Fifteen other 2015 A-list prospects have been part of the very best three or more years.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0057-0134/147602-1-eng-US/f0057-012.jpg" title="f0057-01" width="480" height="475"><figcaption class="caption-body">JACOB MARKSTROM (LINDSAY A. MOGLE/UTICA COMETS)</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0057-0232/147595-1-eng-US/f0057-022.jpg" title="f0057-02" width="572" height="470"></div> &#9632;

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THE REGULARS

<div class="byline">WITH BRIAN COSTELLO</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-0241/145906-1-eng-US/f0004-022.jpg" title="f0004-02" width="293" height="70"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-0141/145913-1-eng-US/f0004-012.jpg" title="f0004-01" width="89" height="109"></div>IN A BREAKOUT SEASON for Nashville&rsquo;s Filip Forsberg, I thought it might be interesting to trace his roots through the pages of Draft Preview and Future Watch.We had Forsberg the No. 2 ranked prospect in DP 2012, behind only Nail Yakupov and ahead of, in order, Mikhail Grigorenko, Ryan Murray, Mathew Dumba, Morgan Rielly, Alex Galchenyuk, Griffin Reinhart and Jacob Trouba. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s probably the safest pick as a forward you can find,&rdquo; a scout told us for Draft Preview.Forsberg inexplicably slipped to No. 11 and the Washington Capitals when the 2012 draft unfolded, behind all the players listed above except Grigorenko. Apparently, there were some concerns about his skating in comparison to players selected within the top 10.Forsberg developed nicely in 2012-13 with Leksand in Sweden and landed as the No. 21 prospect in FW 2013, behind the aforementioned top names in his draft class except Reinhart and Dumba. The top prospect in FW 2013? Vladimir Tarasenko.Then the trade. That shocking trade. Forsberg was not yet 19 and a bona fide A-list prospect when he was dealt to Nashville for 31-year-old right winger Martin Erat April 3, 2013. When Erat and the Capitals flopped in the first round of the playoffs, there wasn&rsquo;t an undo button anywhere in D.C. that could mitigate the damage.Forsberg played most of 2013-14 with Nashville&rsquo;s AHL farm team in Milwaukee and rose to No. 4 in FW 2014, behind only Jonathan Drouin, John Gibson and Teuvo Teravainen. Still just 20, Forsberg is now well on his way to the Calder Trophy as the NHL&rsquo;s top rookie this season.When a prospect is dealt, the first people I think about are the scouts of the team who drafted him. They&rsquo;re the ones who reluctantly have to let him go. In Forsberg&rsquo;s case, I suspect Washington&rsquo;s scouts didn&rsquo;t want to see that trade made. But they do realize it&rsquo;s part of the process. In the high stakes game of making the playoffs and winning championships, prospects and draft picks are the currency of exchange.On this occasion, the Caps lost a top prospect, and their team grade suffers a bit as a result. Washington is still a solid B-minus, middle of the pack. But compared to the Caps&rsquo; average first selection the past four drafts, Washington is fourth in the NHL compared to its peers (see pg. 22 for more). And Nashville&rsquo;s mark gets a Forsberg-inspired boost to seventh with a B-plus.</div><div style="clear: both;"></div>NEXT ISSUE MAY 11, 2015CUSTOMER SERVICE & TO SUBSCRIBE:<a href="http://THN.com">thn.com</a>CONTACT US:<a href="mailto:editorial@thehockeynews.com">editorial@thehockeynews.com</a> &#9632;

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THE TALE OF A FILIP FLIP

<div class="byline">BY GEORGE JOHNSON</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0006-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-0143/146005-1-eng-US/f0006-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">SABRE DANCESam has been a differencemaker at every level of hockey. He&rsquo;ll aim to prove that in Buffalo. (KEN ANDERSEN/NHLPA VIA GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>NO. 1 PROSPECTWATCHING HIS father, Paul, on ESPN Classic is like being transported into another world for Sam Reinhart. But it&rsquo;s not his dad&rsquo;s skill that has Sam in awe. The effortless skating style, crisp passing and ability to read the play in the high-octane &rsquo;80s &ndash; all of that transcends eras and styles. Besides, as the most hotly anticipated teenage talent outside the NHL not named Connor McDavid, Sam has all those qualities himself.No, it&rsquo;s that luxuriant thatch above Paul Reinhart&rsquo;s upper lip that gets Sam&rsquo;s attention. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been trying to grow that mustache for 19 years,&rdquo; Sam said.At 19, Sam may not be able to manage his father&rsquo;s Chia Pet mustache, but as the baby of the hockey-playing Reinhart brood, he&rsquo;s the closest in style and the highest in hype.As the second-overall choice in last summer&rsquo;s NHL draft and a star on Canada&rsquo;s gold-medalwinning world junior troupe, Sam is the playmaking pivot the Buffalo Sabres imagine as the centerpiece of their rebuild. His style and smarts have top-10 scorer written all over them.Next up is Griffin, the fourthoverall selection of the New York Islanders in 2012 and a Memorial Cup champion with Edmonton last year. As a 21-year-old defenseman in his first pro season in the AHL with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, he plays his father&rsquo;s position, though he doesn&rsquo;t own the finesse of Paul or Sam. Griffin is a big, physical shutdown blueliner &ndash; the kind the Islanders need to help back a blossoming offensive team.And at 23, there&rsquo;s the eldest, Max, a center drafted in the third round by Calgary in 2010. He&rsquo;s trying to prove himself worthy of full-time promotion to the Flames from the AHL outpost in Adirondack. Each brother has had a tantalizing taste of the NHL, yet none has established himself.After being drafted in the summer, Sam saw duty in the maximum nine games for the Sabres before being shipped back to the WHL&rsquo;s Kootenay Ice, and Griffin can count eight NHL dates in two stints with the Isles, while Max has had four starts in Calgary this season and 23 since turning pro.Sam was voted the No. 1 NHL-affiliated prospect by a panel of 13 scouts for this Future Watch issue. Griffin is No. 13. He was No. 11 in 2013 and No. 23 in 2012. Max isn&rsquo;t among Calgary&rsquo;s top 10 this year, but was the Flames No. 3 prospect in 2012, No. 10 in 2013 and No. 9 in 2014. He&rsquo;s never been ranked in the top 50 overall.Their father, a defenseman so skilled his legendary Calgary coach &lsquo;Badger&rsquo; Bob Johnson considered him a cornerstonecaliber player, chalked up 560 points in 648 career games between the Flames and Canucks from 1979 to 1990.<h2>TOP 50 VOTE BREAKDOWN</h2>Sam Reinhart was the favorite for top prospect among our panel of 13 scouts<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-0324/145998-1-eng-US/f0008-032.jpg" title="f0008-03" width="513" height="197"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-0143/145991-1-eng-US/f0008-012.jpg" title="f0008-01" width="790" height="567"><figcaption class="caption-body">MORE STAY-AT-HOMEGriffin doesn&rsquo;t have the offensive skills of his dad, Paul, right, but he&rsquo;s projected to be a steady blueliner (MIKE STOBE/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>Paul retired in 1990 at 30 due to a bad back, an injury that plagued him nearly his entire career and almost forced him to retire at 24. The boys hadn&rsquo;t even been born yet, so unlike a lot of other second-generation NHLers, they weren&rsquo;t brought up in the dressing room. &ldquo;I wasn&rsquo;t an NHL-playing dad to them,&rdquo; Paul said. &ldquo;I was a dad. When they were little, I was able to take them into the room, oh, maybe once or twice in their lives, so they certainly weren&rsquo;t indoctrinated through direct experience.&rdquo;Instead, the brothers came to the game on their own. They played a smorgasbord of sports as kids: hockey, soccer, tennis and even golf (PGA player James Love is a cousin of the boys). Whatever caught their fancies, Paul and his wife, Theresa, encouraged them to play as they grew up in West Vancouver. &ldquo;All three were incredibly athletic-minded,&rdquo; Paul said. &ldquo;They wanted to participate in anything. So we never prioritized hockey over other sports. We encouraged athleticism, period.&rdquo;It wasn&rsquo;t until their early teens that the Reinhart boys had to choose a path. The lure of hockey proved too irresistible, but if anyone deserves credit for nudging them in that direction, they all agree it&rsquo;s Max. Griffin and Sam, quite naturally, followed the lead of their older brother. &ldquo;The great thing about Max was he enabled his younger brothers to be equals,&rdquo; Paul said. &ldquo;None of the big brother/little brother &lsquo;Get lost!&rsquo; attitude. They looked up to him because he was the oldest, but he didn&rsquo;t look down on them&hellip;They played together as if there was no age separation between them whatsoever. They inspire each other. They&rsquo;re great friends. And more than anything, they&rsquo;re peers.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-0231/145984-1-eng-US/f0008-022.jpg" title="f0008-02" width="311" height="454"><figcaption class="caption-body">(BRUCE BENNETT STUDIOS/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>For Griffin and Sam, that desire to emulate big brother made all the difference. Their natural skills took it from there. &ldquo;We all kind of followed the same route,&rdquo; Griffin said. &ldquo;Max carved the way, so it felt natural for me to follow him and for Sam to follow me.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-0128/145977-1-eng-US/f0009-012.jpg" title="f0009-01" width="511" height="329"><figcaption class="caption-body">WALK THIS WAYMax, above left and in action with Flames, was a voice of reason for brother Sam at the 2014 draft. (JEFF VINNICK/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>With Sam in Kootenay, Griffin in Bridgeport and Max in Adirondack, the brothers are scattered. They keep in contact despite their varied schedules. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re all close,&rdquo; Sam said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve gotten closer the last few years. Being able to train together in the summers makes it more fun, more competitive. There&rsquo;s no one you&rsquo;d rather beat in the gym than your brother. We talk quite a bit, not just about hockey. Not a lot about hockey, actually. We&rsquo;re all curious what everyone&rsquo;s up to.&rdquo;What they&rsquo;re up to is setting about establishing NHL careers. Griffin is viewed as a big piece in the Islanders&rsquo; renaissance that shifts to Brooklyn for 2015-16, while Max continues to work to crack Calgary&rsquo;s lineup, though with the Flames in a phase of renewal, a change in venue may be required to kickstart his career. &ldquo;As I&rsquo;ve learned the past couple years, (the NHL) is a tough league to get into,&rdquo; Max said. &ldquo;But it&rsquo;s not like I&rsquo;m the first one to go through this. There are a lot of guys who&rsquo;ve had the same path as me. Glimpses, then you get sent down. Mentally, it teaches you. You have to learn from the disappointment and somehow use it, help it improve your game.&rdquo;And Sam? He hasn&rsquo;t been able to grow that mustache, but he can doubtless grow his game in Buffalo. Evander Kane manning the left flank on his line next year, maybe? Sharing power play time with McDavid, perhaps? Regardless of his linemates, Sam knows it&rsquo;ll be a huge step up from junior. &ldquo;The pace is what&rsquo;s different,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;You hear about that all the time, but it&rsquo;s true. You just have to learn to do everything faster, to feel comfortable with the game at that speed.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-0219/145970-1-eng-US/f0009-022.jpg" title="f0009-02" width="507" height="580"><figcaption class="caption-body">(GERRY THOMAS/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>While it&rsquo;s too early to call them Sutter Lite, with only three brothers instead of six and their collective NHL resume less than a half season in aggregate, all three second-generation Reinharts are looking to carve out individual niches, just like their mustachioed patriarch did 35 years ago. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m incredibly frustrated and disappointed for the boys, because none of the three have attained the goal they want,&rdquo; Paul said. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re not interested in signing NHL contracts, they&rsquo;re interested in playing in the National Hockey League. Do I think that all three are good enough? Absolutely. But there are a lot of people good enough to play in the National Hockey League. You still need opportunity. We&rsquo;re hoping that&rsquo;ll come soon, for all of them. But obviously we&rsquo;re not quite there yet.&rdquo;<h2>FAMILY VALUES</h2>Four Reinharts have been tabbed in the NHL draft, and all but Max have gone within the first 10 percent of overall players selected in their class.<h3>PAUL REINHART</h3><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-039/145963-1-eng-US/f0009-032.jpg" title="f0009-03" width="130" height="129"></div>12TH OVERALL IN 1979Atlanta Flames</div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h3>MAX REINHART</h3><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-047/145956-1-eng-US/f0009-042.jpg" title="f0009-04" width="129" height="130"></div>64TH OVERALL IN 2010Calgary Flames</div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h3>GRIFFIN REINHART</h3><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-057/145949-1-eng-US/f0009-052.jpg" title="f0009-05" width="130" height="129"></div>4TH OVERALL IN 2012New York Islanders</div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h3>SAM REINHART</h3><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-065/145942-1-eng-US/f0009-062.jpg" title="f0009-06" width="130" height="130"></div>2ND OVERALL IN 2014Buffalo Sabres &#9632;</div>

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THE FAMILY ALL-IN

<div class="byline">BY RYAN KENNEDY</div>NO. 3 PROSPECT<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-0143/146055-1-eng-US/f0010-012.jpg" title="f0010-01" width="503" height="438"><figcaption class="caption-body">(ANDY DEVLIN/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>LEON DRAISAITL LETS out a cathartic sigh as he ponders a question he has clearly fielded before. It concerns a controversy he was involved in, regarding the 2015 world juniors and the fact the Edmonton Oilers didn&rsquo;t release him to play for Germany, the minnow hockey nation that would be relegated by Switzerland in the last days of the holiday classic in Toronto. &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t have anything to say, and I didn&rsquo;t want to say anything about it,&rdquo; Draisaitl said. &ldquo;Either way it would have worked out.&rdquo;Being a team with many passionate fans, Edmonton can&rsquo;t sneak anything under the radar, and many pundits and boosters wondered why the Oilers wouldn&rsquo;t let Draisaitl suit up for his country, when the Oilers ended up sending him back to the WHL days after the world juniors wrapped anyway.But step back for a second and breathe in the following context: Draisaitl played for Germany at the previous WJC in Sweden and admitted afterwards that he put way too much pressure on himself. Sure, he was still Germany&rsquo;s best player, but he took too many penalties, and the squad had to scramble to avoid relegation to Norway. It wasn&rsquo;t a fun experience. This year, the Germans had a less capable team, even though Draisaitl is one of the best teens in the hockey world. It was surprising that Switzerland had to fight for relegation in the first place, and one player, even a great one, wouldn&rsquo;t have helped Germany escape its fate against their alpine cousins. The fact Edmonton sent Draisaitl back to junior shortly thereafter was, at worst, a miscalculation of optics but easily justified. &ldquo;At the time he was playing well for us,&rdquo; said Oilers GM Craig MacTavish. &ldquo;We felt there was a strong possibility he would be sent back to junior, but he was playing in the NHL and I thought that was valuable.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-0226/146048-1-eng-US/f0010-022.jpg" title="f0010-02" width="1144" height="648"><figcaption class="caption-body">IT&rsquo;S NOT SO BADWith his trade to Kelowna, Draisaitl has a chance at a WHL title and Memorial Cup.</figcaption></div>Draisaitl wasn&rsquo;t getting big minutes in Edmonton and the Oilers did shelter him: he started nearly 80 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone and didn&rsquo;t face the best players on the other team often. The 37 games Draisaitl played with the Oilers burned a year off his entry-level contract, but the timing of his return to junior meant he wouldn&rsquo;t be eligible for unrestricted free agency a year early.Making Edmonton&rsquo;s decision easier was the fact Draisaitl was traded from the Prince Albert Raiders to the Kelowna Rockets, a squad that has consistently ranked as one of the best in the CHL all season. A big mover before the trade deadline, the Rockets had already acquired Draisaitl&rsquo;s former Prince Albert teammate Josh Morrissey, the Winnipeg first-rounder, and had one of the deadliest lines in junior with 2015 prospect Nick Merkley, Sharks pick Rourke Chartier and Flyers prospect Tyrell Goulbourne. MacTavish said the strength of the team Draisaitl was heading to factored into the decision to send him back to junior. Not that Draisaitl thinks he&rsquo;s hidden now. &ldquo;I still think the spotlight is on me,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It always is. But we have really good depth on the team and three lines that can score.&rdquo;Since joining the Rockets, Draisaitl has put up way more than a point per game as Kelowna maintained a hammerlock on the WHL&rsquo;s Western Conference. But it hasn&rsquo;t been all smooth sailing. &ldquo;It took a while to get going personally,&rdquo; Draisaitl said. &ldquo;But that&rsquo;s normal, because we had so many new players.&rdquo;Kelowna coach Dan Lambert believes there were a couple other factors as well, which weren&rsquo;t distinctive to Draisaitl. First, there&rsquo;s the excitement of joining a new team, followed by the realization that you will no longer be in the NHL that season. Then there is the temptation that things will be easy because you&rsquo;re back in junior after squaring off against the near-telepathic and offensively gifted Sedin twins in Vancouver, or girding yourself for a battle in the corner with Nashville&rsquo;s nasty Shea Weber. Draisaitl is also staying with a billet family again, which probably means eating better than he did when he was living in Edmonton with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Justin Schultz but may not hold the same &ldquo;wow&rdquo; factor for a hockey-loving teenager.These can all be traps, exacerbated by the fact the gameplay itself is different among teens. &ldquo;Junior is more scrambly,&rdquo; Lambert said. &ldquo;Passes aren&rsquo;t always on the tape, guys aren&rsquo;t always where they are supposed to be. But he adjusted.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-0135/146041-1-eng-US/f0011-012.jpg" title="f0011-01" width="527" height="638"><figcaption class="caption-body">LEON DRAISAITL (TOP + LEFT: MARISSA BAECKER/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>As did Draisaitl&rsquo;s teammates. Lambert believes some of them were in awe of Draisaitl at first, especially since he&rsquo;s more than just a big body. &ldquo;He sees the game differently than a lot of players,&rdquo; Lambert said. &ldquo;He slows the game down and likes to protect the puck. He&rsquo;s an intelligent guy.&rdquo;Now that everybody is on the same page, the mission in Kelowna is clear: win the WHL title for the first time since 2008-09 and possibly the Memorial Cup for the first time since hosting in 2004. Draisaitl believes the Rockets have the team to do it. &ldquo;All in all, I&rsquo;m excited to be on a winning team,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Which, I think is important for a young player.&rdquo;On the Rockets, he can work on faceoffs, kill penalties and play big minutes, something that just wasn&rsquo;t realistic this year with the Oilers. But Draisaitl has the real potential to do all of those things in the near future at the NHL level. While the timing may have been unorthodox, Edmonton made the right call in his development this season. &ldquo;The time he spent in the NHL was valuable,&rdquo; MacTavish said. &ldquo;And he got a good taste of what he will be in for next year.&rdquo;<h2>TOUGH STARTS</h2>Even the most elite big centers had bumpy beginnings in the NHL. Here&rsquo;s a look at the paths taken by Draisaitl and others who went straight from the draft to The Show. (PPG over first select few years of their career.)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-0224/146034-1-eng-US/f0011-022.jpg" title="f0011-02" width="513" height="406"></div> &#9632;

f0010-01

THE END OF THE BEGINNING

<div class="byline">BY KEN CAMPBELL</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0012-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-0143/146084-1-eng-US/f0012-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">TOUGH DECISIONBennett had to weigh short-term reward vs. long-term risk when deciding upon shoulder surgery. (DENNIS PAJOT/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>NO. 2 PROSPECTBEFORE THIS SEASON began, Sam Bennett figured he&rsquo;d be one of two places on the night of Jan. 5: in Toronto helping Canada win gold at the World Junior Championship or on his couch in Calgary watching it. Turns out he was at the Air Canada Centre that night, as one of the 19,000 people cheering Canada on to its first WJC crown in six years.After the game, Bennett quietly left the rink feeling happy but a little strange. He had a lot of friends on that team and, by all rights, could and should have been celebrating with them. But circumstances conspired to make Bennett an outsider looking in. He could have joined his friends for the celebration, but it just didn&rsquo;t feel right. &ldquo;I figured they&rsquo;d be pretty busy,&rdquo; Bennett said. &ldquo;So I just let them all enjoy the moment.&rdquo;So much of this season has been about the opportunities that have been denied Bennett. Because he opted to have shoulder surgery at the end of training camp, he missed out on:&bull; Probably his only chance to play in the WJC. If Bennett had been healthy, he would have been playing for the Flames or been part of Canada&rsquo;s lineup.&bull; An opportunity to be part of something special in Calgary. Instead of skating with the resurgent Flames, Bennett has had to sit and watch as Johnny Gaudreau has become a household name and Josh Jooris and Markus Granlund have made an impact as rookies.&bull; A lot of money. Had Bennett played in Calgary, he&rsquo;d be making a base salary of $925,000 with performance bonuses that could have pushed that as high as $2.3 million. If his injury had been diagnosed after the season had started and he was already on the active roster, he would have been paid an NHL salary for the entire time he was injured. But aside from receiving his signing bonus of $92,500, Bennett didn&rsquo;t cash a single paycheque from the Flames. Sitting out also cost him an accrued season and an opportunity for unrestricted free agency a year earlier.Instead of all those things, the fourth-overall pick in the 2014 NHL draft was on a bus the morning of Feb. 25 with the OHL&rsquo;s Kingston Frontenacs en route to Belleville for his first game of the season after being out for 145 days. He was never missed in Calgary because the Flames never got to know him. He played just three preseason games and was pretty good in each, registering seven shots on goal in one of them and drawing raves from coach Bob Hartley. After his injury, however, Bennett could only watch as Gaudreau became the story of Calgary&rsquo;s season while Bennett rehabbed his injury, staying with a billet family after the operation, then in the team hotel with the AHL call-ups when he returned to practice with the Flames in January.But that doesn&rsquo;t mean the season has been a total washout for Bennett. In many ways, not having hockey for the longest period of time in his life taught him a little bit about himself and how to deal with adversity, tools that will serve him well as he navigates his way through the ups and downs of playing in the NHL. Those close to Bennett laud him for his competitive spirit, and when you get compared to Doug Gilmour on that count you know you&rsquo;re doing something right. And Bennett took that spirit into the rehab period, allowing the time off to fuel his passion, not dampen it. &ldquo;Not playing hockey for four months was tough on me mentally,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Being able to stay positive and stay motivated to keep working, even though I knew I wasn&rsquo;t going to be playing anytime soon, that was a huge thing that made me that much more mentally strong.&rdquo;So Bennett finds himself in something of a hockey netherworld, finally getting a chance to play, albeit in a league that is beneath a player of his skill level. But the hockey world clearly hasn&rsquo;t forgotten about Bennett, who doesn&rsquo;t even turn 19 until this summer. Despite not having played a single game, he was ranked No. 2 on our list of NHL-affiliated prospects by a panel of head scouts and directors of player personnel. &ldquo;Even just being in Calgary and experiencing a little of what it&rsquo;s like to play in the NHL and being around all those pros for so long gives me a huge advantage,&rdquo; Bennett said. &ldquo;It gives me a big step up on any rookie who goes into training camp next year.&rdquo;The shoulder had been an ongoing concern, but it really began acting up during training camp and pre-season games, which presented Bennett with a huge dilemma. His shoulder kept popping out of its socket, but he could have tried to continue playing through it in an effort to make the opening night roster, something that would have served his shortterm interests while putting his future in jeopardy. &ldquo;When I finally made the decision, it was less than a week before the home opener in Calgary,&rdquo; Bennett said. &ldquo;It was a really tough decision, but I listened to everyone that is looking out for me, and even the players talked to me about it and told me it was the right decision. Maybe I couldn&rsquo;t see it right then, but in a couple of years down the road in my career, I&rsquo;m going to look back and see that it was the right thing.&rdquo; &#9632;

f0012-01

FORGET ME NOT, FLAMES

<div class="byline">BY KEN CAMPBELL</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-0228/146113-1-eng-US/f0014-022.jpg" title="f0014-02" width="506" height="670"><figcaption class="caption-body">&lsquo;CONSOLATION&rsquo; PRIZEBy finishing last, Buffalo isn&rsquo;t guaranteed to get McDavid, but it would still secure a star. (CLAUS ANDERSEN/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-0141/146120-1-eng-US/f0014-012.jpg" title="f0014-01" width="87" height="106"></div>WHEN BUFFALO made its blockbuster deal with the Winnipeg Jets to acquire injured Evander Kane, then hours later moved its No. 1 goaltender for one of the statistically worst goalies in the NHL, whispers of the Sabres tanking morphed into shouts from the mountaintops.The problem with all of the talk of Buffalo tanking is that it&rsquo;s impossible to tell when a team is this bad. The Sabres are poised to become one of the worst offensive teams since the advent of the forward pass in 1929-30. The players and coaches aren&rsquo;t trying to lose, we can be certain of that. And the trades? Well, the Sabres were bad and lost a lot before them and continued to be bad and lose a lot after them.But when generational talents such as Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel are the prizes, you can see why the notion might come up. There hasn&rsquo;t been talk like this of tanking since 1984 when the Pittsburgh Penguins and New Jersey Devils found innovative ways to lose down the stretch to secure Mario Lemieux as the top pick. And the second choice that year? Kirk Muller, a prospect who was seen by many scouts as being a better all-around player than Lemieux. &ldquo;To me, Muller is the best player in the draft,&rdquo; said then-Detroit Red Wings scout Neil Smith. &ldquo;The Devils did it right.&rdquo;Teams didn&rsquo;t tank to get Steven Stamkos or Alex Ovechkin or even Sidney Crosby. And teams probably aren&rsquo;t tanking to get McDavid or Eichel, but the notion hasn&rsquo;t dominated the conversation around the draft the way it has this year in more than three decades.That&rsquo;s because McDavid and Eichel are each projected to be the kind of player who comes along once every 10 years, which kind of makes their status as generational players a little misleading. But they&rsquo;re that good, and even though the team finishing last overall has only a 20-percent chance of getting McDavid &ndash; as opposed to 25 before the league changed the lottery draft rules &ndash; it has a 100-percent chance of getting one of Eichel or McDavid. This guarantees the last-place team, and no other in the draft, the opportunity to select a potential fortune-altering superstar.There are those who would suggest the league changed its draft rules because of the looming McDavid-Eichel factor, though ironically there&rsquo;s more incentive to finish last overall this year because of the fact that doing so guarantees the bottom feeder one of them. The draft lottery was introduced originally to deter tanking, and the tightening of those rules will make it less likely the team finishing last will get the first-overall pick.But this is nothing new. There have been whispers the Penguins and Devils were falling over themselves to secure the last pick that season. The Penguins went 3-16-1 in their last 20 games, while the Devils were 4-14-2. And in 1971, then-league president Clarence Campbell mused about the league making a rule to force non-playoff teams to keep their first-round picks after Canadiens GM Sam Pollock swindled the California Golden Seals out of the firstoverall pick that turned out to be Guy Lafleur. &ldquo;If we are going to get parity in the NHL, some embargo must be placed on the trading of amateur draft choices,&rdquo; Campbell said after the 1971 draft. &ldquo;Sam needs the first draft choices for five years like I need a hole in the head.&rdquo;</div><div style="clear: both;"></div><blockquote class="pullQuote">&ldquo;THE LOTTERY GUARANTEES THE LAST-PLACE TEAM THE CHANCE TO DRAFT A POTENTIAL SUPERSTAR</blockquote>The second pick that year was Marcel Dionne. Lafleur and Dionne are the only No. 1-2 picks in draft history to be in the Hall of Fame, though Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin (2004) and Steven Stamkos and Drew Doughty (2008) might have something to say about that. So might McDavid and Eichel if both live up to their potentials.That&rsquo;s how much is at stake with players of this ilk. And McDavid and Eichel, from everything we&rsquo;ve seen, deserve to be the most hyped players in a generation. &#9632;

f0014-02

IT’S THE PERFECT SEASON TO TANK

<div class="byline">BY MATT LARKIN</div>FUTURE WATCH HISTORYTHE WEEKS BEFORE WE finished Future Watch 2015 were extremely exciting for the Winnipeg Jets and their fans. They had an elite crop of 21-andyounger talent, including Mark Scheifele, Jacob Trouba, Nikolaj Ehlers and Nic Petan, and GM Kevin Cheveldayoff made it even better via the Evander Kane trade (see pg. 18).As we reviewed this year&rsquo;s cover art in the THN office, I asked: &ldquo;How excited will Chevel-dayoff be when he sees this?&rdquo;Senior writer Ken Campbell&rsquo;s retort: &ldquo;Excited? Or nervous? Now he has to win.&rdquo;It was a provocative thought. Possessing the best young talent in the sport doesn&rsquo;t mean you&rsquo;ve won anything yet. A strong Future Watch ranking, as encouraging as it may be to a team and its fans, is just a means to an end. How often does it lead to success in the NHL? And when on average does the result occur?<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-0141/146149-1-eng-US/f0016-012.jpg" title="f0016-01" width="516" height="629"><figcaption class="caption-body">STAYING CENTEREDThe strongest correlation from Future Watch to team success: hoarding pivots like Toews. (CLAUS ANDERSEN/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>We researched the correlation between past Future Watch finishes and success in the standings and playoffs, starting with FW 2008. Why 2008? Because fans and media so commonly champion Pittsburgh, Chicago and Los Angeles as the ideal development models and 2008 marked one year before Pittsburgh&rsquo;s first and only Stanley Cup in the Sidney Crosby era.The Pens finished first in FW 2008 and the year prior. Their crop of 21-and-under NHLers at the time? Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal, Kris Letang and Tyler Kennedy. Their top inthe-system prospects included Alex Goligoski. They won the Stanley Cup the following season with all six of those players on the roster (though Goligoski played just two playoff games).The Chicago Blackhawks finished second, seventh and fourth in Future Watch from 2008 to 2010, founded on Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Dave Bolland. Cups arrived in 2010 and 2013, with all three of those players in crucial roles. The Kings in Future Watch from 2009 to 2011? First, first and second. The youth crop and scouting report pretty much mapped out their 2012-2014 mini-dynasty in advance.The scouting panel doesn&rsquo;t just project champions, either. Anaheim and St. Louis, perennial standings powerhouses, each spent several seasons in the FW top 10 while they built up the groups of players who help them dominate today.That said, to rhyme off the success stories is to cherrypick. What about the teams that regularly top the team rankings and have nothing to show for it in the standings? The Edmonton Oilers obviously come to mind, having spent three years as FW&rsquo;s top team from 2011 to 2013. Hoarding first-overall draft picks Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Nail Yakupov has yielded no glory in the standings whatsoever, and the franchise remains in despair, poised for a top-three draft pick yet again. The Arizona Coyotes are a borderline lottery team after finishing no worse than sixth in our rankings from 2008 to 2011.What, then, separates the successful teams from the failing ones? It&rsquo;s not enough to stockpile high picks as the Oilers have. Blending low and high picks to create a highly rated farm system, as we&rsquo;ve seen Arizona and Columbus do via high FW finishes a few years back, doesn&rsquo;t guarantee success, either. What does, then?Let&rsquo;s look at the crop of prospects that made Edmonton a Future Watch power. The group included Hall, Nugent-Hopkins, Jordan Eberle, Yakupov, Justin Schultz, Oscar Klefbom, Magnus Paajarvi and, most recently, Darnell Nurse. The core that made Columbus a tantalizing fourth overall in 2009? Jakub Voracek, Derick Brassard, Steve Mason, Nikita Filatov, Kris Russell and Maksim Mayorov.Combined, that&rsquo;s 14 players. Centers among them? Two.The top-ranked Penguins in 2008 had Crosby, Malkin, Staal and Kennedy. The Blackhawks had Toews and Bolland. The Kings had Anze Kopitar and Brayden Schenn, with the latter helping them net Mike Richards in a trade. The Blues? Patrik Berglund, T.J. Oshie (a center at the time) and Lars Eller (used to acquire Jaroslav Halak). Look at all those pivots.The science isn&rsquo;t perfect, of course. Anaheim&rsquo;s rise comes largely from the net out, as young blueliners Cam Fowler, Sami Vatanen and Hampus Lindholm insulate John Gibson. And the Coyotes sure looked loaded at center a few years ago with Peter Mueller, Kyle Turris and Martin Hanzal as pillars. We can at least say that the most common correlation between Future Watch success and real-world domination is building around do-it-all centers.At least the Oilers drafted Leon Draisaitl last June. &#9632;

f0016-01

THE HAVES AND THE HAVE-NOTS

WHAT GOOD ARE YEARS of strong Future Watch finishes if the highly rated prospect crops don&rsquo;t eventually produce successful team results? The charts below track every franchise&rsquo;s FW rankings over the past eight editions versus their placement in the NHL standings each of those years.It puts into perspective how miserable things have been for the Edmonton Oilers. They lead all teams with an average FW rank of 7.00 in the past eight years yet rank dead last in the standings. Teams like Chicago, Washington and Anaheim, meanwhile, have parlayed strong rankings into standings success.The results also suggest when to anticipate the &ldquo;sweet spot&rdquo; of prospects yielding results. The L.A. Kings had four top-five FW finishes starting in 2008 before winning two Cups in three years starting in 2012.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-0136/146185-1-eng-US/f0017-012.jpg" title="f0017-01" width="511" height="736"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-0217/146178-1-eng-US/f0017-022.jpg" title="f0017-02" width="512" height="732"></div>*Won Stanley Cup &#9632;

f0017-01

WALKING THE WALK

<div class="byline">BY KEN CAMPBELL</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0018-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-0139/146221-1-eng-US/f0018-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">TOP 50 PEDIGREEArmia, Petan, Scheifele, Ehlers and Morrissey are key in Winnipeg&rsquo;s rise to No. 1 in Future Watch 2015 &ndash; and they&rsquo;ll be big in the Jets&rsquo; 2019 Cup run. Scheifele was the No. 7 prospect in Future Watch 2012.(ARMIA: COLIN PEDDLE; PETAN+ MORRISSEY: MARISSA BAECKER/GETTY IMAGES; SCHEIFELE: JONATHAN KOZUB/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>NO. 1 TEAMALL RIGHT, LET&rsquo;S GET one thing out of the way. It gets cold in Winnipeg. Ten months of winter and two months of bad skating. Heh-heh. The day this piece was written in mid-February, it was forecasted to go down to minus-38. Don&rsquo;t bother with the Celsius to Fahrenheit calculations. When it&rsquo;s that cold, they&rsquo;re pretty much the same.There are bigger cities in the NHL (about 25 of them) that play in bigger arenas (about 29). There are other places where a star can slide right under the radar if he wants. There are places with lower taxes and places where your Bentley won&rsquo;t get wrecked by road salt. There are places with a few more entertainment options.These are the obstacles the Winnipeg Jets face when it comes to attracting free agents and getting players to waive their no-trade clauses to go there. In fact, a recent informal study found Winnipeg and Edmonton to be the two least desirable destinations in the NHL. Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff talks about how well the organization treats its players and how, once they get there, players actually like it. But when your only exposure to the place is a road trip in the middle of the winter, perception sometimes becomes reality. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not shocking for me that people don&rsquo;t understand what Winnipeg is all about,&rdquo; Cheveldayoff said. &ldquo;They haven&rsquo;t been here for a long time. I do believe that once we get a player here and they see how we treat the players, they&rsquo;ll want to stay. We&rsquo;ve said it from Day 1, once players come here, they&rsquo;re going to enjoy being here. And we know the kids we draft and the kids we develop, they&rsquo;re going to know from Day 1 what it&rsquo;s like to be part of the Jets family, and they&rsquo;re going to embrace that.&rdquo;<blockquote class="pullQuote">&ldquo;IT&rsquo;S BEEN A METHODICAL PROCESS, BUT WE&rsquo;RE SEEING THE FRUITS OF OUR LABOR NOW &ndash; Kevin Cheveldayoff</blockquote>And there you have it. If you can&rsquo;t entice players to your organization because they don&rsquo;t like hockey weather or they&rsquo;re too closed-minded, then you get the players who have no choice in the matter and get them to fall in love with the place. Drafting and developing has never been a more important tool in the NHL than it is in the salary cap era. And it&rsquo;s even more so for places like Winnipeg, where cultivating your own talent is more practical than poaching it from other teams.On that count, the Jets get a gold star and a direct route to the head of the class. Their group of non-NHL prospects and under-22 players on their roster is the best in the NHL, according to a panel of 13 scouts, GMs and directors of player personnel. And if their prospect group wasn&rsquo;t good enough already, Cheveldayoff added two more in Joel Armia and Brendan Lemieux in the Evander Kane trade with the Buffalo Sabres. Not only that, he has another late first-round pick coming to him in that deal.Combined with the Jets as they&rsquo;re currently constituted &ndash; a good, fast, young team with a progressive coach &ndash; the future looks outstanding. Like, Stanley Cup contender outstanding. As we already have the Buffalo Sabres pencilled in for the Cup in 2020, we&rsquo;re picking the Jets and their band of young stars to be parading down Portage Avenue with the silver chalice in the spring of 2019. Caveat: grain of salt required. In our 1991 Draft Preview edition, we chose the Jets to win the Stanley Cup within five years. Not only did they not win the Cup in that time, they ceased to exist five years later.But you get the idea. The Jets have loaded up on young talent and have held onto it. And they have every position covered. In the NHL, Jacob Trouba has the makings of an outstanding two-way defenseman. Mark Scheifele has all kinds of speed and skill, and Adam Lowry is establishing himself as a big, imposing force up front. Blake Wheeler and Bryan Little, two of the team&rsquo;s top forwards, are signed long-term, as are Tobias Enstrom and Tyler Myers, two of their key defensemen.When it comes to their prospects, they have the most dangerous offensive player in the QMJHL in Nikolaj Ehlers and a host of other productive players in Lemieux, Nic Petan and Andrew Copp. They have one of Canada&rsquo;s world junior goalies in Eric Comrie and also a rookie backstopping their AHL team in Connor Hellebuyck. Josh Morrissey was named to the WJC all-star team, and Armia looks ready for NHL duty.But the Jets and Cheveldayoff have had to be among the league&rsquo;s elite when it comes to drafting and developing. That&rsquo;s because it took Cheveldayoff almost four full years to make an NHL player-for-NHL player trade. In that time, he didn&rsquo;t move a single Jets prospect of note and gave up only one second-round pick &ndash; in what turned out to be a bad deal with the Minnesota Wild for Devin Setoguchi in 2013. Before making his blockbuster with Buffalo, Cheveldayoff had traded away more picks than he got back, though all but a handful of them were after the third round and none of them in the first.So if his scouts were doing their jobs well, and it looks as though they were, the Jets should have a healthy stable of young players preparing for the NHL. But it also requires an organizational philosophy that centers on building through the draft. And the Jets, unlike a lot of other teams, are in a market where they had a couple years to grow. The folks in Winnipeg waited a long time to get their NHL team back and were willing to give the new management team a honeymoon period of non-playoff finishes before they started getting restless. That time, though, has come, which has led some to the opinion that it&rsquo;s time to start parlaying some of those assets into roster players from other teams. After all, going back to the Atlanta days, it&rsquo;s been eight years since this organization last played a playoff game, which is the second longest current drought in the NHL next to Edmonton.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-0129/146214-1-eng-US/f0019-012.jpg" title="f0019-01" width="237" height="335"><figcaption class="caption-body">KEVIN CHEVELDAYOFF(EHLERS: FRANCOIS LAPLANTE/FREESTYLE PHOTO/GETTY IMAGES; CHEVELDAYOFF: DAVE SANDFORD/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s been a long time, no question,&rdquo; Cheveldayoff said. &ldquo;But the process we started the day we took over is a slow one. It&rsquo;s not one where you&rsquo;re going to get instant gratification. It&rsquo;s been a full, methodical process, but we&rsquo;re seeing the fruits of our labor right now. We&rsquo;ll look at all our options, but we&rsquo;re excited with the group of young players we have, and we think some of them are going to turn the corner quickly and be contributors at the NHL level.&rdquo;And it&rsquo;s interesting to note these aren&rsquo;t your father&rsquo;s Jets. This is a team in a new rink that sells 15,004 tickets for each game and has cost certainty on its side. Where teams now have to take advantage of their financial positions is off the ice, investing in resources and people that aren&rsquo;t constrained by a salary cap. To that end, the Jets have seven pro scouts and 14 full- and part-time amateur scouts, a scouting co-ordinator, a director of fitness and a two-man player development department. That&rsquo;s one of the larger staffs in the NHL devoted to something that is a make or break aspect of the game.It helps that the Jets have a decent economy, new building and well-heeled bosses with an appreciation for the long term. &ldquo;We have an ownership group that is extremely committed to doing things the right way,&rdquo; Cheveldayoff said. &ldquo;From Day 1, they&rsquo;ve viewed drafting and developing as an investment, not as an expense. When you get into the boardroom and start dealing with budgets and things like that, the easiest thing to cut is something you don&rsquo;t see. You barely see the amateur scouts because they&rsquo;re on the road all the time and it&rsquo;s an easy cut. But in that aspect, we&rsquo;ve never been shortchanged.&rdquo;Everything is set for the Jets to have a future full of serious Stanley Cup runs. With a management team that has finally begun to address the present, while keeping an eye to the future, the Jets are on the precipice of something special.We&rsquo;re predicting a Stanley Cup in 2019. After all, when you&rsquo;ve waited as long as Winnipeg has to get your team back, what&rsquo;s a couple more years to bide your time for the top prize? Cheveldayoff likes the sound of that but isn&rsquo;t about to pre-order his Stanley Cup stationary. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m focusing on being a 2015 playoff team right now,&rdquo; he said. &#9632;

f0018-01

PLAN THE PARADE

THE A-LISTERS<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-0140/146264-1-eng-US/f0020-012.jpg" title="f0020-01" width="634" height="921"><figcaption class="caption-body">DYLAN LARKIN (DARYL MARSHKE/MICHIGAN ATHLETICS)</figcaption></div>WHEN GIVING A BROAD ASSESSMENT OF prospects, we use the results of our Future Watch study to rank them as A-, B- and Clisters. The top 75 prospects you see in this issue (50 on this spread and 25 more on the team pages) are the A-listers. Prospects outside the top 75, but among each team&rsquo;s top 10 are B-listers. Prospects not ranked or mentioned in Future Watch are the C-listers. The result is an org chart of up-andcomers: 75 A-listers, 225 B-listers and several hundred C-listers from the depths of NHL teams&rsquo; 50-man protected player lists.We know this because that&rsquo;s what the scouting community tells us. A panel of 13 NHL head scouts and GMs came up with the rankings this year. We provided these experts a list of the top 10 prospects for each of the 30 teams. From this list of 300 prospects, they made up their own list of the top 50 based on long-term upside.We have a soft cutoff of 50 NHL games to decide who is and who isn&rsquo;t eligible for the list. Many sub 50-gamers, such as David Pastrnak, Mirco Mueller and Scott Laughton, aren&rsquo;t among the Future Watch prospects because they&rsquo;re playing regularly and contributing in the NHL at the time of our late January cutoff. Other plus 50-gamers such as Jacob Markstrom and Sven Baertschi are still listed as prospects because they&rsquo;ve spent the bulk of the season back on the farm.The player&rsquo;s rank from last season is in parentheses, with unranked players from last year&rsquo;s list denoted as &ldquo;nr&rdquo; and prospects drafted in 2014 as &ldquo;new.&rdquo;<h2>THE TOP 10</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-0217/146257-1-eng-US/f0020-022.jpg" title="f0020-02" width="1057" height="307"></div><h2>PROSPECTS 11-50</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-0133/146250-1-eng-US/f0021-012.jpg" title="f0021-01" width="1060" height="1281"></div> &#9632;

f0020-01

TOP 50 PROSPECTS

<div class="byline">BY BRIAN COSTELLO</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-0127/146343-1-eng-US/f0023-012.jpg" title="f0023-01" width="331" height="442"><figcaption class="caption-body">KEN HOLLAND (DAVE SANDFORD/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>IT&rsquo;S LONG-ACCEPTED THE KEN Holland-guided Detroit Red Wings are the best in the business at finding hidden gems in the NHL draft. This handicapping chart illustrates that perfectly.The system compares a team&rsquo;s list of prospects against how early that team&rsquo;s first pick is in the draft. The Wings have had an average draft rank (ADR) of 26th among the 30 teams the past four drafts &ndash; 35th in 2011, 49th in 2012, 20th in 2013 and 15th in 2014. (Edmonton has had the earliest ADR the past four years, picking first, first, seventh and third.) Detroit&rsquo;s report card grade is based on its 21-and-younger NHLers and top 10 prospects &ndash; it ranks ninth best according to our panel. So the Wings have a positive correlation of plus-17, indicating they&rsquo;re procuring talent late in the draft.This system takes a bit of shine off some teams with high report card grades. You&rsquo;d expect Edmonton to have the top grade based on its best-in-league selection spots since 2011. But the Oilers rank 10th in report card for a rating of minus-9.This handicapping system gives cosmetic lifts to teams that haven&rsquo;t had a lot of early draft picks recently. San Jose, Los Angeles and the New York Rangers have picked the latest in the draft since 2011, so it stands to reason their report card grades aren&rsquo;t stellar. The chart on the right shows they&rsquo;re midpack or better when correlating their report card grade with their ADR.The teams at the bottom of the list have a minus because their report card ranking is lower than their average first-pick ranking the past four drafts.<h2>HANDICAPPING SYSTEM</h2>This chart orders teams on their draft performance since 2011 in comparison to other clubs. See story for explanation.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-0219/146336-1-eng-US/f0023-022.jpg" title="f0023-02" width="317" height="645"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-0312/146329-1-eng-US/f0023-032.jpg" title="f0023-03" width="1083" height="512"></div> &#9632;

f0023-01

GRADES WITH TEETH

<div class="byline">BY ERIC STEPHENS</div>A | RANK 2<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-0141/146379-1-eng-US/f0024-012.jpg" title="f0024-01" width="273" height="131"></div>DRAFTING AND DEVELOPMENT are essential in today&rsquo;s salary-cap NHL, and the Ducks, not traditionally big spenders, rely on those elements to remain a Stanley Cup contender. They&rsquo;ve surrounded big-money stars Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry with young players who&rsquo;ve come up through their system. It is paying off, as Frederik Andersen is a No. 1 goalie while John Gibson remains a hot prospect. Hampus Lindholm and Sami Vatanen are now cornerstones for their defense while forwards Kyle Palmieri and Devante Smith-Pelly are gaining larger roles. GM Bob Murray keeps a vise grip on his young talent.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-0221/146372-1-eng-US/f0024-022.jpg" title="f0024-02" width="518" height="672"><figcaption class="caption-body">SHEA THEODORE (MARISSA BAECKER/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>1 NICK RITCHIELW, 19, 6-2, 229S.S. Marie (OHL)43-24-28-52-1112014 draft, 10th overallOVERALL 16This promising power forward doesn&rsquo;t lack confidence. He was set to make the NHL out of his first camp. It didn&rsquo;t happen, but Ritchie offers the combination of size and soft hands GMs drool over. Ritchie also plays with a mean streak and isn&rsquo;t afraid to throw around his big body. He must become more disciplined as he moves up, but a mid-season trade from Peterborough to Sault Ste. Marie lets him play a big role in important games during a Memorial Cup push.2 SHEA THEODORED, 19, 6-2, 186Seattle (WHL)30-9-25-34-142013 draft, 26th overallOVERALL 20After a great 2013 Ducks camp, Theodore had a real chance to make the team this season. Those plans went awry with an elbow injury in a rookie game, but his future remains bright. He manned Canada&rsquo;s top &lsquo;D&rsquo; pairing as it won WJC gold. Offensively gifted, he&rsquo;s making great strides in his own end. The Ducks already have puck-movers Lindholm, Vatanen and Cam Fowler, so Theodore could be an asset used to acquire a missing piece for a Stanley Cup run.3 WILLIAM KARLSSONC, 22, 6-0, 185Norfolk (AHL)35-7-14-21-22011 draft, 53rd overallAfter moving on from Saku Koivu and not filling the third-line center role, the Ducks had Karlsson and Rickard Rakell compete for the job. Karlsson made the team out of training camp and impressed early, but Rakell ultimately grabbed the spot. The Ducks can now take their time with Karlsson with Norfolk in the AHL. He&rsquo;s not physical, but the Swede is creative in the offensive end and has a sneakyheavy shot. He makes plays for himself and teammates in tight spaces.4 NIC KERDILESLW, 21, 6-2, 201Norfolk (AHL)49-9-17-26-412012 draft, 36th overallA productive twoyear stay at Wisconsin convinced Kerdiles he was ready for a higher level. He hasn&rsquo;t torn up the AHL, but he is finding his way as one of the few offensive options on an Admirals team that struggles to score. The question with Kerdiles is how much of a scorer he can be in the NHL. He was solid but not spectacular for Team USA at the 2014 world juniors, but he&rsquo;s got a good amount of skill and can potentially become a versatile depth forward after some AHL apprenticeship.5 JOSH MANSOND, 23, 6-3, 217Norfolk (AHL)23-3-6-9-232011 draft, 160th overallThe son of longtime NHL defender Dave Manson didn&rsquo;t fall far from the tree. The younger Manson doesn&rsquo;t have the same meanness, but he plays with an edge and his stock has shot up. He fills an organizational need as a stayat-home rearguard. An NHL stint early this season followed by another one in February revealed he has the size and tools for the NHL. He skates well and can make a strong first pass. He won&rsquo;t be a big point producer, but his offense will surprise some observers.<h2>ON THE HORIZON</h2>6 MARCUS PETTERSSOND, 18, 6-3, 176Skelleftea Jr. (Swe.)15-1-8-9-182014 draft, 38th overallLong and lean. The Ducks like his hockey smarts and ability to play in all situations.7 BRANDON MONTOURD, 20, 6-0, 190Mass.-Amherst (HE)17-3-13-16-262014 draft, 55th overallGreat skater and playmaker is a risk taker. &lsquo;D&rsquo; needs work. Has time to polish tools.8 STEFAN NOESENRW, 22, 6-2, 205Norfolk (AHL)10-3-4-7-8Trade (Ott), July 5, 2013Injured past two seasons. Ideal power forward size. Must show he hasn&rsquo;t lost a step.9 NICK SORENSENRW, 20, 6-1, 190Skelleftea (Swe.)10-0-3-3-22013 draft, 45th overallPromising offensive performer who can&rsquo;t escape injury. Moved from &lsquo;Q&rsquo; to play vs. men.10 KEVIN ROYLW, 21, 5-10, 170Northeastern (HE)30-16-23-39-242012 draft, 97th overallSize may become an issue, but 2012 USHL player of the year can score and make plays.21-AND-UNDER NHLERSJOHN GIBSON, G, 21HAMPUS LINDHOLM, D, 21RICKARD RAKELL, C, 21 &#9632;

f0024-01

ALL ABOUT THE CHICKS

<div class="byline">BY SARAH MCLELLAN</div>B | RANK 12<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-0135/146415-1-eng-US/f0025-012.jpg" title="f0025-01" width="273" height="130"></div>THE COYOTES INJECTED MORE resources into the amateur arm of their organization last summer, most specifically hiring Steve Sullivan to become their development coach.The decision came at an important time. After falling out of playoff contention early in 2014-15, Arizona opted to reset its NHL roster and enter &ldquo;seller&rdquo; mode. That has led to more opportunity for prospects. Evaluating what they have in the pipeline has never been more integral to the Coyotes as they attempt to become competitive again. It won&rsquo;t be long before some of Arizona&rsquo;s young players are challenged to take on NHL responsibilities.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-0218/146408-1-eng-US/f0025-022.jpg" title="f0025-02" width="522" height="674"><figcaption class="caption-body">BRENDAN PERLINI (CLAUS ANDERSEN/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>1 MAX DOMILW, 19, 5-10, 194London (OHL)46-26-60-86-492013 draft, 12th overallOVERALL 5Returning Domi to junior was puzzling since Arizona was short on offense, but the move looks like it was best for his development. He&rsquo;s been a leader as Knights captain, and he&rsquo;s honed the two-way approach that topped his to-do list after Coyotes camp. He was dynamic at the WJC, an experience that will ease his transition to the NHL. &ldquo;His work ethic is there,&rdquo; said GM Don Maloney. &ldquo;His compete level is there. His talent base continues to shine through.&rdquo;2 BRENDAN PERLINILW, 18, 6-3, 205Niagara (OHL)32-22-25-47-182014 draft, 12th overallOVERALL 34Perlini&rsquo;s season started late after he broke his hand in camp, but it didn&rsquo;t slow his progression. &ldquo;He looks like a frontline NHL player in the future,&rdquo; Maloney said. Perlini&rsquo;s skating and shot are strengths, but becoming a bulkier presence on the wing will be vital to bridge the gap to the NHL &ndash; especially considering the size that dominates Pacific Division play. &ldquo;We just need him to dig in a little bit more and compete hard all the time,&rdquo; Maloney said.3 CHRISTIAN DVORAKC, 19, 6-0, 190London (OHL)55-38-61-99-202014 draft, 58th overallOVERALL 48A knee injury cost Dvorak most of last season, but the Coyotes scouted him and knew enough to draft him. He has since become one of their top prospects thanks to his hockey IQ and creativity. Making plays at top speed and strength on the puck are his challenges. &ldquo;The things he&rsquo;s doing from an offensive (standpoint) are really spectacular for a guy that, relatively speaking, was not a real factor a year ago among those high offensive guys,&rdquo; Maloney said.4 BRANDON GORMLEYD, 23, 6-2, 196Portland (AHL)16-3-4-7-142010 draft, 13th overallGormley had stints in Arizona this season and last, but injuries have stalled his progress. When healthy he offers the size and intelligence the Coyotes need: a puckmover with a sturdy, responsible presence in his own end. He can also play the point on a second-unit power play, tapping into an offensive base crafted in junior. To earn a full-time NHL role, he needs faster feet and quicker decisions. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s just getting his tempo and pace up a little bit for everyday NHL play,&rdquo; Maloney said.5 HENRIK SAMUELSSONRW, 21, 6-3, 210Portland (AHL)50-10-15-25-382012 draft, 27th overallSamuelsson&rsquo;s strengths have translated to the AHL in his first full pro season. He knows where to be on the ice, he anticipates and he brings enough sandpaper to agitate opponents. His skating still lags. Once he finds that quickness and is more of an anchor on his skates, he should be a regular as the Coyotes embrace more youth on their roster. &ldquo;All-around physical conditioning has to get up to an NHL standard, and it&rsquo;s just not there yet,&rdquo; Maloney said. &ldquo;But it&rsquo;s improving.&rdquo;<h2>ON THE HORIZON</h2>6 LAURENT DAUPHINC, 19, 6-0, 180Chicoutimi (QMJHL)45-26-36-62-682013 draft, 39th overallPlays quickly in tight areas. Leadership qualities. Staying healthy key to consistency.7 LUCAS LESSIOLW, 22, 6-1, 212Portland (AHL)29-10-8-18-162011 draft, 56th overallSpeedy and energetic. Noticeable strength. Needs to be responsible without the puck.8 RYAN MACINNISC, 19, 6-4, 185Kitchener (OHL)56-19-33-52-282014 draft, 43rd overallPlays in all situations. Strong instincts. Improved strength will better his skating.9 YAN-PAVEL LAPLANTEC, 19, 6-0, 187Gatineau (QMJHL)40-15-15-30-592013 draft, 62nd overallUnclear if his skills will translate to the pro game. Could fill bottom-six role.10 MICHAEL BUNTINGLW, 19, 5-11, 174S.S. Marie (OHL)47-31-29-60-312014 draft, 117th overallFeisty and competitive. Offensive production a nice surprise. Maturing physically.21-AND-UNDER NHLERSCONNOR MURPHY, D, 21 &#9632;

f0025-01

STARTING FRESH

<div class="byline">BY MIKE LOFTUS</div>B&ndash; | RANK 18<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-0142/146451-1-eng-US/f0026-012.jpg" title="f0026-01" width="273" height="131"></div>THE BRUINS AREN&rsquo;T BIG ON RATING or ranking prospects numerically. They prefer not to have them thinking about where they may be in the pecking order. &ldquo;Every player, their trajectory, is unique,&rdquo; said assistant GM Don Sweeney. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re the ones who dictate it.&rdquo;The Bruins&rsquo; 2014 draft is a good example. Their top choice, David Pastrnak (taken 25th overall), jumped from the AHL to the NHL at mid-season and had been the youngest player in both leagues. No. 2 pick Ryan Donato (No. 56), meanwhile, wants to play at Harvard for his dad, former Bruin Ted Donato, and could be in school through 2018-19.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-0223/146444-1-eng-US/f0026-022.jpg" title="f0026-02" width="522" height="675"><figcaption class="caption-body">MALCOLM SUBBAN (PROVIDENCE BRUINS)</figcaption></div>1 MALCOLM SUBBANG, 21, 6-2, 200Providence (AHL)10-10-4, 2.56, .9162012 draft, 24th overallOVERALL 41Subban&rsquo;s stats in Year 2 at AHL Providence mirrored those of his rookie year, but the Bruins saw enough development in the supremely athletic goalie to bring him up in a support role after the all-star break. &ldquo;He is unique to that position in terms of how athletic he is,&rdquo; Sweeney said of P.K. Subban&rsquo;s younger brother. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re working with him from a technical standpoint to put those two things together. The third component to that is the mental piece.&rdquo;2 JOE MORROWD, 22, 6-1, 206Providence (AHL)14-2-2-4-8Trade (Dal), July 4, 2013OVERALL 73Acquired in the Tyler Seguin trade, Morrow &ndash; a Penguins 2011 first-rounder &ndash; played his first 15 NHL games between Oct. 30 and Dec. 6, when the B&rsquo;s had injuries on &lsquo;D&rsquo;. He acquitted himself well, playing 16:41 per game, though he only contributed one point. He was an offensive producer in his WHL days. &ldquo;(Production) is something that&rsquo;s there and will naturally emerge from Joe,&rdquo; Sweeney said. &ldquo;You want to make that first solid impression, and he did a really nice job of that.&rdquo;3 ALEXANDER KHOKHLACHEVC, 21, 5-11, 184Providence (AHL)42-13-22-35-182011 draft, 40th overallA better camp might have won Khokhlachev a job in Boston, but despite that and a slow start to his second full pro season, the Bruins love how hard the ex-OHL scoring star from Moscow works at his game. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a real good player, and he&rsquo;s becoming a real good two-way player,&rdquo; Sweeney said. The B&rsquo;s aren&rsquo;t trying to turn Khokhlachev into a Selke candidate, though, so they were glad to see him finally take over the Baby Bruins&rsquo; scoring lead and make the AHL All-Star Game.4 RYAN DONATOC, 18, 6-1, 184Dexter (USHS)13-5-5-10-42014 draft, 56th overallDonato stayed in prep school to improve his chances of playing for his father Ted next season at Harvard. It worked, but it means fewer games and weaker competition than the USHL route. &ldquo;This is not the easier path,&rdquo; Sweeney said. &ldquo;You have to fill in the gaps, do extra work when you can.&rdquo; Donato has a deadly wrist shot and offensive instincts Sweeney calls &ldquo;creative and unique.&rdquo; The Bruins want him to work on his strength and skating &ldquo;to give him a little separation speed,&rdquo; Sweeney said.5 LINUS ARNESSOND, 20, 6-2, 192Djurgarden (Swe.)41-0-5-5-282013 draft, 60th overallArnesson came to a rookie camp and tournament in the fall, but a groin injury hindered him at Boston&rsquo;s NHL camp. He returned to Sweden. Sweeney praises Arnesson&rsquo;s puck recovery, skating and first-pass skills. &ldquo;It would have been good for him, from a progression and challenge standpoint, to start to make that jump to North America,&rdquo; he said. That could happen in the AHL for a few games before season&rsquo;s end if Sweden doesn&rsquo;t want him for the World Championship.<h2>ON THE HORIZON</h2>6 RYAN SPOONERC, 23, 5-10, 180Providence (AHL)33-8-18-26-82010 draft, 45th overallHas offensive tools but needs a more complete game for a full-time role in Boston.7 DANTON HEINENC, 19, 6-0, 161Denver (NCHC)30-12-23-35-82014 draft, 116th overallDenver&rsquo;s assists and points leader as a freshman. Bruins want him to shoot more.8 BRIAN FERLINRW, 22, 6-2, 209Providence (AHL)46-9-7-16-362011 draft, 121st overallBig first-year pro needed time to adjust after college. Got NHL call-up in mid-February.9 RYAN FITZGERALDC, 20, 5-10, 177Boston College (HE)31-13-8-21-502013 draft, 120th overallShooting more often and has been BC&rsquo;s goals leader most of sophomore year.10 PETER CEHLARIKLW, 19, 6-2, 201Lulea (Swe.)41-5-12-17-62013 draft, 90th overallHelped Slovakia win unexpected WJC bronze. Learning to use his size better.21-AND-UNDER NHLERSDOUGIE HAMILTON, D, 21DAVID PASTRNAK, RW, 18 &#9632;

f0026-01

IGNORANCE IS BLISS

<div class="byline">BY JOHN VOGL</div>A&ndash; | RANK 4<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-0133/146487-1-eng-US/f0027-012.jpg" title="f0027-01" width="273" height="131"></div>THE SABRES&rsquo; PLAN TO BUILD through the top of the draft &ndash; known in some circles as tanking &ndash; is nearing its final phase. After finishing 30th last season and spending most of this year at the bottom, folks in Buffalo will soon learn whether it was worth it. If the Sabres can nail down 30th again, they&rsquo;ll have a 100 percent chance of drafting a generational player, Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel. Getting 29th place reduces those odd to 33.5 percent. Some are worried losing has altered the culture. &ldquo;Prospects are great,&rdquo; coach Ted Nolan said. &ldquo;Then some of them turn into suspects, then some of them turn into rejects.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-0223/146480-1-eng-US/f0027-022.jpg" title="f0027-02" width="516" height="669"><figcaption class="caption-body">MIKHAIL GRIGORENKO (MICHELINE VELUVOLU/ROCHESTER AMERICANS)</figcaption></div>1 SAM REINHARTC, 19, 6-1, 190Kootenay (WHL)35-15-34-49-202014 draft, 2nd overallOVERALL 1The Sabres gave Reinhart a chance to show he could jump right into the NHL, but he wasn&rsquo;t ready. The physical mismatch was evident during his nine games. When he returned to his peer group, Reinhart was a man among boys. He was Canada&rsquo;s most important center at the WJC. He&rsquo;s using the time back in junior to add faceoff and defensive skills to his offensive talent. &ldquo;The whole experience should be a great stepping stone for Sam,&rdquo; said GM Tim Murray.2 MIKHAIL GRIGORENKOC, 20, 6-3, 211Rochester (AHL)37-10-20-30-252012 draft, 12th overallOVERALL 38Grigorenko nearly made the Sabres out of camp for the third straight season, but with a chance to send him to the minors for the first time, Buffalo took it. His maturity level has increased and the skill is still there, but so are the questions about his competitiveness. &ldquo;Playing OK is not OK,&rdquo; Nolan said during one of Grigorenko&rsquo;s recalls. &ldquo;You can&rsquo;t just try to fit in. You have to try to do better if you have the talent to do so. Grigorenko has to do a little bit more.&rdquo;3 HUDSON FASCHINGRW, 19, 6-2, 213Minnesota (Big Ten)29-8-8-16-16Trade (LA), March 5, &rsquo;14OVERALL 75After an impressive freshman season (30 points in 40 games), Fasching is slumping as a sophomore. But he was impressive for Team USA at the world juniors (three points in five games). Fasching remains impressive below the goal line, using his long reach and sturdy frame to protect pucks. His skating has improved. He needs to become more consistent physically. He has the tools to punish opponents but often peels away rather than deliver the big hit.4 JAKE MCCABED, 21, 6-1, 210Rochester (AHL)49-4-21-25-442012 draft, 44th overallMcCabe, who appeared in seven games with the Sabres after leaving college last year, is learning a full season in the pros is harder than two weeks. &ldquo;You tell guys to prepare for things to be difficult in the AHL, but I don&rsquo;t think they&rsquo;re ever ready,&rdquo; said Rochester coach Chadd Cassidy. &ldquo;Defensively, he&rsquo;s been very good. Now we hope he can make strides on the offensive side.&rdquo; McCabe has puck-moving ability, and the intangibles that made him a Team USA world juniors captain remain.5 MARK PYSYKD, 23, 6-1, 193Rochester (AHL)50-3-13-16-302010 draft, 23rd overallPysyk is polished at both ends of the ice and looks equally adept in the AHL and NHL. It&rsquo;s unlikely he&rsquo;ll ever develop a mean streak. The Sabres chose to give him extra development time as a top-pair D-man in the AHL. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s becoming a man,&rdquo; Nolan said. &ldquo;He doesn&rsquo;t look like a boy anymore. This is a man&rsquo;s league and you have to make sure you&rsquo;re physically fit. His hockey IQ is good. His demeanor, his approach to the game, he&rsquo;s going to be a Sabre a long time once he&rsquo;s here for good.&rdquo;<h2>ON THE HORIZON</h2>6 NICK BAPTISTERW, 19, 6-1, 190Erie (OHL)42-23-23-46-242013 draft, 69th overallStats aren&rsquo;t as dazzling as last year, but he&rsquo;s still scoring after move from Sudbury.7 JUSTIN BAILEYRW, 19, 6-3, 202S.S. Marie (OHL)55-34-33-67-422013 draft, 52nd overallThe big-bodied, netfinding Buffalo native is scoring more since moving from Kitchener.8 J.T. COMPHERLW, 19, 5-11, 193Michigan (Big Ten)26-4-10-14-362013 draft, 35th overallSophomore is taking a leadership role, demanding his teammates play grittier.9 LINUS ULLMARKG, 21, 6-3, 220Modo (Swe.)11-19-0, 3.14, .9052012 draft, 163rd overallFollowed up goalie of the year season by becoming target practice for superior opponents.10 WILLIAM CARRIERLW, 20, 6-1, 194Rochester (AHL)52-7-8-15-34Trade (StL), Feb. 28, &rsquo;14Adjusting to pace and producing in second half after brutal start to pro career.21-AND-UNDER NHLERSZ. GIRGENSONS, C, 21R. RISTOLAINEN, D, 20NIKITA ZADOROV, D, 19 &#9632;

f0027-01

QUEST FOR 30TH

<div class="byline">BY RANDY SPORTAK</div>B+ | RANK 8<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-0143/146523-1-eng-US/f0028-012.jpg" title="f0028-01" width="273" height="132"></div>FOR A REBUILDING TEAM, THE Calgary Flames are loving life. A huge part of their success this season has been the impact of young players, especially rookies Johnny Gaudreau and Josh Jooris. Plus, a handful of others have played a part during call-ups.The future looks promising, too, which is quite the turnaround for a team that was shy on up-and-comers only a couple years back. The Flames still have holes in their prospects base, notably on defense and right wing, but they have made big strides and have much more reason for optimism. And making the playoffs would be a surprising bonus.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-0219/146516-1-eng-US/f0028-022.jpg" title="f0028-02" width="516" height="671"><figcaption class="caption-body">MARKUS GRANLUND (ANDY CAMP)</figcaption></div>1 SAM BENNETTC, 18, 6-1, 178Kingston (OHL)1-1-2-3-02014 draft, 4th overallOVERALL 2Shoulder surgery on the eve of the season has kept the club&rsquo;s 2014 first-round pick on the sidelines for most of it. Like almost all young and skilled players, Bennett must improve his defensive sense of the game, as well as become stronger. While missing so much of a season isn&rsquo;t best for his development, Bennett spent his time around the team rehabilitating, learning from players and coaches in anticipation of his eventual jump to the NHL.2 MARKUS GRANLUNDC, 21, 6-0, 185Adirondack (AHL)14-6-6-12-122011 draft, 45th overallOVERALL 64Despite his size, Granlund plays a determined and intelligent game, with offensive skill to go with the defensive sense that has earned the trust of the coaches in the organization. Granlund played well during a 33-game midseason stint in Calgary but hit a wall in his performance, which is no surprise for a skater his age. One element he must improve on is faceoffs &ndash; he was at 35.8 percent. Coaches believe his struggles at the dot began to affect his entire game.3 EMILE POIRIERRW, 20, 6-2, 200Adirondack (AHL)42-14-16-30-262013 draft, 22nd overallOVERALL 68Off-season shoulder surgery meant missing training camp and the pre-season, but Poirier has overcome that late start and landed an NHL recall in late February. He has an awkward skating style yet possesses good speed, has a bigleague shot and shown it, earning an invite to the AHL All-Star Game. Another positive to his game is the edge he possesses, willing to go to the high-traffic and dirty areas. He must improve his defensive play and find more consistency.4 JONI ORTIOG, 23, 6-1, 185Adirondack (AHL)20-12-1, 2.64, .9142009 draft, 171st overallThe message to Ortio was to elevate his game further after a very good 2013-14. He responded by being chosen for the AHL All-Star Game, but he missed it because he was called to Calgary when Karri Ramo was injured. Ortio won his first four NHL starts this season, proof he&rsquo;s close to being a full-time part of the team. His athleticism and confidence are his strengths, but he must play a quieter style and reduce the need for the scintillating save. He&rsquo;s on a one-way deal next season.5 SVEN BAERTSCHILW, 22, 5-11, 190Adirondack (AHL)34-8-14-22-62011 draft, 13th overallBaertschi has worked his way out of a slow start offensively and began to produce in the minors before another NHL summons. The third-year pro has NHL-caliber offensive ability and instincts, but a couple elements keep holding him back. One is how he must learn to not let his game spiral downward when he&rsquo;s not scoring. Another is to battle in all zones, especially without the puck. He&rsquo;s made strides the past couple seasons, but must keep progressing to live up to the hype.<h2>ON THE HORIZON</h2>6 JON GILLIESG, 21, 6-5, 215Providence (HE)17-11-2, 2.00, .9312012 draft, 75th overallAthletic with great size, but must find a higher battle level to reach natural abilities.7 MICHAEL FERLANDLW, 22, 6-2, 215Adirondack (AHL)32-7-8-15-302010 draft, 133rd overallAll the tools to be an impact player, but game-to-game consistency remains an issue.8 TYLER WOTHERSPOOND, 21, 6-2, 210Adirondack (AHL)46-2-19-21-202011 draft, 57th overallSmart, steady player with an all-around game. He&rsquo;s close to being an NHL regular.9 BILL ARNOLDC, 22, 6-0, 200Adirondack (AHL)39-9-12-21-122010 draft, 108th overallStrong first pro season before shoulder injury. Developing defensively.10 BRANDON HICKEYD, 18, 6-2, 190Boston U. (HE)30-5-9-14-122014 draft, 64th overallGood at simple plays but tends to chase the puck and rely on his skating to recover.21-AND-UNDER NHLERSJ. GAUDREAU, C, 21SEAN MONAHAN, C, 20 &#9632;

f0028-01

BURNING BRIGHTLY

<div class="byline">BY LUKE DECOCK</div>C+ | RANK 22<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-0132/146559-1-eng-US/f0029-012.jpg" title="f0029-01" width="270" height="127"></div>ONE OF RON FRANCIS&rsquo; PRIORITIES after becoming GM last spring was a thorough re-evaluation of drafting and development, and for good reason. Over a 10-year span from 2002 to 2011, only eight of the Hurricanes&rsquo; 56 picks in the second round or later became productive NHL players. Throw in questionable first-round picks like Zach Boychuk, Philippe Paradis and Ryan Murphy, and there hasn&rsquo;t been enough of a pipeline to the NHL.Francis has added former Plymouth (OHL) coach-GM Mike Vellucci to the front office as well as what Francis called &ldquo;more checks and balances&rdquo; for both players and scouts.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-0223/146552-1-eng-US/f0029-022.jpg" title="f0029-02" width="527" height="680"><figcaption class="caption-body">HAYDN FLEURY (DEREK LEUNG/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>1 HAYDN FLEURYD, 18, 6-3, 198Red Deer (WHL)50-4-15-19-512014 draft, 7th overallOVERALL 28Fleury is a good example of Francis&rsquo; new approach to drafting. For years under Jim Rutherford, the Hurricanes avoided defensemen in the first round because their development curve was too long. Francis didn&rsquo;t flinch taking Fleury, acknowledging hewould take time to develop. The Canes would like to see Fleury play with more of a physical edge and more consistency, but expect that will come. His offense has dropped from a 46 point season last year.2 BROCK MCGINNLW, 21, 6-0, 186Charlotte (AHL)51-10-9-19-272012 draft, 47th overallThe plan is to keep McGinn in the AHL all season, and perhaps next season as well. That&rsquo;s the goal with almost all of Carolina&rsquo;s prospects, and the phrase heard often in the Hurricanes&rsquo; front office is &ldquo;the Detroit model,&rdquo; where young players are given an extended AHL apprenticeship. The floor for McGinn is as a bottomsix energy winger, but the Hurricanes think he has the tools to develop into a gritty top-six goal scorer if things fall into place. He hits like a garbage truck in open ice.3 BRETT PESCED, 20, 6-3, 175New Hampshire (HE)23-3-7-10-122013 draft, 66th overallPesce brings a lot to the table. He&rsquo;s a right-shot defenseman with a big frame who can skate and has good hockey sense. There were question marks in several of those areas when the Hurricanes took him in the third round, but he has blossomed in his junior season at New Hampshire. &ldquo;His hockey sense is off the charts,&rdquo; Vellucci said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s what we really like about him. We have high hopes for the total package. He&rsquo;s really come into his own the last couple years.&rdquo;4 ALEX NEDELJKOVICG, 19, 6-0, 192Plymouth (OHL)17-24-4, 3.14, .9142014 draft, 37th overallThe Hurricanes knew Nedeljkovic long before they drafted him. Owner Peter Karmanos, until recently, owned the Whalers, and Vellucci coached him in Plymouth. Nedeljkovic impressed observers at the Traverse City rookie tournament and in the Hurricanes&rsquo; training camp. He has played well, even though the injuryridden Whalers have struggled this season. &ldquo;His composure is very good,&rdquo; Vellucci said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a smart, intelligent kid, and very calm in the net.&rdquo;5 TREVOR CARRICKD, 20, 6-2, 175Charlotte (AHL)53-4-10-14-622012 draft, 115th overallPrimarily known for physical play, Carrick became a power play contributor in junior, and the Hurricanes think his game may continue to develop in the AHL. But big hits and a willingness to fight are his bread and butter. &ldquo;He makes huge hits that can change a game,&rdquo; Vellucci said. &ldquo;One game I was down there, Charlotte was down 2-1, and he made a huge open ice hit, then scored the tying goal in a game the Checkers won.&rdquo; Carrick&rsquo;s biggest negatives are his leg strength and skating.<h2>ON THE HORIZON</h2>6 ROLAND MCKEOWND, 19, 6-1, 186Kingston (OHL)55-5-21-26-45Trade (LA), Feb. 25, &rsquo;15Production nosedive on a mediocre Frontenacs team. Came over in the Sekera deal.7 PHIL DI GIUSEPPELW, 21, 6-0, 197Charlotte (AHL)53-7-10-17-162012 draft, 38th overallMichigan alum has all the tools, but needs to make consistent use of them.8 LUCAS WALLMARKC, 19, 6-0, 176Lulea (Swe.)45-5-13-18-122014 draft, 97th overallSlight but skilled center was among Sweden&rsquo;s top scorers at world juniors.9 SERGEY TOLCHINSKYLW, 20, 5-8, 169S.S. Marie (OHL)51-24-56-80-6Free agent, Aug. 22, &rsquo;13Tiny sniper has slick hands and sick moves, but will they translate to the NHL?10 CLARK BISHOPC, 18, 6-0, 192C. Breton (QMJHL)28-17-12-29-302014 draft, 127th overallPoint-per-game production when healthy, but has missed half of season with injuries.21-AND-UNDER NHLERSELIAS LINDHOLM, C, 20RYAN MURPHY, D, 21VICTOR RASK, C, 21 &#9632;

f0029-01

BACK TO BASICS

<div class="byline">BY MATT CARLSON</div>C+ | RANK 25<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-0142/146595-1-eng-US/f0030-012.jpg" title="f0030-01" width="270" height="126"></div>THE QUICK-TRANSITION HAWKS like to blitz opponents on counter attacks. But when it comes to player development, talent-rich Chicago isn&rsquo;t in or on any odd-man rush.The Blackhawks have drafted well for a team in the upper echelon, but most of their top players are entering their primes. That&rsquo;s why 2010 first-rounder Kevin Hayes resisted signing with Chicago and chose free agency instead. GM Stan Bowman says the Blackhawks pursue talent with an eye on keeping their up-tempo machine running. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve had a certain style that&rsquo;s worked for us and we&rsquo;re going to continue to play that way,&rdquo; he said.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-0228/146588-1-eng-US/f0030-022.jpg" title="f0030-02" width="505" height="647"><figcaption class="caption-body">TEUVO TERAVAINEN (TODD REICHER/ROCKFORD ICEHOGS)</figcaption></div>1 TEUVO TERAVAINENC, 20, 5-11, 178Rockford (AHL)39-6-19-25-62012 draft, 18th overallOVERALL 9The Finnish center was recalled from Rockford Jan. 2 after Kris Versteeg suffered an injury. Teravainen didn&rsquo;t jump into Versteeg&rsquo;s spot with Patrick Kane and Brad Richards, but landed on right wing on the fourth line. In 15 games before his demotion, Teravainen had two goals and four points. &ldquo;Whether he&rsquo;s playing center or wing, his instincts are positionally sound,&rdquo; coach Joel Quenneville said. Teravainen sees the ice well, but is overmatched physically.2 RYAN HARTMANRW, 20, 5-11, 194Rockford (AHL)47-8-10-18-812013 draft, 30th overallOVERALL 12Hartman is a selfless scrapper who battles for the puck (He was a third-line grinder at the 2013 WJC). He&rsquo;s not big, but goes into traffic to score, although his rookie numbers at Rockford haven&rsquo;t been overwhelming. &ldquo;My focus has been on speed and quickness,&rdquo; Hartman said. &ldquo;The game is faster in the NHL, so I&rsquo;m going to have to work on my skating.&rdquo; He finished last season with the IceHogs after completing his junior career with OHL Plymouth.3 NICK SCHMALTZC, 19, 6-0, 171N. Dakota (NCHC)27-4-19-23-102014 draft, 20th overallThe university freshman got breakout exposure on Team USA at the world juniors. The Blackhawks traded up from the No. 27 spot in the 2014 draft to No. 20 in order to snare Schmaltz. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s got special skills that are difficult to teach,&rdquo; Bowman said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s got good instincts. He can make a quick decision and sees plays develop out of his peripheral vision. He has a lot of patience and doesn&rsquo;t give the puck away easily.&rdquo; Expect at least two more college seasons before he&rsquo;d consider turning pro.4 TREVOR VAN RIEMSDYKD, 23, 6-2, 188Chicago (NHL)18-0-1-1-2Free agent, March 24, &rsquo;14&lsquo;TVR&rsquo; was the surprise of camp. Following the trade of Nick Leddy to the Islanders, Adam Clendening was expected to break through as the No. 6 D-man. Instead it was undrafted van Riemsdyk, who was signed after three years at the University of New Hampshire. His steady play earned him regular duty before he fractured his left kneecap blocking a shot in his 18th game. He didn&rsquo;t get back on the ice until mid-February. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s poised and very smooth,&rdquo; Quenneville said.5 GUSTAV FORSLINGD, 18, 6-0, 181Linkoping (Swe.)38-3-3-6-8Trade (Van), Jan. 29. &rsquo;14Forsling opened eyes after being named a WJC tournament all-star for Sweden with eight points in seven games. A fifth round pick by Vancouver last year, he was acquired for Clendening in January. Chicago has the luxury of patience. &ldquo;(Forsling) was one of the best players at the world juniors&hellip;and has emerged as a regular contributor in the top pro league in Sweden,&rdquo; Bowman said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s an offensive defenseman who plays well on the power play and has a big shot.&rdquo;<h2>ON THE HORIZON</h2>6 PHILLIP DANAULTC, 22, 6-2, 218Rockford (AHL)49-8-20-28-322011 draft, 26th overallSlow adjustment to pro game. A natural playmaker, the offense is starting to come.7 MARK MCNEILLC, 22, 6-2, 218Rockford (AHL)41-14-11-25-132011 draft, 18th overallStrong two-way player who was named an AHL all-star in his second pro season.8 JOAKIM NORDSTROMC, 23, 6-1, 189Rockford (AHL)23-9-7-16-192010 draft, 90th overallLanky Swedish veteran a responsible two-way player with goal-scoring ability.9 KLAS DAHLBECKD, 23, 6-2, 206Rockford (AHL)48-4-6-10-352011 draft, 79th overallOriginally billed as a strong, stay-at-home type, his production from blueline surged.10 GARRET ROSSLW, 22, 6-0, 182Rockford (AHL)48-15-15-30-692012 draft, 139th overallScrappy, responsible forward putting up timely points and making smart plays.21-AND-UNDER NHLERSNONE &#9632;

f0030-01

WAITING GAMES

<div class="byline">BY MIKE CHAMBERS</div>C&ndash; | RANK 28<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-0138/146631-1-eng-US/f0031-012.jpg" title="f0031-01" width="273" height="129"></div>AVALANCHE FIRST-ROUND PICKS Joey Hishon (17th overall in 2010) and Duncan Siemens (11th in &rsquo;11) have yet to play NHL regular season games. Their delayed development, coupled with Colorado&rsquo;s inability to draft impact players in later rounds during that span, has weakened organizational depth and emphasized European free agent signings.Undrafted rookie wingers Borna Rendulic of Croatia and Dennis Everberg of Sweden are among Colorado&rsquo;s top five prospects. According to multiple scouts, they help cover the draft failures that led to Rick Pracey&rsquo;s firing as Colorado&rsquo;s head amateur scout last October.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-0229/146624-1-eng-US/f0031-022.jpg" title="f0031-02" width="499" height="656"><figcaption class="caption-body">CHRIS BIGRAS (AARON BELL/OHL IMAGES)</figcaption></div>1 CHRIS BIGRASD, 20, 6-2, 194Owen Sound (OHL)53-17-44-61-442013 draft, 32nd overallOVERALL 54Bigras was among the Avs&rsquo; last cuts at the 2013 camp. Coach Patrick Roy felt Bigras regressed at the 2014 camp and needed another year in junior, and Bigras failed to crack Canada&rsquo;s 2015 WJC squad after making it the year prior. He has since put together an exceptional OHL season, however. Bigras has signed his NHL entry-level contract and will make his pro debut this fall. The Avs want to revamp their blueline, and he&rsquo;ll be part of their plans.2 CALVIN PICKARDG, 22, 6-1, 208Lake Erie (AHL)14-9-4, 2.65, .9132010 draft, 49th overallPickard has sparkled in four 2014-15 call-ups from AHL Lake Erie, registering a .936 SP in 15 games of work with Semyon Varlamov injured. Roy loves Pickard&rsquo;s second-and third-effort competitiveness. He is the organization&rsquo;s No. 2 goaltender but toils at Lake Erie because the Avs don&rsquo;t want him sitting on the bench behind Varlamov. Roy said that next season he expects Colorado to move Varlamov&rsquo;s current backup, Reto Berra, allowing for a Varlamov-Pickard rotation.3 CONNER BLEACKLEYC, 19, 6-1, 198Red Deer (WHL)50-27-22-49-472014 draft, 23rd overallThe Avalanche were unhappy with Bleackley&rsquo;s physical tests at camp last fall, but he responded with his best WHL season. Bleackley, according to a scout, has taken the criticism and lowered his body fat while improving his strength. He is Red Deer&rsquo;s captain and primed to make a better impression at next year&rsquo;s camp. He has another season of junior eligibility. The Avs are deep at center, but Bleackley&rsquo;s scoring ability from the hard areas will keep him in the picture.4 BORNA RENDULICRW, 22, 6-2, 200Lake Erie (AHL)26-4-4-8-12Free agent, May 19, &rsquo;14Rendulic is the first Croatian-born player to score an NHL goal, doing so Dec. 31 on a line with Ryan O&rsquo;Reilly and Gabriel Landeskog. Before this season, Rendulic played in Austria, Finland and his non-hockeyhotbed homeland, which explains why he slipped through the draft. The Avs are high on him, and he&rsquo;s the forward most likely to contend for a roster spot next season. His solid frame adds to a big-league lineup that doesn&rsquo;t create enough havoc in front of opposing nets.5 DENNIS EVERBERGRW, 23, 6-4, 205Lake Erie (AHL)12-5-2-7-4Free agent, April 29, &rsquo;14The Avs like Everberg&rsquo;s size and skill, and he&rsquo;s played a third-line role for the big club lately after starting the season in Lake Erie. Like with Rendulic, however, the organization would rather he learn the North American game in the minors. Net presence is needed in Colorado, and Everberg, while not a fiery competitor, is willing to go there. The Swede is more of a finesse player and not suited for a checking role. A scout said Everberg might need more seasoning next season.<h2>ON THE HORIZON</h2>6 STEFAN ELLIOTTD, 24, 6-1, 190Lake Erie (AHL)40-12-14-26-202009 draft, 49th overallPuck-mover named to AHL ASG but sits between eighth and 10th on NHL depth chart.7 JOEY HISHONC, 23, 5-10, 175Lake Erie (AHL)47-12-18-30-322010 draft, 17th overallMade his NHL debut in last year&rsquo;s playoffs. Top-six skill but size hinders his opportunity.8 DUNCAN SIEMENSD, 21, 6-3, 205Lake Erie (AHL)34-0-4-4-402011 draft, 11th overallLone D-man not to reach NHL of the 11 taken in 2011 first round. Late bloomer or bust?9 SPENCER MARTING, 19, 6-3, 204Mississauga (OHL)15-13-1, 2.98, .9212013 draft, 63rd overallRecovered from .899 SP in 2013-14 to .921. Expect a multi-year workshop in the AHL.10 WILL BUTCHERD, 20, 5-10, 200Denver (NCHC)28-2-11-13-82013 draft, 123rd overallTwo-time U.S. WJC participant makes up for lack of speed, size with vision and poise.21-AND-UNDER NHLERSNATHAN MACKINNON, C, 19 &#9632;

f0031-01

HIGH HIGHS, LOW LOWS

<div class="byline">BY AARON PORTZLINE</div>A&ndash; | RANK 6<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-0143/146667-1-eng-US/f0032-012.jpg" title="f0032-01" width="273" height="129"></div>THE NEXT WAVE OF BLUE JACKETS&rsquo; talent to arrive at the NHL level is going to ruffle feathers and maybe leave a mark. Power forwards Kerby Rychel and Josh Anderson have had trial runs with the Blue Jackets, but they&rsquo;ll likely be permanent fixtures in Columbus beginning in 2015-16.If you remember how John Davidson and Jarmo Kekalainen built the St. Louis Blues &ndash; big, skilled and nasty &ndash; their philosophy in Columbus shouldn&rsquo;t come as a surprise. Elsewhere in the system, highly skilled forwards such as Sonny Milano and Oliver Bjorkstrand look to be a couple years away.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-0228/146660-1-eng-US/f0032-022.jpg" title="f0032-02" width="509" height="668"><figcaption class="caption-body">SONNY MILANO (DENNIS PAJOT/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>1 SONNY MILANOLW, 18, 6-0, 190Plymouth (OHL)39-16-38-54-222014 draft, 16th overallOVERALL 22Milano&rsquo;s puckhandling skills are irrefutably special (see YouTube). The kid produces highlight reel goals and has incredible scoring instincts and playmaking finesse. But his ability to play without the puck will determine how long it takes him to reach the NHL and how much success he has there. Milano is Plymouth&rsquo;s leading scorer in his first &ndash; and likely only &ndash; year of major junior. He&rsquo;s expected to turn pro next season and play for Springfield.2 KERBY RYCHELLW, 20, 6-1, 214Springfield (AHL)50-12-20-32-432013 draft, 19th overallOVERALL 53Rychel was recalled earlier this season by the Jackets when they were devastated by injuries, and he did not look out of place against the big boys. The son of former NHL tough guy Warren Rychel is going to play in the NHL. The only question is whether he&rsquo;ll be a third- or fourth-line plugger, or a top-six power winger. The Jackets believe it&rsquo;s the latter &ndash; he had a pair of 40-goal seasons in Windsor. He can be a net-front presence who can win battles down low.3 OLIVER BJORKSTRANDRW, 19, 6-0, 168Portland (WHL)46-43-39-82-292013 draft, 89th overallOVERALL 57Bjorkstrand&rsquo;s smallish frame is the only reason he slid to the latter stages of the third round, but the Blue Jackets were willing to bet on him and willing to wait. After a bust-out season in 2013-14 &ndash; he had 50 goals during the regular season and 16 more in 21 playoff games &ndash; the Jackets are convinced that significant aspects of his game are already NHL-worthy. Too young for the AHL, he&rsquo;s back tearing up the WHL at even higher clip this season.4 ANTON FORSBERGG, 22, 6-3, 190Springfield (AHL)18-7-1, 2.04, .9272011 draft, 188th overallAfter a solid run in Sweden, Forsberg has been a big hit in his first season in North America. He has been one of the AHL&rsquo;s best goaltenders, which is impressive especially for a young goaltender playing on smaller surfaces for the first time. His play has allowed him to leapfrog other goalie prospects Oscar Dansk and Joonas Korpisalo on the organizational depth chart. The tall, lanky Swede will surely get another season in the AHL to sharpen his game, but he&rsquo;s on the cusp of the NHL already.5 JOSH ANDERSONRW, 20, 6-3, 218Springfield (AHL)46-5-8-13-652012 draft, 95th overallAnderson&rsquo;s ceiling keeps rising. He&rsquo;s now seen as a future regular for the Blue Jackets, likely on a secondor third line. He has a perfect hockey frame for a power forward &ndash; broad, strong shoulders, a powerful stride, an uncommonly long reach &ndash; similar to that of all-star center Ryan Johansen. He also has good wheels for a big man. Anderson&rsquo;s hands can&rsquo;t quite keep up with his feet, however, which will keep him lower in the lineup at the NHL level. He&rsquo;s earmarked to make the big club in 2015-16.<h2>ON THE HORIZON</h2>6 MARKO DANOC, 20, 5-11, 183Springfield (AHL)37-10-8-18-262013 draft, 27th overallAustrian wasn&rsquo;t productive in AHL, but played well and produced when called up.7 MIKE REILLYD, 21, 6-1, 182Minnesota (WCHA)30-5-29-34-422011 draft, 98th overallEffortless skater with skill, but will he sign with Jackets or return as a senior?8 JOONAS KORPISALOG, 20, 6-3, 185Ilves-Tampere (Fin.)12-11-6, 2.29, .9102012 draft, 62nd overallHis first full season in Finland&rsquo;s top league has gone pretty well in platoon duty.9 DILLON HEATHERINGTOND, 19, 6-4, 213Swift Current (WHL)37-1-11-12-382013 draft, 50th overallA physical, shutdown blueliner, with really good feet for his size. Played in WJC.10 RYAN COLLINSD, 18, 6-5, 204Minnesota (Big Ten)23-0-6-6-142014 draft, 47th overallSo big, but so raw. After a few years at Minnesota, though, good pro potential.21-AND-UNDER NHLERSBOONE JENNER, C, 21RYAN MURRAY, D, 21A. WENNBERG, C, 20 &#9632;

f0032-01

KEEP YOUR HEAD UP

<div class="byline">BY MIKE HEIKA</div>B | RANK 16<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-0138/146703-1-eng-US/f0033-012.jpg" title="f0033-01" width="273" height="129"></div>AS THE DALLAS STARS TRY TO win as quickly as possible, their handling of the prospect group this year will be crucial to future success. Dallas has already dealt a couple top prospects &ndash; Reilly Smith to Boston and Nick Paul to Ottawa &ndash; and now must make decisions on future trades and also players who are pushing to play in the NHL. The Stars have holes to fill and will either trade youngsters to fill those holes or trust the kids to do the job. Of their top 10 prospects, four have already played in the NHL and two others are playing in the AHL, so huge decisions await for this team.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-0230/146696-1-eng-US/f0033-022.jpg" title="f0033-02" width="516" height="671"><figcaption class="caption-body">JULIUS HONKA (MICHAEL CONNELL)</figcaption></div>1 JULIUS HONKAD, 19, 5-11, 185Texas (AHL)48-5-12-17-372014 draft, 14th overallOVERALL 23Dallas took advantage of a loophole to get Honka to the AHL as an 18-yearold, and they like what they have seen. A small, skilled defenseman, he needs more seasoning, but because the Stars have been routinely calling up Jamie Oleksiak and Jyrki Jokipakka, Honka has been playing big minutes with Texas. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s mature, he wants to be there, and I think he&rsquo;s doing a great job,&rdquo; Stars GM Jim Nill said. &ldquo;He just needs to play some games, lots of games.&rdquo;2 BRETT RITCHIERW, 21, 6-3, 220Texas (AHL)24-11-7-18-342011 draft, 44th overallOVERALL 35Ritchie is the perfect player for a team that has center depth and needs scoring from the wing. He can score off the rush and go to the net on the power play. Ritchie showed last season in the AHL that he can be counted on for big goals, tallying 22 times among 48 points in 68 games. He also had seven goals in 13 playoff games en route to a Calder Cup title. This season, he already has had a couple NHL call-ups and played on a line with Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn.3 JASON DICKINSONC, 19, 6-2, 191Guelph (OHL)46-22-37-59-262013 draft, 29th overallOVERALL 66One of the most exciting prospects the Stars have, Dickinson might have to move to the wing because of the Stars&rsquo; center depth. He is a high-end scoring center who loves the challenge of checking another team&rsquo;s top scorer. He had 78 points in 68 games last season for the Storm and helped push them into the Memorial Cup tournament. He is maintaining his scoring pace this season and has Guelph positioned for another strong run in the playoffs.4 JAMIE OLEKSIAKD, 22, 6-7, 250Texas (AHL)15-2-8-10-62011 draft, 14th overallAfter a solid season in the AHL, which included 21 playoff games, Oleksiak is trying to stick in the NHL this season. He has gone back and forth with Jokipakka and is close to becoming a regular, but coach Ruff would like to see some quicker puck movement and more physical play. Dallas has a huge need for a big defensive defenseman, so Oleksiak has a chance to really make a statement. And he has to, because the Stars have great competition among their young blueliners.5 RADEK FAKSAC, 21, 6-3, 210Texas (AHL)32-4-6-10-122012 draft, 13th overallOn the good side, the Stars are prepared to wait on Faksa because of their depth at center. On the bad side, he seems to hit one hurdle after another. After missing significant time two seasons ago with a knee injury, Faksa will miss most of this season after shoulder surgery. He&rsquo;s a big, physical presence who needs to show he can take the next step. He&rsquo;ll likely never fulfill the offensive potential of a 13th overall pick, but he could be a strong two-way presence for a third or fourth line.<h2>ON THE HORIZON</h2>6 PATRIK NEMETHD, 23, 6-3, 230Texas (AHL)2-0-0-0-02010 draft, 41st overallMissed most of the season with an arm laceration but was due back in March.7 JYRKI JOKIPAKKAD, 23, 6-3, 210Texas (AHL)19-3-2-5-42011 draft, 195th overallHe&rsquo;s learning to read the game better and is making fewer mistakes. Good test in NHL.8 BRETT POLLOCKLW, 18, 6-3, 194Edmonton (WHL)58-26-23-49-742014 draft, 45th overallMaintaining the scoring pace that helped Edmonton win 2014 Memorial Cup.9 REMI ELIELW, 19, 6-1, 202Erie (OHL)52-25-34-59-362013 draft, 40th overallTrade from Belleville to Erie provides an opportunity for high-level playoff experience.10 DEVIN SHOREC, 20, 6-1, 205Maine (HE)34-13-20-33-182012 draft, 61st overallNumbers well down with Maine as a junior but gaining experience as a captain.21-AND-UNDER NHLERSV. NICHUSHKIN, RW, 19 &#9632;

f0033-01

DECISION DAY LOOMS

<div class="byline">BY BOB DUFF</div>B+ | RANK 9<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-0143/146739-1-eng-US/f0034-012.jpg" title="f0034-01" width="273" height="132"></div>FIRST CAME THE RUSSIAN FIVE. Then arrived a cache of sweet Swedes. Today, though, the Detroit Red Wings are taking a different direction when it comes to European talent. Gustav Nyquist is an exciting young Swede, but the organization is now loaded with young Czechs and Slovaks, including Czech goalie Petr Mrazek and Slovak forwards Tomas Jurco and Tomas Tatar.There&rsquo;s also hope Czech late-bloomer Tomas Nosek, 22, will deliver as a free agent. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s smart, he&rsquo;s confident, he&rsquo;s a good player, he&rsquo;s got skill, he does good things, he&rsquo;s a big body,&rdquo; said coach Mike Babcock.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-0224/146732-1-eng-US/f0034-022.jpg" title="f0034-02" width="512" height="671"><figcaption class="caption-body">ANTHONY MANTHA (MARK NEWMAN)</figcaption></div>1 ANTHONY MANTHARW, 20, 6-4, 214Grand Rapids (AHL)42-9-12-21-452013 draft, 20th overallOVERALL 6Mantha, a 57-goal scorer and major junior player of the year last season, fractured his tibia at Detroit&rsquo;s rookie tournament. Now he&rsquo;s playing catch-up. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s been a bit of a struggle,&rdquo; said GM Ken Holland. &ldquo;What he&rsquo;s going through, going from junior to pro, is you don&rsquo;t realize how good the AHL is, and then he got two months behind because of the injury. He&rsquo;s going through what Jurco and Riley Sheahan went through. The first 40 games are tough.&rdquo;2 DYLAN LARKINC, 18, 6-1, 192Michigan (Big Ten)26-12-26-38-222014 draft, 15th overallOVERALL 10So impressive has the speedy Larkin been as a freshman with Michigan, and for USA at the world juniors, there&rsquo;s speculation Detroit will seek to have him turn pro after the NCAA season. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a good skater, a good two-way player,&rdquo; Holland said. &ldquo;He plays hard both ways. He can transport the puck up the ice. He makes little plays. He competes hard.&rdquo; Many scouts felt he was USA&rsquo;s best player at the WJC. &ldquo;He did everything Team USA would want,&rdquo; Holland said.3 XAVIER OUELLETD, 21, 6-0, 200Grand Rapids (AHL)30-1-8-9-182011 draft, 48th overallOVERALL 42There&rsquo;s nothing flashy about Ouellet, but, in three stints with Detroit this season, his steady work has earned the coaches&rsquo; trust. &ldquo;He knows how to play,&rdquo; Babcock said. &ldquo;He competes hard. He&rsquo;s got good hockey sense. He&rsquo;s been effective.&rdquo; Ouellet had to pass up his AHL All-Star Game invite because he was up in Detroit. Like young D-men, he sometimes tries to do too much when the simple play is best. He&rsquo;s a good bet to make the grade next season.4 RYAN SPROULD, 22, 6-3, 205Grand Rapids (AHL)48-3-16-19-182011 draft, 55th overallOVERALL 49Sproul was viewed as one of Detroit&rsquo;s most NHL-ready blueline prospects a year ago, but he&rsquo;s regressed. &ldquo;He is learning to play the pro game,&rdquo; Holland said. &ldquo;He had a real good rookie year in the AHL. We like him. He&rsquo;s a right shot, can shoot bombs.&rdquo; In the summer, the Wings felt Sproul, who had a onegame stint in Detroit last season, could challenge for a roster spot. But a shoulder injury left him fighting an uphill battle, and he&rsquo;s struggling to climb.5 TEEMU PULKKINENRW, 23, 5-10, 185Grand Rapids (AHL)44-30-27-57-282010 draft, 111th overallOVERALL 50Though he&rsquo;s shown little in NHL recalls, Pulkkinen has scored 30 goals in the AHL in consecutive seasons. His prowess at finding open space and unleashing a one-timer has been compared to Brett Hull. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a machine-like scorer,&rdquo; Babcock said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s going to translate (to the NHL) at some point. He&rsquo;s shown he&rsquo;s very good in the AHL. He&rsquo;s got a bomb of a shot. He&rsquo;s tenacious. He&rsquo;s strong.&rdquo; Pulkkinen needs work in virtually every other aspect of his game.<h2>ON THE HORIZON</h2>6 PETR MRAZEKG, 23, 6-2, 183Grand Rapids (AHL)5-2-0, 2.63, .9032010 draft, 141st overallOVERALL 71Confident stopper didn&rsquo;t miss a beat during NHL stint. Plays an aggressive style.7 MATTIAS BACKMAND, 22, 6-3, 176Linkoping (Swe.)20-3-11-14-22011 draft, 146th overallUnhappy with his ice time in Grand Rapids, Backman returned home in December.8 TYLER BERTUZZILW, 20, 6-1, 190Guelph (OHL)58-41-46-87-832013 draft, 58th overallA Steve Ott-type and nephew of former Wing Todd Bertuzzi. Must upgrade skating.9 AXEL HOLMSTROMC, 18, 6-1, 198Skelleftea (Swe.)39-10-9-19-22014 draft, 196th overallA solid all-around performer who could be Detroit&rsquo;s next great late-round steal.10 ALEXEY MARCHENKOD, 23, 6-2, 212Grand Rapids (AHL)42-2-15-17-222011 draft, 205th overallSteady two-way defender thinks game well. Rebounding from 2014 ankle surgery.21-AND-UNDER NHLERSNONE &#9632;

f0034-01

THE GLOBE TROTTERS

<div class="byline">BY ROB TYCHKOWSKI</div>B+ | RANK 10<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-0137/146775-1-eng-US/f0035-012.jpg" title="f0035-01" width="274" height="130"></div>THE OILERS ARE STILL TRYING TO draft their way out of a mess they drafted themselves into.Since 2005, only one player selected outside of the first round, Jeff Petry, has spent any length of time with the big club. And if he&rsquo;s still an unrestricted free agent come July 1, there&rsquo;s almost no chance he&rsquo;ll sign to stay. That stunning inability to find and develop talent has left the Oilers desperately thin at virtually every position.First-rounders Darnell Nurse and Leon Draisaitl provide hope for the future, but based on Edmonton&rsquo;s track record, the rest of their top 10 are filed under &ldquo;wait and see.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-0227/146768-1-eng-US/f0035-022.jpg" title="f0035-02" width="516" height="671"><figcaption class="caption-body">DARNELL NURSE (CLAUS ANDERSEN/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>1 LEON DRAISAITLC, 19, 6-1, 210Kelowna (WHL)20-11-23-34-162014 draft, 3rd overallOVERALL 3Draisaitl got a 37-game audition with the Oilers this season during which he looked like a fringe NHL center. That&rsquo;s not bad for an 18-year-old rookie, but the Oilers needed a solid No. 2 center and he wasn&rsquo;t ready. Edmonton put too much on his plate, rushed him, admitted their mistake and to its credit sent him back to junior. Draisaitl is big and strong and thinks the game well, but the Oilers want him to be quicker when both sides get a do-over next fall.2 DARNELL NURSED, 20, 6-4, 205S. S. Marie (OHL)33-9-22-31-562013 draft, 7th overallOVERALL 7Nurse is close to what the Oilers are looking for on their blueline: a big, aggressive, competitive player with some offensive talent and a passion for the game. Nurse had an excellent world juniors, where he dominated in the gold medal game. He has to improve defensively and needs to play more under control instead of trying to turn every shift into a highlight reel, but he&rsquo;s a clump of clay that any organization would love a chance to mould.3 LAURENT BROSSOITG, 21, 6-3, 200Oklahoma City (AHL)16-10-2, 2.55, .918Trade (Cgy), Nov. 8, &rsquo;13Brossoit has put up excellent numbers and is one of the bright spots in Oklahoma City. He&rsquo;s a big body with a good pedigree, and he&rsquo;s the only legitimate goalie prospect in the organization. But at 21, and with one year of pro experience under his belt, he is several years away. What he needs most right now is experience, getting himself into a position where he&rsquo;s playing 60-plus games a season as Oklahoma&rsquo;s No. 1 stopper. He&rsquo;d love a return to Edmonton, where he played his major junior.4 BOGDAN YAKIMOVC, 20, 6-5, 232Oklahoma City (AHL)47-7-12-19-142013 draft, 83rd overallYakimov is the huge center with skill the Oilers have been longing for, but his development is only beginning. He just came over from Russia last fall and has a lot of catching up to do. He&rsquo;s learning everything from English to the North American style of hockey, though time is still on his side. Once he&rsquo;s fully acclimated, he will challenge for a spot in Edmonton. He has size and strength and moves well, but consistency and intensity are areas where he needs to improve.5 JUJHAR KHAIRAC, 20, 6-3, 214Oklahoma City (AHL)47-3-6-9-502012 draft, 63rd overallHere&rsquo;s another big body the Oilers hope can develop into a power forward. Right now Khaira has the power part down, playing an aggressive game. He drives hard to the net and likes to use his size and strength to win more puck battles than he loses. The points have been slow to come as a rookie pro, but he has decent skills that can be honed into third-line material with time. The important thing is he&rsquo;s a 20-year-old prospect who isn&rsquo;t shying away from the physical game in the AHL.<h2>ON THE HORIZON</h2>6 MARTIN MARINCIND, 23, 6-4, 203Okla. City (AHL)27-0-7-7-202010 draft, 46th overallHad a bad camp and was a surprise demotion. Needs consistency and intensity.7 ANTON SLEPYSHEVLW, 20, 6-0, 174Ufa Salavat (KHL)57-14-10-24-122013 draft, 88th overallA skilled player but the KHL moves don&rsquo;t always translate well in the NHL.8 MITCHELL MOROZLW, 20, 6-2, 214Okla. City (AHL)42-2-3-5-712012 draft, 32nd overallAdjusting slowly to the pro game; offense has dried up after 35-goal junior season.9 GREG CHASEC, 20, 6-0, 188Victoria (WHL)49-17-34-51-452013 draft, 188th overallTurbulent start for him with Calgary Hitmen before being dealt to Victoria.10 WILLIAM LAGESSOND, 19, 6-2, 201Dubuque (USHL)35-1-12-13-752014 draft, 91st overallStrong, physical defenseman who likes to be in charge of his defensive zone.21-AND-UNDER NHLERSOSCAR KLEFBOM, D, 21R. NUGENT-HOPKINS, C, 21NAIL YAKUPOV, LW, 21 &#9632;

f0035-01

FIXING MISTAKES

<div class="byline">BY GEORGE RICHARDS</div>A&ndash; | RANK 3<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-0141/146811-1-eng-US/f0036-012.jpg" title="f0036-01" width="275" height="131"></div>AFTER SO MANY YEARS OF finishing close to the bottom of the standings, the Florida Panthers are reaping the rewards of having high picks. Funny, then, that the organization&rsquo;s current top prospect was the 23rd overall selection in the 2012 draft when it took defenseman Mike Matheson with its top pick that year.With so many of the Panthers&rsquo; previous selections &ndash; such as Aaron Ekblad, Erik Gudbranson, Aleksander Barkov and Nick Bjugstad &ndash; already gaining experience on the NHL level, Florida is eagerly anticipating what&rsquo;s next in the pipeline.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-0225/146804-1-eng-US/f0036-022.jpg" title="f0036-02" width="516" height="671"><figcaption class="caption-body">MIKE MATHESON (RICHARD T GAGNON/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>1 MIKE MATHESOND, 21, 6-2, 194Boston College (HE)32-2-17-19-242012 draft, 23rd overallOVERALL 60At 21 and with three college seasons under his belt, the prevailing wisdom is Matheson is ready for the next challenge and will turn pro this spring following his junior season. The Eagles&rsquo; captain is a strong skater who some scouts compare with Brian Campbell. Matheson is quick to transition the puck through to the neutral zone and he&rsquo;s strong in the offensive zone. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s developing just the way we want,&rdquo; said Eric Joyce, Florida&rsquo;s assistant to the GM.2 IAN MCCOSHEND, 19, 6-3, 218Boston College (HE)29-5-10-15-572013 draft, 31st overallOVERALL 65Matheson&rsquo;s sophomore teammate has a different style. Mc-Coshen is big and plays what the Panthers call a high hockey IQ game. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re excited by how smart he is,&rdquo; Joyce said. &ldquo;He can move guys out from in front of the net.&rdquo; The Panthers would like to see McCoshen develop his offensive game. He was a big point producer for Waterloo his last season in the USHL so the potential is there. McCoshen doesn&rsquo;t turn 20 until August so there&rsquo;s no need to rush him.3 ALEX PETROVICD, 22, 6-4, 206San Antonio (AHL)39-3-16-19-572010 draft, 36th overallThe Panthers have been patient with the steady progress of Petrovic to the point where they now have a bona fide NHLer on their hands. After starting his third pro year in San Antonio, Petrovic was called up to replace Dylan Olsen as a bottompairing D-man in late January. Petrovic is doing a good job in his own zone using his frame and physicality. &ldquo;His bread and butter is cleaning up in front and bringing a physical presence,&rdquo; Joyce said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s an everyday NHL player.&rdquo;4 JAYCE HAWRYLUKC, 19, 5-10, 197Brandon (WHL)42-24-30-54-532014 draft, 32nd overallHawryluk had a career-high 24 goals for the powerhouse Wheat Kings last year and blew past that in much fewer games this season. Florida likes his toughness and smarts. &ldquo;We were very excited to see him still there at No. 32,&rdquo; Joyce said. &ldquo;He wanted to be with the Panthers so bad he made his mom wear a red dress and he wore a red tie to the draft. He couldn&rsquo;t have been happier when we picked him.&rdquo; Hawryluk is one of Brandon&rsquo;s showcase players in their Memorial Cup run.5 ROCCO GRIMALDIC, 22, 5-6, 160San Antonio (AHL)46-9-23-32-202011 draft, 33rd overallAfter three years at North Dakota, Grimaldi turned pro and has had an impressive rookie term in the AHL. He is fast and talented, which will be necessary if he&rsquo;s to overcome his lack of physical stature. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s probably our smartest young prospect,&rdquo; Joyce said. &ldquo;He needs to tighten things up in his zone, but we can&rsquo;t be happier with what he&rsquo;s done in San Antonio. Guys love him, he has great character.&rdquo; Grimaldi had a seven-game NHL stint in November and scored his first goal in Nashville.<h2>ON THE HORIZON</h2>6 QUINTON HOWDENLW, 23, 6-3, 185San Antonio (AHL)10-0-6-6-42010 draft, 25th overallInjuries have slowed his development. The offense has been slow to come along.7 MICHAEL DOWNINGD, 19, 6-2, 200Michigan (Big Ten)28-5-13-18-682013 draft, 97th overallA sophomore, he&rsquo;s a physical D-man and a strong skater with good hockey sense.8 CORBAN KNIGHTC, 24, 6-0, 200San Antonio (AHL)36-10-10-20-12Trade (Cgy), Jan. 9, &rsquo;15Panther pick from 2009 was brought back in the Drew Shore trade with the Flames.9 ZACH HYMANC, 22, 6-1, 205Michigan (Big Ten)28-18-25-43-62010 draft, 123rd overallAfter a strong development camp, he&rsquo;s having a monster senior year.10 SAM BRITTAING, 22, 6-1, 215Cincinnati (ECHL)14-11-1, 2.71, .8952010 draft, 92nd overallFirst-year pro from University of Denver getting a chance to play regularly in ECHL.21-AND-UNDER NHLERSA. BARKOV, C, 19AARON EKBLAD, D, 19J. HUBERDEAU, LW, 21VINCENT TROCHECK, C, 21 &#9632;

f0036-01

LONG TIME COMING

<div class="byline">BY DOUG WARD</div>C&ndash; | RANK 29<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-0134/146847-1-eng-US/f0037-012.jpg" title="f0037-01" width="276" height="132"></div>OVER THE PAST THREE SEASONS, GM-president Dean Lombardi and coach Darryl Sutter have managed to integrate homegrown players such as Dwight King, Jordan Nolan, Jake Muzzin, Tyler Toffoli and Tanner Pearson into the lineup while winning two Stanley Cups.The Kings draft and sign players who fit Sutter&rsquo;s relentless style and have them play that way while being developed. L.A. places a premium on size and durability, spanning the globe to find players who fit that template: four of their top 10 prospects hail from the U.S., three are from Europe and three more are natives of Canada.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-0228/146840-1-eng-US/f0037-022.jpg" title="f0037-02" width="516" height="669"><figcaption class="caption-body">ADRIAN KEMPE (CLAUS ANDERSEN/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>1 ADRIAN KEMPELW, 18, 6-2, 187Modo (Swe.)45-4-12-16-342014 draft, 29th overallOVERALL 45A strong skating Swede who hails from the same hometown as Peter Forsberg. &ldquo;He can really skate,&rdquo; said Kings director of player development Nelson Emerson. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s good when the play gets heavy, and he&rsquo;s a good puck protector.&rdquo; Kempe&rsquo;s style and willingness to venture into high-traffic areas will translate well to the smaller rinks of North America. Still, making the transition from Europe to the NHL remains the biggest challenge on the horizon.2 NICK SHOREC, 22, 6-1, 195Manchester (AHL)38-20-22-42-162011 draft, 82nd overallFittingly, Shore&rsquo;s January NHL debut came under Sutter, who, like Shore, comes from a hockey clan. One of Shore&rsquo;s brothers, Drew, plays for the Calgary Flames, while another, Quentin, plays at the University of Denver and is a draft pick of Ottawa. &ldquo;Nick comes from a great hockey family, which obviously helped him growing up,&rdquo; Emerson said. Shore is coachable and has great hockey sense. The Kings believe he still needs to add muscle to better compete at the NHL level.3 VALENTIN ZYKOVRW, 19, 6-2, 215Gatineau (QMJHL)32-13-18-31-502013 draft, 37th overallAs a strong skating winger with a penchant for taking the puck to the net, Zykov plays a tenacious puckpossession game that embodies the Kings&rsquo; Sutter-era style. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s heavy on the puck and hard to play against,&rdquo; Emerson said. The stocky Zykov is also strong on his skates, battles in the corners and isn&rsquo;t afraid of traffic. The Kings like his work ethic, ability to make a play and willingness to play a two-way game. But his scoring is down since being traded from Baie-Comeau.4 DEREK FORBORTD, 22, 6-4, 219Manchester (AHL)46-2-9-11-372010 draft, 15th overallSince being drafted, Forbort has played three seasons at North Dakota and two-plus with Manchester, but the Kings believe his talents are finally coalescing. &ldquo;He needed to figure out what it took to be a pro,&rdquo; Emerson said. &ldquo;He is now much more confident on the ice.&rdquo; Forbort possesses the rare combination of being a big man who skates well. Emerson calls Forbort, &ldquo;a machine with a powerful stride. He plays a lot and closes in on guys.&rdquo; He need to play a tougher game though.5 JUSTIN AUGERRW, 20, 6-7, 231Manchester (AHL)48-6-13-19-352013 draft, 103rd overallAuger is both big and skilled. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s been a favorite among our development guys,&rdquo; Emerson said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a big kid who needs people to put their arms around him.&rdquo; The Kings have embraced Auger, and in return the super-sized winger has gotten a good feel for hockey at the AHL level. He has good hands, but it&rsquo;s when he gets his feet moving that he&rsquo;s particularly hard to corral. The Kings believe Auger has established strong work habits and routines but must improve his fitness.<h2>ON THE HORIZON</h2>6 COLIN MILLERD, 22, 6-0, 195Manchester (AHL)47-14-22-36-442012 draft, 151st overallA good skating blueliner who boasts one of the hardest shots in the AHL.7 ALEX LINTUNIEMID, 19, 6-3, 214Ottawa (OHL)49-5-24-29-202014 draft, 60th overallStill green, but has size, a nice shot, skates well and is also a good passer.8 KEVIN GRAVELD, 22, 6-4, 200Manchester (AHL)38-4-8-12-212010 draft, 148th overallLeverages his size and has a knack for getting his long stick in the way of opponents.9 JOEL LOWRYLW, 23, 6-2, 185Cornell (ECAC)11-4-4-8-142011 draft, 140th overallMust overcome back surgery that limited his senior year to just 11 games.10 MICHAEL MERSCHLW, 22, 6-1, 215Manchester (AHL)52-10-11-21-212011 draft, 110th overallHas a strong net presence, but still needs to work on his foot speed.21-AND-UNDER NHLERSNONE &#9632;

f0037-01

SUTTER’S L.A. STYLE

<div class="byline">BY MICHAEL RUSSO</div>C+ | RANK 21<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-0143/146883-1-eng-US/f0038-012.jpg" title="f0038-01" width="270" height="132"></div>WITH SO MANY YOUNGSTERS on the Wild (Charlie Coyle, Mikael Granlund, Jason Zucker, Nino Niederreiter, Darcy Kuemper and Jonas Brodin), the Wild&rsquo;s farm team in Iowa is in the midst of another downtrodden year. It hasn&rsquo;t helped that Zach Phillips and Brett Bulmer haven&rsquo;t panned out. The Wild also traded picks and prospects for Jason Pominville and Matt Moulson.&ldquo;We still think we have some pretty good kids coming that just need time before they&rsquo;re knocking on the door,&rdquo; assistant GM Brent Flahr said. &ldquo;These next few drafts, we&rsquo;ll be looking to fill the cupboard again.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-0227/146876-1-eng-US/f0038-022.jpg" title="f0038-02" width="525" height="678"><figcaption class="caption-body">ALEX TUCH (RICHARD T GAGNON/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>1 ALEX TUCHRW, 18, 6-4, 220Boston College (HE)31-13-14-27-242014 draft, 18th overallOVERALL 21A member of the U.S. top line with Jack Eichel at the WJC, Tuch is a burgeoning power forward. He&rsquo;s big, strong, has great hands, a great shot and dominates when engaged. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s a lot of Wayne Simmonds in him,&rdquo; analyst Pierre McGuire said. &ldquo;I like his toughness, release, slot area presence and board play.&rdquo; Said Flahr: &ldquo;When he&rsquo;s going, he&rsquo;s a load to handle. He hasn&rsquo;t played a lot of high-end hockey, but he&rsquo;s in a great program playing in lots of situations (as a freshman).&rdquo;2 MATHEW DUMBAD, 20, 6-0, 189Iowa (AHL)20-5-9-14-62012 draft, 7th overallOVERALL 26Because of Keith Ballard&rsquo;s concussion, Dumba has been learning on the fly in Minnesota lately and improved after a six-week stint in Iowa. The Wild would prefer him playing big minutes in the minors, but he has done a quality job on the third pair. The high-risk, high-reward player has a bomb from the point. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve hurried lots of kids, some rightfully so, some out of necessity, but we&rsquo;re not in a position where we&rsquo;re desperate to do that anymore,&rdquo; Flahr said.3 GUSTAV OLOFSSOND, 20, 6-3, 200Iowa (AHL)1-0-0-0-02013 draft, 46th overallOlofsson&rsquo;s first year of professional hockey has been debilitated because of shoulder surgery that sidelined him until March. He provided a glimpse of what he could be in training camp. Like countryman Jonas Brodin, he&rsquo;s mobile and intelligent. He&rsquo;s only a year out of his only season at Colorado College, so he has to learn the pro game and get stronger. &ldquo;The injury set him back, but he hopefully can get 15-20 games in, have a big summer and come in strong next year,&rdquo; Flahr said.4 TYLER GRAOVACC, 21, 6-4, 205Iowa (AHL)53-17-20-37-202011 draft, 191st overallWild GM Chuck Fletcher called Graovac the &ldquo;most improved player in the organization&rdquo; in camp. The seventhround steal still has to put on weight, but he has all the tools to be a good two-way player. He&rsquo;s big, can skate, make plays and produce points. He has improved defensively and showed well in the pre-training camp camps with the NHLers and a few NHL games in callups. He has spent most of the year in the minors playing big minutes in all situations.5 LOUIS BELPEDIOD, 18, 5-10, 190Miami (NCHC)30-4-10-14-202014 draft, 80th overallBelpedio has been a significant player for Miami and has a chance to play in the WJC next year for the U.S. He&rsquo;s not the biggest guy, but he&rsquo;s mobile, plays a mature game and is poised and active at the college level. He&rsquo;s also a character kid and has impressive leadership qualities. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s stepped in as a freshman and played big minutes and he&rsquo;s just so confident and smart,&rdquo; Flahr said. &ldquo;The things he does well, you can&rsquo;t teach, and that&rsquo;s something we&rsquo;re real excited about.&rdquo;<h2>ON THE HORIZON</h2>6 MARIO LUCIALW, 21, 6-3, 204Notre Dame (HE)34-19-7-26-162011 draft, 60th overallGetting bigger, still scoring for middling team. May bypass senior season.7 CARSON SOUCYD, 20, 6-5, 200Minn-Duluth (NCHC)32-4-7-11-322013 draft, 137th overallSophomore plays with jam and moves well. Developing into a shutdown defender.8 ADAM GILMOURC, 21, 6-3, 193Boston Col. (HE)32-9-16-25-202012 draft, 98th overallSophomore is a linemate of Tuch. He has good hands, but needs time in weight room.9 ZACK MITCHELLRW, 22, 6-0, 185Iowa (AHL)56-15-10-25-10Free agent, March 4, &rsquo;14Very reliable managing the puck on the farm. Projects as bottom-six forward.10 KURTIS GABRIELRW, 21, 6-3, 218Iowa (AHL)47-6-5-11-1022013 draft, 81st overallWild love his edge and toughness. A pet project under Iowa coach John Torchetti.21-AND-UNDER NHLERSJONAS BRODIN, D, 21 &#9632;

f0038-01

THE CREAM HAS RISEN

<div class="byline">BY PAT HICKEY</div>B | RANK 14<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-0136/146919-1-eng-US/f0039-012.jpg" title="f0039-01" width="272" height="129"></div>THE MONTREAL CANADIENS HAVE a history of bringing youngsters along slowly but the current administration is more open to basing a player&rsquo;s development on his performance rather than his age or experience. Jacob De La Rose heads the list of young players who have been called up from Hamilton to test their skills in the NHL. Coach Michel Therrien has a reputation for favoring older hands but has relegated veterans Manny Malhotra and Mike Weaver to the sidelines to give more ice time to younger players. The Canadiens have also been active in guiding players to programs where they have the best chance to develop.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-0226/146912-1-eng-US/f0039-022.jpg" title="f0039-02" width="528" height="680"><figcaption class="caption-body">JACOB DE LA ROSE (BRANDON TAYLOR / HAMILTON BULLDOGS HOCKEY CLUB)</figcaption></div>1 JACOB DE LA ROSELW, 19, 6-3, 203Hamilton (AHL)37-6-5-11-112013 draft, 34th overallOVERALL 27De La Rose was called up from Hamilton in February and made a positive impression on Therrien with his twoway play. The coach has even used him in overtime. While De La Rose needs to get stronger, he has size, which is a valuable commodity on a small team. He has tested himself against older players in the Swedish League. While he has good vision, he&rsquo;s not a creative player, but has adapted well to the north-south style of play in North America.2 NIKITA SCHERBAKRW, 19, 6-2, 195Everett (WHL)54-24-47-71-482014 draft, 26th overallOVERALL 29The Habs feel they hit a home run when Scherbak was available late in the first round. Some teams shied away because of the Russian factor, but Scherbak is NHL oriented. His skill set is similar to Alex Galchenyuk&rsquo;s, although he needs to add strength. Scherbak views himself as a playmaker first, but he has a quick release and has been encouraged to shoot more. He was left off the Russian team for the WJC after a lackluster Subway Series showing.3 ZACH FUCALEG, 19, 6-2, 180Quebec (QMJHL)19-13-2, 3.15, .8862013 draft, 36th overallOVERALL 32Goalies take the longest time to develop, but the Habs like the fact Fucale has won at every level. Said GM Marc Bergevin: &ldquo;He&rsquo;s following the same path as Carey Price and Dustin Tokarski with Memorial Cups and world juniors. He&rsquo;s the best (junior) goalie in Canada.&rdquo; Fucale needs to fill out and work on his strength. His competitive spirit was exhibited in the WJC final. He&rsquo;s at his best when he&rsquo;s busy but needs to work on his glove hand and rebound control.4 JARRED TINORDID, 22, 6-6, 225Hamilton (AHL)35-1-6-7-342010 draft, 22nd overallOVERALL 58Tinordi is in his third pro season and has bounced between Montreal and Hamilton. Bergevin said a big-body player like Tinordi needs more time to develop and he is in Hamilton playing in all situations. Tinordi has an edge to his game although there is concern because he has been injured in two fights. A stay-athome D-man with little offense, Tinordi needs work on his skating and positioning. The Habs hope next year he&rsquo;ll be suited to a 12-15 minutes a night role.5 MICHAEL MCCARRONRW, 19, 6-6, 225Oshawa (OHL)46-28-32-60-1102013 draft, 25th overallMichigan native Mc-Carron had a difficult transition from the U.S. national team development program to major junior but has emerged as a point-a-game scorer on a powerhouse in Oshawa. McCarron&rsquo;s size is a major plus. He&rsquo;s not a speedster, but he&rsquo;s quicker after dropping 15 pounds. He has good hands and plays with an edge. His mean streak is seldom displayed in training camp situations but he ups the intensity in games. He&rsquo;s projected as a top-nine forward with upward mobility.<h2>ON THE HORIZON</h2>6 MARTIN REWAYLW, 20, 5-10, 174Sparta Praha (Cze.)31-9-25-34-542013 draft, 116th overallDisplayed NHL-level skills at world juniors, but size issues will always be a concern.7 SVEN ANDRIGHETTORW, 21, 5-9, 186Hamilton (AHL)37-12-15-27-342013 draft, 86th overallSmall, creative player had NHL taste. Still needs to refine two-way game.8 CHARLES HUDONLW, 20, 5-10, 184Hamilton (AHL)53-12-33-45-422012 draft, 122nd overallTop rookie in AHL now dealing with more attention from opposing defenses.9 MICHAEL CONDONG, 24, 6-2, 198Hamilton (AHL)17-11-3, 2.16, .929Free agent, May 8, 2013Princeton grad made jump to AHL after a season in ECHL. Stealing show in Hamilton.10 ARTTURI LEHKONENLW, 19, 5-11, 163Frolunda (Swe.)42-7-8-15-102013 draft, 55th overallUndersized forward has held his own in Finnish and Swedish leagues.21-AND-UNDER NHLERSALEX GALCHENYUK, C, 21 &#9632;

f0039-01

BREAKOUT TALL BOYS

<div class="byline">BY DAVID BOCLAIR</div>B+ | RANK 7<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-0142/146955-1-eng-US/f0040-012.jpg" title="f0040-01" width="270" height="132"></div>THE NASHVILLE PREDATORS BUILT their franchise and their reputation on defense and goaltending &ndash; and it only got them so far. So the decision to fire coach Barry Trotz and hire Peter Laviolette last year seemed like a sudden move to get more offensive production. A look at the franchise&rsquo;s leading prospects, however, suggests that line of thinking has been in place for some time.This year&rsquo;s list is heavier with forwards than previous ones, and not all of them are the responsible, two-way types that have been so prevalent on the Nashville NHL roster for more than a decade.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-0225/146948-1-eng-US/f0040-022.jpg" title="f0040-02" width="516" height="671"><figcaption class="caption-body">KEVIN FIALA (SCOTT PAULUS)</figcaption></div>1 KEVIN FIALALW, 18, 5-10, 180Milwaukee (AHL)14-6-6-12-62014 draft, 11th overallOVERALL 14Encouraged by his performance in camp and the first half of the season with Sweden&rsquo;s HV-71, the Predators assigned Fiala to Milwaukee in January. The hope is to speed the development of their highest-drafted forward since 2008. To that end, he&rsquo;ll get significant ice time in a lot of situations the rest of this season. He was Switzerland&rsquo;s top scorer at the WJC. Against older competition in Sweden and North American, Fiala shows flashes but has yet to be dominant.2 VLADISLAV KAMENEVLW, 18, 6-2, 185Magnitogorsk (KHL)40-6-3-9-102014 draft, 42nd overallOVERALL 52A shoulder injury sidelined him for a time but prior to that he showed at the WJC and in the KHL the responsible, two-way play franchise officials expected. He is one of leaders in goals and points among juniors in the KHL though he still needs to fill out. Discussions on when he will come to North America continue so there is no timetable for his arrival in Nashville. There also is no sense Kamenev needs to be rushed because there are others in the pipeline ahead of him.3 COLTON SISSONSC, 21, 6-1, 198Milwaukee (AHL)53-19-10-29-212012 draft, 50th overallMaybe it was disappointment at not being in the NHL after a 17-game audition late last season and a good 2014 training camp. He underwhelmed during the first month before he finally rediscovered his form and reclaimed his place as a guy worthy of a recall. Sissons has also done well in a leadership role as an alternate captain in Milwaukee. He firmly projects as a third-line center in the NHL but is a finisher who has a chance to be the Admirals&rsquo; leading goal scorer a second straight season.4 JIMMY VESEYLW, 21, 6-1, 194Harvard (ECAC)26-20-20-40-132012 draft, 66th overallThere&rsquo;s never been a question about his ability to produce, but he started this season with a 21-game point streak and has been at or near the top of the NCAA in points per game. He mixes the instincts of his father, Jim, who was a big-time scorer in the IHL and AHL during the 1990s, with a determination to score. Vesey has improved his skating and conditioning, which has allowed him to play in all situations. His game has evolved to the point he could forgo his senior college year.5 JUUSE SAROSG, 19, 5-11, 176HIFK (Fin.)11-14-15, 2.04, .9302013 draft, 99th overallSaros does not have the net-filling body the franchise typically favors (see: Pekka Rinne, Anders Lindback and Magnus Hellberg) but does have what scouts consider to be a beautiful mind. He anticipates the play well enough to be in the right position, waiting for the shot when it comes. He plays the angles, controls rebounds and does not cheat. Those traits have made him a bright spot for a team near the bottom of the Liiga. Saros is among leaders in save percentage and shutouts.<h2>ON THE HORIZON</h2>6 AUSTIN WATSONC, 23, 6-3, 204Milwaukee (AHL)53-18-12-30-242010 draft, 18th overallThird straight 20-goal season in AHL bound to create an opening next season.7 MIIKKA SALOMAKILW, 21, 5-11, 209Milwaukee (AHL)38-7-11-18-302011 draft, 52nd overall8 MAREK MAZANECG, 23, 6-3, 198Milwaukee (AHL)15-11-4, 2.50, .9082012 draft, 179th overallHas been much more confident and competitive in second North American season.9 JACK DOUGHERTYD, 18, 6-2, 190Wisconsin (Big Ten)26-2-7-9-252014 draft, 51st overallFreshman moves the puck well but needs to shore up other parts of his game.10 JONATHAN DIABYD, 20, 6-5, 246Milwaukee (AHL)41-0-2-2-852013 draft, 64th overallTowering stay-athome type has added 25 pounds of bulk since his draft year.21-AND-UNDER NHLERSFILIP FORSBERG, C, 20SETH JONES, D, 20 &#9632;

f0040-01

KIDS CAN RIP IT UP

<div class="byline">BY RICH CHERE</div>D+ | RANK 30<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-0134/146991-1-eng-US/f0041-012.jpg" title="f0041-01" width="273" height="129"></div>IT&rsquo;S NOT THE FACT THAT THE NEW Jersey Devils have missed the playoffs more times than they&rsquo;ve made it in the past half-dozen years that has supporters more concerned than at any time during Lou Lamoriello&rsquo;s 28 seasons as GM.Rather it is that the team&rsquo;s prospects&rsquo; cupboard looks a bit bare when focusing on young forwards in the system. &ldquo;The emphasis at drafts for us was that we worked from the goalie out,&rdquo; Lamoriello said. &ldquo;We had an opportunity to get Cory Schneider with a first pick, so that&rsquo;s a draft pick that would have been a forward. And we&rsquo;ve emphasized defense.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-0225/146984-1-eng-US/f0041-022.jpg" title="f0041-02" width="583" height="717"><figcaption class="caption-body">STEVE SANTINI (RICHARD T GAGNON/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>1 STEVE SANTINID, 19, 6-2, 208Boston College (HE)16-1-4-5-182013 draft, 42nd overallOVERALL 39Santini&rsquo;s season was interrupted when he broke his wrist Oct. 25. He&rsquo;d played just four games before the injury. Santini was released from the U.S. national junior team the day before the 2015 world juniors, but it was because of his conditioning and long layoff, not because he suffered a setback. His offensive numbers will be less of a focus than ever, but he continues to make an impression with big hits. He&rsquo;s still penciledin as a top-two NHL defenseman.2 JOHN QUENNEVILLEC, 18, 6-1, 205Brandon (WHL)47-16-23-39-472014 draft, 30th overallWhen the Devils&rsquo; staff saw Quenneville in prospects camp last summer, his compete level stood out. For the Western League&rsquo;s Brandon Wheat Kings, Quenneville has added bulk and continues to impress the Devils with his hands, powerful shot and skating. New Jersey sees Quenneville as a third-liner, at least at the start of his pro career. This has nothing to do with the fact that, like former Wheat King Jordin Tootoo, Quenneville has his own bobblehead. He has another year of junior eligibility.3 STEFAN MATTEAULW, 21, 6-2, 220Albany (AHL)48-5-13-18-332012 draft, 29th overallMatteau is on the verge of becoming the type of physical winger the Devils have always relied on. They were hoping he&rsquo;d be more in the mold of Randy McKay, who was willing to play in the tough areas on the ice and also had a scoring touch to go along with his grit, but Matteau has yet to become a scorer at the pro level. He has matured in his two seasons in the AHL and Lamoriello admits the organization rushed him to the NHL far too soon in 2012. He&rsquo;s sure to be in the NHL next season.4 REID BOUCHERLW, 21, 5-10, 190Albany (AHL)49-12-11-23-282011 draft, 99th overallDespite Boucher&rsquo;s inability to make an immediate impact in the NHL, the Devils haven&rsquo;t given up the idea that he can be a big goalscorer at that level. After all, he scored 62 goals his final season in the OHL. Their shortrange hopes are riding on it. In his first 27 NHL games, Boucher scored just two goals, but showed positive signs. His shot is good, though he is still getting the feel for finding the spots that will lead to more goals. There&rsquo;s been one positive: he hasn&rsquo;t sulked in the minors.5 RAMAN HRABARENKAD, 22, 6-5, 235Albany (AHL)26-5-10-15-18Free agent, July 12, &rsquo;13Following an impressive camp with the Devils and then a strong start to the AHL season, Belarusian Hrabarenka sustained a cracked cheekbone after taking a high hit. Lamoriello called him &ldquo;certainly the best defenseman in the American League before he got hurt.&rdquo; Director of scouting, David Conte, predicts he&rsquo;ll be an NHL defenseman. &ldquo;When you&rsquo;re 6-foot-6 or 6-foot-5, you can handle a puck like he does and play in the world championship, definitely you&rsquo;re a prospect.&rdquo;<h2>ON THE HORIZON</h2>6 SETH HELGESOND, 24, 6-5, 215Albany (AHL)28-0-4-4-362009 draft, 114th overallShowed he&rsquo;s an NHL player in first 21 games. Physical, willing to fight and jump in offensively.7 BLAKE PIETILALW, 22, 5-11, 200Mich. Tech (WCHA)32-11-15-26-502011 draft, 129th overallCollege senior is a scorer with speed, tools, versatility. Projects to be top-nine forward.8 SCOTT WEDGEWOODG, 22, 6-2, 190Albany (AHL)7-12-5, 2.89, .9002010 draft, 84th overallSolid on AHL team raided by NHL parent. No room with Schneider and Keith Kinkaid.9 RYAN KUJAWINSKIC, 19, 6-2, 207North Bay (OHL)49-25-20-45-282013 draft, 73rd overallBig center with skill held back by injuries. Traded from Kingston to a contender.10 BLAKE COLEMANC, 23, 5-11, 200M-Ohio (NCHC)28-12-12-24-632011 draft, 75th overallPlays with an edge and can score. Must add a step and he&rsquo;s working hard at that.21-AND-UNDER NHLERSDAMON SEVERSON, D, 20 &#9632;

f0041-01

DEVILS IN THE DETAILS

<div class="byline">BY STEVE ZIPAY</div>B | RANK 13<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-0142/147027-1-eng-US/f0042-012.jpg" title="f0042-01" width="273" height="132"></div>THE SHOCKING RISE OF THE NEW York Islanders was made possible not only through shrewd moves by GM Garth Snow to get Jaroslav Halak, Johnny Boychuk, Nick Leddy and Nikolai Kulemin, but by the development of prospects. In their last season at aging Nassau Coliseum before moving to Brooklyn, Brock Nelson, Ryan Strone, Travis Hamonic, Calvin DeHaan and Anders Lee have provided a lift, especially when John Tavares struggled early. And the pipeline of high picks remains full. Two are potential top-four defensemen, three are forwards and two are goaltenders who may be ready by 2018.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-0227/147020-1-eng-US/f0042-022.jpg" title="f0042-02" width="516" height="667"><figcaption class="caption-body">MICHAEL DAL COLLE (CLAUS ANDERSEN/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>1 MICHAEL DAL COLLELW, 18, 6-2, 190Oshawa (OHL)49-37-47-84-162014 draft, 5th overallOVERALL 12Dal Colle was the final forward cut from Canada&rsquo;s loaded world juniors roster, but he&rsquo;ll be eligible for the tournament again next season. He models himself after Eric Staal and Evgeni Malkin and will need to fill out physically to reach that lofty territory. The Islanders aren&rsquo;t deep offensively on the left side, and Dal Colle will provide help to fill the gap there. He&rsquo;s a premier playmaker with the ability to unleash a rocket. He&rsquo;s a key player on a powerhouse in the OHL.2 GRIFFIN REINHARTD, 21, 6-4, 217Bridgeport (AHL)39-4-15-19-302012 draft, 4th overallOVERALL 13Known for his defensive awareness and ability to read plays, Reinhart got a taste of the NHL when he started the first three games of the season. He fared well against Carolina, but seemed overmatched against the Rangers&rsquo; speed. He played five more games in December and recorded his first NHL point. But as the D-corps healed, the coaching staff wisely decided Reinhart needed big minutes with the Sound Tigers. His offensive skills need to develop.3 RYAN PULOCKD, 20, 6-1, 220Bridgeport (AHL)31-12-5-17-22013 draft, 15th overallOVERALL 40On ice, Pulock is the opposite of Reinhart. With a hard, deadly shot, he has proven to be a potent weapon on the power play, but he lacks consistency on defense. Among the AHL&rsquo;s leading goal scorers with the man-advantage (notice above his most unusual stats line for a blueliner), Pulock will need to translate that to the NHL, where the level of shot-blocking and quick decisions on the penalty kill is higher. He&rsquo;s working hard on his defensive zone play.4 SEBASTIAN COLLBERGRW, 21, 5-11, 186Bridgeport (AHL)22-3-6-9-6Trade (Mtl), March 5, &rsquo;14It hasn&rsquo;t been a season to remember for Collberg, who arrived from the Montreal Canadiens in the Thomas Vanek swap. He started slowly with the Sound Tigers, and injuries triggered a demotion to the ECHL. After scoring seven points in six games, Collberg returned to the AHL but has been inconsistent since. He has won two gold medals with Sweden at the WJC and has good speed, a quick release and a willingness to initiate contact. His smallish frame could be an issue in the NHL.5 SCOTT MAYFIELDD, 22, 6-5, 220Bridgeport (AHL)51-0-9-9-962011 draft, 34th overallThe rugged Mayfield, whose main attribute is his willingness to stand up for his teammates, started the season with the Sound Tigers on the first pair with Reinhart but has moved down to the second duo with Adam Pelech. Where is Mayfield&rsquo;s ceiling? Good question. With snarl and size, Mayfield could be a solid third-pair blueliner if he can upgrade his middling offensive game. Coaches say he has a great attitude. He is raw and not the best skater, but he still has room to grow.<h2>ON THE HORIZON</h2>6 ILYA SOROKING, 19, 6-2, 167Novokuznetsk (KHL)GP 22, 3.25, .9062014 draft, 78th overallQuick and athletic, he was the backup for Russia&rsquo;s silver medal team at the WJC.7 LINUS SODERSTROMG, 18, 6-3, 187Djurgarden Jr. (Swe.)GP 13, 2.81, .9092014 draft, 95th overallPlayed every game for Sweden at WJC. Needs corrective hip surgery.8 ADAM PELECHD, 20, 6-3, 220Bridgeport (AHL)42-0-6-6-222012 draft, 65th overallReliable, recently paired with Mayfield. Potentially a solid depth defenseman.9 JOSH HO-SANGRW, 19, 6-0, 170Niagara (OHL)49-13-53-66-362014 draft, 28th overall10 DOYLE SOMERBYD, 20, 6-5, 223Boston U. (HE)29-0-4-4-392012 draft, 125th overallConverted to defense from forward before college. Good shot blocker.21-AND-UNDER NHLERSRYAN STROME, C, 21 &#9632;

f0042-01

PARADISE REGAINED

<div class="byline">BY STEVE ZIPAY</div>C+ | RANK 24<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-0133/147063-1-eng-US/f0043-012.jpg" title="f0043-01" width="269" height="126"></div>ALL THINGS MUST PASS, AND THE Rangers front office is finally sowing the seeds for a future without Henrik Lundqvist, who is now 33. After years of drafting forwards and defensemen, the Rangers have three prospective successors to the King&rsquo;s throne. From 2005 to 2012, Blueshirts brass drafted two goaltenders: Antoine Lafleur (2007) and Scott Stajcer (2009). Neither panned out.Long term, the Rangers hope one of Brandon Halverson, Igor Shesterkin and Mackenzie Slapski makes the grade. Short term, they&rsquo;re counting on skaters such as Anthony Duclair and Brady Skjei to contribute sooner.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-0222/147056-1-eng-US/f0043-022.jpg" title="f0043-02" width="514" height="671"><figcaption class="caption-body">ANTHONY DUCLAIR (STEVE DESCHENES)</figcaption></div>1 ANTHONY DUCLAIRLW, 19, 5-11, 191Quebec (QMJHL)17-7-15-22-182013 draft, 80th overallOVERAL 17&lsquo;The Duke&rsquo; caught everyone&rsquo;s eye in training camp, and with his speed he fit right into Alain Vigneault&rsquo;s motion system. He was loaned to Team Canada for the world juniors, where he shone and won gold, then was returned to the Remparts and picked up where he left off. With that experience and a little more muscle, he should stick with the team next season. He&rsquo;s a skilled, coachable, mature teenager who soaked up his stint with the Blueshirts.2 PAVEL BUCHNEVICHLW, 19, 6-2, 176Severstal (KHL)47-13-16-29-162013 draft, 75th overallOVERALL 63Sometimes compared to Carolina&rsquo;s Alex Semin but with a better work ethic, Buchnevich had a strong start to the season and has added 20 pounds of muscle since he was drafted without any loss of finesse or on-ice vision. His KHL contract is finished after this season, and the Blueshirts, are pushing to bring him to North America. Buchnevich will need time to adjust to the smaller rinks and lifestyle, and will surely spend some time in the minors.3 BRADY SKJEID, 20, 6-3, 206U. of Minn. (Big Ten)24-1-8-9-262012 draft, 28th overallWith few defense prospects NHL-ready in Hartford, the Rangers wanted Skjei, a Lakeville, Minn., native, to turn pro this season even though he had just two college seasons under his belt. If he gives up his senior year, he has a legitimate chance to play on the third pair at some point in 2015-16. His skating ability is unquestioned, and he&rsquo;s an effective defender, likened to Ryan McDonagh in his days at Wisconsin. Skjei&rsquo;s next step should be the AHL, with tougher competition.4 BRANDON HALVERSONG, 18, 6-4, 188S.S. Marie (OHL)32-4-2, 2.72, .9132014 draft, 59th overallIn a January game, Halverson attempted a pass from in front of his net to a teammate in the corner when he put the puck into his own cage. His club won the game, and afterward, in a good sign, Halverson made fun of his gaffe on social media. An athletic, butterfly-style goaltender, Halverson hasn&rsquo;t had any similar missteps in an effective season. Known for having good reflexes and a quality glove, he needs to work on positioning, which should come with pro coaching.5 IGOR SHESTERKING, 19, 6-1, 187St. Petersburg (Rus.)GP 8, 1.72, .9432014 draft, 118th overallFor Rangers fans who didn&rsquo;t know Shesterkin, tuning into the WJC must have been a revelation. The teenager was sensational (1.98 GAA and .938 SP) as he backstopped Russia to a silver medal, faltering only in the final. A quick netminder who challenges shooters and has great lateral movement, Shesterkin could use some coaching on his technique. And like other Russian keepers, he will need to adapt to the smaller sheet in North America where there&rsquo;s the extra traffic in front.<h2>ON THE HORIZON</h2>6 OSCAR LINDBERGC, 23, 6-1, 190Hartford (AHL)54-16-20-36-50Trade (Ari), May 8, 2011Swedish two-way pivot continues to grow. Playing more physically and consistent.7 RYAN HAGGERTYRW, 21, 6-0, 201Hartford (AHL)54-10-14-24-19Free agent, March 12, &rsquo;14RPI product has quick release on sharp shot. Questions remain about his speed.8 MACKENZIE SKAPSKIG, 20, 6-2, 192Hartford (AHL)12-7-3, 2.38, .9142013 draft, 170th overallBlossomed in first pro season. Backed up Cam Talbot with Lundqvist sidelined.9 RYAN GRAVESD, 19, 6-5, 215Quebec (QMJHL)40-13-16-29-42013 draft, 110th overallUnder-the-radar, shutdown blueliner has made strides offensively with Remparts.10 CONOR ALLEND, 25, 6-2, 210Hartford (AHL)50-9-15-24-68Free agent, March 29, &rsquo;13Playing on first pair in minors. Older, but his offense is picking up. Almost NHL ready.21-AND-UNDER NHLERSJ.T. MILLER, C, 21 &#9632;

f0043-01

IS THE HEIR APPARENT?

<div class="byline">BY BRUCE GARRIOCH</div>B | RANK 11<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-0140/147099-1-eng-US/f0044-012.jpg" title="f0044-01" width="272" height="129"></div>THE FUTURE IS NOW FOR THE Senators. As a practice was wrapping up recently, coach Dave Cameron called over his young players &ndash; Jared Cowen, Cody Ceci, Mark Stone, Curtis Lazar, Eric Gryba, Mike Hoffman, Mika Zibanejad and Mark Borowiecki. Time to do battle drills. &ldquo;The message to the young guys is I want them to be 1,000-game NHLers, and that means they have to work every day,&rdquo; Cameron said. &ldquo;You&rsquo;re not tired because you&rsquo;re not old.&rdquo; The Sens believe in the youth movement. &ldquo;Keep them focused, but also it&rsquo;s our subtle way of saying, our progression is going to be co-related to their progression.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-0228/147092-1-eng-US/f0044-022.jpg" title="f0044-02" width="516" height="671"><figcaption class="caption-body">NICK PAUL (VAUGHN RIDLEY/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>1 NICK PAULLW, 19, 6-3, 221North Bay (OHL)47-31-23-54-43Trade (Dal), July 1, 2014OVERALL 43Picked up in the trade for Jason Spezza last July, Paul is getting strong reviews. The Senators want prospects with a sandpaper element to their game. &ldquo;Guys who get to the blue paint are something we&rsquo;re missing,&rdquo; said assistant GM Randy Lee. &ldquo;We have skill guys, but we need guys who get in the dirty area to score.&rdquo; Winning WJC gold with Canada helped Paul&rsquo;s confidence. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s impressed,&rdquo; Lee said. &ldquo;Our scouts pressed (GM) Bryan (Murray) to get him in the trade.&rdquo;2 MATT PUEMPELLW, 22, 6-1, 205Binghamton (AHL)51-12-20-32-312011 draft, 24th overallOVERALL 61Puempel is a natural scorer typically with more goals than assists. That&rsquo;s why his second year in the AHL is a headscratcher. Projected to make the NHL team after a 30-goal rookie season in Binghamton, Puempel had a strong camp but was the final cut. Then the goals dried up. But he was generating assists &ndash; and feeling frustrated. &ldquo;The message (coach) Luke (Richardson) has given him is focus on your game and the points will come,&rdquo; Lee said.3 MIKAEL WIKSTRANDD, 21, 6-2, 186Frolunda (Swe.)42-5-13-18-102012 draft, 196th overallThe wait will soon be over for Wikstrand. He signed to play in Sweden this season, but the Senators expect him in Binghamton for 2015-16. He isn&rsquo;t a physical force on the blueline, and he&rsquo;ll have to get adjusted to the North American style of play, but Ottawa likes his ability to move the puck. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s pushed to the highest level in Sweden,&rdquo; Lee said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s the type of guy who might transition to be a call-up sooner rather than later.&rdquo; Wikstrand isn&rsquo;t big, so he&rsquo;ll have to use his smarts.4 CHRIS WIDEMAND, 25, 5-10, 180Binghamton (AHL)52-13-29-42-902009 draft, 100th overallIt&rsquo;s now Wideman&rsquo;s third year in the AHL, and Richardson is encouraging the slightly undersized defenseman to be creative and play to his strengths. The emphasis on offense, puck movement and mobility is paying off &ndash; Wideman earned a trip to the AHL All-Star Game in Utica. &ldquo;He skates well, moves the puck and can quarterback the power play,&rdquo; Lee said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s not the biggest guy, but he&rsquo;s not afraid. He can give you good minutes. This guy is dynamic on 3-on-3 and 4-on-4.&rdquo;5 MARCUS HOGBERGG, 20, 6-3, 196Linkoping (Swe.)11-10-0, 2.38, .9172013 draft, 78th overallGoalie coach Rick Wamsley went to Sweden to scout the progress of Hogberg in October, but the timing wasn&rsquo;t right. &ldquo;He looked really good in the uniform. Unfortunately, he didn&rsquo;t play,&rdquo; Wamsley said. The Senators like that Hogberg is quick and efficient in the crease. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s got excellent strength and size,&rdquo; Wamsley said. &ldquo;He just (needs) better hands and (improve) his ability to catch the puck. We talked about it in development camp, and there has been some improvement.&rdquo;<h2>ON THE HORIZON</h2>6 SHANE PRINCELW, 22, 5-11, 186Binghamton (AHL)49-18-24-42-272011 draft, 61st overallHas embraced the challenge to be a better two-way player. Possesses a great shot.7 BEN HARPURD, 20, 6-6, 217Barrie (OHL)47-5-23-28-622013 draft, 108th overallWas one of the most improved players at rookie camp. Playing with more of an edge.8 ANDREAS ENGLUNDD, 19, 6-3, 198Djurgarden (Swe.)44-1-3-4-282014 draft, 40th overallStay-at-home blueliner played for Sweden at world juniors. Needs time in weight room.9 FREDRIK CLAESSOND, 22, 6-0, 205Binghamton (AHL)53-3-11-14-342011 draft, 126th overallA competitor and strong penalty killer. After three years in AHL, he&rsquo;s almost ready.10 BUDDY ROBINSONRW, 23, 6-5, 232Binghamton (AHL)52-8-15-23-52Free agent, March 25, &rsquo;13Built like tank, can skate and shoot, but doesn&rsquo;t always use size to best of ability.21-AND-UNDER NHLERSCODI CECI, D, 21CURTIS LAZAR, C, 19MIKA ZIBANEJAD, C, 21 &#9632;

f0044-01

UPWARD MOBILITY

<div class="byline">BY WAYNE FISH</div>C+ | RANK 23<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-0134/147135-1-eng-US/f0045-012.jpg" title="f0045-01" width="273" height="129"></div>IT&rsquo;S LESS THAN A YEAR INTO RON Hextall&rsquo;s tenure as Philadelphia Flyers GM. He only has one draft under his belt. But over his post-playing career, he&rsquo;s been around the organization long enough to know that defense is Philly&rsquo;s No. 1 current priority. Also, numbers 2, 3 and 4. By no mere coincidence, the Flyers&rsquo; top four prospects are defensemen.Hextall insists on a patient, build-fromwithin model, so he&rsquo;s putting a lot of stock in these kids. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re happy with our prospect group,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We have a lot of kids coming. They&rsquo;re not all going to hit, but we believe a fair share will.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-0228/147128-1-eng-US/f0045-022.jpg" title="f0045-02" width="516" height="669"><figcaption class="caption-body">SAMUEL MORIN (RIMOUSKI OCEANIC)</figcaption></div>1 SAMUEL MORIND, 19, 6-7, 225Rimouski (QMJHL)26-4-19-23-472013 draft, 11th overallOVERALL 31Morin sustained a broken jaw early in the season and that set him back six weeks. Still, he was able to recover in time to play for Canada at the WJC. He can be an intimidating presence and says Chris Pronger is the player he wants to emulate. &ldquo;My biggest concern was he&rsquo;d go back to junior and try to be a skill, star player,&rdquo; Hextall said. &ldquo;He had a real good camp. He&rsquo;s traveled down the road we hoped he&rsquo;d travel. Keeping his game simple, that&rsquo;s a good thing.&rdquo;2 TRAVIS SANHEIMD, 18, 6-3, 184Calgary (WHL)54-11-44-55-422014 draft, 17th overallOVERALL 36Sanheim showed good puck-moving skills and exceptional vision last season, resulting in selection to Canada&rsquo;s entry in the under-18 world championship. Sanheim is capable of starting attacks from his own end. Adding another 10 to 15 pounds wouldn&rsquo;t hurt. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a dynamic defenseman,&rdquo; Hextall said. &ldquo;He skates well, has an offensive gift and a good wrist shot. The biggest liability is his strength. He&rsquo;s got a lot of growing to do. He needs more strength for puck battles.&rdquo;3 SHAYNE GOSTISBEHERED, 21, 5-11, 170Lehigh Valley (AHL)5-0-5-5-02012 draft, 78th overallOVERALL 59Gostisbehere, one of Union College&rsquo;s heroes in last year&rsquo;s NCAA title win over Minnesota, had ACL surgery in November and is expected back by March. The Flyers are impressed with his speed, savvy and shot. &ldquo;Shayne has elite tools,&rdquo; Hextall said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a great skater, elusive. What he needs to learn is, because he&rsquo;s not big, play the game a different way than a lot of guys do defensively &ndash; like being on the right side of the puck, boxing out, using his stick well.&rdquo;4 ROBERT HAGGD, 20, 6-2, 203Lehigh Valley (AHL)47-3-15-18-382013 draft, 41st overallHagg enjoyed a strong camp, then played well for Sweden at the WJC. He&rsquo;s known for exceptional decision making and quick reads. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a very efficient player,&rdquo; Hextall said. &ldquo;He excels in all parts of the game. Good defensive player, reads the play well. Rarely gets caught out of position. Robert has to be more consistent in intensity level, close quicker on people in defensive zone. I would say 76 games is a big workload for someone his age.&rdquo; Some believe he could be NHL ready by next year.5 ANTHONY STOLARZG, 21, 6-6, 220Lehigh Valley (AHL)7-11-3, 3.17, .9082012 draft, 45th overallHe&rsquo;s coming back from what amounted to a &ldquo;setback&rdquo; year in 2013-14 when he was sidelined for lengthy stretches twice &ndash; once for a serious leg cut, the other for a serious suspension. He&rsquo;s struggled at times this year with the Phantoms. &ldquo;I like the competitiveness but it comes in different forms,&rdquo; Hextall said, referring to last year&rsquo;s stick-swinging incident. &ldquo;Anthony is competitive. He needs to tone his movements down. He needs to read the game a little bit better.&rdquo;<h2>ON THE HORIZON</h2>6 TAYLOR LEIERLW, 21, 5-11, 180Lehigh Val. (AHL)50-13-13-26-142012 draft, 117th overallHe plays a solid 200-foot game but needs to bulk up to compete at the pro level.7 MARK ALTD, 23, 6-3, 205Lehigh Val. (AHL)24-1-5-6-14Trade (Car), Jan. 13, &rsquo;13Three upper-body injuries have conspired to slow his progress in his second pro year.8 NICOLAS AUBE-KUBELC, 18, 5-11, 196Val d&rsquo;Or (QMJHL)50-30-36-66-732014 draft, 48th overallHas added quit a bit of muscle since his draft year and has flourished offensively.9 OSKAR LINDBLOMLW, 18, 6-1, 192Brynas (Swe.)32-6-5-11-142014 draft, 138th overallHas good instincts and the size to go with them. An honest, twoway player.10 MARK FRIEDMAND, 19, 5-10, 191Bowling Green (WCHA)32-2-15-17-692014 draft, 86th overallFreshman has decent puck skills, but needs work in the defensive end.21-AND-UNDER NHLERSSCOTT LAUGHTON, C, 20 &#9632;

f0045-01

BLUELINE BOUNTY

<div class="byline">BY JONATHAN BOMBULIE</div>B&ndash; RANK 20<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0046-0138/147171-1-eng-US/f0046-012.jpg" title="f0046-01" width="273" height="132"></div>WITH THE POSSIBLE EXCEPtion of power-play whiz Derrick Pouliot, there probably isn&rsquo;t a Mr. Right in the Penguins&rsquo; prospect pool. No young player is likely to burst onto the NHL scene and change the face of a team built around 27-year-old Sidney Crosby, 28-year-old Evgeni Malkin and 30-year-old Marc-Andre Fleury. What there might be, however, is a Mr. Right Now. Perhaps more than one. Of the top 10 Penguins prospects, eight are playing pro and five have played in the NHL. In other words, fans wanting a glimpse of the Penguins&rsquo; future might not have to wait for too long.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0046-0233/147164-1-eng-US/f0046-022.jpg" title="f0046-02" width="549" height="696"><figcaption class="caption-body">DERRICK POULIOT (KDP PHOTOGRAPHY)</figcaption></div>1 DERRICK POULIOTD, 21, 6-0, 208Wilkes-Barre (AHL)28-7-16-23-202012 draft, 8th overallOVERALL 24After a standout junior career with Portland, Pouliot has been as advertised as a pro. Using offensive creativity, high-end vision, an accurate shot and agile skating, Pouliot was a star in the AHL prior to his call-up. He also scored on his first NHL shot Dec. 20. Learning to aggressively finish plays in the defensive zone would put him over the top. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s been my whole thing throughout junior,&rdquo; Pouliot said. &ldquo;Defensive stuff. Little more intense. I&rsquo;ll get it sharpened up.&rdquo;2 KASPERI KAPANENRW, 18, 6-0, 178KalPa (Fin.)33-10-8-18-122014 draft, 22nd overallOVERALL 37The son of longtime NHLer Sami Kapanen was among the last cuts at his first camp. He&rsquo;s done nothing to change the rave reviews, putting up solid numbers as an 18-year-old in Finland&rsquo;s Liiga. &ldquo;He has high-end skill, pretty good size, great speed,&rdquo; associate GM Jason Botterill said. &ldquo;He can capitalize on his chances.&rdquo; The question marks? What to make of an ordinary showing at the WJC? How will his frame fill out? How will he adapt to North American systems?3 BRIAN DUMOULIND, 23, 6-4, 219Wilkes-Barre (AHL)44-2-20-22-14Trade (Car), June 22, &rsquo;12Dumoulin uses his reach effectively in the defensive zone, makes a crisp first pass and has been a horse on the blueline the past two AHL postseasons. But he&rsquo;s not terribly physical and he doesn&rsquo;t excel in any one area of the game. The Penguins aren&rsquo;t concerned, since the same could have been said about Simon Despres before he became an NHL regular. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think you need one thing,&rdquo; Botterill said. &ldquo;You look at a very well-rounded player like he is, Dumoulin is on the same path.&rdquo;4 SCOTT HARRINGTOND, 21, 6-2, 201Wilkes-Barre (AHL)30-0-8-8-182011 draft, 54th overallHarrington has been more adept offensively than expected as a pro, putting up 24 points as an AHL rookie last season, but there&rsquo;s no mistaking what his ticket to the NHL will be. He&rsquo;s a stay-athome, penalty-kill aficionado who is sturdy in 1-on-1 situations and competitive in puck battles. He has been a minus player in his first taste of the NHL this season (10 games in two recalls), and there is some question about how he will fare defending against the rush while facing topend competition.5 MATT MURRAYG, 20, 6-4, 178Wilkes-Barre (AHL)15-8-2, 1.72, .9342012 draft, 83rd overallTristan Jarry was the Memorial Cup sensation and Eric Hartzell the NCAA star, but Murray has nosed ahead on the goaltending depth chart thanks to a stellar rookie season in the AHL. He needs to add bulk to his rail-thin frame and he might not have off-the-charts athleticism, but Murray is positionally excellent and poised. His ability to swallow up shots without a rebound is a big plus. &ldquo;He gets better every day,&rdquo; goalie development coach Mike Buckley said. &ldquo;He gets more focused.&rdquo;<h2>ON THE HORIZON</h2>6 TRISTAN JARRYG, 19, 6-2, 185Edmonton (WHL)20-22-5, 2.63, .9112013 draft, 44th overallPenguins curious to see how he handles playing for less loaded team next season.7 OSKAR SUNDQVISTC, 20, 6-3, 209Skelleftea (Swe.)36-9-8-17-302012 draft, 81st overallLacks wow factor, but has impressive versatility, maturity and a two-way game.8 SCOTT WILSONLW, 22, 5-11, 183W-Barre (AHL)36-13-16-29-222011 draft,209th overallExciting mix of creativity and grit. Bigger defenders could pose problems.9 BRYAN RUSTRW, 22, 5-11, 192W-Barre (AHL)37-13-11-24-122010 draft, 80th overallPossesses NHL caliber speed. Making sure he gets through to the net is the key.10 TEDDY BLUEGERC, 20, 6-0, 184MS-Mankato (WCHA)30-10-14-24-262012 draft, 52nd overallEmerging two-way player finishing junior season. He could be more explosive.21-AND-UNDER NHLERSOLLI MAATTA, D, 20 &#9632;

f0046-01

JUST ONE STEP AWAY

<div class="byline">BY JEREMY RUTHERFORD</div>B RANK 15<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0047-0141/147207-1-eng-US/f0047-012.jpg" title="f0047-01" width="269" height="126"></div>WHEN THE BLUES HAVE SPENT one of their top picks on forwards in recent years, success soon follows. The club struck gold in 2010 when it nabbed Jaden Schwartz and Vladimir Tarasenko in the first round. But the Blues appear to have hit it big, too, with Ty Rattie and Dmitrij Jaskin from the 2011 draft and, more recently, Robby Fabbri and Ivan Barbashev from the 2014 draft.&ldquo;Those guys are good,&rdquo; said Bill Armstrong, the Blues&rsquo; director of amateur scouting. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a process. We&rsquo;re doing a better job of developing. You&rsquo;re going to see some progress with those guys.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0047-0232/147200-1-eng-US/f0047-022.jpg" title="f0047-02" width="516" height="671"><figcaption class="caption-body">ROBBY FABBRI (TERRY WILSON / OHL IMAGES)</figcaption></div>1 ROBBY FABBRIC, 19, 5-10, 178Guelph (OHL)22-18-20-38-322014 draft, 21st overallOVERALL 19The Blues went into the 2014 draft with their eye on center Nick Schmaltz, the younger brother of their defensive prospect Jordan Schmaltz, but lost out when Chicago traded up to select him. The team&rsquo;s fallback plan was Robby Fabbri, and what a fallback plan it has been. Fabbri was beyond impressive in his first NHL camp, nearly earning an NHL job. He was returned to the OHL and was solid until an ankle injury at the world juniors. Size is the biggest issue.2 IVAN BARBASHEVC, 19, 6-1, 194Moncton (QMJHL)48-36-41-77-472014 draft, 33rd overallOVERALL 30The Blues were ridiculed for trading David Perron to Edmonton for Magnus Paajarvi, and despite the club clearing muchneeded salary space, the fact remains Paajarvi is now in the AHL. But the second-round draft pick the Blues received was used on Barbashev, a skilled and assertive Russian. He is developing with the same junior team that helped train Dmitrij Jaskin. Barbashev tied for the Russian lead with six points in seven games at the world juniors.3 TY RATTIERW, 22, 6-0, 192Chicago (AHL)48-17-12-29-82011 draft, 32nd overallOVERALL 55Rattie had a disappointing camp, but he returned to the AHL and earned a call-up. The right winger continues to show that scoring is no problem in the AHL, but the knock was he needed to prove he could play a better all-around game, which he did during an NHL stint. Rattie has discovered that more checking, not necessarily more skill, leads to offense, and he is also learning how much better he must be in his defensive zone. But his skating has improved.4 TOMMY VANELLID, 20, 6-2, 179Medicine Hat (WHL)43-12-23-35-522013 draft, 47th overallThe offense-minded defenseman has a difficult depth chart to climb, with players such as Alex Pietrangelo, Kevin Shattenkirk and Jay Bouwmeester under contract in St. Louis for many years. But that will give Vanelli more time to develop. He has elite skating ability and a terrific shot, which will give him a chance to evolve into a top-four defenseman. Like many young puckmoving blueliners, he needs to fill out, and will have time to do that in the minors for a couple years.5 JOEL EDMUNDSOND, 21, 6-4, 210Chicago (AHL)8-1-1-2-92011 draft, 46th overallEdmundson was expected to be a callup option for the Blues, and with injuries on defense, they could have used him. But Edmundson injured his back during the pre-season, was unavailable in camp and only recently returned to the ice. He made a strong comeback in the AHL, but he&rsquo;s in no position to help the Blues at this point. It will go down as a lost season for his progress, but he&rsquo;s one of few prospects in the system who brings a bit of nastiness to go along with nice size.<h2>ON THE HORIZON</h2>6 JORDAN SCHMALTZD, 21, 6-2, 194N. Dakota (NCHC)31-3-22-25-62012 draft, 25th overallElite puck-mover and power play quarterback who needs more time in the weight room.7 VILLE HUSSOG, 20, 6-1, 183HIFK (Fin.)16-9-9, 2.22, .9202014 draft, 94th overallPlayed really well in platoon role at WJC despite Finland&rsquo;s disappointing performance.8 JORDAN BINNINGTONG, 21, 6-1, 176Chicago (AHL)18-11-3, 2.37, .9142011 draft, 88th overallMade a smooth transition from ECHL to AHL. Now unseating veteran Matt Climie.9 MAX LETUNOVLW, 19, 6-2, 150Youngstown (USHL)45-21-29-50-162014 draft, 52nd overallA raw talent with dominant skills and high hockey IQ. Bound for Boston University.10 COLTON PARAYKOD, 21, 6-5, 224Alaska-Fair. (WCHA)30-4-16-20-162012 draft, 86th overallThis project continues to sprout and add mass. He&rsquo;s considered a super sleeper.21-AND-UNDER NHLERSDMITRIJ JASKIN, RW, 21 &#9632;

f0047-01

BLUE CHIP SPECIALS

<div class="byline">BY DAVID POLLAK</div>C+ RANK 26<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0048-0140/147243-1-eng-US/f0048-012.jpg" title="f0048-01" width="273" height="131"></div>HOWEVER YOU DESCRIBE THE SAN Jose Sharks&rsquo; master plan &ndash; refresh and reset? Rebuild? &ndash; GM Doug Wilson has been consistent in this message: Prospects are the priority.The Sharks have shipped six veterans out for 10 draft picks in a flurry of trades dating back to March, 2013. They&rsquo;ve also had success signing undrafted free agents such as the surprising Swedish winger Melker Karlsson. The emphasis on development meshes well with the relocation of their AHL affiliate from Worcester to San Jose. &ldquo;It was a piece of the puzzle that&rsquo;s important,&rdquo; Wilson said. &ldquo;Where we are in that cycle, it really helps.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0048-0233/147236-1-eng-US/f0048-022.jpg" title="f0048-02" width="539" height="689"><figcaption class="caption-body">NIKOLAY GOLDOBIN (SAMULI SEILA)</figcaption></div>1 NIKOLAY GOLDOBINRW, 19, 6-0, 185HIFK (Fin.)30-8-9-17-62014 draft, 27th overallOVERALL 70The Sharks liked Goldobin&rsquo;s offensive potential and hockey smarts when they drafted him, and his play for Russia at the WJC left them with no regrets. He had five points in seven games and turned the gold medal game against Canada into a nailbiter. &ldquo;He almost pulled it off,&rdquo; said director of scouting Tim Burke. &ldquo;It was a good experience for him.&rdquo; After two years in the OHL, Goldobin is playing in Finland, following Tomas Hertl&rsquo;s path to the NHL.2 CHRIS TIERNEYC, 20, 6-0, 195Worcester (AHL)26-7-17-24-102012 draft, 55th overallTierney debuted as a pro in San Jose but didn&rsquo;t produce and struggled on draws. Injured veterans rejoined the lineup, and he was assigned to Worcester. &ldquo;He gradually improved in junior, and he&rsquo;s going to do that as a pro,&rdquo; Burke said, referring to Tierney&rsquo;s rise to captain of the London Knights. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s not going to be a guy who can start on the first or second line right out of the gate, but someday he may move to those. He can do a lot of things. He&rsquo;s got hockey sense, adaptability.&rdquo;3 GABRYEL PAQUIN-BOUDREAULW, 20, 5-10, 170Chicoutimi (QMJHL)7-2-7-9-62013 draft, 49th overallPaquin-Boudreau lost most of his year to season-ending wrist surgery. It&rsquo;s disappointing to the Sharks, who hoped the agitating winger with scoring punch would bounce back from a so-so 2013-14 in the Quebec League. San Jose expects him to be fine once he heals. Burke described Paquin-Boudreau as a &ldquo;pain in the ass to play against&rdquo; and said he made a strong impression in training camp. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s got offensive game, but he&rsquo;s got edge to him, and that really showed.&rdquo;4 SEAN KURALYC, 22, 6-2, 209M-Ohio (NCHC)30-15-6-21-302011 draft, 133rd overallKuraly could have turned pro last summer but returned to college for his junior season. &ldquo;He went back because they thought they had a chance to do something this year,&rdquo; Burke said. &ldquo;And they still might.&rdquo; Kuraly has become less of a playmaker and more of a scorer, though he slumped with other Redhawks in January. Still, the Sharks like his improved ability to finish. &ldquo;He creates a lot by his pressure and by his checking,&rdquo; Burke said. &ldquo;Probably didn&rsquo;t get rewarded as much in the past.&rdquo;5 KONRAD ABELTSHAUSERD, 22, 6-5, 225Worcester (AHL)48-3-16-19-192010 draft, 163rd overallAbeltshauser&rsquo;s junior teammates Nathan MacKinnon and Jonathan Drouin are in the NHL, but the Sharks have their own timeline for the big man with the long reach. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s on a good course right now,&rdquo; Burke said. &ldquo;We don&rsquo;t want to rush him. We want him to keep going there, play a lot of minutes and situations. We think he still can get a little bit stronger, but he&rsquo;s doing good.&rdquo; The German&rsquo;s offense has dipped in his second year at Worcester, but his defense has improved.<h2>ON THE HORIZON</h2>6 TAYLOR DOHERTYD, 23, 6-8, 235Worcester (AHL)37-2-4-6-482009 draft, 57th overallInjured twice blocking shots &ndash; said to be the reason he wasn&rsquo;t in NHL by early February.7 NOAH RODRW, 18, 6-0, 192Geneve (Sui.)38-1-3-4-222014 draft, 53rd overallPhysical winger had strong showing for Swiss at WJC with six points in six games.8 FREDDIE HAMILTONC, 23, 6-1, 195Worcester (AHL)49-9-21-30-122010 draft, 129th overallSharks still like Dougie&rsquo;s older brother, but there&rsquo;s concern he&rsquo;s not an NHL regular yet.9 JULIUS BERGMAND, 19, 6-2, 193London (OHL)49-10-24-34-682014 draft, 46th overallSwede looked good at WJC. Smooth transition to North American rink with London.10 FREDRIK BERGVIKG, 20, 6-1, 194Frolunda Jr. (Swe.)GP 19, 2.67, .9032013 draft, 117th overallStill a few years away. Known more for his quirky personality than his game.21-AND-UNDER NHLERSTOMAS HERTL, LW, 21MIRCO MUELLER, D, 19 &#9632;

f0048-01

HOMELAND SECURITY

<div class="byline">BY MICHAEL TRAIKOS</div>C RANK 27<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0050-0141/147315-1-eng-US/f0050-012.jpg" title="f0050-01" width="273" height="132"></div>WHEN THE TORONTO MAPLE Leafs selected William Nylander with the eighth overall pick in 2014, it signalled a change in the team&rsquo;s draft philosophy. Small, skilled and from Sweden (though born in Calgary), he is the opposite of everything former GM Brian Burke valued in prospects.For the Brendan Shanahan-led Leafs, who had gone eight years without drafting a European in the first round, it was not a coincidence. The team needs star power. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re making a big effort in that we&rsquo;re drafting the right type of players,&rdquo; said Dave Morrison, director of amateur scouting.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0050-0236/147308-1-eng-US/f0050-022.jpg" title="f0050-02" width="545" height="693"><figcaption class="caption-body">STUART PERCY (GRAIG ABEL)</figcaption></div>1 WILLIAM NYLANDERC, 18, 5-11, 174Toronto (AHL)13-2-6-8-22014 draft, 8th overallIt has been a breakout year for Nylander, who averaged a point per game with Modo and tied for second in WJC scoring with 10 points in seven games. After the tourney, Toronto sent him to the AHL to learn in a physical league against bigger players. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s one aspect of his game we wanted to improve upon,&rdquo; said assistant GM Kyle Dubas. &ldquo;He gets hit a lot. It&rsquo;s not going to take long for him to take some hits from men where he has to know not to do that again.&rdquo;OVERALL 112 STUART PERCYD, 21, 6-1, 193Toronto (AHL)23-1-5-6-62011 draft, 25th overallA year ago, the Leafs wondered if Percy would become more than just a solid minor-leaguer. But a surprising training camp, where he beat out several prospects for an opening night job, suggested his no-frills approach suits the NHL. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a more structured game,&rdquo; said Jim Hughes, director of player development. &ldquo;The playmaking ability fits Stuart&rsquo;s game. It&rsquo;s evident how smart he is and how calm he is under pressure.&rdquo; Still, he must improve his skating to be a topfour D-man.3 ANTOINE BIBEAUG, 20, 6-2, 210Toronto (AHL)9-9-5, 2.73, .9122013 draft, 172nd overallThe Leafs see a potential No. 1 in Bibeau, who led Val-d&rsquo;Or to a QMJHL title and was the first goalie since Jonathan Bernier to win playoff MVP. &ldquo;When you look at a goaltender, you want him to have the ability to win games for you,&rdquo; Morrison said. &ldquo;Antoine has that.&rdquo; Bibeau has shared the AHL net with Christopher Gibson and Garret Sparks, but Bibeau is separating himself in recent weeks. &ldquo;We have three real good young goaltenders, but Antoine&rsquo;s got real good upside,&rdquo; Morrison said.4 BRENDAN LEIPSICLW, 20, 5-9, 170Toronto (AHL)50-8-30-38-18Trade (Nsh), Feb. 15, &rsquo;15In his first pro season, he quickly answered the question of whether he could produce the way he did in junior. Sort of. He was one of Milwaukee&rsquo;s leading scorers (before his rights were traded to Toronto), but the majority of those came from assists. Goals have been few. His size is a detriment, but he has held his own from a competitive standpoint. He&rsquo;s an intelligent player who looks for ways to find space and do things that allow him to stand out against bigger opposition.5 CONNOR BROWNRW, 21, 5-11, 160Toronto (AHL)52-15-26-41-62012 draft, 156th overallThere were concerns Brown owed his 2013-14 OHL scoring crown to playing with Connor McDavid. But that talk disappeared after Brown was the lone Marlie invited to the AHL All-Star Game. He must get bigger, but if he continues to produce, he could crack the Leafs&rsquo; third line next season. &ldquo;Connor seems to defy the odds and is one of those guys that just loves to keep proving people wrong,&rdquo; Morrison said. &ldquo;The results are coming because of it, and he&rsquo;s starting to make his mark.&rdquo;<h2>ON THE HORIZON</h2>6 FREDERIK GAUTHIERC, 19, 6-4, 215Rimouski (QMJHL)31-14-14-28-192013 draft, 21st overallPlayed shutdown role for Canada at the WJC. Big pivot&rsquo;s skating remains a major issue.7 RINAT VALIEVD, 19, 6-2, 208Kootenay (WHL)41-8-32-40-462014 draft, 68th overallPhysical, shutdown defender added an offensive element to his game at the WJC.8 JOSH LEIVOLW, 21, 6-2, 195Toronto (AHL)29-7-11-18-132011 draft, 86th overallHas drawn comparisons to Joffrey Lupul. Needs to produce more consistently.9 ANDREAS JOHNSONLW, 20, 5-10, 183Frolunda (Swe.)50-18-12-30-342013 draft, 202nd overallNamed Swedish League&rsquo;s top rookie last year. Undersized but has no trouble scoring.10 PETTER GRANBERGD, 22, 6-3, 200Toronto (AHL)30-1-6-7-182010 draft, 116th overallA physical, stay-athome type. Needs to improve his decisionmaking with the puck.21-AND-UNDER NHLERSMORGAN RIELLY, D, 20 &#9632;

f0050-01

THE THRILL OF SKILL

<div class="byline">BY BEN KUZMA</div>B&ndash; RANK 19<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0051-0135/147351-1-eng-US/f0051-012.jpg" title="f0051-01" width="273" height="129"></div>WHEN BO HORVAT TOOK THE leap from top-rated prospect to roster regular this season, it signalled a significant development. Only five other homegrown players were on the Canucks&rsquo; opening roster and that number will increase next season.Frank Corrado was recalled in January as an injury replacement for Kevin Bieksa and didn&rsquo;t look out of place. Meanwhile, Nicklas Jensen and Hunter Shinkaruk are making strides in the AHL. Jensen will push for an NHL spot next fall, and after a rough start, Shinkaruk was handling the tough transition from junior to pro.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0051-0231/147344-1-eng-US/f0051-022.jpg" title="f0051-02" width="534" height="684"><figcaption class="caption-body">JAKE VIRTANEN (BRAD WATSON/CALGARY HITMEN.)</figcaption></div>1 JAKE VIRTANENRW, 18, 6-1, 207Calgary (WHL)37-16-25-41-562014 draft, 6th overallThe Canucks have had a dire need for a true power forward and may have found one in Virtanen. He possesses ferocity and finish and his great acceleration and speed doesn&rsquo;t suffer in transition or with lateral movement. A gold medallist with Canada at the WJC, he didn&rsquo;t look out of place on a variety of lines with Connor McDavid or Curtis Lazar. Versatility and aggressiveness are other attributes. Off-season shoulder surgery delayed the start to his year.OVERALL 152 THATCHER DEMKOG, 19, 6-4, 195Boston College (HE)17-9-3, 2.23, .9242014 draft, 36th overallDemko fast-tracked his schooling to get to Boston College early. He&rsquo;s fascinated by human nature and is studying psychology. It was good prep for the WJC where he backstopped the U.S. to the quarterfinals. He had a 1.74 GAA and .934 save percentage and his relentless work ethic has impressed Vancouver&rsquo;s goaltender consultant Dan Cloutier. &ldquo;He still has to polish his game technically, but that comes with experience and he always wants to do more,&rdquo; Cloutier said.OVERALL 463 JACOB MARKSTROMG, 25, 6-6, 195Utica (AHL)17-7-2, 1.95, .932Trade (Fla), March 4, &rsquo;14Part of the Roberto Luongo trade, Markstrom was shocked by the deal, which was magnified by the off-season signing of Ryan Miller. To his credit, Markstrom first honed his game in Vancouver with goalie coach Rollie Melanson. This season, he was a starter at the AHL All-Star Game and shared MVP honors. He&rsquo;s learning to control his lanky frame and remain composed. Having a standout season has increased his value. The Canucks will make room for him.OVERALL 564 JARED MCCANNC, 18, 6-0, 185S.S. Marie (OHL)50-30-42-72-252014 draft, 24th overallMcCann is an elite skater who accelerates when he has the puck and possesses a heavy shot from every angle. His next step is to develop awareness in a 200-foot game and become a consistent and complete player. Developing better strength, a heightened battle level and professional habits that will become second-nature are the next challenges. He&rsquo;s out to prove people wrong because he thought he should have been drafted higher than 24th.OVERALL 695 HUNTER SHINKARUKLW, 20, 5-10, 180Utica (AHL)51-6-11-17-222013 draft, 24th overallShinkaruk has gone from having hip surgery in January 2014 to being a healthy scratch in the AHL to being one of the Comets&rsquo; best players in January. His progression is encouraging, given that he&rsquo;s challenged more by his physical stature that his skill level. He&rsquo;s getting to the net more, making plays and unleashing a quick shot. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s winning more puck battles and that&rsquo;s going to be a big part &ndash; can he play against big NHL bodies?&rdquo; said Utica coach Travis Green.<h2>ON THE HORIZON</h2>6 NICKLAS JENSENRW, 21, 6-3, 186Utica (AHL)38-10-10-20-212011 draft, 29th overallConfidence is always a battle, but he has become a better allaround player.7 FRANK CORRADOD, 21, 6-0, 190Utica (AHL)21-4-4-8-172011 draft, 150th overallThinks game well and can take tough love because he wants to improve.8 ADAM CLENDENINGD, 22, 6-0, 190Vancouver (NHL)15-1-3-4-8Trade (Chi), Jan. 29, &rsquo;14Canucks needed an NHL-ready D-man who can work a power play. He&rsquo;s stepped right in.9 COLE CASSELSC, 19, 6-0, 180Oshawa (OHL)45-25-45-70-922013 draft, 85th overallSon of former Canucks center Andrew Cassels may be a better finisher than his father.10 NIKITA TRYAMKIND, 20, 6-6, 264Yekaterinburg (KHL)57-1-5-6-372014 draft, 66th overallTowering blueliner can handle older foes, and hold his own in a fight.21-AND-UNDER NHLERSBO HORVAT, C, 19 &#9632;

f0051-01

BARE TO BURSTING

<div class="byline">BY TIM CAMPBELL</div>A RANK 1<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0053-0139/147423-1-eng-US/f0053-012.jpg" title="f0053-01" width="274" height="132"></div>ART, NOT SCIENCE, IS JETS GM Kevin Cheveldayoff&rsquo;s view of scouting. The Jets have quite a canvas going, looking at this year&rsquo;s Future Watch list. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s enjoyable to go to games and see your players as big factors,&rdquo; Cheveldayoff said of recent scouting missions. &ldquo;Certainly in the world juniors, guys were on the big stage and contributing to success.&rdquo;The quality of the Jets&rsquo; list is on the upswing and includes additions Joel Armia and Brendan Lemieux via trade. Optimism is also fuelled by four players, Mark Scheifele, Jacob Trouba, Adam Lowry and Ben Chiarot, who have come from the system recently.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0053-0229/147416-1-eng-US/f0053-022.jpg" title="f0053-02" width="583" height="721"><figcaption class="caption-body">CONNOR HELLEBUYCK (JEFF PARSONS/ST. JOHN&rsquo;S ICECAPS)</figcaption></div>1 NIKOLAJ EHLERSLW, 19, 5-11, 176Halifax (QMJHL)40-28-52-80-592014 draft, 9th overallWith a less-stellar cast around him, Ehlers is having another boffo junior season. The Dane began a consecutivegames points streak Oct. 29 and at 29 games, had matched Jonathan Drouin&rsquo;s franchise record. After his 104-point rookie season, Ehlers was the second-lightest player chosen in the top half of the 2014 draft. Some say his size won&rsquo;t make him suitable for NHL trenches. Ehlers&rsquo; speed and a good shot are likely to make that nit-picking.OVERALL 42 JOSH MORRISSEYD, 19, 6-0, 190Kelowna (WHL)45-13-25-38-602013 draft, 13th overallMorrissey&rsquo;s poise and skill are elite as a junior but bringing that during the 2014 AHL playoffs (after his WHL season was finished) was remarkable. His minutes and responsibility increased in the postseason as St. John&rsquo;s advanced to the final round. Morrissey&rsquo;s NHL camp was undistinguished. That his current WHL season has been the same hasn&rsquo;t been a surprise; it&rsquo;s possible the junior game can seem pretty easy. He&rsquo;s ready for the next challenge.OVERALL 183 JOEL ARMIARW, 21, 6-3, 201St. John&rsquo;s (AHL)35-10-15-25-43Trade (Buf), Feb. 11, &rsquo;15The big Finn came to Winnipeg in the sevenplayer swap with the Sabres. When Armia&rsquo;s been healthy in the AHL, he&rsquo;s shown he can find the net. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s no more impactful player in every game he plays in,&rdquo; Rochester coach Chadd Cassidy said before the trade. Cassidy noted an increased comfort level during Armia&rsquo;s second season in North America. &ldquo;He makes everybody around him better, and he has a skill level you don&rsquo;t see a lot of guys in the AHL with.&rdquo;OVERALL 444 NIC PETANC, 19, 5-9, 175Portland (WHL)41-11-50-61-192013 draft, 43rd overallBack for a fourth WHL season, Petan&rsquo;s Winterhawks are less of a powerhouse. Making plays and being productive, though, are Petan&rsquo;s thing and the gritty and quick center was, encouragingly, ramping up his game in the second half. Petan was one of the Jets&rsquo; final cuts at last fall&rsquo;s camp but it was as much about his ability to adapt to a pro style as it was Winnipeg&rsquo;s new coach Paul Maurice getting a solid handle on who will be knocking on the door in the near future.OVERALL 475 CONNOR HELLEBUYCKG, 21, 6-4, 200St. John&rsquo;s (AHL)23-15-4, 2.45, .9252012 draft, 130th overallHellebuyck headlines what is a good Jets prospectgoalie list that includes Eric Comrie and Jamie Phillips. The first ever winner of the Mike Richter as the NCAA&rsquo;s best goalie, Hellebuyck is athletic. He&rsquo;s big, he works hard and he&rsquo;s a battler. His college numbers were exceptional through two years and that trend has continued in St. John&rsquo;s. As a rookie pro, Hellebuyck has played the most minutes in the AHL and has already become a reliable No. 1.OVERALL 67<h2>ON THE HORIZON</h2>6 BRENDAN LEMIEUXLW, 18, 6-1, 210Barrie (OHL)52-39-20-59-132Trade (Buf), Feb. 11, 2015Agitator meets scorer. Lemieux has made more strides in his third junior season.OVERALL 747 ERIC COMRIEG, 19, 6-1, 180Tri-City (WHL)17-16-1, 2.85, .9142013 draft, 59th overallSave percentage is down, but WJC stopper is ready for next test at the pro level.8 ANDREW COPPC, 20, 6-2, 210Michigan (Big Ten)27-13-11-24-272013 draft, 104th overallFormer star high school quarterback is Wolverines captain and plays a pro-style game.9 SCOTT KOSMACHUKRW, 21, 6-0, 189St. John&rsquo;s (AHL)50-11-7-18-452012 draft, 70th overallFormer 100-point junior scorer has had rude awakening to pro game. Pace picking up.10 J.C. LIPONRW, 21, 6-0, 180St. John&rsquo;s (AHL)55-2-14-16-1122013 draft, 91st overallThis Brendan Gallagher-type has lots of &ldquo;pest&rdquo; in him, something the Jets lack.21-AND-UNDER NHLERSADAM LOWRY, C, 21MARK SCHEIFELE, C, 21JACOB TROUBA, D, 21 &#9632;

f0053-01

PLENTY OF JET FUEL

<div class="byline">BY RYAN KENNEDY</div>AHL EUROS<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0054-0137/147473-1-eng-US/f0054-012.jpg" title="f0054-01" width="792" height="565"><figcaption class="caption-body">EARNING A PROMOTIONPastrnak was averaging better than a point per game in the AHL, which got him called up to the B&rsquo;s.(PASTRNAK: GERRY THOMAS/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES; FIALA: SCOTT PAULUS)</figcaption></div><blockquote class="pullQuote">&ldquo;IT&rsquo;S DEFINITELY DIFFERENT HOCKEY&hellip;I HAVE TO GET BETTER WITH EVERYTHING. I&rsquo;M NOT SATISFIED &ndash; David Pastrnak</blockquote>THE CZECH REPUBLIC came into the 2015 world juniors with high expectations thanks to its deepest lineup in years. But glory wasn&rsquo;t to be had.The Czechs struggled throughout their stay in Toronto, and everything ended with a dispirited quarterfinal loss to a much more game underdog squad from Slovakia. One player who didn&rsquo;t disappoint, however, was David Pastrnak, the Boston Bruins first-rounder who had been playing in the AHL.Had his team gone further at the world juniors, Pastrnak would have garnered more consideration for the tourney&rsquo;s all-star team because of his combination of talent and drive. But even in the midst of the event, he knew his time in the AHL had been valuable so far. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s definitely different hockey,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I try to do my best, but sometimes it doesn&rsquo;t go well and you feel bad. I have to get better with everything. I&rsquo;m not satisfied right now.&rdquo;The kid might have been a tad too hard on himself. Fast-forward a week or two and the Bruins were more than satisfied. Pastrnak, who had ripped the AHL for 10 goals and 27 points in 24 games with Providence, was called up to the big squad and quickly worked his way up to being the top line right winger. His center was David Krejci, a player the B&rsquo;s hope Pastrnak will turn into one day.Pastrnak, who had been playing in Sweden before this season, is the most successful case so far in a wave of European teenagers who have been brought into the AHL this year. William Nylander (Toronto) and Kevin Fiala (Nashville) also went from the Swedish League to North America&rsquo;s second-best circuit, while Finland&rsquo;s Julius Honka is honing his craft in Texas with Dallas&rsquo; affiliate.Honka, an offensive defenseman who skates well and handles the puck with confidence, is a bit of an outlier in the group, since he played major junior last season with Swift Current of the WHL. But based on how his rights had been loaned out by Finnish club JYP, Honka couldn&rsquo;t go back to the Broncos this season. The options were JYP or the Texas Stars.Honka, a 2014 first-rounder, played at the Red Wings-hosted rookie tournament in the fall, and that&rsquo;s where he really opened some eyes. &ldquo;When we saw him in Traverse City, he was one of the best players in the whole tournament,&rdquo; said Mark Janko, Dallas&rsquo; director of hockey administration. &ldquo;He definitely has the skill set to play in the pro game. It&rsquo;s good for him and good for our organization.&rdquo;Nylander and Fiala really turned the AHL Euro teen thing into a trend when their organizations brought them over after the world juniors. Nylander, selected eighth overall by the Maple Leafs in 2014, had been playing very well for a Modo team that was flailing at the bottom of the Swedish League standings and getting pushed around so much they signed Donald Brashear as a policeman. Though Nylander was familiar with North American rinks from his youth (as the son of ex-NHLer Michael Nylander, William was born in Calgary and played for minor hockey teams in Maryland and Chicago), joining the AHL&rsquo;s Marlies allowed him to get the full-on experience of pro hockey on this side of the Atlantic Ocean. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s hard to compare,&rdquo; Nylander said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a lot more down-and-back, a lot of north-south. Back home it&rsquo;s a little more east-west.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0054-0226/147466-1-eng-US/f0054-022.jpg" title="f0054-02" width="871" height="502"><figcaption class="caption-body">TAKING NO GUFFThe Predators liked that Fiala didn&rsquo;t back down when tested by hardened AHL veterans.</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0055-0136/147459-1-eng-US/f0055-012.jpg" title="f0055-01" width="297" height="452"><figcaption class="caption-body">WILLIAM NYLANDER(NYLANDER: STEVE RUSSELL/TORONTO STAR VIA GETTY IMAGES; HONKA: MICHAEL CONNELL)</figcaption></div>In Nylander&rsquo;s early games with the Marlies, his strengths and weaknesses were obvious. The kid has great speed and a smart hockey mind to go with highlight-reel hands, but he still needs to figure out how to get around defenders more than happy to give him the business as he tries to create chances. Luckily, that&rsquo;s just what the AHL can do for a young player. &ldquo;He has good vision out there, and when he&rsquo;s moving his feet he creates a lot,&rdquo; said Marlies coach Gord Dineen. &ldquo;He just has to figure out a little more of the structure that we play. He&rsquo;s on a learning curve, and we expect him to make mistakes, but he&rsquo;s going to get there.&rdquo;The same can be said for Fiala, a dynamic Swiss national who had been playing in Sweden for HV71 before coming to the AHL&rsquo;s Milwaukee Admirals. Fiala&rsquo;s new coach, Dean Evason, said Nylander&rsquo;s extraction from Sweden prompted the similar action Nashville took with its 2014 first-rounder (Fiala went 11th overall), and he&rsquo;s more than happy to work with the Swiss sniper. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s clearly a gifted athlete and hockey player,&rdquo; Evason said. &ldquo;He plays hard, practises hard and he&rsquo;s a real committed athlete, which has helped him fit in right away.&rdquo;There have been the expected growing pains but, as with Nylander, the AHL is the perfect fit for Fiala, especially if the Predators see him as a viable NHLer sooner than later. &ldquo;Although he played pro in Sweden, it&rsquo;s a different game here,&rdquo; Evason said. &ldquo;You could tell in his first game. The time and space he had in Sweden wasn&rsquo;t there.&rdquo;The lesson-learning has been crucial already, however. Naturally, AHL foes targeted the new kid in Fiala&rsquo;s first games with Milwaukee, and in one case he took a retaliatory slashing penalty. Evason and the coaching staff told him after the game that he had to be smarter out there, but at the same time they were happy he pushed back instead of just taking the abuse.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0055-0229/147452-1-eng-US/f0055-022.jpg" title="f0055-02" width="526" height="556"><figcaption class="caption-body">EASY ADJUSTMENTHonka played junior with Swift Current, so he was already used to the smaller ice in the AHL.</figcaption></div><blockquote class="pullQuote">&ldquo;IT&rsquo;S A LOT MORE DOWN-AND-BACK, A LOT OF NORTH-SOUTH. BACK HOME IT&rsquo;S MORE EAST-WEST &ndash; William Nylander</blockquote>While the high-flying Preds aren&rsquo;t suffering in the depth department, getting Fiala up to speed quickly means one more weapon at Nashville&rsquo;s disposal.Playing against men is one of the big advantages European prospects have in their development tracks, but players born and raised in North America get a head start battling on a smaller ice surface with players who are more inclined to physically test their opponents.For players such as Pastrnak, Honka, Nylander and Fiala, they&rsquo;re getting the best of both worlds at an early point in their careers. &#9632;

f0054-01

OVERSEAS EDUCATION

<div class="byline">BY ADAM PROTEAU</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0056-0232/147502-1-eng-US/f0056-022.jpg" title="f0056-02" width="511" height="657"><figcaption class="caption-body">COMING FULL CIRCLEAfter a stint at the NHL, Blake came back to learn the GM ropes in L.A., where his career began. (BLAKE: ANDREW D. BERNSTEIN/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>WHO&rsquo;S THE NHL&rsquo;S NEXT GM?<div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0056-0137/147509-1-eng-US/f0056-012.jpg" title="f0056-01" width="90" height="109"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div>HALL OF FAME DEFENseman Rob Blake understands there is no single road to assuming the reins of power of an NHL team. Fellow stars from his generation &ndash; Ron Francis, Brendan Shanahan, Steve Yzerman and Ron Hextall, who Blake replaced as assistant GM of the L.A. Kings in 2013 &ndash; have used different backgrounds to ascend through the management ranks, and Blake is in no hurry to get to where they are. After retiring in 2010, he worked out of California for the NHL&rsquo;s department of player safety before returning to the organization that drafted him 70th overall in 1988.Despite the high regard in which he&rsquo;s held by the management community as one of the NHL&rsquo;s hottest up-and-coming GMs-in-the-making, Blake, 45, isn&rsquo;t about to grab the first GM job presented to him. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not worried about a title,&rdquo; Blake said. &ldquo;The Kings were my first team. Even working at the league, I kept tabs on them. Coming back was a natural fit.&rdquo;Blake has earned his reputation not by starting from the grassroots with a pro or amateur scouting job for a team but with a league job. He followed the route taken by Shanahan, now president of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Shanahan hired him to work in player safety, and from the get-go, Blake demonstrated an incredible worth ethic and a willingness to do things retired stars aren&rsquo;t always willing to do.Like what? Like taking a four-to-five-hour plane ride to attend a meeting he might not utter a single word in. Or like figuring out how to make the All-Star Game more intriguing to players and fans (Blake was the brains behind the concept of allowing players to choose the all-star teams). &ldquo; &lsquo;Blakey&rsquo; became hungry for more and more work, and not every ex-hockey player is like that,&rdquo; Shanahan said. &ldquo;Hours as an executive are long, but rewards are sometimes hard to find, and the finish line is hard to recognize. Blakey had all the reasons to grab his surfboard and not watch another game.&rdquo;Although Blake didn&rsquo;t spend his apprenticeship with a team, his job with the league afforded him a window into the way all 30 franchises were run. He was also able to learn the game from the perspective of the team owners. &ldquo;It makes this job a little easier to see things on and off the ice and know the process behind what&rsquo;s going on,&rdquo; Blake said.Working under Kings GM Dean Lombardi, Blake has been part of a championship team &ndash; another reason he&rsquo;s not firing off inquiries about job openings. If he&rsquo;s going to leave L.A., Blake is only going to do so for an ideal alternative, but as it stands, it would be hard for any job to be more ideal than the one he holds. &#9632;

f0056-02

NO FAVORS, NO SHORTCUTS

EXECUTIVES<div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0056-0319/147566-1-eng-US/f0056-032.jpg" title="f0056-03" width="78" height="136"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2>JULIEN BRISEBOIS</h2>Tampa BayAssistant GM is well versed in CBA, analytics and development. Brisebois is only 38, but Yzerman believes he&rsquo;ll be a GM soon.<div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0056-0417/147559-1-eng-US/f0056-042.jpg" title="f0056-04" width="80" height="136"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2>PAUL FENTON</h2>NashvilleLongtime righthand man to GM David Poile has been interviewed for many vacancies. Preds&rsquo; success may give him edge.<div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0056-0515/147552-1-eng-US/f0056-052.jpg" title="f0056-05" width="80" height="137"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2>MICHAEL FUTA</h2>Los AngelesThe Kings&rsquo; director of player personnel was promoted last summer. He&rsquo;s had major input in drafting L.A.&rsquo;s rock-solid core.<div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0056-0612/147545-1-eng-US/f0056-062.jpg" title="f0056-06" width="80" height="134"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2>JEFF GORTON</h2>NY RangersThe likely successor to soon-to-be 72-year-old GM Glen Sather. He&rsquo;s instrumental in contract negotiations and player development.<div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0056-079/147538-1-eng-US/f0056-072.jpg" title="f0056-07" width="79" height="135"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2>MARK HUNTER</h2>TorontoSome see Hunter as a replacement for GM Dave Nonis. Don&rsquo;t be surprised to see him remain in key assistant role to Shanahan. &#9632;

TO WATCH

<div class="byline">BY MARK KRANJC</div>NCAA & CHLTHE HOCKEY NEWS ANALYZED EVERY NHL DRAFT FROM 1990 to the present and looked at which NCAA programs and CHL teams developed the most NHL players (minimum 200 games played as of the 2015 all-star break). We judged NHLers as coming from the schools they attended or the junior teams they were with when they were drafted.Non-drafted players weren&rsquo;t counted, and franchise relocation (North Bay Centennials became the Saginaw Spirit) was accounted for. If a player was traded in his draft year, we considered which system he came through or played for longer. For example, John Tavares is considered an Oshawa General, not a London Knight.<h2>UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN</h2>BIG TEN<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0058-0137/147673-1-eng-US/f0058-012.jpg" title="f0058-01" width="512" height="602"><figcaption class="caption-body">MIKE CAMMALLERI</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0058-0232/147666-1-eng-US/f0058-022.jpg" title="f0058-02" width="340" height="377"><figcaption class="caption-body">MAX PACIORETTY</figcaption></div>RED BERENSON HAS been the coach of the University of Michigan men&rsquo;s hockey team since 1984-85. He credits the recruitment process, the resources offered by the University of Michigan and the philosophy he and his staff have instilled in their players as the reasons for the program&rsquo;s success. &ldquo;It starts with recruiting,&rdquo; Berenson said. &ldquo;Recruiting the kind of players we think could be successful at Michigan.&rdquo;The program goes after skilled players and ones who are willing to learn a two-way game. &ldquo;You can score your way into the NHL, but you&rsquo;ve got to be able to check to stay there,&rdquo; Berenson said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s what we&rsquo;re promoting for our kids. You&rsquo;ve got to be ready to stay there, not just ready to sign a contract and play one game.&rdquo;Instilling this mentality in alums has led to long NHL careers for the likes of Mike Knuble, Brendan Morrison and Mike Cammalleri.Berenson said a noticeable change in the recruitment approach is how early it now begins, a response to the OHL snagging players at a young age. Until the late &rsquo;90s, recruitment would occur in a player&rsquo;s senior year of high school. Now players are committed as young as 15, which can bring about higher risks for development.An institution like the University of Michigan has the advantage of providing quality resources not every program can match, including off-ice training, sports psychologists, strength and conditioning coaches and video co-ordinators. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve tried to give the players every opportunity to improve and try to get better everyday,&rdquo; Berenson said.Resources alone, however, are nothing without hard work and improvement. &ldquo;There are no gimmicks, no shortcuts,&rdquo; Berenson said. &ldquo;If you come to Michigan, you better take hockey seriously, because we take it seriously. And you better take school seriously and you better take your own development seriously.&rdquo;College hockey not only offers athletes a degree but also a chance to develop over a longer period of time, without the pressure of having to immediately crack an NHL roster. &ldquo;College hockey can be good for the young superstar-type players,&rdquo; Berenson said. &ldquo;It can also be good for kids that maybe have been overlooked and are late bloomers as well.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0058-0316/147659-1-eng-US/f0058-032.jpg" title="f0058-03" width="1422" height="62"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0059-0123/147652-1-eng-US/f0059-012.jpg" title="f0059-01" width="238" height="545"></div><h2>SUDBURY WOLVES</h2>ONTARIO LEAGUE<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0058-0415/147645-1-eng-US/f0058-042.jpg" title="f0058-04" width="509" height="473"><figcaption class="caption-body">NICK FOLIGNO (CAMMALLERI/PACIORETTY: UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN ATHLETICS)</figcaption></div>THE SUDBURY WOLVES are having a difficult year, likely to finish last in the OHL. While it is a frustrating season, the team can take solace in the fact that it has been the top development franchise in major junior over the past 25 years.The organization has been a model of consistency when it comes to producing NHL talent. Blaine Smith, GM-president of the Wolves, has worked in the organization for 27 years. He&rsquo;s helped guide a number of young players from the Sudbury Community Arena to the NHL.According to Smith, consistent ownership has allowed the club to hire top hockey minds and given them the freedom to do their job developing prospects. &ldquo;The Burgess Family have owned this team since 1986,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;When you have ownership that&rsquo;s stable and dedicated to bringing in the best GM and best coaches that are available, it speaks volumes to success.&rdquo;Smith credits the staff as a driving force behind development: &ldquo;When you get people like Sam McMaster and hockey people like Bert Templeton and Mike Foligno at the helm of your franchise,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;it goes a long way to developing not only great hockey players but fine young men.&rdquo;This extends into scouting as well. The GM praised the Wolves&rsquo; head scouts and area scouts, many of whom have been with the organization for years, for their ability to identify young players with potential.He cited Mike Fisher, a former captain with Sudbury, as an example of a player who worked hard and progressed significantly during his time with the Wolves. &ldquo;We were real proud of the fact that he was able to be moved up so quickly and develop after just two years here,&rdquo; Smith said.An organization can have good scouts, coaches and GMs, but it&rsquo;s always going to come down to those on the ice. &ldquo;Give credit to the players themselves for having the commitment and dedication to become NHL veterans,&rdquo; Smith said. &ldquo;At the end of the day, it&rsquo;s always the player that determines his future in the game.&rdquo;That may be true, but the stability offered by the Sudbury Wolves, and the hockey minds they have brought in for decades, ensure great opportunities for young players to develop into NHLers.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0058-0513/147638-1-eng-US/f0058-052.jpg" title="f0058-05" width="1438" height="81"><figcaption class="caption-body">(FOLIGNO: CLAUS ANDERSEN/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0059-0219/147631-1-eng-US/f0059-022.jpg" title="f0059-02" width="244" height="474"></div> &#9632;

f0058-01

HOCKEY FACTORIES

<div class="byline">BY RYAN KENNEDY</div>SNEAK PEEK 2015 DRAFT<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0060-0123/147702-1-eng-US/f0060-012.jpg" title="f0060-01" width="440" height="712"><figcaption class="caption-body">GROWTH PORTFOLIOThe London Knights drafted Marner knowing his parents were tall. Sure enough, he grew rapidly. (CLAUS ANDERSEN/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>THE SIZE BIAS IN THE NHL has been almost impossible to shake, despite the success lately of players such as Johnny Gaudreau, Torey Krug and Mats Zuccarello. Nowhere is this more obvious than at the draft, where every year it seems like teams get cold feet at the last second when it comes to tabbing a short kid with a high pick. Keep in mind we live in a world where Max Domi and Kevin Fiala couldn&rsquo;t crack the top 10.Which brings us to Mitch Marner. As an electrifying right winger for the London Knights, he has terrorized the OHL this season, averaging two points per game and leading the league in offense for long stretches. But the most important numbers for scouts may be 5-foot-11 and 164 pounds.True, that&rsquo;s not short, but it is slight, and Marner has already grown an incredible amount recently. When the Knights drafted him into the OHL in 2013, he was under 5-foot-8 and just 130 pounds. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s always debate when a player is undersized,&rdquo; said Knights assistant GM and assistant coach Rob Simpson. &ldquo;But we looked at his mom and dad and they were both taller.&rdquo;Recent top scorers in the OHL have been rewarded with lofty draft slots, from Tyler Seguin and Taylor Hall to Nail Yakupov and John Tavares. No one questioned their bona fides, but it&rsquo;s a bit different with Marner. &ldquo;There shouldn&rsquo;t be a size bias, but there is,&rdquo; said one NHL exec. &ldquo;The guy&rsquo;s an offensive dynamo and he&rsquo;s got tons of skill. But that&rsquo;s a big gamble.&rdquo;How high Marner goes this summer hinges on how conservative the talent evaluator is. Some say top 20. Others say the five-to-seven range. The temptation, of course, is that Marner&rsquo;s career arc mirrors that of another small player who ran roughshod over the OHL as a member of the London Knights: Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane. To do that, however, Marner needs to massage his game. &ldquo;He needs to make the simple plays,&rdquo; said another NHL exec. &ldquo;Right now it&rsquo;s 50 percent highlight reel and 50 percent hope. And Patrick Kane rarely ever got hit in the OHL. This kid gets hit way too much.&rdquo;Doubting Marner is easy, but no team is going to write him off. He brings so many offensive goodies to the table and has already come a long way in junior. &ldquo;The first year going in, I had the same mindset as I did this year,&rdquo; Marner said. &ldquo;Keep my feet moving in the corners and try to be defensively responsible. My game is about staying low to the ice, and I try to keep doing that now that I&rsquo;m taller.&rdquo;Landing in London has helped countless prospects since brothers Dale and Mark Hunter took over the franchise in 2000, and despite being surrounded by talent, Marner has distinguished himself, particularly this season.Domi, the Arizona firstrounder, missed games due to NHL camp and the world juniors, while NHL first-rounders Bo Horvat (Vancouver) and Nikita Zadorov (Buffalo) graduated to their respective teams. The Knights also traded Montreal first-rounder Michael McCarron and veteran defenseman Dakota Mermis at the deadline.While it will be difficult for London to play in a fourth straight Memorial Cup, Marner has already taken valuable lessons from his past showing at the CHL classic. &ldquo;Playing against the talent in that tournament was special,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I learned just how important it is to compete every shift.&rdquo;Next year, Marner will be front and center with the Knights, as Domi will be off to the pros. But London doesn&rsquo;t so much rebuild as reload. Marner will still have another Arizona prospect, Christian Dvorak, as a running mate, and several other blue-chippers may join them. Matthew Tkachuk, son of former NHLer Keith Tkachuk, de-committed from Notre Dame, and the Knights hold his major junior rights. They also staked claim to Max Jones, a powerful youngster with the U.S. National Team Development Program who is eligible for the 2016 draft.Marner will have to learn to be The Guy in London, but his skill set and fire will make that easier. &ldquo;With his point production and how he runs the power play with Max Domi &ndash; not many skill guys have what he does inside of him,&rdquo; Simpson said. &ldquo;Not only does he want the points, but he wants the win. He&rsquo;s a big piece to our puzzle.&rdquo;He has also been a puzzle for NHL scouts and GMs as draft talk begins to heat up. Will the bias against smaller and slighter players continue this summer, or will a team step up early in hopes of grabbing the next Patrick Kane type? &#9632;

f0060-01

RISK VERSUS REWARD

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0061-086/147759-1-eng-US/f0061-082.jpg" title="f0061-08" width="524" height="417"><figcaption class="caption-body">NOAH HANIFIN</figcaption></div>SNEAK PEEK 2015 DRAFT<div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0061-0124/147808-1-eng-US/f0061-012.jpg" title="f0061-01" width="139" height="60"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2>1 C Connor McDavid ERIE OTTERS (OHL)</h2><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0061-0221/147801-1-eng-US/f0061-022.jpg" title="f0061-02" width="80" height="147"></div>Only a broken hand from an ill-conceived fight prevented McDavid from lording over the OHL scoring race. As it is, he piled up more than two points per game while helping Canada win gold at the world juniors. His vision and hockey IQ are off the charts, while his creativity with the puck makes him dangerous every shift.SCOUT SAYS:&ldquo;For a guy who has had the bar set so high, look at the players he has made better around him. Consistently has met expectations.&rdquo;</div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2>2 C Jack Eichel BOSTON UNIVERSITY TERRIERS (HE)</h2><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0061-0318/147794-1-eng-US/f0061-032.jpg" title="f0061-03" width="81" height="149"></div>Big, strapping center has executed one of the best freshman seasons in recent college hockey history, turning a mediocre Terriers team into a national title threat. Though getting the WJC captaincy from Team USA was probably a mistake, Eichel is still just a hair behind McDavid in the ranks and looks like a surefire NHL impact player.SCOUT SAYS:&ldquo;Probably has the longest stride in the draft. I&rsquo;ve seen him against men, and he catches them on the backcheck. He blocks shots and kill penalties, too.&rdquo;</div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2>3 D Noah Hanifin BOSTON COLLEGE EAGLES (HE)</h2><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0061-0416/147787-1-eng-US/f0061-042.jpg" title="f0061-04" width="81" height="148"></div>Hard to believe Hanifin was just 17 when his Boston College career began in the fall. Despite his age, he has been great for the Eagles, even in a down year for them. Blessed with size, jersey-flapping speed and poise, Hanifin may be overshadowed by McDavid and Eichel in this draft, but he&rsquo;s as close to another sure thing as there is.SCOUT SAYS:&ldquo;He has definitely improved this year. Seems like he&rsquo;s more comfortable since returning from the world juniors. Very offensive and playing with more of an edge.&rdquo;</div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2>4 C Dylan Strome ERIE OTTERS (OHL)</h2><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0061-0516/147780-1-eng-US/f0061-052.jpg" title="f0061-05" width="80" height="151"></div>On any other junior team, Strome is a franchise center. He just happens to play on McDavid&rsquo;s Otters. But when the other guy was injured, Strome continued to put up staggering numbers, becoming one of the top scorers in the league. The younger brother of New York Islanders pivot Ryan Strome won&rsquo;t be in anyone&rsquo;s shadow much longer.SCOUT SAYS:&ldquo;He&rsquo;s got the size (he&rsquo;s already 6-foot-3 and 187 pounds), the hockey sense and the puck skills. He&rsquo;s an excellent prospect.&rdquo;</div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2>5 C Matt Barzal SEATTLE THUNDERBIRDS (WHL)</h2><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0061-0614/147773-1-eng-US/f0061-062.jpg" title="f0061-06" width="81" height="146"></div>A freak off-ice knee injury cost Barzal much of the season, but he didn&rsquo;t miss a beat once he returned. Playing on a team with several 2015 prospects, Barzal is the undeniable nexus of the attack in Seattle, where he uses his smarts and poise with the puck to unleash wrath on the opposition&rsquo;s goals-against average.SCOUT SAYS:&ldquo;The best prospect in the West this year. Strong on his feet, which is deceiving because he&rsquo;s not the biggest guy. He can really control the puck for that extra second.&rdquo;</div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2>6 D Zach Werenski MICHIGAN WOLVERINES (BIG TEN)</h2><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0061-0712/147766-1-eng-US/f0061-072.jpg" title="f0061-07" width="79" height="150"><figcaption class="caption-body" style="width: 79px">(JOHN QUACKENBOS/BOSTON COLLEGE)</figcaption></div>Like Hanifin, Werenski spent his summer crushing schoolwork so he could play college hockey at 17. The hard work paid off for Werenski and Michigan, as the freshman has been incredibly valuable to the Wolverines. An all-situations D-man with size who can skate, he was one of the highest-scoring blueliners in the conference.SCOUT SAYS:&ldquo;Pretty special. He&rsquo;s a great skater, great stick, thinks the game well and makes it look easy. Every game he&rsquo;s been their best defenseman.&rdquo;</div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2>7 LW Lawson Crouse KINGSTON FRONTENACS (OHL)</h2><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0061-096/147752-1-eng-US/f0061-092.jpg" title="f0061-09" width="80" height="150"></div>Blessed with the sort of 6-foot-3, 212-pound frame NHL teams love, Crouse is more than a big body. A surprise addition to Canada&rsquo;s WJC squad, he was the gold medallists&rsquo; youngest player. He earned his keep by playing smart, responsible hockey and displaying an offensive knack when appropriate. A power forward who skates well.SCOUT SAYS:&ldquo;Top-six potential. Worst case he&rsquo;s a third-liner who can score, and in today&rsquo;s NHL, you need that. You can&rsquo;t go wrong with Lawson.&rdquo;</div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2>8 RW Mitch Marner LONDON KNIGHTS (OHL)</h2><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0061-105/147745-1-eng-US/f0061-102.jpg" title="f0061-10" width="79" height="148"></div>One of the top scorers in the OHL for the length of the season, Marner was the first in the circuit to reach 100 points. He has already grown several inches and put on a good deal of weight since the Knights drafted him. His hands and speed are elite. Right now he&rsquo;s 5-foot-11 and 164 pounds. Is that big enough?SCOUT SAYS: &ldquo;There shouldn&rsquo;t be a size bias, but there is. The guy&rsquo;s an offensive dynamo, and he&rsquo;s got tons of skill. But that&rsquo;s a big gamble.&rdquo;</div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2>9 C Pavel Zacha SARNIA STING (OHL)</h2><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0061-115/147738-1-eng-US/f0061-112.jpg" title="f0061-11" width="79" height="149"></div>Injuries and two suspensions (a slewfoot and a boarding) have limited Zacha&rsquo;s games in his rookie North American season, but scouts know what they&rsquo;re getting in the big guy. Zacha, a power forward with speed and a sick shot, has already played against men back home in the Czech Republic and was one of the better players for the national team at the WJC.SCOUT SAYS:&ldquo;A lot of grit. Complete 200-foot game. Works in all three zones. Real competitive to go along with skill, too.&rdquo;</div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2>10 D Ivan Provorov BRANDON WHEAT KINGS (WHL)</h2><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0061-125/147731-1-eng-US/f0061-122.jpg" title="f0061-12" width="80" height="147"></div>Though Provorov played on a depth pairing, the fact he was part of Russia&rsquo;s silver medal WJC team is a testament to his advanced standing as a blueliner. He has been awesome as an import for the Wheat Kings, leading WHL D-men in points in his first season on a very good team. An efficient skater who is fast when he needs to be.SCOUT SAYS:&ldquo;He has brought a lot of stability to that back end. Very good passer and makes plays at high speeds. He&rsquo;s not always physical, but he can be.&rdquo; &#9632;</div>

f0061-08

PROJECTED TOP 10

<div class="byline">BY PANU MARKKANEN</div>SNEAK PEEK 2016 DRAFT<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0062-0124/147851-1-eng-US/f0062-012.jpg" title="f0062-01" width="791" height="505"><figcaption class="caption-body">16 AND POTENTPuljujarvi is one of only six Finns selected for WJC at 16, and each made an impact in the NHL. (ALL: MINAS PANAGIOTAKIS/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>READ THESE FIVE attributes of a Finnish player and then decide who it describes:1) He is big; 2) He shoots right; 3) He loves scoring goals; 4) He always smiles; 5) He isn&rsquo;t retired from the NHL.The fifth is mandatory. Otherwise everyone would say, &ldquo;Teemu Selanne.&rdquo; The player in question isn&rsquo;t the &lsquo;Finnish Flash,&rsquo; but he is the next Finnish goal-scoring machine. He&rsquo;s 16-year-old Jesse Puljujarvi, the youngest member of Finland&rsquo;s world junior team and the hottest prospect Finland &ndash; and all of Europe &ndash; has to offer for the 2016 NHL draft.Puljujarvi has already dominated the under-18 and under-20 leagues in Finland. This season he made his debut in the SM-liiga and scored his first professional goal in his third game. His club, Karpat, is the reigning champion and a hot candidate to win back-to-back titles, which has occasionally led to Puljujarvi&rsquo;s demotion to Finland&rsquo;s Mestis, the country&rsquo;s second-highest league, where he has averaged a point per game. &ldquo;Games in Liiga have been pretty good for me,&rdquo; Puljujarvi said. &ldquo;The main reason for my time in Mestis is purely to get the possibility to play with men and get a lot of time on the ice. It&rsquo;s only been a good thing. I&rsquo;ve been able to measure myself.&rdquo;<blockquote class="pullQuote">&ldquo;SCORING IS THE BEST THING. THERE ARE ALSO OTHER THINGS, BUT I ALWAYS TRY TO SCORE &ndash; Jesse Puljujarvi</blockquote>Finland hasn&rsquo;t traditionally been a country that produces top goal scorers. Unselfishness has always been a virtue in the Finnish game. Puljujarvi is an eagerly awaited exception in a country of fourth-line forwards. He has an excellent shot and handles the puck well. He is 6-foot-3, 196 pounds and his hunger for goals is endless. &ldquo;Perhaps it comes from the times when I played in my hometown, Tornio,&rdquo; Puljujarvi said. &ldquo;At that time, I could do almost everything on the ice, and I scored a lot. Scoring is absolutely the best thing in hockey. Of course there are also a lot other things I try to do on the ice, but I always try to score. I still wouldn&rsquo;t call it an obsession or something like that.&rdquo;And, wouldn&rsquo;t you know it, he looks up a certain ex-player who is 28 years his senior. &ldquo;Of course Teemu has been an idol for me,&rdquo; Puljujarvi said. &ldquo;It was great to see him scoring in his later years. It proved how tough a guy he is.&rdquo;Five Finnish players had played in the World Junior Championship at 16 before Puljujarvi, and that list is impressive, with two former players &ndash; Reijo Ruotsalainen (two Stanley Cups with the Oilers) and Janne Niinimaa (741 NHL games) &ndash; and three current NHLers &ndash; Mikael Granlund (Minnesota), Olli Maatta (Pittsburgh) and Aleksander Barkov (Florida). &ldquo;Picking him is pretty obvious for me,&rdquo; said Finnish coach Hannu Jortikka, who has steered the U-20s in four different decades, before the tournament. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve rarely seen any kid so sound-minded as Jesse.&rdquo;The Finns had a rough go at the WJC this year, bombing out in the quarterfinal to archrival Sweden after the offense went bone-dry in the round-robin. Only 2015 prospect Mikko Rantanen generated a threat, with four of the team&rsquo;s eight goals at the tournament. Puljujarvi didn&rsquo;t find the scoresheet, but he did lead the team with 26 shots in five games, and most observers agreed the kid was special. That will come in handy at next year&rsquo;s edition of the tournament, which will be hosted by Finland in Helsinki. Needless to say, the hype will be off the charts.<blockquote class="pullQuote">&ldquo;I&rsquo;VE RARELY SEEN A KID SO SOUNDMINDED AS JESSE &ndash; Hannu Jortikka</blockquote><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0063-0121/147844-1-eng-US/f0063-012.jpg" title="f0063-01" width="344" height="423"><figcaption class="caption-body">JESSE PULJUJARVI</figcaption></div>And about that grin: where does it come from? &ldquo;I just like to smile,&rdquo; Puljujarvi said. &ldquo;I feel like laughing all the time.&rdquo;Smiling and laughter spread joy and happiness around. Selanne did it with his grin and scoring touch. And Puljujarvi will make at least one person smile in the near future: the NHL GM who drafts him in 2016.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0062-0216/147837-1-eng-US/f0062-022.jpg" title="f0062-02" width="593" height="356"><figcaption class="caption-body">JESSE PULJUJARVI</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0062-01

MEET THE NEXT TEEMU SELANNE

SNEAK PEEK 2016 DRAFT<div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0063-0215/148020-1-eng-US/f0063-022.jpg" title="f0063-02" width="109" height="45"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0063-0310/148013-1-eng-US/f0063-032.jpg" title="f0063-03" width="78" height="110"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0063-049/148006-1-eng-US/f0063-042.jpg" title="f0063-04" width="104" height="30"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2>1 Auston Matthews U.S. NTDP (USHL)</h2>Matthews had a slightly better PPG clip than 2015 phenom Jack Eichel. Matthews is also a big kid with speed and vision. He&rsquo;s deciding between WHL Everett and the NCAA.SCOUT SAYS:He does it all. They go as he goes. Stepped up his game after the world juniors. Has a 200-foot game, and he&rsquo;s competitive.<div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0063-057/147999-1-eng-US/f0063-052.jpg" title="f0063-05" width="81" height="113"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0063-066/147992-1-eng-US/f0063-062.jpg" title="f0063-06" width="107" height="30"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2>2 Jesse Puljujarvi KARPAT OULU (FIN.)</h2>Puljujarvi has produced at an admirable rate based on his age. His size and scoring ability combine to make up an elite package. And he&rsquo;s still just scratching the surface.SCOUT SAYS:He can be dynamic. That size and skill&hellip;players like that are usually 5-foot-11, not 6-foot-3.<div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0063-076/147985-1-eng-US/f0063-072.jpg" title="f0063-07" width="79" height="109"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0063-086/147978-1-eng-US/f0063-082.jpg" title="f0063-08" width="107" height="29"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2>3 Jakob Chychrun SARNIA STING (OHL)</h2>Chychrun, the first overall pick in the 2014 OHL draft, was born and raised in Florida. He&rsquo;s big already at 6-foot-2 and 194 pounds, and he can move. Dangerous on offense and defense.SCOUT SAYS:Talented kid plays well beyond his years. When you see him, you think he&rsquo;s a wily old veteran out there.<div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0063-096/147971-1-eng-US/f0063-092.jpg" title="f0063-09" width="80" height="110"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0063-105/147964-1-eng-US/f0063-102.jpg" title="f0063-10" width="106" height="31"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2>4 Max Jones U.S. NTDP (USHL)</h2>Thanks to Jones&rsquo; 6-foot-2, 189-pound frame and aggressive, all-around game, some talent hawks compare him to 2015 prospect Lawson Crouse. OHL rights are owned by London.SCOUT SAYS:Impossible to play against. Fast, heavy and responsible, he just brings it every night. He&rsquo;s the guy you want first in on the forecheck. Hustles, hits and shoots.<div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0063-115/147957-1-eng-US/f0063-112.jpg" title="f0063-11" width="79" height="109"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0063-125/147950-1-eng-US/f0063-122.jpg" title="f0063-12" width="103" height="29"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2>5 Sam Steel REGINA PATS (WHL)</h2>Steel has been contributing well above his age bracket, centering the Pats&rsquo; top line. He&rsquo;s a prodigious scorer who makes those around him better. Also boasts great on-ice vision.SCOUT SAYS:This kid is slight, but he&rsquo;s a smooth skater. Really good hockey sense and he can make plays at high speeds.<div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0063-135/147943-1-eng-US/f0063-132.jpg" title="f0063-13" width="79" height="110"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0063-145/147936-1-eng-US/f0063-142.jpg" title="f0063-14" width="106" height="30"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2>6 Sean Day MISSISSAUGA STEELHEADS (OHL)</h2>Day, 6-foot-2 and 229 pounds, is the most recent player to be given exceptional status to join the OHL one season early, but he&rsquo;s also the first not to be drafted No. 1 (he went fourth).SCOUT SAYS:He&rsquo;s an unbelievable physical specimen. Big, strong guy with quick feet and quick agility. Beautiful skater. Hockey sense is just average.<div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0063-155/147929-1-eng-US/f0063-152.jpg" title="f0063-15" width="80" height="112"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0063-164/147922-1-eng-US/f0063-162.jpg" title="f0063-16" width="105" height="31"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2>7 Logan Brown WINDSOR SPITFIRES (OHL)</h2>The son of former NHLer Jeff Brown, Logan is a towering presence, already measuring in at 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds. Brown has elicited Joe Thornton comparisons.SCOUT SAYS:Needs to work on his consistency, but he shoots like an NHLer and his skating is improving. Seeks out contact and protects the puck with his body.<div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0063-174/147915-1-eng-US/f0063-172.jpg" title="f0063-17" width="78" height="111"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0063-184/147908-1-eng-US/f0063-182.jpg" title="f0063-18" width="106" height="31"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2>8 Kieffer Bellows SIOUX FALLS STAMPEDE (USHL)</h2>The son of Brian Bellows was scoring almost at will in a league known among scouts to be very difficult to put up numbers in. Committed to BU, but WHL Portland will push hard.SCOUT SAYS:Seeing what he is doing in the USHL at his age is special. Creative, dynamic, skilled guy and he&rsquo;s fearless.<div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0063-194/147901-1-eng-US/f0063-192.jpg" title="f0063-19" width="79" height="110"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0063-204/147894-1-eng-US/f0063-202.jpg" title="f0063-20" width="105" height="30"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2>9 Tyler Benson VANCOUVER GIANTS (WHL)</h2>The top pick in the 2013 bantam draft, Benson piled up points before his WHL career began and has been a solid contributor to a mediocre Giants team. Draft hype won&rsquo;t faze him.SCOUT SAYS:I was surprised how big and strong he was for his age. Strong on his feet, strong on contact. Good skater, good hands, though I thought he would be more dynamic.<div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0063-213/147887-1-eng-US/f0063-212.jpg" title="f0063-21" width="81" height="111"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0063-223/147880-1-eng-US/f0063-222.jpg" title="f0063-22" width="106" height="29"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2>10 Matthew Tkachuk U.S. NTDP (USHL)</h2>Matthew, son of ex-NHLer Keith, is a cerebral player with a good frame who has been one of the NTDP&rsquo;s top scorers despite being one of the youngest on the under-18 squad.SCOUT SAYS:Complete two-way guy, competes for pucks, dangerous in tight. Makes nice touch passes, and he&rsquo;s smart. Makes players around him better. &#9632;

f0063-02

<div class="byline">BY RYAN KENNEDY</div>SNEAK PEEK 2017 DRAFT<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0064-0123/148077-1-eng-US/f0064-012.jpg" title="f0064-01" width="507" height="582"><figcaption class="caption-body">PART OF THE JOBGildon is learning how to do interviews, but he finds it weird to hear himself being talked about.</figcaption></div>WHEN MAX GILDON was just a little guy in Texas, his grandfather would pick him up from daycare and take him and his siblings skating at a rink inside the local mall. Gildon would meet his first hockey coach there, and a fledgling passion for the ice was born.Now 15, Gildon is already 6-foot-3 and 173 pounds. He is being touted as one of the best 1999 birthdays in hockey, and he&rsquo;s quickly realizing just how fast the hype machine can begin to churn in the sport. &ldquo;It feels surreal,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s nice to be noticed for what I&rsquo;ve done, but it is kind of weird to be talked about.&rdquo;That talk is bound grow louder. As a big blueliner for the Dallas Stars Elite Club&rsquo;s under-16 team, he has already been drafted by the WHL&rsquo;s Vancouver Giants, while some talent evaluators believe the U.S. National Team Development Program would be the perfect fit next season. &ldquo;Big, strong, dictates the pace and nasty in his own zone,&rdquo; said one scout. &ldquo;I&rsquo;d never compare a kid to Jacob Trouba or Seth Jones, but he has that profile.&rdquo;Jones is an interesting comparison, since he too was raised in Texas, where he was a star defender with size who went on to the NTDP (and then the WHL &ndash; though Gildon could also go NCAA). As the scout noted, there&rsquo;s a lot of work to be done before Gildon reaches Jones&rsquo; level &ndash; that of a player who made the Nashville Predators as a teenager and currently patrols the blueline of one of the best teams in the NHL. But Gildon&rsquo;s current coach sees a bright future. &ldquo;The exciting thing about Max is that he&rsquo;s still a boy,&rdquo; said Eric Silverman. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s not a man yet &ndash; he&rsquo;s going to be 6-foot-5, 220 pounds. He&rsquo;s got a lot of poise and brings a lot of characteristics that translate to the professional game.&rdquo;Gildon doesn&rsquo;t lose many battles, and he&rsquo;s starting to play more physically, which is something Silverman is happy to see. Offensively he puts up decent numbers, but there is also room to grow there.Playing for Dallas means a lot of travel, and Gildon said he&rsquo;s particularly fond of Boston. He cites Tampa Bay&rsquo;s Victor Hedman as an NHLer he likes to watch. Gildon played pretty much every major sport you can name while he was growing up, but now he focuses solely on hockey. He often played up a year as a kid, but when he played with his peers on an under-12 team, he began to realize that he was being counted on more by his teammates. And though the NHL&rsquo;s Dallas Stars have really helped grow the game in Texas since the franchise moved from Minnesota in 1993, Gildon can still develop in relative anonymity down there, since his classmates in high school are still wrapping their heads around how good he and his team are. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think they quite understand the level we play at,&rdquo; Gildon said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s still a football school.&rdquo;And though Gildon gave up football for hockey, there are some Texas traditions he still finds time for &ndash; barbecue, for example. &ldquo;We have a smoker and a grill in the backyard, so I make time for that,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I think I make some pretty good ribs.&rdquo;As a growing teenager, there&rsquo;s always room for protein, and with his frame Gildon will be a force if he gets to the size Silverman predicts. They say everything is bigger in Texas, so why would hockey phenoms be any different?<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0064-0217/148070-1-eng-US/f0064-022.jpg" title="f0064-02" width="366" height="433"><figcaption class="caption-body">MAX GILDON</figcaption></div><h2>PHENOMS TO WATCH</h2><h3>Nolan Patrick C, BRANDON (WHL)</h3><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0064-038/148063-1-eng-US/f0064-032.jpg" title="f0064-03" width="79" height="103"></div>One of the WHL&rsquo;s topscoring rookies, he is already 6-foot-3.SCOUT SAYS:&ldquo;Tall, lean kid who skates really well. Makes good passes.&rdquo;</div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h3>Michael Pastujov LW, HONEYBAKED (MM)</h3><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0064-045/148056-1-eng-US/f0064-042.jpg" title="f0064-04" width="80" height="103"></div>A powerful skater brimming with creativity, he has the makings of an elite scorer.SCOUT SAYS:&ldquo;If he said he was going to the OHL, he&rsquo;d be first overall.&rdquo;</div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h3>Patrick Khodorenko C, NTDP (USHL)</h3><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0064-055/148049-1-eng-US/f0064-052.jpg" title="f0064-05" width="80" height="106"><figcaption class="caption-body" style="width: 80px">(BOBBY ARBUTHNOT)</figcaption></div>A thick pivot that plays the Jonathan Toews style coaches love.SCOUT SAYS:&ldquo;Really good two-way center. Mature for that age.&rdquo; &#9632;</div>

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HOCKEY WORLD IS TAKING NOTICE

<div class="byline">BY ADAM PROTEAU</div>COLLEGE FREE AGENTS<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0065-0125/148106-1-eng-US/f0065-012.jpg" title="f0065-01" width="791" height="525"><figcaption class="caption-body">OFF-ICE AFFECTO&rsquo;Connor has an environmental conscience like Edmonton Oilers captain Andrew Ference. (RICHARD T GAGNON/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>MATT O&rsquo;CONNOR IS focused on one thing &ndash; playing his best for Boston University in what could be his final season with the team &ndash; but don&rsquo;t take that to mean the 23-year-old goalie is one of those all-or-nothing prospect archetypes. He has already made the most of his collegiate experience and could complete a master&rsquo;s degree in public health if he chooses to return to school for his senior year. Nevertheless, O&rsquo;Connor&rsquo;s stellar play on the ice and commitment to his game despite going undrafted has made him who he is now: one of if not the NCAA&rsquo;s top free agent pursued by an NHL team. And he&rsquo;s thrilled with the way things have unfolded. &ldquo;In a way, this is a weight off my shoulders,&rdquo; O&rsquo;Connor said. &ldquo;You don&rsquo;t have to deal with one team coming to watch you play and the pressure of that night. You can impress anyone watching. So slipping through the draft has paid off for me and been an advantage.&rdquo;After a rookie year in which he posted a .910 save percentage in 19 games, O&rsquo;Connor improved his showing in that category every season and by the 23-game mark of this season, he&rsquo;d raised it to .929 (along with a 17-3-4 record). He plays on a high-profile squad thanks to superstar Jack Eichel, but O&rsquo;Connor was on the radar of NHL GMs well before Eichel arrived, and he&rsquo;s been contacted by at least a half-dozen teams trying to persuade him to join them. They&rsquo;re attracted by his size and athleticism, but given that a goalie&rsquo;s mental makeup is virtually as crucial to his success as his instincts or reflexes, it&rsquo;s O&rsquo;Connor&rsquo;s calm aura that&rsquo;s one of his best selling points. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s got a maturity beyond his years and a great work ethic,&rdquo; said Terriers coach David Quinn. &ldquo;Put all that together with a guy who&rsquo;s 6-foot-5, and you&rsquo;ve got someone everybody wants.&rdquo;Away from the game, O&rsquo;Connor is intrigued by environmental health, food systems, farming mechanisms and sustainability. And he looks to the captain of one of the teams that&rsquo;s shown interest in him as an example of the effect athletes can have inside and outside their sports. &ldquo;Andrew Ference is pretty cool &ndash; an interesting role model who&rsquo;s environmentally conscious and is making an NHL career for himself,&rdquo; O&rsquo;Connor said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;d definitely like to go for lunch with him one day.&rdquo; &#9632;

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TAKE A NUMBER AND GET IN LINE

<div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0065-0222/148163-1-eng-US/f0065-022.jpg" title="f0065-02" width="80" height="135"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2>KENNEY MORRISON</h2>D, Western MichiganBig (6-foot-2) 23-year-old D-man is a solid two-way defender and an excellent puck-mover with a bazooka shot.<div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0065-0321/148156-1-eng-US/f0065-032.jpg" title="f0065-03" width="80" height="136"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2>AUSTIN CZARNIK</h2>C, Miami of OhioAt 5-foot-9, the 22-year-old lacks bulk, but his creativity and speed are the Hobey Baker Award candidate&rsquo;s selling points.<div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0065-0417/148149-1-eng-US/f0065-042.jpg" title="f0065-04" width="80" height="135"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2>CASEY BAILEY</h2>RW, Penn StateAlaskan-born winger struggled in sophomore season but has grown into a productive goal scorer who comes through in clutch.<div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0065-0512/148142-1-eng-US/f0065-052.jpg" title="f0065-05" width="79" height="137"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2>KYLE BAUN</h2>RW, ColgateHe uses his size (6-foot-2) to stake out space in front of net and look for rebounds. Grandfather is Maple Leafs legend Bobby Baun.<div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0065-068/148135-1-eng-US/f0065-062.jpg" title="f0065-06" width="79" height="134"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2>COLE BARDREAU</h2>RW/C, CornellVersatile forward suffered lifethreatening neck injury in 2013. Not a physical force but is an exceptional and dogged penalty killer. &#9632;

FIVE TO WATCH

<div class="byline">BY JENNIFER KING</div>FLASHBACK REWIND<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0066-0125/148206-1-eng-US/f0066-012.jpg" title="f0066-01" width="321" height="487"><figcaption class="caption-body">RYAN GETZLAF</figcaption></div>BACK IN 2005, HOCKEY WAS going through an&hellip;interesting time. No need to rehash bad memories of the lost lockout season, but if there&rsquo;s one decent aspect to hockey&rsquo;s disastrous year it&rsquo;s the quality of the 2005 Future Watch list. Our senior editor Brian Costello even referred to it as &ldquo;the mother of all Future Watch lists.&rdquo;This group was packed with players who are still leading successful careers. In just 10 years, 12 players from that list have gone on to hoist the Stanley Cup. Is it possible the year off during the lockout might have done some good for the prospects? Did more time in development leagues aid their progression? Or maybe it was just the perfect storm of no NHL season coming on the heels of the best draft of the generation &ndash; more than a third of the players on this list hail from the monumental 2003 draft.Of the players from the 2003 class who appear on this list, 13 are either current or former captains or alternate captains. Players such as Ryan Getzlaf and Shea Weber are now leading their teams to victories, while others like Jeff Carter, Corey Perry and Ryan Suter have become essential parts of their teams&rsquo; rosters.Here are THN&rsquo;s top 50 prospects from Future Watch 2005 and 2010. Players are listed with current team and NHL games played as of Feb. 23, 2015.<h2>2005</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0066-0222/148199-1-eng-US/f0066-022.jpg" title="f0066-02" width="325" height="1170"></div><h2>2010</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0066-036/148192-1-eng-US/f0066-032.jpg" title="f0066-03" width="324" height="1170"><figcaption class="caption-body">(GARRETT ELLWOOD/NHLIMAGES)</figcaption></div> &#9632;

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