THN’s Future Watch 2019 has all the staples of our popular annual prospect-blowout edition: our Top 100 list, Top 10s and team grades for every franchise, and Sneak Peeks at the next three NHL drafts. Also in the issue, we have features on the future of goalie development, Cale Makar, Cody Glass, Filip Zadina, the New York Rangers, and much more.

Future Watch 2019

The Hockey News has been providing the most comprehensive coverage of the world of hockey since 1947. THN is published 18 times a year, including 14 regular issues and four special issues – such as Future Watch, Draft Preview, Yearbook, the #1 selling hockey annual in North America.

The Hockey News Mar. 25, 2019 - Future Watch issue

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Opening Thoughts

THN POLL

<div class="byline">BY DAVID BOCLAIR</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="nsh_tolvane_137" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/nsh_tolvane_1372/470460-1-eng-US/nsh_tolvane_1372.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">EELI&nbsp;TOLVANEN (FRANK JANSKY/ICON SPORTSWIRE VIA GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>C&ndash;/RANK 28THE NASHVILLE PREDATORS&rsquo; RECENT run of success, including an appearance in the 2017 Stanley Cup final and the 2018 Presidents&rsquo; Trophy, has changed the way they look at their prospect pipeline. Annual deadline deals depleted their draft resources to the point they did not make their first selection at the 2018 draft until the fourth round. As a result, they need their scouting department to find more players like right winger Viktor Arvidsson, defenseman Mattias Ekholm, right winger Craig Smith and goalie Juuse Saros, all fourth-round picks who have played important roles in the franchise&rsquo;s rise to the NHL elite.5-YEAR TREND<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0051-0166/470453-1-eng-US/f0051-012.jpg" title="f0051-01" width="1259" height="304"></div><h2>1. EELI TOLVANEN</h2>RW, 19, 5-10, 190 Milwaukee (AHL) 41&ndash;10&ndash;11&ndash;21&ndash;14 2017 draft, 30th overall OVERALL 15Not as well travelled this season as last, he did leave Milwaukee briefly to compete for Finland at the WJC and played four NHL games in early December. His goal totals in the AHL and at the WJC have been surprisingly low. He has found ways to contribute at all levels even when he doesn&rsquo;t find the back of the net. The Preds are pleased he opted not to exercise his option to return to the KHL. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a mature kid who has stayed with process,&rdquo; said assistant GM Jeff Kealty.&nbsp;FW18 No. 1 NHL 2019-20<h2>2. DANTE FABBRO</h2>D, 20, 6-1, 193 Boston University (HE) 33&ndash;7&ndash;23&ndash;30&ndash;22 2016 draft, 17th overall OVERALL 36He&rsquo;s been captain and logged big minutes for a BU team that uncharacteristically has been below .500. As a result, his leadership and competitiveness have been tested in ways they weren&rsquo;t his first two college seasons. Fabbro has shown improved strength and conditioning, and his ability to move and shoot the puck are as polished as ever. The expectation is he will turn pro after his college season ends and that his game will mesh nicely with the Predators&rsquo; style of play.&nbsp;FW18 No. 2 NHL 2020-21<h2>3. REM PITLICK</h2>C, 21, 5-11, 200 Minnesota (Big Ten) 35&ndash;19&ndash;22&ndash;41&ndash;24 2016 draft, 76th overallPitlick has played primarily at center in the spot Casey Mittelstadt, now an NHLer with Buffalo, previously occupied. The transition from wing has been smooth, and Pitlick has emerged as one of the Gophers&rsquo; leading scorers. He remains a competitive player who does everything at full speed and loves to shoot the puck. His style likely means he will play on the wing as a pro, but Preds&rsquo; officials believe playing in the middle as a college junior this season will give him a different and useful perspective on the game.&nbsp;FW18 No. 5 NHL 2020-21<h2>4. ALEXANDRE CARRIER</h2>D, 22, 5-11, 184 Milwaukee (AHL) 59&ndash;3&ndash;20&ndash;23&ndash;41 2015 draft, 115th overallIn his third AHL season, Carrier has yet to show that extra, explosive step in his skating, which might be the only thing that has kept him from making the jump. He is a &ldquo;do-it-all guy&rdquo; who plays &ndash; and produces &ndash; in every situation for the Admirals, which has been helped by the fact he is 10 pounds heavier than he was the previous season. He will never be the biggest guy, but he has the type of hockey sense that serves him well regardless of the level of competition. Nashville can afford to be patient with him.&nbsp;FW18 No. 8 NHL 2020-21<h2>5. FREDERIC ALLARD</h2>D, 21, 6-1, 184 Milwaukee (AHL) 50&ndash;4&ndash;21&ndash;25&ndash;32 2016 draft, 78th overallAllard won&rsquo;t lug the puck the length of the ice, but he moves and shoots it well when the opportunity arises. Perhaps most importantly, he has shown a good sense of when to jump up in the offensive zone and create an odd-man situation, which has made him one of the team&rsquo;s leading scorers. Allard needs to show more consistency in his competitiveness from one shift to the next and needs to become a more effective skater, which the Predators believe will happen as he continues to develop.&nbsp;FW18 nr NHL 2021-22<h2>6. ANTHONY RICHARD</h2>LW, 22, 5-10, 176 Milwaukee (AHL) 56&ndash;18&ndash;20&ndash;38&ndash;18 2015 draft, 100th overallNeeds more size and speed to be NHL ready, but scores enough to get opportunities.<h2>7. JACHYM KONDELIK</h2>C, 19, 6-5, 230 Connecticut (HE) 32&ndash;4&ndash;22&ndash;26&ndash;12 2018 draft, 111th overallPlays in all situations as a freshman and shows good hands for someone his size.<h2>8. YAKOV TRENIN</h2>C, 22, 6-2, 211 Milwaukee (AHL) 57&ndash;12&ndash;13&ndash;25&ndash;29 2015 draft, 55th overallTwo-way pivot slowly rediscovering his game after 2016&rsquo;s significant leg injury.<h2>9. PATRICK HARPER</h2>C, 20, 5-9, 160 Boston University (HE) 33&ndash;4&ndash;12&ndash;16&ndash;6 2016 draft, 138th overallHigh skill. Great hands. Stats have dipped as a junior after he missed half of 2017-18.<h2>10. GRANT MISMASH</h2>LW, 20, 6-1, 195 North Dakota (NCHC) 21&ndash;5&ndash;4&ndash;9&ndash;25 2017 draft, 61st overallSophomore isn&rsquo;t the prettiest skater, but he gets there and is physical when he does.<h2>21-AND-UNDER NHLERS</h2>NONE &#9632;

NHL Team Reports

NASHVILLE PREDATORS: EXCAVATION GAME

<div class="byline">BY CHRIS RYAN</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/nj_smith5/470510-1-eng-US/nj_smith2.jpg" title="nj_smith" width="840" height="1204"><figcaption class="caption-body">TY&nbsp;SMITH (MARISSA BAECKER/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>B+/RANK 9SINCE RAY SHERO TOOK over as New Jersey Devils GM in 2015, his main focus involved adding picks to the organization, and since 2016 New Jersey has picked 26 players to replenish a system that did not produce much NHL talent early in the decade. (New Jersey had just 34 picks in the six drafts from 2010 to 2015 &ndash; eight fewer than the 42 they started with.) Those deeper draft classes haven&rsquo;t paid off at the NHL level yet outside of 2017 No. 1 overall pick Nico Hischier. The Devils still have 21 picks in the next three drafts and will aim to keep adding assets while some of the players below help the team climb back into contention.5-YEAR TREND<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0052-0247/470503-1-eng-US/f0052-022.jpg" title="f0052-02" width="1259" height="304"></div><h2>1. TY SMITH</h2>D, 18, 5-11, 177 Spokane (WHL) 52&ndash;6&ndash;58&ndash;64&ndash;29 2018 draft, 17th overall OVERALL 20Smith showed enough to make a serious run at the Devils&rsquo; roster in his first NHL camp. He&rsquo;s one of the top scoring D-men in the WHL, and the Devils value his puck-moving ability and offensive prowess. Despite his smaller size, Smith&rsquo;s hockey IQ and positioning will allow him to handle NHL competition on the defensive end. He doesn&rsquo;t have blazing speed, but a Devils blueline that lacks young, top-line talent is banking on Smith to become a long-term fixture.&nbsp;FW18 n/a NHL 2020-21<h2>2. JESPER BOQVIST</h2>C, 20, 5-9, 174 Brynas (Swe.) 47&ndash;13&ndash;20&ndash;33&ndash;14 2017 draft, 36th overall OVERALL 75Boqvist has the most upside of any forward in the system. He has the speed, skill and scoring ability to drive a line, and he&rsquo;s taken big strides in Sweden&rsquo;s top league. He ranks among the league&rsquo;s top scorers for players 21 or younger and, after breaking his wrist in 2017-18, he&rsquo;s soared past his production from last year. The question surrounding Boqvist is if his size can translate to the NHL, where he would need to deal with more physical play to avoid getting knocked off the puck easily.&nbsp;FW18 No. 3 NHL 2020-21<h2>3. MACKENZIE BLACKWOOD</h2>G, 22, 6-4, 225 Binghamton (AHL) 8&ndash;10&ndash;0, 2.95, .902 2015 draft, 42nd overall OVERALL 78When the Devils drafted Blackwood as their second selection in 2015, it was easy to peg him as the goalie of the future. When he struggled mightily in his second AHL season in 2017-18, that projection became murkier. He&rsquo;s rebounded in 2018-19. He made the AHL All-Star Game and made a big NHL statement: Filling in for an injured Cory Schneider, Blackwood won six games with a .926 save percentage in 13 games. His size and athletic ability help him cover the net.&nbsp;FW18 No. 10 NHL 2019-20<h2>4. MICHAEL MCLEOD</h2>C, 21, 6-2, 188 Binghamton (AHL) 52&ndash;6&ndash;25&ndash;31&ndash;37 2016 draft, 12th overall OVERALL 87McLeod hasn&rsquo;t turned into an impact NHL player yet despite his high draft position, and his first pro season is on track to be spent entirely in the AHL. McLeod is one of the Devils&rsquo; fastest prospects, and he has nice puck skills. The challenge is translating those skills to the pro game. He could get away with doing things on his own in junior, but he still needs to adapt to the pro structure at 5-on-5. McLeod has always been a pass-first player, but the Devils want him to shoot more.&nbsp;FW18 No. 1 NHL 2020-21<h2>5. JOEY ANDERSON</h2>RW, 20, 5-11, 190 Binghamton (AHL) 10&ndash;2&ndash;3&ndash;5&ndash;0 2016 draft, 73rd overallThe Devils have given a handful of forward prospects NHL chances this season, and Anderson has stuck out as a keeper. Following eight AHL games to start the season, he jumped to the NHL and did enough to impress before breaking his ankle. Once he returned, the Devils committed to getting him ready to stay in the NHL. At this point, Anderson doesn&rsquo;t have the scoring upside to be a top-six player. Most of the offense he generates comes from working hard to win battles along the boards and in front of the net.&nbsp;FW18 No. 4 NHL 2019-20<h2>6. JOHN QUENNEVILLE</h2>LW, 22, 6-1, 195 Binghamton (AHL) 32&ndash;16&ndash;14&ndash;30&ndash;35 2014 draft, 30th overallKeeps producing in the AHL, but scoring hasn&rsquo;t carried over in his NHL stints.<h2>7. REILLY WALSH</h2>D, 19, 6-0, 185 Harvard (ECAC) 29&ndash;11&ndash;18&ndash;29&ndash;12 2017 draft, 81st overallSophomore has impressive stats. Needs to round out his 5-on-5 and defensive play.<h2>8. NATHAN BASTIAN</h2>RW, 21, 6-4, 205 Binghamton (AHL) 56&ndash;17&ndash;6&ndash;23&ndash;63 2016 draft, 41st overallNot the flashiest prospect, but plays a physical game around the net.<h2>9. AARNE TALVITIE</h2>C, 20, 5-10, 198 Penn State (Big Ten) 17&ndash;5&ndash;11&ndash;16&ndash;2 2017 draft, 160th overallFreshman pivot underwent knee surgery after WJC, thus ending his season early.<h2>10. FABIAN ZETTERLUND</h2>RW, 19, 5-9, 202 Farjestad (Swe.) 16&ndash;2&ndash;2&ndash;4&ndash;8 2017 draft, 63rd overallPlays with a physical edge. He&rsquo;s tough to knock off the puck. High-energy player.<h2>21-AND-UNDER NHLERS</h2>NICO HISCHIER, C, 20 PAVEL ZACHA, C, 21 JESPER BRATT, LW, 20 &#9632;

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NEW JERSEY DEVILS: PICKS ‘O’ PLENTY

<div class="byline">BY D.J. LLEWELLYN</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/buzz_luukko_0342/469104-1-eng-US/buzz_luukko_0342.jpg" title="buzz_luukko_034" width="653" height="642"><figcaption class="caption-body">UKKO-PEKKA LUUKKONEN (KEVIN LIGHT/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>THE WORLD JUNIOR Championship is the big stage, where recent first-round picks often play starring roles for their respective countries while NHL fans get an exciting glimpse of &ldquo;what could be&rdquo; in the near future for their favorite teams.This year, however, wasn&rsquo;t quite like that. Detroit&rsquo;s 2018 first-rounders Filip Zadina and Joe Veleno combined for only three assists at the WJC, while the New York Islanders&rsquo; top prospect, Noah Dobson, was limited to a single goal. Instead, it was players taken later in the draft who stole the show. Chicago&rsquo;s 2018 fourth-rounder Philipp Kurashev tallied six goals in seven games for Switzerland. Columbus pick Emil Bemstrom, a fourth-rounder in 2017, had six points for Sweden. And Washington&rsquo;s 2018 second-round pick Martin Fehervary was a point-per-game defenseman for Slovakia. None of these players won a medal, but each certainly shot up his NHL team&rsquo;s prospect list.And then, of course, there were Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko, who did nothing but cement their position as the top two names on this year&rsquo;s NHL draft board. Both offered up several memorable moments, none bigger than Kakko&rsquo;s late golden goal to lift Finland past Hughes and Team USA.It&rsquo;s not always the biggest names and highest picks that make the difference. Less-heralded players from later rounds can sometimes have the biggest impact. Here&rsquo;s a list of every NHL team&rsquo;s prospects who played in the 2019 WJC and the stats they posted (skaters: GP-G-A-Pts-PIM; goalies: save percentage, goals-against average).<h2>NHL TEAM REPRESENTATION</h2>ANAHEIM DUCKS (4)Maxime Comtois, Can 5-5-1-6-8Lukas Dostal, Cze .957, 1.25Isac Lundestrom, Swe 5-1-3-4-4Olle Eriksson Ek, Swe .909, 1.00ARIZONA COYOTES (3)Barrett Hayton, Can 5-0-4-4-0Jan Jenik, Cze 3-0-2-2-2Filip Westerlund, Swe 5-1-1-2-4BOSTON BRUINS (6)Jack Studnicka, Can 5-1-3-4-0Daniel Bukac, Cze 5-0-1-1-2Jakub Lauko, Cze 5-1-1-2-6Urho Vaakanainen, Fin 7-0-4-4-6Pavel Shen, Rus 7-3-1-4-8Kyle Keyser, USA .872, 2.95BUFFALO SABRES (4)Matej Pekar, Cze 5-0-0-0-4Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Fin .932, 1.80Oskari Laaksonen, Fin 7-1-1-2-6Mattias Samuelsson, USA 7-0-0-0-0CALGARY FLAMES (4)Martin Pospisil, Svk 5-0-2-2-8Milos Roman, Svk 5-3-1-4-2Adam Ruzicka, Svk 5-2-1-3-4Filip Sveningsson, Swe 4-0-0-0-0CAROLINA HURRICANES (2)Martin Necas, Cze 5-1-3-4-18Jack Drury, USA 7-0-0-0-0CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS (7)Ian Mitchell, Can 5-1-2-3-2MacKenzie Entwistle, Can 5-3-0-3-0Jakub Galvas, Cze 5-0-1-1-2Henri Jokiharju, Fin 7-2-3-5-2Adam Boqvist, Swe 5-1-3-4-0Philipp Kurashev, Sui 7-6-1-7-4Evan Barratt, USA 7-1-0-1-4COLORADO AVALANCHE (4)Shane Bowers, Can 5-0-2-2-2Martin Kaut, Cze 5-3-1-4-14Danila Zhuravlyov, Rus 7-0-1-1-2Nikolai Kovalenko, Rus 6-1-2-3-12COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS (4)Daniil Tarasov, Rus .892, 2.80Kirill Marchenko, Rus 7-1-0-1-0Emil Bemstrom, Swe 5-4-2-6-20Tim Berni, Sui 7-0-2-2-2DALLAS STARS (2)Oskar Back, Swe 5-0-1-1-2Jason Robertson, USA 7-1-6-7-4DETROIT RED WINGS (4)Jared McIsaac, Can 4-0-1-1-4Joe Veleno, Can 5-0-2-2-0Filip Zadina, Cze 5-0-1-1-2Malte Setkov, Den 6-1-1-2-2EDMONTON OILERS (3)Evan Bouchard, Can 5-0-3-3-0Dmitri Samorukov, Rus 7-1-3-4-2Phil Kemp, USA 7-0-1-1-0FLORIDA PANTHERS (3)Owen Tippett, Can 5-2-2-4-0Aleksi Heponiemi, Fin 7-3-6-9-4Grigori Denisenko, Rus 7-4-5-9-4LOS ANGELES KINGS (5)Markus Phillips, Can 5-0-3-3-6Jaret Anderson-Dolan, Can 5-1-0-1-2Rasmus Kupari, Fin 7-1-4-5-4Johan Sodergran, Swe 4-0-0-0-4Mikey Anderson, USA 7-2-3-5-6MINNESOTA WILD (0)MONTREAL CANADIENS (7)Josh Brook, Can 5-0-2-2-0Nick Suzuki, Can 5-0-3-3-4Jesse Ylonen, Fin 7-3-3-6-0Alexander Romanov, Rus 7-1-7-8-0Jacob Olofsson, Swe 5-0-0-0-0Cayden Primeau, USA .936, 1.61Ryan Poehling, USA 7-5-3-8-2NASHVILLE PREDATORS (2)Jachym Kondelik, Cze 5-1-1-2-2Eeli Tolvanen, Fin 7-0-4-4-2NEW JERSEY DEVILS (4)Ty Smith, Can 5-0-3-3-0Aarne Talvitie, Fin 7-4-3-7-14Fabian Zetterlund, Swe 5-0-0-0-6Akira Schmid, Sui .877, 4.23NEW YORK ISLANDERS (4)Noah Dobson, Can 5-1-0-1-2Jakub Skarek, Cze .900, 3.00Logan Cockerill, USA 7-0-1-1-0Oliver Wahlstrom, USA 7-2-2-4-2NEW YORK RANGERS (4)Vitali Kravtsov, Rus 7-2-4-6-6Nils Lundkvist, Swe 5-1-1-2-0Nico Gross, Sui 7-0-2-2-8K&rsquo;Andre Miller, USA 6-0-1-1-0OTTAWA SENATORS (2)Erik Brannstrom, Swe 5-4-0-4-4Josh Norris, USA 7-3-3-6-4PHILADELPHIA FLYERS (7)Morgan Frost, Can 5-4-4-8-12Samuel Ersson, Swe .922, 2.23Adam Ginning, Swe 4-0-0-0-2Jack St. Ivany, USA 7-0-0-0-0Noah Cates, USA 7-1-2-3-2Joel Farabee, USA 7-3-2-5-2Jay O&rsquo;Brien, USA 7-0-0-0-0PITTSBURGH PENGUINS (1)Filip Hallander, Swe 5-0-0-0-2ST. LOUIS BLUES (1)Klim Kostin, Rus 7-3-3-6-10SAN JOSE SHARKS (1)Alexander Chmelevski, USA 7-4-3-7-2TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING (1)Radim Salda, Cze 3-0-0-0-0TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (4)Ian Scott, Can .882, 2.00Filip Kral, Cze 5-1-0-1-2Rasmus Sandin, Swe 5-2-2-4-4Pontus Holmberg, Swe 5-0-0-0-0VANCOUVER CANUCKS (4)Michael DiPietro, Can .951, 1.23Toni Utunen, Fin 7-1-0-1-0Quinn Hughes, USA 7-0-2-2-2Tyler Madden, USA 7-3-1-4-2VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS (5)Cody Glass, Can 5-2-4-6-2Jiri Patera, Cze .800, 6.00Jonas Rondbjerg, Den 6-1-1-2-0Ivan Morozov, Rus 7-1-1-2-0Lucas Elvenes, Swe 5-1-3-4-2WASHINGTON CAPITALS (2)Alexander Alexeyev, Rus 7-2-4-6-10Martin Fehervary, Svk 5-1-4-5-2WINNIPEG JETS (3)Santeri Virtanen, Fin 7-1-2-3-4David Gustafsson, Swe 5-0-3-3-6Dylan Samberg, USA 7-0-2-2-4<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/wjc-table-1/478959-1-eng-US/wjc-table-1.jpg" title="wjc-table-1" width="2500" height="13125"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/wjc-table-2/478966-1-eng-US/wjc-table-2.jpg" title="wjc-table-2" width="2500" height="13125"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/wjc-table-3/478973-1-eng-US/wjc-table-3.jpg" title="wjc-table-3" width="2500" height="13125"></div> &#9632;

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BUZZ

ON TOP OF THE WORLD

<div class="byline">Brian Costello, Senior Editor</div>THE SCOUTING REPORT ON scouts these days is pretty simple: thick skin and lots of it. While they&rsquo;re busy evaluating which speedy, young players have good hands, compete hard and have high hockey IQs, the pressure on these professional talent evaluators is greater than ever.In a salary-cap environment with soon to be 32 NHL franchises, the only way to truly build a contending team is through the draft. Remember back in the day when the New York Rangers or Toronto Maple Leafs would try and buy or trade their way out of trouble? You can&rsquo;t sign your way or deal your way to the top anymore &ndash; though the Columbus Blue Jackets are giving it a shot. You have to do it by finding cheap, young talent, developing these prospects, then keeping them for the long term.The stakes to scout well, extremely well, are sky high, probably more than ever. A team with too many misses at the draft table is a team that will spin its wheels, because no one gives away good players for nothing.Take a look at the top forward and top defenseman on each of the 31 teams, and you see 77 percent of them (23 forwards and 25 blueliners) are homegrown. Find them, raise them, never get rid of them. It&rsquo;s the only way.That&rsquo;s why it&rsquo;s stressful running a scouting department. If your team&rsquo;s scouts hit a dry spell, or if your team doesn&rsquo;t get a lot of early picks, you start to see dark clouds build on the horizon. Let&rsquo;s face it, the long-term future for the Pittsburgh Penguins isn&rsquo;t bright. By the time next season starts, their four marquee stars will be 32 or older. And with a prospect list ranked the weakest in the NHL, there aren&rsquo;t enough blue-chip reinforcements to replace them when they age out. Eventually, the win-for-now Penguins will have to rebuild through the draft. It&rsquo;s inevitable. Just like the Los Angeles Kings have started to realize.Some teams are at the other end of the spectrum. We&rsquo;ve watched with dropped jaws these past weeks as the Ottawa Senators go through what they hope is an accelerated rebuild. They traded their stars for picks and prospects. Now it&rsquo;s time for the scouts and talent developers to perform. With a deep list of prospects and 21-and-under NHLers &ndash; ranked No. 6 league wide &ndash; and with 15 picks in the first three rounds of the next three drafts, the expectation is heavy on these Ottawa scouts.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/bc_20182/468770-1-eng-US/bc_20182.jpg" title="bc_2018" width="691" height="997"><figcaption class="caption-body">(PHOTO BY JON BLACKER)</figcaption></div>The Rangers went in that direction last year, actually going to the measured lengths of calling a press conference to announce they were rebuilding. &ldquo;The time was right,&rdquo; said Rangers GM Jeff Gorton. &ldquo;There was no point fighting it.&rdquo; They made trades for prospects and picks, and a year later they&rsquo;ve groomed an impressive list (see pg. 14).In Edmonton, where fans are becoming desperate to see the team take advantage of Connor McDavid&rsquo;s most productive years, the scouting department is feeling the heat. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s definitely more pressure when the team isn&rsquo;t doing well,&rdquo; said Oilers vice-president of player development Scott Howson. &ldquo;But you can&rsquo;t change the way you scout too much. It&rsquo;s still all about finding the best player.&rdquo;Ahh, finding the best player. That&rsquo;s the mandate of every team. Beyond the first 15 or 20 picks in the draft, it&rsquo;s also the most difficult task. With so many teams sharing the same mentality and every fan knowing that, it&rsquo;s no wonder you need thick skin to be a scout.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/costello_si_0072/468763-1-eng-US/costello_si_0072.jpg" title="costello_si_007" width="587" height="149"></div> &#9632;

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Column

THE STAKES ARE ALWAYS WELL DONE

<div class="byline">W. Graeme Roustan</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/graeme_rous_0107/468820-1-eng-US/graeme_rous_0102.jpg" title="graeme_rous_010" width="505" height="498"><figcaption class="caption-body">(PHOTO BY MICHELLE VALBERG)</figcaption></div>Dear readers,If you&rsquo;re a subscriber to the print version of The Hockey News, you&rsquo;ve probably already received your renewal forms in the mail. In them, you&rsquo;ll find that if you re-up, you&rsquo;ll be automatically upgraded to the Silver Membership level where, in addition to the print issues that you have been receiving, you&rsquo;ll also get the digital versions and All-Access to the Membership area at <a href="http://TheHockeyNews.com">TheHockeyNews.com</a>.We&rsquo;ve also offered you the opportunity to upgrade to the Gold Membership level, which gets you everything in Silver plus all the Special Issues we produce. Among those premium editions are the Fantasy Pool Guide and Money and Power issues, publications that don&rsquo;t come with the Silver Membership.The positive feedback I have received from the 2019 Money and Power issue has been overwhelming. Here are a couple of the comments:&ldquo;Incredible THN M&P edition. There&rsquo;s enough stories for three editions. I can&rsquo;t put it down.&rdquo; &ndash; NHL team owner&ldquo;I got home late last night and had a chance to check out the magazine this morning. Looks fantastic! Congratulations, Graeme. I am very much looking forward to digging further into the content. The photos are amazing and I love the layout.&rdquo; &ndash; Industry executiveThe 2019 Money and Power issue, which includes our annual listing of the top 100 People of Power and Influence, is available at <a href="http://TheHockeyNews.com/store">TheHockeyNews.com/store</a>. If you&rsquo;re in the sports industry or want to be, or if you&rsquo;re a fan who wants to know more about the game&rsquo;s inner workings, it is a must-have.A limited number of framed covers of the 2019 Money and Power issue are also available at <a href="http://TheHockeyNews.com/store">TheHockeyNews.com/store</a> for those who want a collectible.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/openingthou_0112/468813-1-eng-US/openingthou_0112.jpg" title="openingthou_011" width="644" height="602"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/graemeroust_0093/468806-1-eng-US/graemeroust_0092.jpg" title="graemeroust_009" width="583" height="123"></div>Executive Chairman & Publisher, Roustan Media Ltd. <a href="http://roustan.com">roustan.com</a> <a datastyle href="https://www.twitter.com/GraemeRoustan">@GraemeRoustan</a> &#9632;

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Money & Power Privileges of Membership

<div class="byline">BY RYAN KENNEDY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="buzz_fleury_015" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/buzz_fleury_0152/468906-1-eng-US/buzz_fleury_0152.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Marc-Andre Fleury panned out at No. 1 for the Penguins in 2003, but he&rsquo;s more the exception than the rule. (DAVE SANDFORD/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>IF YOU CAN BELIEVE it, there used to be a time when NHL teams drafted goalies with top-three picks. It&rsquo;s true. Marc-Andre Fleury was the last netminder to claim such a distinction when the Pittsburgh Penguins nabbed him with the No. 1 overall selection in 2003. Three years prior, Rick DiPietro was the first player off the board when the New York Islanders opened up the draft in 2000.But these days, you&rsquo;re lucky to see a goalie taken in the first 31 selections &ndash; and you&rsquo;re certainly not going to see one go in the top 10. So what happened? From the sounds of it, NHL teams were tired of getting burned. &ldquo;DiPietro, Dan Blackburn, Jack Campbell, so many guys didn&rsquo;t make it, and there are only two on a team, so you&rsquo;ve wasted that pick,&rdquo; said one NHL executive. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not like missing on a forward, where you have 12 of them. We&rsquo;d be scared to death to pick a goalie early now.&rdquo;The divergent paths of DiPietro and Fleury offer the crux of the problem. While DiPietro had a couple decent seasons for the Isles, the rest of his time was marred by injuries, inconsistency and an infamous 15-year contract that overshadowed his career. Meanwhile, Fleury won three Stanley Cups with the Penguins (1.5 as a starter), and he&rsquo;s still going strong with the Vegas Golden Knights &ndash; who made the final last year with &lsquo;Flower&rsquo; between the pipes.Fleury&rsquo;s opponent in the 2018 Cup championship was Braden Holtby, whom the Washington Capitals drafted with a very anonymous fourth-round pick in 2008. Not only does Holtby now have a championship ring, but he also has Vezina and Jennings Trophies to his name. Simply put, you don&rsquo;t need to choose early when you can get a Pekka Rinne in the eighth round. Actually, the eighth round no longer exists &ndash; that&rsquo;s how underrated Rinne was back in 2004. &ldquo;For every Carey Price (fifth overall in 2005), there are 10 Al Montoyas (sixth overall in &rsquo;04),&rdquo; said the exec. &ldquo;And then there&rsquo;s a ton of Holtbys out there who were taken late and became stars.&rdquo;So what do you at the draft table? You still need to get goalies into your pipeline, after all. &ldquo;It depends on what your team thinks, as a culture,&rdquo; said an NHL scout. &ldquo;Some goalie guys don&rsquo;t even feel comfortable taking a goaltender that early. Can you find depth at other positions later in the draft? Because if you can, then maybe you look for a home run with a goalie in the first.&rdquo;How many picks do you have, and when are they? These are other factors to consider. The Tampa Bay Lightning, for example, had two first-rounders in 2012, taking defenseman Slater Koekkoek 10th overall, then netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy with the 19th pick. Ironically, Vasilevskiy has already become an NHL star, while Koekkoek is still finding his way &ndash; now with Chicago, instead of Tampa.In the past 10 NHL drafts, only six netminders have been selected in the first round, and Vasilevskiy is the only one who has proven himself to be a starter so far. The other first-rounder in 2012, Malcolm Subban, was taken by Boston and now backs up Fleury in Vegas, while Dallas pick Jake Oettinger (2017) is still in college with Boston University. Otherwise, you have stoppers such as Campbell, who struggled for years before finally getting some starts this season with lowly Los Angeles, or Tom McCollum, who made three appearances over two years with Detroit. Mark Visentin, who joined Campbell in the 2010 first round, retired this year at age 26, having played one career game in the NHL for Arizona.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/buzz_knight_0162/468892-1-eng-US/buzz_knight_0162.jpg" title="buzz_knight_016" width="1018" height="1057"><figcaption class="caption-body">KNIGHT WATCHKnight projects to be a first-round selection in the 2019 NHL draft, but don&rsquo;t look for him in the top 10. (RENA LAVERTY)</figcaption></div>In order to mitigate the crapshoot, teams are starting to put more resources into the goaltending position. Every team has some combination of an NHL goalie scout, a goalie development coach who scouts the AHL and a prospect goalie scout who covers junior, college and Europe. Sometimes two of those categories are covered off, sometimes all three are handled by one person &ndash; but it&rsquo;s a growing industry. &ldquo;You really have to have played the position,&rdquo; said the NHL exec. &ldquo;Amateur scouts, and I include myself, are throwing darts at the wall when it comes to goalies. It&rsquo;s guesswork.&rdquo;This year, there is a legitimate first-round goalie prospect for the draft in U.S. NTDP netminder Spencer Knight, but will he still be considered the best of his class eight years from now? Perhaps, but maybe Ethan Haider of the NAHL&rsquo;s Minnesota Magicians turns into the Vezina Trophy candidate instead. And he may end up going in the third round or later. Heck, the Calgary Flames had their season saved by David Rittich &ndash; and he wasn&rsquo;t drafted at all.What is clear is that the idea of a goaltender going in the top 10 has gone the way of the passenger pigeon. Most of the darts are now being thrown on Day 2 of the draft, and that likely won&rsquo;t change anytime soon.For up-to-the-minute coverage, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://TheHockeyNews.com">TheHockeyNews.com</a> &#9632;

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NO MORE NO. 1 NETMINDERS

<div class="byline">BY RYAN KENNEDY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="buzz_sturm" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/buzz_sturm2/469075-1-eng-US/buzz_sturm2.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">NICO STURM (KEVIN ABELE/ICON SPORTSWIRE VIA GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>TIMING IS EVERYTHING for undrafted NCAA free agents. Sometimes it takes the full four years for a player to be ready for the jump to pro hockey. Sometimes it only takes a season or two. NHL teams are happy to wait for the free development, as long as they get their guy eventually. Some players will also wait until they get their degree or one final run at a national title. This spring, steady St. Cloud State D-man Jimmy Schuldt will definitely sign a contract after a couple years appearing on this list, because he&rsquo;s a senior and his eligibility is up. Look for Schuldt and Clarkson&rsquo;s Nico Sturm to be the top prizes amongst NCAA free agents. Listed below are the prominent &ldquo;new&rdquo; UFA names from U.S. college and Europe.<h1>NCAA</h1><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/fa-1/478855-1-eng-US/fa-1.jpg" title="FA-1" width="1667" height="1146"></div><h1>NICO STURM</h1>C, 23, Clarkson (ECAC)Big center has improved every year with the Golden Knights. He thinks the game defensively, so he&rsquo;s closer to NHL-ready than most college players. Good on faceoffs and penalty kill. Could jump right into the NHL next season, and his choice of team may reflect that potential opportunity.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/fa-2/478876-1-eng-US/fa-2.jpg" title="FA-2" width="1667" height="1146"></div><h1>CONNOR MACKEY</h1>D, 22, Minnesota St. (WCHA)Like Sturm, has shown steady improvement. Reliable 6-foot-2 blueliner transitions pucks and can add support offensively. Good feet. Long frame. He bulked up during his two years in Mankato. Teammate Marc Michaelis will also get attention. He&rsquo;s a speedy, gutsy, two-way left winger.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/fa-32/478918-1-eng-US/fa-3.jpg" title="FA-3" width="1667" height="1146"></div><h1>MASON JOBST</h1>C, 25, Ohio State (Big Ten)Had options last spring but returned for his senior year and captained the Buckeyes to a huge season. As a freshman and sophomore, the 5-foot-8 pivot was a dynamic water-bug type, then he went big in the weight room. He lost some quickness but replaced it with a more reliable two-way game.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/fa-4/478865-1-eng-US/fa-4.jpg" title="FA-4" width="1667" height="1146"></div><h1>TARO HIROSE</h1>LW, 22, Michigan St. (Big Ten)Highly skilled with great hands and vision. He&rsquo;ll tear you up on the power play. He&rsquo;s a bit light out there but has learned the defensive side of the game after three years with the Spartans. One of the leading scorers in the country, the left winger has a shot at the Hobey Baker Award.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/fa-5/478848-1-eng-US/fa-5.jpg" title="FA-5" width="1667" height="1146"></div><h1>RYAN KUFFNER</h1>LW, 22, Princeton (ECAC)Shoots the puck and goes to scoring areas. Skating is OK, and he&rsquo;s a bit soft, so teams will have to weigh pros and cons. The senior led the Tigers in scoring, followed by fellow free-agent target Max Veronneau, who has great hands and vision. Look for D-man Josh Teves to attract interest, too.<h1>EUROPE</h1><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/fa-6/478890-1-eng-US/fa-6.jpg" title="FA-6" width="1667" height="1146"></div><h1>ALEXANDER YELESIN</h1>D, 23, Yaroslavl (KHL)A right-handed shot who skates well and plays an aggressive game. Yelesin has a bomb from the point, winning the hardest-shot competition at the KHL All-Star Game. Teammate Danil Yurtaiken is another to keep an eye on: he&rsquo;s a hardworking left winger with great skating ability.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/fa-7/478883-1-eng-US/fa-7.jpg" title="FA-7" width="1667" height="1146"></div><h1>FREDERIK HANDEMARK</h1>C, 25, Malmo (Swe.)The 6-foot-4 captain of the RedHawks is a responsible, two-way center who is good on faceoffs and takes care of his defensive duties. His maturity and experience will make him a sought-after commodity on the open market. Farjestad&rsquo;s Joakim Nygard is another Swede to watch.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/fa-8/478897-1-eng-US/fa-8.jpg" title="FA-8" width="1667" height="1146"></div><h1>VLADIMIR TKACHYOV</h1>C, 25, Kazan (KHL)Not to be confused with the Vladimir Tkachev who played in the QMJHL a few years ago, this one is a decorated KHL vet with a Gagarin Cup championship and several international medals to his name. The Ak Bars staple is a deadly accurate passer and very good possession player.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/fa-9/478904-1-eng-US/fa-9.jpg" title="FA-9" width="1667" height="1146"></div><h1>NOAH ROD</h1>LW, 22, Geneve-Servette (Sui.)Originally a San Jose Sharks draft pick, Rod parted ways with the organization last year and is up for grabs. The hardnosed winger is having his best offensive season yet in Switzerland. Other Swiss free agents on the radar include SC Bern veterans Gaetan Haas and Tristan Scherwey.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/fa-10/478911-1-eng-US/fa-10.jpg" title="FA-10" width="1667" height="1146"></div><h1>ARTYOM ZAGIDULIN</h1>G, 23, Magnitogorsk (KHL)The backup to Metallurg star goalie Vasili Koshechkin, Zagidulin had some solid stats of his own and, at 6-foot-2, he&rsquo;s got the requisite NHL size. Still raw, his untapped potential is part of the reason he&rsquo;s garnering interest. Cherepovets goalie Dominik Furch is also getting NHL looks. &#9632;

FA-3

FREE AGENTS UP FOR GRABS

<div class="byline">BY KEN CAMPBELL</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="lindsay1" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/lindsay12/469154-1-eng-US/lindsay12.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">(PHOTO BY BRUCE BENNETT STUDIOS/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-0169/469147-1-eng-US/f0013-012.jpg" title="f0013-01" width="241" height="201"></div>AS A PLAYER, Red Kelly was everything Ted Lindsay was not. The former was big and graceful, never recording more than 39 penalty minutes in any season of his NHL career and winning the Lady Byng Trophy as the league&rsquo;s most gentlemanly player four times. His elegance and tact got him elected into the Canadian parliament while he was still playing. The latter was a 5-foot-8 whirling dervish who literally punched way above his weight, used his stick as a scythe, earned a complexion that looked like a road map and thumbed his nose at the establishment at every turn.But from the time Kelly first met Lindsay, exactly 75 years ago when a 16-year-old Kelly was playing for the midget team and an 18-year-old Lindsay was skating for the Jr. A team at St. Michael&rsquo;s College in Toronto, Lindsay has had Kelly&rsquo;s undying admiration and respect. The two players went on to win four Stanley Cups together with the Detroit Red Wings, Kelly followed Lindsay into the Hockey Hall of Fame and, in February, Kelly&rsquo;s No. 4 found its rightful place in the rafters of Little Caesars Arena in Detroit alongside Lindsay&rsquo;s No. 7.When Lindsay died peacefully at his Michigan home in early March at the age of 93 &ndash; likely the first thing &lsquo;Terrible Ted&rsquo; ever did peacefully &ndash; that left Kelly as the oldest surviving member of the Red Wings&rsquo; 1950s Stanley Cup dynasty team. Kelly recalled Lindsay the same way everyone else did, a consummate leader of men, a fierce competitor and remarkably decent human being off the ice. &ldquo;He had the Red Wings logo stamped right on his behind,&rdquo; said Kelly. &ldquo;And he never backed down from anybody.&rdquo;That included anyone on or off the ice. His battles with Bill Ezinicki, who had two inches and 10 pounds on Lindsay, were the stuff of legends. During the 1956 playoffs, Lindsay and linemate Gordie Howe were the subject of veiled death threats from an anonymous Toronto Maple Leafs fan who vowed he would shoot one of them during Game 3 of their playoff series. After scoring the tying goal late in the game and the winner in overtime to give the Red Wings a commanding 3-0 series lead, Lindsay inverted his stick, cocked it like a rifle and skated around the ice at Maple Leaf Gardens making shooting noises. &ldquo;The person off the ice was completely different than what he was on the ice,&rdquo; Kelly said. &ldquo;He could call down a referee in no uncertain terms, but yet off the ice you never heard any of those words.&rdquo;But it was off the ice where Lindsay waged his most important battle, one that would make him both a pariah in the Red Wings organization and in the dressing room and also one of the most important figures in the history of the game. Lindsay always professed a very public and very intense hatred for his opponents, but he rallied those same opponents he so despised in his attempts to form a players&rsquo; association in 1957. Lindsay had little to gain personally and a lot to lose from organizing his brethren. He had already proven himself to be an acute businessman in the plastics industry, and his legacy was secure with the four Cups in Detroit, but he could not stand by and see players so poorly paid and treated inequitably while NHL team owners made gobs of money.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/lindsay32/469140-1-eng-US/lindsay32.jpg" title="lindsay3" width="1020" height="767"><figcaption class="caption-body">HONORING THE MANConnor McDavid currently holds the Ted Lindsay Award as the NHLers&rsquo; choice for most outstanding player. (BRIAN BABINEAU/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>His attempts to organize failed, in part because he couldn&rsquo;t get the best player in the league, Howe, and the rest of his teammates on board. Lindsay lost the Red Wings&rsquo; captaincy and was dispatched to the lowly Chicago Black Hawks, which led to the demise of the Red Wings and Lindsay&rsquo;s career. &ldquo;The thing was that he was so involved with the other teams that the Red Wings were kind of left on the outside,&rdquo; Kelly said. &ldquo;When they had a vote in Toronto to decide to go on strike, he came to Detroit afterwards and we said we weren&rsquo;t going on strike. We supported what they were standing for, but we didn&rsquo;t believe in going on strike. I think he thought Gordie was aware of what was going on, but he was too involved telling the other guys. It kind of floundered a little because of that.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/lindsay22/469133-1-eng-US/lindsay22.jpg" title="lindsay2" width="1132" height="829"><figcaption class="caption-body">&lsquo;TERRIBLE&rsquo; WAS TERRIFICLindsay helped the Wings to four Cups with an arguably unmatched mix of leadership, grit and skill. (BETTMANN/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>It would be another 10 years before the NHLPA was formed and another two decades after that before the players started to really become rich. Now if a player has even a five-year NHL career, he can earn enough money to set himself up quite nicely for life. And every player who earns a seven- or eight-figure salary to play the game has Lindsay to thank for that.Lindsay&rsquo;s career was one of firsts. He was the first player in NHL history whose father also played in the league. He was the first player in league history to record 800 points and 1,800 penalty minutes, something only 12 other players have done since. He was the first player to take the Stanley Cup and parade it around the ice after winning it, a ritual that has become a time-honored tradition. He was a trailblazer in every sense of the word.When the Washington Capitals had their name added to the Stanley Cup after winning it last spring, it necessitated that a ring of the Cup be removed to accommodate the Capitals and future winners. Among the names of players removed was Lindsay, but even though he will no longer be on the Cup that is publicly displayed and awarded, Lindsay&rsquo;s mark on the game will always be an indelible one. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re going to miss him,&rdquo; Kelly said. &#9632;

lindsay1

Feature

TED LINDSAY 1925-2019

rangers_ope_035

THE MANHATTAN PROJECT

<div class="byline">BY KEN CAMPBELL</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="makar1" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/makar12/469317-1-eng-US/makar12.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">(PHOTO BY THOM KENDALL/UMASS ATHLETICS)</figcaption></div>HANG IN THERE with&nbsp;us, because we&rsquo;re getting some really important work done. It turns out the name Cale is short for Caleb. Well, sort of. This all goes back more than 20 years ago when Gary Makar and Laura MacGregor were seeking a name for their newborn son. Gary was working in the Calgary Flames&rsquo; marketing department at the time, when the blueline was being patrolled by Cale Hulse. They both liked the name and chose it for their son. Almost 27 years prior to that, David and Lorraine Hulse were trying to come up with a name for their baby, and they chose Cale, in deference to NASCAR legend Cale Yarborough, whose given name is William Caleb. True story.This name stuff is important because even though you might not know much about Cale Makar at the moment, you&rsquo;ll be hearing his name an awful lot in the future, and you might even find it on the Norris Trophy a couple of times. He&rsquo;s that good. The fourth overall pick of the Colorado Avalanche in 2017 has been stamped &ldquo;NHL ready&rdquo; by anyone who has seen him play for the University of Massachusetts-Amherst Minutemen this season, including his future employer. Makar is this year&rsquo;s No. 1 prospect outside the NHL, and it&rsquo;s not even close. Of the 11 NHL scouts and directors of player personnel The Hockey News polled for their lists of top prospects, 10 put Makar&rsquo;s name at the top. &ldquo;He has NHL skating, NHL hockey IQ, he has NHL passing, has an NHL shot,&rdquo; said Avalanche development coach Brett Clark, who has kept a close eye on Makar all season. &ldquo;He has all the tools.&rdquo;And the hardware to go with them. Like Hall of Fame defenseman Scott Niedermayer, winning &ndash; on the team and individual levels &ndash; seems to follow Makar. UMass has pushed him to win the Hobey Baker Award as U.S. college hockey&rsquo;s most outstanding player, but it probably doesn&rsquo;t have to do that. The sophomore isn&rsquo;t a shoo-in to win the award, but it would be more than a mild surprise if he didn&rsquo;t close out his U.S. college hockey career with the Hobey Baker on his resume. If that happens, it will be added to what is becoming a rather crowded trophy case. This season, Makar helped lead the Minutemen to their first Hockey East regular-season championship, scoring two goals and adding an assist in the clinching game. He won two Alberta Junior League titles with the Brooks Bandits and a gold medal in the World Jr. A Hockey Challenge before anchoring Team Canada&rsquo;s defense corps at the 2018 world juniors &ndash; along with fellow Avs prospect Conor Timmins &ndash; en route to a gold medal.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/makar22/469310-1-eng-US/makar22.jpg" title="makar2" width="1384" height="1038"><figcaption class="caption-body">GRADE-A COLLEGE KID Makar was the runaway pick as the No. 1 prospect for Future Watch in a survey of NHL scouts. (RICHARD T GAGNON/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>Individually, Makar is the only player in the history of the RBC Cup &ndash; which is Canada&rsquo;s Jr. A national championship &ndash; to be named most valuable player and top defenseman in back-to-back years. He was rookie of the year in the AJHL and the Canadian Jr. League, then followed that up by being named the top defenseman in the AJHL in 2016-17.So why haven&rsquo;t we heard more about him? Well, we probably would have if he had played major junior or if he had gone to a school with a more prominent hockey program. Perhaps more people would know him had he accepted the invitation to join Canada&rsquo;s Olympic team in 2018. But it&rsquo;s very clear we&rsquo;re dealing with a young man who is resolute in his convictions and holds loyalty as a very important character trait. He was recruited by UMass-Amherst in his first year of Jr. A hockey when he was a 5-foot-8 defenseman, and while there were people who thought he should revoke his commitment and attend a bigger school, he stuck with the Minutemen, even though the coach who recruited him was fired and replaced by former Ottawa Senators assistant coach Greg Carvel. That turned out to be a blessing for both. Carvel was with the Senators for the first two years of Erik Karlsson&rsquo;s NHL career and is not shy about pointing out the uncanny similarities between the two players. In fact, Carvel could see it the moment he went to watch Makar play junior hockey. &ldquo;The first time I went to see him, it was September,&rdquo; Carvel recalled. &ldquo;And he came out on the ice for warm-ups, and I instantly saw his skating ability and his quick hands and the way he moved the puck and shot the puck. I called my staff immediately and I said, &lsquo;We&rsquo;ve got Erik Karlsson coming to our team. This kid is good.&rsquo;&rdquo;Makar was barely on the NHL&rsquo;s radar as a prospect at the time but worked his way up to be a top prospect for the 2017 draft. Since then, Makar has done nothing but project upward at a mind-boggling pace. In fact, the Avalanche tried hard to sign him after his first year with UMass and have him play pro this season, but Makar is focused on the long game. And of course the Avs understood. Part of the reason for that is GM Joe Sakic was once in Makar&rsquo;s spot as an 18-year-old. He had just come off scoring 60 goals and 133 points for the 1986-87 Swift Current Broncos, and the Quebec Nordiques were pushing hard to have him join them after drafting him 15th overall. But Sakic insisted that he was not ready for the NHL and asked the Nordiques to send him back to junior, where he scored 78 goals and 160 points and helped Canada to a gold medal in the WJC, then was named the CHL&rsquo;s player of the year. Suffice to say things turned out all right for him. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m just going to do what&rsquo;s right and what I feel is going to be the best for myself,&rdquo; Makar said. &ldquo;Obviously I&rsquo;m going to take the opinions of other people like my family into consideration, but I think at the end of the day it&rsquo;s going to come down to what I think is best for my development. In terms of my decision to come to UMass for a second year, I think it&rsquo;s been great, and it&rsquo;s made me ready for a pro team.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/makar42/469303-1-eng-US/makar42.jpg" title="makar4" width="2115" height="1450"><figcaption class="caption-body">TOMORROW THE WORLD Makar&rsquo;s winning resume includes a gold medal at the 2018 WJC and a slew of other titles and trophies. (KEVIN HOFFMAN/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>The way Carvel speaks now, he&rsquo;s not even pretending that he&rsquo;ll have Makar back next season. In fact, when he and Makar sat down for their first meeting, he showed the player a two-year plan based on Charlie McAvoy, who played two years at Boston University before joining the Boston Bruins for their playoff run in 2017. As good as Makar was as a freshman, there were still holes in his game, and he needed to get stronger on the puck. But the best thing about returning to the college game this season is that it has allowed Makar to be a dominant player. Carvel said his team recently played a game against BU, a school that has three first-round skaters in Shane Bowers, Dante Fabbro and Joel Farabee, and Makar ruled the contest. Carvel also said an NHL coach watched Makar play and remarked to him that Makar was the best college hockey prospect he&rsquo;d ever seen. &ldquo;He is an elite skater, and it&rsquo;s nothing that we&rsquo;ve developed,&rdquo; Carvel said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s like (Connor) McDavid on the ice. He floats on the ice, and he&rsquo;s a powerful skater. He blows by guys at this level. He&rsquo;s blown by first-round draft picks at this level. He&rsquo;s dominant, and he&rsquo;s a threat.&rdquo;Now, to the Karlsson comparisons. It&rsquo;s one thing to look at a 20-year-old college player who has yet to appear in an NHL game and has the kind of rosy complexion that constantly makes it look as though he&rsquo;s just come in from playing on an outdoor rink for a couple of hours and say that he&rsquo;s going to be a very good NHL player, perhaps even a star. But to compare him to a multiple Norris Trophy winner and one of the best defensemen of his generation, well, that&rsquo;s very heady praise. But it&rsquo;s warranted. Carvel is not the only one who sees the Karlsson similarities.In reality, they&rsquo;re not identical, largely because there might not be a defenseman on the planet who can do what Karlsson does with the puck on his stick, Makar included. But the one thing about Makar that makes people take notice is that he processes the game at a very quick level and is capable of making the most of what is given to him. That makes him difficult to defend because if even he can&rsquo;t anticipate what he&rsquo;s going to do until he sees what&rsquo;s in front of him, how can opponents defend against him? His poise with the puck is one of his strengths, but it would be folly to suggest he&rsquo;ll be able to move it as well as Karlsson or get it on net as accurately. Those who watch Makar, however, say he&rsquo;s a slightly better skater than Karlsson, plays harder on the puck and is better defensively. Makar is listed at six-foot and 192 pounds, already the same height and two pounds more than Karlsson, so Makar will probably be a heavier presence than Karlsson in the NHL.Makar has a good amount of derring-do in his game, but he tends not to take risks that he can&rsquo;t back up. And that&rsquo;s only fitting since, off the ice, he&rsquo;s as comfortable in his own skin as any 20-year-old you&rsquo;re bound to meet. That has been seen in his decision-making when it comes to his career. He could have been part of Canada&rsquo;s Olympic team last year as the seventh defenseman, but didn&rsquo;t want to go there in a bit role and leave his UMass teammates in the lurch for three weeks during a crucial part of the season. Whether he ends up in Colorado this season or next will depend heavily upon how far the Minutemen end up going in the playoffs. If they make it all the way to the Frozen Four, joining the Avs will be out of the question. And with a 3.5 grade-point average, he&rsquo;s also committed to his studies. It&rsquo;s pretty unlikely he would leave school this year just to play down the stretch and in the AHL playoffs. Makar is intent on working to earn his degree in sport management after he turns pro. &ldquo;I think (playing in the NHL next season is) a very realistic goal,&rdquo; Makar said. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s a lot of my skill set that can transition nicely to the next level. It&rsquo;s just going to be the ability to play consistently every night and be a guy who can play in multiple situations if needed.&rdquo;<blockquote class="pullQuote">HE HAS NHL SKATING, NHL HOCKEY IQ, HE HAS NHL PASSING, HE HAS AN NHL SHOT. HE HAS ALL THE TOOLS</blockquote>&ndash; Colorado development coach Brett Clark<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/makar52/469296-1-eng-US/makar52.jpg" title="makar5" width="1020" height="788"><figcaption class="caption-body">(RICH GAGNON)</figcaption></div>When it comes to the future, the Avs are set up as well as any team in the NHL on the blueline. Five months after they drafted Makar, they landed Samuel Girard from the Nashville Predators as part of the three-team trade sending Matt Duchene to the Ottawa Senators. And even though Timmins has missed all of this season with an ankle injury and concussion, the Avs will be set for some time if he is able to make a full recovery. They own Ottawa&rsquo;s 2019 first-round pick. If Ottawa finishes 31st overall, Colorado will score at worst a top-four draft pick for its group &ndash; possibly Jack Hughes or Finnish star Kaapo Kakko if the Avs can parlay their likely top seed in the draft lottery into the No. 1 selection &ndash; and the future looks very bright indeed. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a game-changing type of player,&rdquo; said Clark of Makar. &ldquo;You see the good players and you say, &lsquo;He&rsquo;s going to be a good NHL player,&rsquo; and you see others where you say, &lsquo;Holy smokes, he&rsquo;s a game-changer.&rsquo; With one play, he can change the whole game, and that&rsquo;s what Cale has, and I&rsquo;ve seen it over and over. And he&rsquo;s added a physical element to his game, and sometimes it&rsquo;s even just a hit. He&rsquo;s so powerful.&rdquo;And if Makar and the Avs&rsquo; futures come as advertised, it won&rsquo;t be long before they&rsquo;re changing the balance of power in the NHL.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/makar62/469289-1-eng-US/makar62.jpg" title="makar6" width="1019" height="808"><figcaption class="caption-body">HOCKEY EAST HISTORYUMass was the best regular-season team in its conference for the first time, with Makar in the middle of it all. (RICH GAGNON)</figcaption></div><div class="sidebar"><h2>TOP 50 VOTE BREAKDOWN</h2>Not since Evgeny Kuznetsov dominated the Future Watch vote in 2012 has an NHL-affiliated prospect been the slam-dunk No. 1 Cale Makar is this year. The mobile blueliner finished first on nine of 11 ballots from members of our scouting panel. It was a close battle rounding out the top five.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/makar72/469282-1-eng-US/makar72.jpg" title="makar7" width="406" height="494"><figcaption class="caption-body">(RICHARD T GAGNON/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div></div><div class="sidebar"><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-0155/469268-1-eng-US/f0023-012.jpg" title="f0023-01" width="954" height="271"></div></div> &#9632;

makar1

GAME CHANGER

<div class="byline">BY KEN CAMPBELL</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="glass1" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/glass12/469388-1-eng-US/glass12.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">WAIT FOR THE WEIGHT Glass has a projectable frame at 6-foot-2, but packing on enough pounds for the NHL has taken years. (PORTLAND WINTERHAWKS)</figcaption></div>WHEN MUCH OF THE hockey world last saw Cody Glass, he was leaning on his stick at the blueline with 21 other teenagers at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, visor tilted up and a vacant look on his face as he stared across the ice at a jubilant opponent from Finland. He had done everything right in the overtime period of that quarterfinal at the World Junior Championship. His sublime no-look pass was transformed from a sure goal into a rush the other way when Noah Dobson&rsquo;s stick exploded at the worst possible time. Glass backchecked with reckless abandon to defend &ndash; and experienced every good-intentioned forward&rsquo;s worst nightmare when Toni Utunen&rsquo;s shot glanced off the shaft of Glass&rsquo; stick, changed direction and went past Canadian goalie Michael DiPietro.Losing in the quarters of a WJC would not be a huge career setback to a player in any country other than Canada. As much as these kids are heroes when they win gold, there is something of a scarlet letter on them when they fall short, especially on home ice and early in the tournament. A lot of them rebound nicely and have great NHL careers, the way 2004 goats Marc-Andre Fleury and Braydon Coburn have. Others, such as first-rounder Maxime Ouellet, who imploded in the 2001 semifinal and went on to play just 12 big-league games, not so much.Cody Glass will tell you he&rsquo;s harder on himself than anyone else would be. So it&rsquo;s fair to say he took the loss very hard and very personally. But it helps that he&rsquo;s hard-wired to deal with adversity and challenges. That, along with a boatload of talent and desire, will serve the No. 3 prospect outside the NHL very well in the future. Cody Glass is, and has always been, about getting stronger. Physically, he&rsquo;s done a lot of that, under the watchful eye of strength and conditioning guru Gary Roberts, in the past two years since becoming the first-ever draft pick of the Vegas Golden Knights. Mentally and emotionally, Glass has found his way by overcoming trying real-life circumstances and coming out the other side a stronger person and player.Jeff Glass is Cody&rsquo;s father. He&rsquo;s a 6-foot-5 guy who spends his days delivering mail for Canada Post. In Winnipeg. It&rsquo;s not an easy gig, particularly in the winter months. &ldquo;Neither rain nor snow nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from their swift completion of their appointed rounds,&rdquo; is the motto of the U.S. Postal Service, but it could just as easily apply to Canada, particularly the snow part. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a big, lanky guy who can get around quick,&rdquo; joked Cody about his father, using familiar hockey vernacular. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s battled through a lot, and I&rsquo;ve battled. He&rsquo;s always the one pushing me, even when he doesn&rsquo;t have the energy to do it. We&rsquo;re a brotherhood, me and my brother and my dad.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/glass32/469381-1-eng-US/glass32.jpg" title="glass3" width="1386" height="808"><figcaption class="caption-body">SLOW-PLAYING IT IN VEGAS Glass is the only first pick in expansion-team history to be held back for two years of development time. (DAVE SANDFORD/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>That&rsquo;s bound to happen when you&rsquo;ve endured what the Glass men have. Cody&rsquo;s parents divorced when he was 11, and he has had no contact with his birth mother since the split. That raises a lot of questions, but it&rsquo;s Cody Glass&rsquo; story to tell, and his family wants to leave it at that. But that Glass brotherhood has strengthened and fortified all three of them. Cody is an outstanding NHL prospect with a wonderful future ahead of him. Older brother Matthew graduated last year on the dean&rsquo;s list with a degree in biochemistry at the University of Winnipeg and is pursuing a doctorate of pharmacy at the University of Manitoba. Jeff still delivers mail, making the long trip to Oregon to support his son &ndash; who&rsquo;s in his fourth season with the WHL&rsquo;s Portland Winterhawks &ndash; whenever possible. &ldquo;His father&rsquo;s done a terrific job with him,&rdquo; said Golden Knights GM George McPhee. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s humble, honest and hardworking. He&rsquo;s not a pampered silver-spooner.&rdquo;It&rsquo;s only fitting that a young man who has had to work so hard and overcome so many obstacles would be the first one to have to wait the longest to enter the NHL. From the time the modern draft began in 1969, the first draft pick of an expansion team has had almost an automatic entry into the NHL, largely because of a lack of warm bodies who could play in the best league in the world. Glass is, in fact, the first pick of an expansion team in NHL history to have to wait at least two years to crack the lineup. All but four of the previous ones played in their first seasons and the four who didn&rsquo;t &ndash; Alexei Yashin (Ottawa), Paul Kariya (Anaheim), David Legwand (Nashville) and Rostislav Klesla (Columbus) &ndash; all played in the NHL a year after they were drafted. Much of the reason for that is that, in exchange for their $500-million expansion fee, the Golden Knights were given the opportunity to build a legitimate NHL roster, which allowed them to accumulate picks and prospects with the luxury of not having to rush them. &ldquo;You get one chance to develop a player, so we&rsquo;re going to take our time and do it right, and we expect we&rsquo;ll have a real good player soon,&rdquo; McPhee said. &ldquo;This is where you really have an impact on a player and can make or break their career. We&rsquo;ve seen lots of players come in early, and it stunts them, sometimes for their entire careers. Some catch up and grow out of it, but a lot don&rsquo;t.&rdquo;Speaking of catching up and growing up, Glass has had a lot of that to do over the years. At 6-foot-2, he&rsquo;s one of those kids who has all kinds of trouble keeping and putting on weight, something that took a turn when he spent more than a month with Roberts last summer. Roberts runs his off-season high-performance training program out of a private school in suburban Toronto, and for the month of July, Glass lived in a spartan dorm room with no air conditioning and reported for four-hour workouts every day with the likes of Connor McDavid and Steven Stamkos. &ldquo;Some young guys, you can tell,&rdquo; Roberts said. &ldquo;It showed me that there&rsquo;s a kid who&rsquo;s committed to getting better. I think of Mark Scheifele the same way I think of Cody Glass.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/glass42/469374-1-eng-US/glass42.jpg" title="glass4" width="2115" height="1409"><figcaption class="caption-body">WINTERHAWK SOARS Glass, a conscientious student of the game, worked his way from barely on the 2017 draft radar to a top-10 pick. (PORTLAND WINTERHAWKS)</figcaption></div><blockquote class="pullQuote">HIS FATHER DID A TERRIFIC JOB WITH HIM. HE&rsquo;S HONEST, HUMBLE AND HARDWORKING. HE&rsquo;S NOT A PAMPERED SILVER-SPOONER</blockquote>&ndash; George McPhee&ldquo;He&rsquo;s like a sponge, taking in all the information and watching guys like McDavid and Stamkos train. You just knew he had that attitude that he would do whatever he could to be the best player he could be.&rdquo;It&rsquo;s not the first time Glass has been compared to Scheifele, which is a pretty good NHL template. Like Glass, Scheifele was nowhere near ready to play in the NHL as an 18-year-old and needed two more years of junior hockey before he could handle the rigors of the pro game. And like Glass, Scheifele worked with Roberts to help make that happen. Both players have an elevated hockey IQ, are tremendous playmakers, can transition from offense to defense and back to offense and play both ends of the ice equally well. As well as with Roberts, Glass has trained this season with Paul Gaustad, who works with the Winterhawks&rsquo; centers on faceoffs. Prior to his draft year of 2017, Glass was cut from Canada&rsquo;s team for the Ivan Hlinka Invitational, and he was crushed. He was coming off a 27-point season for the Winterhawks and was barely on the radar for the draft. He worked his way up from a fringe prospect in most rankings to a top-10 pick. The transformation has been something to behold. Mike Johnston originally drafted Glass in 2014 for the Winterhawks, then left for two years to coach the Pittsburgh Penguins before returning to Portland in 2016. He has been there for the best of Cody Glass and has watched him grow from an Ivan Hlinka cut to one of the top players outside the NHL. Like others who have watched him develop, Johnston said the biggest strides Glass has made is in increasing his strength. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a big, lanky guy, and it was almost like he had Bambi legs,&rdquo; Johnston said. &ldquo;You&rsquo;d hit his hips and his legs would splay away from him, but now he&rsquo;s really strong on the puck. From February of last year to now, I see a huge improvement in him. If you see him now you&rsquo;d say, &lsquo;What are you talking about, the kid still looks skinny,&rsquo; and he is, but he&rsquo;s going to fill out another 10 pounds. I think he&rsquo;ll play in the NHL at 200 pounds. And he&rsquo;s picked up on his work ethic, his off-ice conditioning. The things he knew he needed to do, he&rsquo;s checked off those boxes.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/glass62/469367-1-eng-US/glass62.jpg" title="glass6" width="1384" height="1142"><figcaption class="caption-body">THE KNIGHTS&rsquo; ARMOR FITSWith his strong two-way hockey sense and dogged pursuit of pucks and puck carriers, Glass already plays Vegas&rsquo; style. (PORTLAND WINTERHAWKS)</figcaption></div>When you have a chance, go back and look at the goal that sunk Canada at the world juniors. Glass gets caught deep in the offensive zone and avoids an odd-man situation by skating back with power and speed to get into a good defensive position. It&rsquo;s when he turns around to face the shooter that the shot goes off the shaft of his stick. Even though the play ends in disaster, it&rsquo;s the kind of work at both ends of the ice that coaches love and the kind of play that gains their trust. Vegas is a team that pressures the puck all the time and places a premium on players who provide back pressure. And whether Glass starts next season in the minors or the NHL, that&rsquo;s the kind of player the Golden Knights are ultimately going to have. &ldquo;He backchecks as hard as anyone on (the Vegas) team,&rdquo; Johnston said. &ldquo;I know with (Golden Knights coach) Gerard Gallant, that&rsquo;s a big part of their team. You have to come from behind. You have to close the gap. You&rsquo;ve got to strip pucks. People may underestimate how talented he is. He&rsquo;s a really talented player.&rdquo;There&rsquo;s no problem with people underestimating Glass. He&rsquo;s been dealing with that for almost all his life. It&rsquo;s interesting to note that the Golden Knights, by virtue of McPhee&rsquo;s dealings, had three first-round picks in their first draft in 2017 and two of them &ndash; Erik Brannstrom and Nick Suzuki &ndash; have already been dealt to acquire Mark Stone and Max Pacioretty. Vegas could&rsquo;ve had Erik Karlsson at the trade deadline last season and it&rsquo;s been speculated that what ultimately scuttled the deal was that the Golden Knights abjectly refused to make Glass part of the package. &ldquo;What is accurate to say is a lot of people think (Glass) is our top prospect,&rdquo; McPhee said. &ldquo;That deal fell apart for lots of reasons.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/glass52/469360-1-eng-US/glass52.jpg" title="glass5" width="858" height="850"><figcaption class="caption-body">(PORTLAND WINTERHAWKS)</figcaption></div>So likely starting next season, Cody Glass will begin a chapter of what he hopes will be a long career in Vegas as their first-ever draft pick. If it begins in the AHL, that&rsquo;s fine by him, because he knows he will get there someday soon. The Golden Knights, who have done everything right when it comes to preparing him for the NHL, think that, too. When it does happen, Glass will have a lot upon which to reflect. When his name was called at the draft, he tried not to make eye contact with his father because he knew he would start crying and didn&rsquo;t want to go up to the podium with tears in his eyes. The biggest female influence in his life, his paternal grandmother, Judy, died just after he had been cut from the Hlinka team as a 17-year-old. Glass will reflect on the journey he took to get here. Who knows? If he had been a pampered rich kid from a traditional family, perhaps he might not have developed the hunger to become among the best hockey players in the world. &ldquo;The only thing I wanted growing up was to be an NHL player,&rdquo; Glass said. &ldquo;There were times I shouldn&rsquo;t have been playing for financial reasons, but my dad always found a way, because he knew it was something I loved, and I always wanted to keep the dream alive.I&rsquo;m doing it for my family. I&rsquo;m doing it for my grandma. There are always difficult times and times when I&rsquo;ve been down on myself, but I always look at those difficult times as part of what got me here today.&rdquo; &#9632;

glass1

UNBREAKABLE GLASS

<div class="byline">BY BOB DUFF</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="zadina3_cmy_041" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/zadina3_cmy_0412/469438-1-eng-US/zadina3_cmy_0412.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">(PHOTO BY MARK NEWMAN/GRAND RAPIDS GRIFFINS)</figcaption></div>&ldquo;The road is long, with many of winding turns that lead us to who knows where, who knows where?&rdquo;FILIP ZADINA IS much too young to remember The Hollies. And it&rsquo;s a certainty he didn&rsquo;t have himself a Holly Jolly Christmas during a most frustrating turn with the Czechs at the 2019 World Junior Championship.Hey, but things are looking up. In late February, the right winger was recalled by the Detroit Red Wings, who drafted him sixth overall in 2018. He made his NHL debut Feb. 24 in a 5-3 loss to the San Jose Sharks, going pointless with one shot on goal in 10:38 of ice time. Not exactly the dominance that Zadina once boasted he would deliver upon his arrival to hockey&rsquo;s biggest stage. Expected to go as high as No. 3 in the draft, when teams like the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators &ndash; Detroit&rsquo;s Atlantic Division rivals &ndash; passed on Zadina, he vowed revenge. &ldquo;I told my agent if they will pass on me I&rsquo;m going to fill up their net with pucks,&rdquo; Zadina said at the draft. &ldquo;I just want to prove to them they did a bad decision. I&rsquo;m so glad I&rsquo;m in Detroit. I just want to prove to Detroit they made a good decision.&rdquo;Zadina talked a good game. He certainly displayed one through Detroit&rsquo;s development camp and NHL rookie tournament. But when the big boys came out to play, he achieved precious little. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s way different,&rdquo; Zadina said. &ldquo;I was playing against kids, and now I&rsquo;m playing against men, so it&rsquo;s tougher.&rdquo;Locating those soft areas on the ice and getting his shot off, the qualities that enabled him to gain a reputation as the purest goal-scorer available in the 2018 draft, weren&rsquo;t accessed readily once Zadina got into NHL pre-season games. &ldquo;You have to learn how to manage that time and space and create offense,&rdquo; said Detroit coach Jeff Blashill. &ldquo;It was something that he struggled with in the pre-season with us.&rdquo;Zadina conceded that the NHL pace caught him off-guard. &ldquo;I think it was tough for me because I never played the pro game,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;They are smarter. They know how to move. I probably should play a little bit quicker with the puck.&rdquo;He knows that in these days of comments living forever on social media, his draft-day braggadocio will always remain a reference point for critics of his game. &ldquo;Yeah, 100 percent (it is),&rdquo; Zadina said. &ldquo;I see it every single day on the internet, but it&rsquo;s fun to watch.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/zadina42/469431-1-eng-US/zadina42.jpg" title="zadina4" width="1387" height="955"><figcaption class="caption-body">TASTE OF THE BIG TIMEThe Red Wings called up Zadina to give him a look at the NHL. The plan was to return him for an AHL playoff run. (GREGORY SHAMUS/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>The Wings felt there was nothing for Zadina, 19, to gain from another season with the QMJHL&rsquo;s Halifax Mooseheads, for whom he scored 44 goals in 57 games last season. Since Zadina was signed as a European free agent by the Mooseheads, the Wings could assign him to their AHL farm club, the Grand Rapids Griffins, rather than have him return to junior. &ldquo;Once you&rsquo;ve dominated the level, it&rsquo;s time to move on,&rdquo; Blashill said. &ldquo;The American League is a very hard league, and it&rsquo;s a bigger step from juniors to the American League than it is from the American League to the NHL.&rdquo;Initially, this level also proved to be a stumbling block for Zadina. He scored twice in his first 10 AHL games and five times over his first 24 games. &ldquo;The beginning of the season was tough for me, playing against the men,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;At first it was one game pretty good, second game pretty bad.&rdquo;<blockquote class="pullQuote">HE&rsquo;S GOT A LOT OF SKILL. HE MOVES HIS FEET WELL AND HAS GREAT HOCKEY SENSE. HE&rsquo;LL BE A DANGEROUS PLAYER</blockquote>&ndash; Red Wings center Dylan LarkinA goalless performance for the Czech Republic at the WJC didn&rsquo;t impress upon anyone that Zadina was starting to gain a handle on things, either. Lately, though, he has taken a positive turn. He had three goals and nine points during a seven-game point streak prior to his call-up from Grand Rapids and had posted five goals and 16 points over his previous 10 AHL games. &ldquo;Right now it&rsquo;s getting easier,&rdquo; Zadina said. &ldquo;Things are going a little bit more slowly for me on the ice. It feels like I&rsquo;ve got more time with the puck, which is good. Right now I&rsquo;m playing all those games like I&rsquo;m pretty good.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/zadina52/469424-1-eng-US/zadina52.jpg" title="zadina5" width="1160" height="935"><figcaption class="caption-body">(MARK NEWMAN/GRAND RAPIDS GRIFFINS)</figcaption></div>Also on the positive side, the usual pockmarks that afflict a young player&rsquo;s performance &ndash; attention to detail, playing a 200-foot game, backchecking and being responsible &ndash; are already part of Zadina&rsquo;s repertoire. &ldquo;The thing I like about Filip is his game is fairly mature,&rdquo; Blashill said. &ldquo;Our development staff really spent some time with him on some video, working through a couple particulars they want him to get better at. I know the coaching staff down there has been working hard with him, and he&rsquo;s starting to really take great steps forward to being a more dangerous player in the American League.&rdquo;Eventually, Zadina needs to be a dangerous player in the NHL, and the sooner he does that, the better for the Wings, who are headed for a third straight absence from the playoffs for the first time since the 1980s.He&rsquo;s certainly displayed the requisite skills to do so to his teammates during early practice sessions in Detroit. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s got a lot of skill,&rdquo; said Wings center Dylan Larkin. &ldquo;He moves his feet well and has great hockey sense. As he gets more ice time and gets involved more, he&rsquo;ll be a dangerous player.&rdquo;The Wings planned to return Zadina to Grand Rapids before he plays 10 NHL games and burns a year of his entry-level contract. There, the hope is he and the Griffins will embark upon a long and successful playoff run, setting the stage for his ascension to the NHL on a permanent basis next fall. &ldquo;We all want him to be Wayne Gretzky tomorrow because of the fact he&rsquo;s an important piece for the Detroit Red Wings, but that&rsquo;s not the way it always works,&rdquo; Blashill said. &ldquo;Filip just has to come along at his own pace, keep believing in himself and he&rsquo;s going to be a good NHL player.&ldquo;How good? He&rsquo;ll get a chance to prove it over time.&rdquo; &#9632;

zadina3_cmy_041

SHOOTING FROM THE MOUTH

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0030-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-0180/469474-1-eng-US/f0030-012.jpg"></div><h2>WHAT&rsquo;S INSIDE</h2>REPORT CARD GRADE & NHL RANKA panel of scouts grades each team&rsquo;s list of top 10 prospects and 21-and-under NHLers. Grades range from A&ndash; to D+. Rankings are 1 to 31.TOP 10 PROSPECTSMost NHL teams have 35 or more affiliated prospects in their system. These 10 have the best long-term upside &ndash; five to 10 years out.PAST AND FUTUREWhere the prospect ranked on his team in 2018 and when we expect him to make an NHL impact.TOP 100 NHL PROSPECTSA panel of scouts votes on the top 60 NHL-affiliated prospects from a list of 310. The top 100 vote-getters are identified here.21-AND-UNDER NHLERSNHL players under 22 are factored into the grade because teams shouldn&rsquo;t be penalized for mature, young talent reaching the NHL. Age as of Feb. 28.For up-to-the-minute coverage, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://TheHockeyNews.com">TheHockeyNews.com</a> &#9632;

f0030-01

TEAM REPORTS

<div class="byline">BY BRIAN COSTELLO</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="nhl_leafs" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/nhl_leafs2/469524-1-eng-US/nhl_leafs2.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">MITCH MARNER&nbsp;& AUSTON MATTHEWS (MARK BLINCH/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>WE SOMETIMES HEAR from a scout or two in the weeks leading up to the publication of Future Watch. &ldquo;Our grade isn&rsquo;t going to be pretty,&rdquo; the scouts say, hats in hand. &ldquo;Can you mention somewhere in there we don&rsquo;t get many early draft picks and that reflects poorly on us?&rdquo; Yes, Binky, we can do that. We do that every year in this handicapping system.The chart on the right takes two important things into account: report-card rank league-wide (RK), broken out at the bottom of this page, and the team&rsquo;s average first pick in the past four drafts (ADR). A team such as Tampa Bay, which has had just the 24th-highest average first pick since 2015 (33rd, 27th, 14th, 59th) isn&rsquo;t likely to have a lot of A-list prospects. But the Lightning have clearly drafted well in later rounds and have the eighth-highest report-card grade. That gives Tampa a plus-16 rating, best in class.So don&rsquo;t beat up teams like Nashville and Washington if their prospect lists aren&rsquo;t super deep and their report-card grades get them grounded at home. They&rsquo;re actually doing as well, or better, than you&rsquo;d expect with such a dearth of high draft picks.This levelling system also takes a bit of shine off teams with high grades. Buffalo and New Jersey, for example, have collections of prospects and 21-and-under NHLers that rank in our top 10. But they&rsquo;ve also drafted the earliest and third-earliest, respectively, since 2015. They should have deepest crops of blue-chippers. Teams with a zero plus-minus find themselves exactly where their draft order would suggest.Finally, it&rsquo;s important to note teams that trade homegrown prospects are artificially hurt by this handicapping system.<h2>HANDICAPPING SYSTEM</h2>This chart orders teams on their recent draft performances compared to other clubs. &lsquo;ADR&rsquo; is a four-year average of the team&rsquo;s first pick since 2015. &lsquo;RK&rsquo; refers to the team&rsquo;s 2019 report card grade.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-0165/469517-1-eng-US/f0031-012.jpg" title="f0031-01" width="658" height="1328"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-0245/469510-1-eng-US/f0031-022.jpg" title="f0031-02" width="2120" height="962"></div> &#9632;

nhl_leafs

GRADES WITH TEETH

<div class="byline">BY BRIAN COSTELLO</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="top100_hart_089" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/top100_hart_0892/469581-1-eng-US/top100_hart_0892.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">CARTER HART (DAVID KIROUAC/ICON SPORTSWIRE VIA GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>CARTER HART HAS A heck of a glove hand. He&rsquo;s also pretty good at throwing curveballs. The latter he did during the most inopportune time at the friendly headquarters of Future Watch Central.When this project began in mid-January, Hart was the No. 1 prospect in the Philadelphia system, a good candidate to be among the top 10 on the top-100 spread you see here, and surely the premier NHL prospect goaltender. His December call-up from the AHL was supposed to be short-term, maybe 10 to 15 games while Brian Elliott and Michal Neuvirth got healthy.In most cases, we keep recalls such as these in perspective. Unless a rookie makes a profound and prolonged impact on his NHL team, we maintain his classification as prospect. Hart became such a difference-maker in his two-month big-league stint we had no choice but to promote him from prospect to 21-and-under NHLer. Hey, he&rsquo;ll likely get some top-five votes for the Calder Trophy, even if he finishes the year in the AHL. Hart still factors into the Philadelphia team grade because of his age, but he&rsquo;s no longer eligible for the top-100 prospect ranking.Numerous other players fell slightly on one side or the other of our prospect-versus-NHLer line in the sand that we had to declare in late January in order to keep this project flowing smoothly. A panel of 11 scouts, GMs and directors of player personnel participated in this ranking of the game&rsquo;s A-list prospects.Each player&rsquo;s rank from last season is in parentheses, with unranked players from last year denoted as &ldquo;NR.&rdquo; Prospects drafted in 2018 are denoted as &ldquo;NEW.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-0185/469574-1-eng-US/f0032-012.jpg" title="f0032-01" width="2123" height="678"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-0173/469567-1-eng-US/f0033-012.jpg" title="f0033-01" width="2123" height="2866"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-0182/469560-1-eng-US/f0034-012.jpg" title="f0034-01" width="1401" height="2889"></div> &#9632;

top100_hart_089

TOP 100 PROSPECTS

<div class="byline">BY BRIAN COSTELLO</div>THATCHER DEMKO, WE&rsquo;VE SEEN the last of you. Vancouver&rsquo;s second-round pick from 2014 is listed as a prospect in the pages of Future Watch 2019, but he&rsquo;s probably in the NHL for good.Our ranking of the top 100 NHL-affiliated prospects is a process that starts in mid-January with the canvassing of scouts. At that time, Demko was midway through his third season in the AHL after three years of NCAA at Boston College. You can see in the chart below his journey through five editions of Future Watch, a lock-solid A-list prospect from the get-go. Although Demko has been in the NHL since the Canucks traded Anders Nilsson in early January, he&rsquo;s only played in a handful of NHL games.The position of goaltender is a popular one in this listing of Future Watch fixtures. It&rsquo;s not uncommon to see stoppers percolate for five-plus years in development systems. Three current examples are Ilya Samsonov (Wsh), Igor Shestyorkin (NYR) and Ilya Sorokin (NYI). Chances are you&rsquo;ll see these three stopping pucks in the Metropolitan Division within a few seasons.Here are 31 players who have appeared in these pages in three or more seasons. Some have been part of the top 100 from the beginning and others have fluctuated on and off the list.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-0242/469617-1-eng-US/f0034-022.jpg" title="f0034-02" width="674" height="1346"></div> &#9632;

f0034-02

YOU’VE SEEN THESE GUYS BEFORE

<div class="byline">BY ELLIOTT TEAFORD</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/ana_terry2/469660-1-eng-US/ana_terry2.jpg" title="ana_terry" width="990" height="1213"><figcaption class="caption-body">TROY&nbsp;TERRY (WILLIAM J. ABATE/AHL)</figcaption></div>B&ndash;/RANK 21IT&rsquo;S NOT AS IF the Ducks didn&rsquo;t foresee the day when they would no longer be an elite team. They knew this time was coming. Though it&rsquo;s been a shock to the system to see it happen so suddenly, they&rsquo;ve prepared for it &ndash; and, in many ways, they&rsquo;ve embraced it. The core group of 33-year-olds Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and 34-year-old Ryan Kesler will be replaced within two to three seasons, if not sooner, by a wave of skilled forwards. We&rsquo;ve already seen a few of them this season. Anaheim has stockpiled talent at the forward spots to one day join its current crop of young defensemen.5-YEAR TREND<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-0249/469653-1-eng-US/f0035-022.jpg" title="f0035-02" width="1264" height="368"></div><h2>1. TROY TERRY</h2>RW, 21, 6-1, 178 San Diego (AHL) 41&ndash;16&ndash;25&ndash;41&ndash;4 2015 draft, 148th overall OVERALL 14Terry started the season with the injury-depleted Ducks after making two appearances in 2017-18 following a standout career at NCAA Denver. He went scoreless in six games before being sent to the AHL to regain confidence. That&rsquo;s when he lit it up and emerged as one of the league&rsquo;s premier offensive players. There&rsquo;s no debate about his skill with the puck, but he can be neutralized too easily when things get physical. The Ducks want him to bulk up and believe he will as he matures.&nbsp;FW18 No. 3 NHL 2019-20<h2>2. SAM STEEL</h2>LW, 21, 5-11, 186 San Diego (AHL) 45&ndash;17&ndash;17&ndash;34&ndash;22 2016 draft, 30th overall OVERALL 33Steel made the opening-night NHL roster after a string of injuries left the Ducks scrambling. He showed the skills and creativity Anaheim covets as it transitions from one of the NHL&rsquo;s last slow and heavy teams into a faster, more dynamic club. After 14 games, the Ducks assigned him to San Diego, and he&rsquo;s shown growth as a playmaker on a team with plenty of scorers. His lack of size doesn&rsquo;t bother the Ducks, who believe he fits into their younger, faster model for the future.&nbsp;FW18 No. 1 NHL 2019-20<h2>3. ISAC LUNDESTROM</h2>C, 19, 6-0, 187 Lulea (Swe.) 15&ndash;1&ndash;7&ndash;8&ndash;0 2018 draft, 23rd overall OVERALL 46Lundestrom was ticketed for Sweden to start the year, but his excellent skating and playmaking during the Rookie Faceoff in Las Vegas and in training camp earned him a spot on Anaheim&rsquo;s opening-night roster. He didn&rsquo;t look out of place in 15 games with the Ducks and 12 more with San Diego but was returned to Lulea to continue his apprenticeship. The Ducks love his skating, passing and two-way game but wish he shot more. They&rsquo;d also like him to bulk up and win more 1-on-1 battles.&nbsp;FW18 n/a NHL 2020-21<h2>4. MAXIME COMTOIS</h2>LW, 20, 6-2, 207 Drummondville (QMJHL) 19&ndash;24&ndash;15&ndash;39&ndash;24 2017 draft, 50th overall OVERALL 63Comtois scored his first NHL goal five seconds into his first shift on opening night. He then scored his first AHL goal minutes into his debut with San Diego. The Ducks like his size, speed and ability to get into scoring areas. They returned him to junior, hoping he&rsquo;d continue to mature. Then came a mixed showing as captain of Canada&rsquo;s disappointing entry at the WJC, where he scored five goals. Afterward, the Ducks announced he had played with a shoulder injury and needed time off.&nbsp;FW18 No. 5 NHL 2020-21<h2>5. MAX JONES</h2>LW, 21, 6-3, 220 San Diego (AHL) 40&ndash;14&ndash;14&ndash;28&ndash;48 2016 draft, 24th overall OVERALL 92Despite a hand/thumb injury sustained in prospect camp that sidelined Jones for the Ducks&rsquo; main camp and start of the AHL season, he produced as expected upon returning to the lineup. It would be enough to have his size and strength, but he mixes those attributes with strong skating and a nose for the action. Staying healthy is big goal considering Jones plays a physical game. He teamed with Terry to form an effective line with the Gulls. They played together in the NHL after a January recall, too.&nbsp;FW18 No. 4 NHL 2019-20<h2>6. BRENDAN GUHLE</h2>D, 21, 6-2, 196 Rochester (AHL) 50&ndash;5&ndash;22&ndash;27&ndash;34 Trade (Buf), Feb. 24, 2019Showing better puck management and decision-making. Defensive play also improving.<h2>7. JOSH MAHURA</h2>D, 20, 6-0, 192 San Diego (AHL) 32&ndash;1&ndash;15&ndash;16&ndash;10 2016 draft, 85th overallMahura&rsquo;s skating and passing abilities earned him an extended NHL look.<h2>8. LUKAS DOSTAL</h2>G, 18, 6-2, 166 Trebic (Cze.2) GP 24, 2.50, .915 2018 draft, 85th overallPlays structurally sound game. Opened eyes at WJC. Loaned to Finnish League.<h2>9. BENOIT-OLIVIER GROULX</h2>C, 19, 6-2, 194 Halifax (QMJHL) 59&ndash;28&ndash;40&ndash;68&ndash;52 2018 draft, 54th overallBig, strong and skilled is better than small and skilled any day.<h2>10. BLAKE MCLAUGHLIN</h2>LW, 19, 6-0, 160 Minnesota (Big Ten) 32&ndash;4&ndash;15&ndash;19&ndash;36 2018 draft, 79th overallHard worker who has excelled while playing on an all-freshman line.<h2>21-AND-UNDER NHLERS</h2>DANIEL SPRONG, RW, 21 JACOB LARSSON, D, 21 &#9632;

ana_terry

ANAHEIM DUCKS: OUT WITH THE OLD…

<div class="byline">BY RICHARD MORIN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="ari_hayton" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/ari_hayton6/469710-1-eng-US/ari_hayton2.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">BARRETT&nbsp;HAYTON (JAMES EGAN’S SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY)</figcaption></div>B+/RANK 12THE COYOTES POSSESS AN interesting mix of long-term prospect projects as well as several players who are on the verge of making the jump to the NHL. Although Arizona has a mixed draft history, it should be noted that the Coyotes&rsquo; top 10 prospects were selected by the club in the past four drafts, all of which president of hockey operations and GM John Chayka was involved in (Chayka was the team&rsquo;s assistant GM in 2015 before being promoted to his current position in 2016). Over that time, Chayka and his staff have methodically reloaded the system with a penchant for players with puck skills.5-YEAR TREND<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-0248/469703-1-eng-US/f0036-022.jpg" title="f0036-02" width="1264" height="376"></div><h2>1. BARRETT HAYTON</h2>C, 18, 6-1, 192 Sault Ste. Marie (OHL) 37&ndash;22&ndash;38&ndash;60&ndash;40 2018 draft, 5th overall OVERALL 9The Coyotes surprised many when they took Hayton fifth overall, but the selection is trending well. Hayton stepped into a leadership role with the Greyhounds and has maintained a lofty scoring pace. He&rsquo;s a versatile center capable of putting up points while also playing a 200-foot game. Said Chayka: &ldquo;He&rsquo;s the captain, he&rsquo;s playing in all situations and has responded accordingly, and he&rsquo;s averaging a goal per game. Our trajectory (for him) is high and he&rsquo;s along that path.&rdquo;&nbsp;FW18 n/a NHL 2020-21<h2>2. KYLE CAPOBIANCO</h2>D, 21, 6-1, 196 Tucson (AHL) 40&ndash;7&ndash;25&ndash;32&ndash;51 2015 draft, 63rd overall OVERALL 81Capobianco is the Coyotes&rsquo; most improved prospect in the past year. Coyotes assistant GM Steve Sullivan, who oversees the AHL affiliate in Tucson, has raved about the defenseman&rsquo;s progress. Capobianco made his NHL debut with a one-game stint last season and was recalled this season due to a glut of injuries on the blueline. The Coyotes view Capobianco as a potential top-four defender with excellent skating and puck-moving abilities. A recent leg injury ended his season.&nbsp;FW18 No. 5 NHL 2019-20<h2>3. PIERRE-OLIVIER JOSEPH</h2>D, 19, 6-2, 168 Drummondville (QMJHL)29&ndash;2&ndash;17&ndash;19&ndash;22 2017 draft, 23rd overall OVERALL 88It&rsquo;s taking time for Joseph to morph into the top-four D-man the Coyotes envision. The challenge surrounding Joseph is adding weight to his slender frame. He&rsquo;ll benefit from a jump to the AHL next year. &ldquo;He was a later first-round guy, and with that is a decision,&rdquo; Chayka said. &ldquo;Do you take a guy who&rsquo;s more developed with a lower ceiling, or do you take a player with a longer timeline, but that timeline is a top-four defenseman?&rdquo; Joseph is a skillful and cerebral puck-moving defender.&nbsp;FW18 No. 3 NHL 2020-21<h2>4. NICK MERKLEY</h2>RW, 21, 5-10, 194 Tucson (AHL) 29&ndash;4&ndash;15&ndash;19&ndash;14 2015 draft, 30th overallMerkley, if not for a run of injuries to start his pro career, possesses more than enough tools to already be a fixture in Arizona. He was part of the star-studded 2015 draft that featured countless NHL mainstays, but Merkley has yet to break through. Most of this is due to two torn ACLs, a broken collarbone and an AC joint sprain. Merkley returned to action with the Roadrunners in December and has been producing in a top-line role. He&rsquo;s a playmaker and tenacious forward who&rsquo;s hard to knock off the puck.&nbsp;FW18 No. 2 NHL 2019-20<h2>5. ADIN HILL</h2>G, 22, 6-6, 203 Tucson (AHL) 8&ndash;9&ndash;1, 2.49, .911 2015 draft, 76th overallAfter Antti Raanta went down with a knee injury in November, Hill got an extended NHL stint and made the most of it. Especially when Darcy Kuemper, the regular backup, also went down with injury, Hill stepped up and helped the Coyotes tread water in the Western Conference. All this was not lost on hockey operations, as the Coyotes view Hill as a goalie of the future. More development in the AHL will only help. Hill relies on size and athleticism to stop pucks. He&rsquo;s working on improving his positional and technical game.&nbsp;FW18 No. 6 NHL 2020-21<h2>6. FILIP WESTERLUND</h2>D, 19, 5-11, 181 Frolunda (Swe.) 19&ndash;1&ndash;1&ndash;2&ndash;6 2017 draft, 44th overallCalm, puck-moving &lsquo;D&rsquo; is a smooth passer. Slowly developing in Sweden&rsquo;s top league.<h2>7. NATE SCHNARR</h2>C, 19, 6-1, 190 Guelph (OHL) 59&ndash;31&ndash;65&ndash;96&ndash;52 2017 draft, 75th overallBig-bodied center has booming shot. Dangerous threat on power play.<h2>8. KEVIN BAHL</h2>D, 18, 6-6, 234 Ottawa (OHL) 62&ndash;4&ndash;27&ndash;31&ndash;83 2018 draft, 55th overallHuge, mobile shutdown defender with evolving offensive skills. Keeps things simple.<h2>9. CAM DINEEN</h2>D, 20, 5-11, 183 Tucson (AHL) 41&ndash;3&ndash;4&ndash;7&ndash;2 2016 draft, 68th overallSmall, puck-moving blueliner is struggling to produce as a first-year pro.<h2>10. TYLER STEENBERGEN</h2>RW, 21, 5-10, 187 Tucson (AHL) 48&ndash;8&ndash;11&ndash;19&ndash;14 2017 draft, 128th overallEx-WHL scoring star has a quick first step. Modest production so far as AHL rookie.<h2>21-AND-UNDER NHLERS:</h2>CLAYTON KELLER, C, 20 JAKOB CHYCHRUN, D, 20 CHRISTIAN FISCHER, RW, 21 LAWSON CROUSE, LW, 21 &#9632;

ari_hayton

ARIZONA COYOTES: CHAYK AND BAKE

<div class="byline">BY MIKE LOFTUS</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/bos_vaakana_1252/469760-1-eng-US/bos_vaakana_1252.jpg" title="bos_vaakana_125" width="928" height="1363"><figcaption class="caption-body">URHO&nbsp;VAAKANAINEN (PROVIDENCE BRUINS/ALAN SULLIVAN)</figcaption></div>B&ndash;/RANK 22THE OPPORTUNITY WAS THERE, but nobody seized it. One year after five rookies made an apparently permanent jump to the NHL, no newcomer forwards made a significant impact on Boston&rsquo;s roster in 2018-19 despite two top-nine positions being left up for grabs in training camp. The status of a top prospect such as center Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson isn&rsquo;t necessarily diminished, however. The B&rsquo;s simply found he needed to do more work in certain areas, and that was better served at the AHL level. On the positive side, several defense prospects were pushed into NHL duty because of injuries and showed they were on the right track.5-YEAR TREND<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-0251/469753-1-eng-US/f0037-022.jpg" title="f0037-02" width="1264" height="344"></div><h2>1. URHO VAAKANAINEN</h2>D, 20, 6-1, 185 Providence (AHL) 25&ndash;2&ndash;10&ndash;12&ndash;6 2017 draft, 18th overall OVERALL 39The first half of a planned season of adjustment to North American hockey included a call-up to the NHL. It ended with a concussion, but Vaakanainen has recovered well, averaging 23:07 for Finland&rsquo;s gold-medal WJC team before returning to Providence. The B&rsquo;s are encouraging him to use his skating skills to become more involved in other areas. &ldquo;His ability to get up ice rather easily should transition well over here,&rdquo; said director of player development Jamie Langenbrunner.&nbsp;FW18 No. 2 NHL 2020-21<h2>2. JACK STUDNICKA</h2>C, 20, 6-2, 175 Niagara (OHL) 54&ndash;32&ndash;39&ndash;71&ndash;48 2017 draft, 53rd overall OVERALL 76One of three young centers given a shot at the No. 3 slot in Boston, Studnicka was ineligibile to play in the AHL, resulting in his return to the OHL. Niagara coach Billy Burke called him &ldquo;one of the most detailed players in the league.&rdquo; Studnicka had four points in five WJC games with Canada, and eight of his first 11 goals with the IceDogs came on the power play. The Bruins think more strength will improve his shot and also eliminate the stick fouls that were an issue during NHL pre-season games.&nbsp;FW18 nr NHL 2020-21<h2>3. JACOB FORSBACKA KARLSSON</h2>C, 22, 6-1, 185 Providence (AHL) 14&ndash;1&ndash;6&ndash;7&ndash;2 2015 draft, 45th overallThe second-year pro had the inside track on the vacant No. 3 center position but didn&rsquo;t claim it in camp and was returned to the AHL after a 28-game NHL stint. The skills, vision and hockey sense are there, but the team wants &lsquo;JFK&rsquo; to be more assertive. &ldquo;Win your share of pucks,&rdquo; said Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy. &ldquo;Kill plays when it&rsquo;s your turn to kill the play. Attack with the puck.&rdquo; Cassidy praised Forsbacka Karlsson&rsquo;s defensive game. A January upper-body injury curtailed his bid to return to Boston.&nbsp;FW18 No. 1 NHL 2019-20<h2>4. TRENT FREDERIC</h2>C, 21, 6-2, 200 Providence (AHL) 42&ndash;10&ndash;8&ndash;18&ndash;55 2016 draft, 29th overallThe first-year pro, who earned a call-up to Boston in January, is something of a throwback: a physical center who enjoys using his size. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s one of those shutdown guys who&rsquo;s hard to play against and can pitch in offensively,&rdquo; said Cassidy of Frederic, who was among team leaders in goals and penalty minutes when called up from Providence. While ice time was scarce in Boston, Cassidy found the 21-year-old&rsquo;s two-way game sufficient, and an early 56.3 percentage on faceoffs was impressive.&nbsp;FW18 No. 5 NHL 2020-21<h2>5. ANDERS BJORK</h2>LW, 22, 6-0, 185 Providence (AHL) 13&ndash;1&ndash;9&ndash;10&ndash;2 2014 draft, 146th overallBjork has started both his pro seasons in the NHL, and ended both early because of left shoulder surgeries. In between, he has shown the speed and intensity that made him a Hobey Baker finalist at Notre Dame in 2016-17, but not the scoring touch. In 50 NHL games, many on one of the top two lines, Bjork has only five goals. He has impressed with puck management and defensive positioning, but coach Bruce Cassidy said &ldquo;now we&rsquo;d like to see growth&rdquo; offensively. Cassidy believes a better inside game will help.&nbsp;FW18 No. 4 NHL 2019-20<h2>6. AXEL ANDERSSON</h2>D, 19, 6-0, 178 Sodertalje (Swe.2) 39&ndash;0&ndash;5&ndash;5&ndash;20 2018 draft, 57th overallImpressive composure in NHL exhibitions. Has advanced to pro level in Sweden.<h2>7. JAKUB ZBORIL</h2>D, 22, 6-0, 200 Providence (AHL) 40&ndash;4&ndash;12&ndash;16&ndash;28 2015 draft, 13th overallSecond-year pro has added more production. Made NHL debut, playing two games.<h2>8. ZACH SENYSHYN</h2>RW, 21, 6-1, 192 Providence (AHL) 51&ndash;13&ndash;9&ndash;22&ndash;16 2015 draft, 15th overallBetter goal total in AHL in Year 2, but projects as third-liner in NHL.<h2>9. JEREMY SWAYMAN</h2>G, 20, 6-2, 187 Maine (HE) 14&ndash;15&ndash;4, 2.82, .919 2017 draft, 111th overallSecond-year No. 1 is near top of NCAA conference in minutes and saves.<h2>10. JAKUB LAUKO</h2>LW, 18, 6-0, 170 Rouyn-Noranda (QMJHL) 42&ndash;21&ndash;16&ndash;37&ndash;43 2018 draft, 77th overallImpressing scouts with speed, skill, smarts and work ethic. A threat off the rush.<h2>21-AND-UNDER NHLERS</h2>CHARLIE MCAVOY, D, 21 &#9632;

bos_vaakana_125

BOSTON BRUINS: FEAST OR FAMINE

<div class="byline">BY BILL HOPPE</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="buf_luukkon_127" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/buf_luukkon_1272/469810-1-eng-US/buf_luukkon_1272.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">UKKO-PEKKA&nbsp;LUUKKONEN (VAUGHN RIDLEY/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>B+/RANK 7THE SABRES POSSESS A stable of prospects assembled from different regimes, having changed GMs in 2017. GM Jason Botterill has jettisoned many of the players and youngsters acquired by his predecessor, Tim Murray. Still, assets Botterill inherited &ndash; he drafted five of the organization&rsquo;s top 10 prospects &ndash; remain. With no investment in so many youngsters, Botterill may be willing to trade some leftovers. In Botterill&rsquo;s first two drafts, an interesting theme has developed. He hasn&rsquo;t taken any prospects from major junior. Every selection has been a college kid or European prospect. Botterill likes having four years to evaluate his picks instead of two.5-YEAR TREND<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-0254/469803-1-eng-US/f0038-022.jpg" title="f0038-02" width="1264" height="368"></div><h2>1. UKKO-PEKKA LUUKKONEN</h2>G, 19, 6-5, 214 Sudbury (OHL) 34&ndash;9&ndash;2, 2.54, .918 2017 draft, 54th overall OVERALL 21Many have anointed Luukkonen the Sabres&rsquo; goalie of the future. He has been stellar from the get-go in his first North American campaign, morphing into Sudbury&rsquo;s backbone. Backstopping Finland to gold at the WJC &ndash; he was the tournament&rsquo;s top goalie &ndash; solidified his place among the best netminding prospects in the world. Luukkonen could be Rochester&rsquo;s starter next year. Less than two years after getting drafted in Round 2, he&rsquo;s performed like a first-rounder.&nbsp;FW18 nr NHL 2021-22<h2>2. ALEXANDER NYLANDER</h2>RW, 20, 6-1, 192 Rochester (AHL) 47&ndash;10&ndash;18&ndash;28&ndash;12 2016 draft, 8th overall OVERALL 54This could be a make-or-break year for Nylander, who was drafted by the team&rsquo;s old regime. One scout said Nylander&rsquo;s development has stalled and his value is declining. &ldquo;He has not been consistent enough in his effort and attention to play without the puck,&rdquo; the scout said. The Sabres challenged Nylander in the summer, calling his off-season &ldquo;critical.&rdquo; He enjoyed his best camp as a pro and parlayed that into a hot start in Rochester, but his production cooled off. Trade time?&nbsp;FW18 No. 2 NHL 2019-20<h2>3. MATTIAS SAMUELSSON</h2>D, 19, 6-4, 221 Western Michigan (NCHC) 30&ndash;5&ndash;7&ndash;12&ndash;33 2018 draft, 32nd overallWestern Michigan has given Samuelsson regular duty against the opposition&rsquo;s top lines and more ice time than any other defenseman. Considering that coach Andy Murray has 16 underclassmen, he must utilize Samuelsson in key situations. Still, Murray, who coached Samuelsson&rsquo;s father Kjell in Philadelphia, trusts the freshman. What could Samuelsson develop into? &ldquo;I&rsquo;d say a 24-minute-a-night guy in the NHL,&rdquo; Murray said. &ldquo;He can skate, he&rsquo;s got good mobility, real smart with the puck, raw physical strength.&rdquo;&nbsp;FW18 n/a NHL 2021-22<h2>4. RASMUS ASPLUND</h2>C, 21, 5-11, 176 Rochester (AHL) 58&ndash;3&ndash;19&ndash;22&ndash;24 2016 draft, 33rd overallAsplund has acclimated to the North American game nicely, spending most of the season centering Victor Olofsson and Danny O&rsquo;Regan in Rochester. While the rookie hasn&rsquo;t compiled eye-popping numbers, he plays a mature, sturdy game that Amerks coach Chris Taylor has praised. Asplund&rsquo;s experience &ndash; he played three pro seasons in Sweden &ndash; is evident. He needs to improve his offensive production to become a third- or fourth-line NHL center and will need at least one more season in the minors.&nbsp;FW18 No. 3 NHL 2020-21<h2>5. MARCUS DAVIDSSON</h2>C, 20, 5-11, 191 Djurgarden (Swe.) 47&ndash;8&ndash;15&ndash;23&ndash;12 2017 draft, 37th overallLike Asplund, Davidsson is another Swedish center who has gained valuable experience competing against men in his home country. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a very responsible 200-foot player,&rdquo; said assistant GM Steve Greeley. &ldquo;He does not cheat in any direction. He takes care of his own end. He doesn&rsquo;t force plays with the puck coming through the neutral zone.&rdquo; Greeley also said Davidsson is an offensive player who possesses &ldquo;some creative juices.&rdquo; The Sabres haven&rsquo;t decided when they&rsquo;ll bring him to North America.&nbsp;FW18 No. 5 NHL 2021-22<h2>6. WILL BORGEN</h2>D, 22, 6-2, 187 Rochester (AHL) 57&ndash;2&ndash;6&ndash;8&ndash;41 2015 draft, 92nd overallStrong. Looks comfortable in pro hockey. Made 2018 U.S. Olympic team but didn&rsquo;t play.<h2>7. VICTOR OLOFSSON</h2>RW, 23, 5-11, 181 Rochester (AHL) 55&ndash;21&ndash;27&ndash;48&ndash;12 2014 draft, 181st overallUnheralded prospect led top Swedish league in goals last season.<h2>8. OSKARI LAAKSONEN</h2>D, 19, 6-0, 154 Ilves (Fin.) 43&ndash;3&ndash;19&ndash;22&ndash;34 2017 draft, 89th overallRising Finnish prospect won gold medal at 2019 WJC. Great skater and passer.<h2>9. MATEJ PEKAR</h2>C, 19, 6-0, 175 Barrie (OHL) 33&ndash;14&ndash;22&ndash;36&ndash;38 2018 draft, 94th overallTalented Czech pest tries to emulate Brad Marchand. Point-per-gamer for Colts.<h2>10. C.J. SMITH</h2>LW, 24, 5-11, 181 Rochester (AHL) 45&ndash;20&ndash;25&ndash;45&ndash;18 Free agent, March 30, 2017Mature energy winger from UMass-Lowell a decent source of offense from bottom line.<h2>21-AND-UNDER NHLERS</h2>RASMUS DAHLIN, D, 18 CASEY MITTELSTADT, C, 20 TAGE THOMPSON, C, 21 &#9632;

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BUFFALO SABRES: DOING IT HIS WAY

<div class="byline">BY RANDY SPORTAK</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/cgy_valimak_1262/469860-1-eng-US/cgy_valimak_1262.jpg" title="cgy_valimak_126" width="956" height="1296"><figcaption class="caption-body">JUUSO&nbsp;VALIMAKI (STOCKTON HEAT)</figcaption></div>B&ndash;/RANK 17ALMOST EVERY NIGHT, THE Flames&rsquo; lineup has three defensemen aged 22 or younger, and Oliver Kylington was called up because 20-year-old Juuso Valimaki was injured. Even with that much youth, the Flames know they must build another stable of blueliners. &ldquo;It was by design to get as many defensemen as we could,&rdquo; said Calgary GM Brad Treliving. &ldquo;Then you graduate three and trade one (Adam Fox), and all of a sudden you look outside of the NHL, and we&rsquo;re thin on defense.&rdquo; The Flames have added plenty of homegrown players to their roster, but the pipeline isn&rsquo;t overflowing. &ldquo;We need to keep adding,&rdquo; Treliving said. &ldquo;All three positions.&rdquo;5-YEAR TREND<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-0248/469853-1-eng-US/f0039-022.jpg" title="f0039-02" width="1264" height="312"></div><h2>1. JUUSO VALIMAKI</h2>D, 20, 6-2, 212 Stockton (AHL) 13&ndash;2&ndash;7&ndash;9&ndash;12 2017 draft, 16th overall OVERALL 17Valimaki made Calgary out of camp but lost his job due to a high-ankle sprain in November. &ldquo;He was playing really well,&rdquo; Treliving said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s big. He can skate. He can do it all.&rdquo; The Flames want Valimaki to regain all the elements of his game before recalling him, and there are still aspects to develop. &ldquo;His feet are good but you always want him to be a little quicker, and it&rsquo;s about doing it at NHL pace,&rdquo; Treliving said. &ldquo;You love the poise, but it&rsquo;s doing things quicker, at NHL pace.&rdquo;&nbsp;FW18 No. 1 NHL 2019-20<h2>2. DILLON DUBE</h2>C, 20, 5-11, 190 Stockton (AHL) 28&ndash;10&ndash;20&ndash;30&ndash;16 2016 draft, 56th overall OVERALL 61Dube also made the Flames&rsquo; roster off the hop in his first pro season, but after 23 games it became obvious he needed more ice time than a fourth-line spot provides. Dube has the credentials to be an offensive NHLer. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s got elite speed,&rdquo; Treliving said. &ldquo;In a league that&rsquo;s fast, he&rsquo;s a fast guy.&rdquo; Dube is in the process of refining his skills. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s doing things quicker and sometimes being more direct,&rdquo; Treliving said. &ldquo;When you&rsquo;ve got an opportunity to put a puck on net, you do it.&rdquo;&nbsp;FW18 No. 4 NHL 2019-20<h2>3. TYLER PARSONS</h2>G, 21, 6-1, 190 Stockton (AHL) 6&ndash;7&ndash;1, 3.83, .891 2016 draft, 54th overallAfter a rough 2017-18 due to injuries, Parsons started well this season but got hurt again and had to regain his form. It&rsquo;s been an up-and-down year, but the Flames see progress. They&rsquo;ll be patient. Parsons has a winning pedigree, incredible athleticism, which he&rsquo;ll need to succeed as an undersized goalie, and great competitiveness, but the key will be refining that last attribute. &ldquo;You don&rsquo;t want to mute the competitiveness, but you have to dial it down sometimes and learn when less is more,&rdquo; Treliving said.&nbsp;FW18 No. 3 NHL 2021-22<h2>4. ANDREW MANGIAPANE</h2>LW, 22, 5-10, 184 Stockton (AHL) 15&ndash;9&ndash;8&ndash;17&ndash;20 2015 draft, 166th overallMangiapane was close to making the roster in camp but was victimized by the numbers game. Instead of sulking, he soon earned a recall in December. He has the skill and speed to be a full-time NHLer in an energy role with offensive impact. &ldquo;I call it a respectful disrespect,&rdquo; Treliving said. &ldquo;You can respect veteran players too much. You have to respect them, but you have to say, &lsquo;I belong here and I&rsquo;m not deferring all the time.&rsquo; It doesn&rsquo;t just happen, it can take time, and you&rsquo;re seeing that now with him.&rdquo;&nbsp;FW18 No. 8 NHL 2019-20<h2>5. MARTIN POSPISIL</h2>C, 19, 6-2, 181 Sioux City (USHL) 33&ndash;12&ndash;31&ndash;43&ndash;92 2018 draft, 105th overallThe NHL has become a speed-and-skill game, but there&rsquo;s always the need for a strapping forward who can provide offense. Pospisil, who played on Slovakia&rsquo;s top line at the WJC, can provide scoring and snarl. &ldquo;He straddles the fence between good and evil,&rdquo; Treliving said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s sort of a throwback. He&rsquo;ll bite your arm off in practice, and we&rsquo;re excited about him.&rdquo; His speed and quickness need improvement, but the club believes that it&rsquo;s a matter of getting stronger, not a fault in his skating mechanics.&nbsp;FW18 n/a NHL 2022-23<h2>6. MATHIAS EMILIO PETTERSEN</h2>C, 18, 5-10, 175 Denver (NCHC) 32&ndash;6&ndash;20&ndash;26&ndash;14 2018 draft, 167th overallNCAA freshman&rsquo;s game is all about speed and creativity. More playmaker than scorer.<h2>7. MATTHEW PHILLIPS</h2>C, 20, 5-7, 155 Stockton (AHL) 51&ndash;11&ndash;17&ndash;28&ndash;2 2016 draft, 166th overallSlow start, but finding his form. Small player who must learn how to succeed as pro.<h2>8. DMITRI ZAVGORODNIY</h2>LW, 18, 5-9, 165 Rimouski (QMJHL) 63&ndash;27&ndash;36&ndash;63&ndash;10 2018 draft, 198th overallStarted hot, but struggled after not being chosen for Russian WJC squad.<h2>9. GLENN GAWDIN</h2>C, 21, 6-1, 191 Stockton (AHL) 50&ndash;11&ndash;16&ndash;27&ndash;41 Free agent, Nov. 16, 2017Learning to contribute in non-scoring role. Becoming a go-to defensive player.<h2>10. SPENCER FOO</h2>RW, 24, 6-0, 190 Stockton (AHL) 53&ndash;14&ndash;12&ndash;26&ndash;34 Free agent, July 1, 2017Struggled after camp demotion. Must elevate game or will fall down depth chart.<h2>21-AND-UNDER NHLERS</h2>MATTHEW TKACHUK, LW, 21 OLIVER KYLINGTON, D, 21 &#9632;

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CALGARY FLAMES: A NEED FOR ‘D’

<div class="byline">BY LUKE DECOCK</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="car_necas" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/car_necas5/469910-1-eng-US/car_necas2.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">MARTIN&nbsp;NECAS (CHARLOTTE CHECKERS)</figcaption></div>B+/5WHILE THE HURRICANES FAILED to make the playoffs in Ron Francis&rsquo; four seasons as GM, and his first-round drafting record is open to scrutiny, there&rsquo;s no question that he restocked the organization with prospects after the pipeline had run dry. The new regime stands to benefit if the kids continue to develop, although two of the organization&rsquo;s best young players &ndash; 18-year-old rookie sniper Andrei Svechnikov and defense prospect Adam Fox &ndash; have come aboard in the past eight months. Carolina is counting on Martin Necas and Fox to be stars while hoping two of Francis&rsquo; slower developing first-rounders, Jake Bean and Julien Gauthier, pan out.5-YEAR TREND<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-0250/469903-1-eng-US/f0040-022.jpg" title="f0040-02" width="1264" height="344"></div><h2>1. MARTIN NECAS</h2>C, 20, 6-2, 189 Charlotte (AHL) 47&ndash;9&ndash;25&ndash;34&ndash;26 2017 draft, 12th overall OVERALL 4Necas was inked into the lineup before camp as a top-nine, if not top-six, center but the Czech&rsquo;s adjustment to the North American game has been slow. He played only seven games before being sent to the minors. His skill level remains unquestioned, but he struggled on the smaller ice, especially with defensive positioning and strength on the puck. He&rsquo;s still the projected third leg of their trio of young stars with Sebastian Aho and Svechnikov, but this season has been a disappointment.&nbsp;FW18 No. 1 NHL 2019-20<h2>2. ADAM FOX</h2>D, 21, 5-10, 185 Harvard (ECAC) 29&ndash;8&ndash;32&ndash;40&ndash;14 Trade (Cgy), June 23, 2018 OVERALL 30Fox was the key piece to the blockbuster that saw the Hurricanes acquire Dougie Hamilton and Micheal Ferland. They wouldn&rsquo;t have done it without getting Fox, because they see him as an elite right-shot power-play ace who is already skating, thinking and playing at an NHL level. There have been questions about whether Fox will sign or play one more year at Harvard and then become a UFA, but the Hurricanes are confident they can get his name on a contract.&nbsp;FW18 2 (Cgy) NHL 2020-21<h2>3. JAKE BEAN</h2>D, 20, 6-1, 187 Charlotte (AHL) 57&ndash;11&ndash;24&ndash;35&ndash;20 2016 draft, 13th overall OVERALL 42Bean may not end up being the top-pair offensive D-man the team envisioned when they drafted him, but he has still put up points at the AHL level while improving his defensive play. He held his own in a two-game NHL audition. Bean needs to work on his agility, nimbleness and skating ability in tight areas, and management would like to see more improvement in the &lsquo;D&rsquo; zone. If that happens, and he continues his level of play in other areas, he&rsquo;ll challenge for an NHL roster spot soon.&nbsp;FW18 No. 2 NHL 2019-20<h2>4. JANNE KUOKKANEN</h2>LW, 20, 6-1, 188 Charlotte (AHL) 48&ndash;12&ndash;26&ndash;38&ndash;16 2016 draft, 43rd overall OVERALL 86Here&rsquo;s a gifted and versatile winger who has had a couple looks in the NHL without sticking. Kuokkanen is the kind of forward who does many things well but nothing great: solid shot, mobile skater, strong hockey sense. The Canes at this point would only call him up to fill an opening in the top-six, so he may not get another shot this season, but he&rsquo;ll challenge for a job next fall. He&rsquo;d help his cause considerably with defensive improvement and a more consistent effort.&nbsp;FW18 No. 4 NHL 2019-20<h2>5. JULIEN GAUTHIER</h2>RW, 21, 6-4, 225 Charlotte (AHL) 59&ndash;18&ndash;12&ndash;30&ndash;53 2016 draft, 21st overallGauthier was headed down the &ldquo;first-round bust&rdquo; path before the light started to come on. He&rsquo;s a physical specimen, but his introduction to the pros became a struggle when he discovered his strength wasn&rsquo;t the advantage it was in junior. There&rsquo;s a long way to go, but Gauthier is showing signs of becoming the power forward the Canes thought they were getting. It will take a few years of development to determine what they have in him, but they think he is likely to play in the NHL, which was uncertain a year ago.&nbsp;FW18 No. 5 NHL 2021-22<h2>6. EETU LUOSTARINEN</h2>C, 20, 6-2, 178 KalPa (Fin.) 50&ndash;13&ndash;19&ndash;32&ndash;71 2017 draft, 42nd overallRangy, puck-dominating center will stay in Finland until ready for NHL role.<h2>7. JACK DRURY</h2>C, 19, 6-0, 180 Harvard (ECAC) 28&ndash;8&ndash;15&ndash;23&ndash;14 2018 draft, 42nd overallBrings the leadership of a Drury, but skating and strength need to improve.<h2>8. STELIO MATTHEOS</h2>RW, 19, 6-1, 200 Brandon (WHL) 58&ndash;40&ndash;50&ndash;90&ndash;68 2017 draft, 73rd overallProlific junior winger has good size and natural goal-scoring talent.<h2>9. ALEKSI SAARELA</h2>C, 22, 5-11, 198 Charlotte (AHL) 54&ndash;18&ndash;20&ndash;38&ndash;8 Trade (NYR), Feb. 2016Has speed and a wicked NHL-ready shot, but overall game needs work.<h2>10. MORGAN GEEKIE</h2>C, 20, 6-2, 178 Charlotte (AHL) 56&ndash;15&ndash;19&ndash;34&ndash;14 2017 draft, 67th overallGreat hockey sense and competitiveness. Skating is the big question mark.<h2>21-AND-UNDER NHLERS</h2>SEBASTIAN AHO, C, 21 ANDREI SVECHNIKOV, LW, 18 &#9632;

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CAROLINA HURRICANES: SWIRLING WINDS

<div class="byline">BY MATT CARLSON</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/chi_boqvist_1282/469960-1-eng-US/chi_boqvist_1282.jpg" title="chi_boqvist_128" width="836" height="1196"><figcaption class="caption-body">ADAM&nbsp;BOQVIST (TOM SZCZERBOWSKI/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>B&ndash;/RANK 19THE RETOOLING BLACKHAWKS ARE going through a transition on defense. GM Stan Bowman and staff maintain help is on the way. Chicago has focused on stockpiling mobile, puckhandling defensemen via the draft for the past several years and some of the picks are showing signs of breaking through. Henri Jokiharju, a first-round selection in 2017, has impressed this season and could soon be a consistent contributor. But most of the Hawks&rsquo; young D-men remain works in progress in the AHL or junior, and time isn&rsquo;t on the NHL squad&rsquo;s side. Two-time Norris winner Duncan Keith is starting to show his age, and Brent Seabrook is a couple steps slower.5-YEAR TREND<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-0252/469953-1-eng-US/f0041-022.jpg" title="f0041-02" width="1264" height="300"></div><h2>1. ADAM BOQVIST</h2>D, 18, 6-0, 181 London (OHL) 50&ndash;19&ndash;37&ndash;56&ndash;10 2018 draft, 8th overall OVERALL 12Boqvist is an electric offensive defenseman who looked good for Sweden at the WJC. He has been adjusting to the confines and speed of hockey on smaller rinks in North America. London associate GM Rob Simpson has worked with him to quicken his game so he can adapt his true style, characterized by jumping into the rush and nifty puckhandling with deceptive moves. Boqvist needs to get stronger and learn how to defend using his &ldquo;speed and brain,&rdquo; according to Simpson.&nbsp;FW18 n/a NHL 2020-21<h2>2. NICOLAS BEAUDIN</h2>D, 19, 5-11, 175 Drummondville (QMJHL) 50&ndash;7&ndash;49&ndash;56&ndash;48 2018 draft, 27th overall OVERALL 50Beaudin has used his high hockey IQ to dance in his fourth QMJHL season. He&rsquo;s a smooth skater and puck-mover who can jump into or even lead the rush. Beaudin, who says he admires Keith&rsquo;s fluid style, is still working on the defensive side of his game. In the summer, Bowman said Beaudin had &ldquo;good instincts in terms of how to defend&rdquo; and projected this season as a &ldquo;big year in terms of physical development.&rdquo; Beaudin is a late birthdate and will graduate to the AHL next year.&nbsp;FW18 n/a NHL 2021-22<h2>3. DYLAN SIKURA</h2>RW, 23, 5-11, 166 Rockford (AHL) 40&ndash;13&ndash;17&ndash;30&ndash;6 2014 draft, 178th overallSikura was slick offensively at Northeastern. His adjustment to the pros hasn&rsquo;t been as smooth. He started the season in Chicago but was later sent to the AHL. Rockford coach Derek King said the wiry Sikura has realized he needs to dig into pro play and not just &ldquo;wheel around&rdquo; as he could in college. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s no doubt a dynamic player, but the big thing is working without the puck, and he&rsquo;s got to get a bit stronger,&rdquo; King said. &ldquo;When he doesn&rsquo;t have the puck, he&rsquo;s got to want it back and win those battles.&rdquo;&nbsp;FW18 No. 2 NHL 2019-20<h2>4. IAN MITCHELL</h2>D, 20, 5-11, 175 Denver (NCHC) 30&ndash;4&ndash;17&ndash;21&ndash;10 2017 draft, 57th overallMitchell is his having a dynamite sophomore season with the Pioneers as an alternate captain. Along with Penn State&rsquo;s Evan Barratt (see No. 9), he&rsquo;s one of two Blackhawks draftees nominated for the Hobey Baker Award. Mitchell is trying to help Denver to a second NCAA title in three years but has said he&rsquo;s eager to turn pro. He needs to get stronger to succeed at the next level. He possesses excellent hockey sense and smarts, and he blends those attributes with skating and skills, with or without the puck.&nbsp;FW18 No. 3 NHL 2021-22<h2>5. LUCAS CARLSSON</h2>D, 21, 6-0, 190 Rockford (AHL) 55&ndash;8&ndash;20&ndash;28&ndash;32 2016 draft, 110th overallCarlsson is a stay-at-home type and the heartiest of Chicago&rsquo;s young D-men. He&rsquo;s in his first North American season after four years with Brynas in Sweden. He has played about 20 minutes per game with Rockford. King said Carlsson has been consistent, even if he gets burned wide now and then. He can still improve his skating, but King appreciates the rookie has &ldquo;a bit of jam and nastiness.&rdquo; Said King: &ldquo;When I first watched him, I would&rsquo;ve thought he played junior in Canada the way he handled the small rink.&rdquo;&nbsp;FW18 No. 7 NHL 2020-21<h2>6. TIM SODERLUND</h2>LW, 21, 5-7, 156 Skelleftea (Swe.) 44&ndash;5&ndash;7&ndash;12&ndash;31 2017 draft, 112th overallSoderlund is quick, feisty and was suspended for a flying-knee hit to a goalie.<h2>7. CHAD KRYS</h2>D, 20, 6-0, 185 Boston University (HE) 25&ndash;7&ndash;9&ndash;16&ndash;8 2016 draft, 45th overallPuck-mover has built up his strength and is termed a solid &ldquo;200-foot&rdquo; defenseman.<h2>8. ARTUR KAYUMOV</h2>LW, 21, 5-11, 176 Yaroslavl (KHL) 46&ndash;5&ndash;8&ndash;13&ndash;59 2016 draft, 50th overallSkilled winger with a mean streak. He hit an opponent in the head, then punched a ref.<h2>9. EVAN BARRATT</h2>C, 20, 5-11, 190 Penn State (Big Ten) 28&ndash;16&ndash;23&ndash;39&ndash;38 2017 draft, 90th overallSophomore has a solid frame and has blossomed as a scorer. Among NCAA leaders.<h2>10. BRANDON HAGEL</h2>LW, 20, 6-1, 173 Red Deer (WHL) 61&ndash;38&ndash;54&ndash;92&ndash;80 Free agent, Oct. 30, 2018Competitive and tireless worker is an aggressive forechecker.<h2>21-AND-UNDER NHLERS</h2>ALEX DEBRINCAT, RW, 21 DYLAN STROME, C, 21 HENRI JOKIHARJU, D, 19 &#9632;

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CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS: SAFETY IN NUMBERS

<div class="byline">BY MIKE CHAMBERS</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="col_kaut" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/col_kaut5/470010-1-eng-US/col_kaut2.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">MARTIN&nbsp;KAUT (NICHOLAS MONAGHAN/COLORADO EAGLES)</figcaption></div>B/ RANK 13THE AVALANCHE HAVE THEIR best cast of prospects in the six-year tenure of GM Joe Sakic &ndash; and it&rsquo;s only going to improve by having two first-round draft picks in 2019 and five picks in the first three rounds. Colorado owns Ottawa&rsquo;s first- and third-round selections as the final pieces of the Matt Duchene trade from 2017. There is immediate excitement about three 2017 draftees (one via Ottawa) &ndash; each chosen within the first 32 picks &ndash; plus 2018 first-rounder Martin Kaut and fellow Czech native Pavel Francouz. Also, the Avs can now keep closer tabs on their prospects with their AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles, just 50 miles north of Denver.5-YEAR TREND<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-0253/470003-1-eng-US/f0042-022.jpg" title="f0042-02" width="1264" height="328"></div><h2>1 CALE MAKAR</h2>D, 20, 6-0, 192 Massachusetts (HE) 33&ndash;13&ndash;27&ndash;40&ndash;25 2017 draft, 4th overall OVERALL 1Avs fans should be salivating. Makar, a smooth-skating playmaker, is having a sensational sophomore season as UMass captain with his ability to dominate at both ends. His college career is bound to end when the Minutemen&rsquo;s season concludes. It&rsquo;s likely he&rsquo;ll sign with the Avalanche and make his NHL debut in the final week of the season. Look for Makar to make Tyson Barrie expendable, with the youngster stepping in to run Colorado&rsquo;s No. 1 power-play unit next season.&nbsp;FW18 No. 1 NHL 2019-20<h2>2. MARTIN KAUT</h2>RW, 19, 6-2, 180 Colorado (AHL) 49&ndash;10&ndash;11&ndash;21&ndash;30 2018 draft, 16th overall OVERALL 56Kaut chose the AHL route over major junior or his Czech pro league and has posted modest stats, but he&rsquo;s the Eagles&rsquo; youngest player and nobody is concerned about his development. He has not been among the seven call-up forwards, but he continues to play big minutes against men in the AHL. The Avs want to be patient with Kaut and re-evaluate his NHL credentials through the summer and into camp. He has a lean frame, so part of his development is physical growth.&nbsp;FW18 n/a NHL 2020-21<h2>3. CONOR TIMMINS</h2>D, 20, 6-2, 184 Colorado (AHL) Has not played 2017 draft, 32nd overall OVERALL 59Timmins signed last summer and was expected to play a full-time NHL role before concussion-like symptoms kept him out of development camp, training camp and any games through February. He&rsquo;s on the mend and has practised with the Avs and Eagles in what is nearing a one-year injury stint. The team wanted Timmins and Makar to join the big club at different times, but the similar-style defensemen might end up learning the NHL ropes as rookie teammates next season.&nbsp;FW18 No. 2 NHL 2019-20<h2>4. SHANE BOWERS</h2>C, 19, 6-2, 188 Boston University (HE) 32&ndash;11&ndash;9&ndash;20&ndash;10 Trade (Ott), Nov. 5, 2017Bowers is a sophomore at struggling BU and ranks among the team&rsquo;s leading scorers while playing a top-six role. Colorado liked how he performed in his first development camp in the summer. All signs point towards Bowers returning to Boston for his junior year as the Avs continue to monitor his development. The Terriers are a young team, with just one senior among their top 10 scorers, so Bowers figures to grow along with the team. He has the potential to become the power forward the Avalanche envision.&nbsp;FW18 No. 5 NHL 2021-22<h2>5. LOGAN O&rsquo;CONNOR</h2>RW, 22, 6-0, 175 Colorado (AHL) 51&ndash;14&ndash;18&ndash;32&ndash;20 Free agent, July 23, 2018O&rsquo;Connor gave up his captaincy at Denver University to sign a free-agent deal with the Avs after attending the club&rsquo;s development camp in July. He&rsquo;s among the Eagles&rsquo; top scorers and is playing in all situations. In three years at DU, he never scored more than seven goals, usually on the third line and killing penalties, but, as the Avalanche predicted, he has become a quality scorer as a pro. Look for O&rsquo;Connor to stick with the Avs to begin next season. He&rsquo;s an elite skater with exceptional penalty-killing instincts.&nbsp;FW18 nr NHL 2019-20<h2>6. A.J. GREER</h2>LW, 22, 6-3, 205 Colorado (AHL) 40&ndash;15&ndash;19&ndash;34&ndash;50 2015 draft, 39th overallThe Eagles&rsquo; second-leading scorer had an NHL stint as a fourth-line grinder.<h2>7. PAVEL FRANCOUZ</h2>G, 28, 6-0, 180 Colorado (AHL) 21&ndash;13&ndash;1, 2.68, .918 Free agent, May 2, 2018Right-catching stopper named to AHL All-Star Game in first North American season.<h2>8. SAMPO RANTA</h2>LW, 18, 6-2, 205 Minnesota (Big Ten) 33&ndash;5&ndash;9&ndash;14&ndash;27 2018 draft, 78th overallThe Finn decommitted to Wisconsin to take his raw skill set to the rival Gophers.<h2>9. NICOLAS MELOCHE</h2>D, 21, 6-3, 205 Colorado (AHL) 46&ndash;6&ndash;14&ndash;20&ndash;43 2015 draft, 40th overallHe&rsquo;s a mainstay AHL blueliner with plenty of promise for the big club.<h2>10. NIKOLAI KOVALENKO</h2>RW, 19, 5-10, 175 Yaroslavl (KHL) 33&ndash;5&ndash;1&ndash;6&ndash;14 2018 draft, 171st overallYoungster struggling to produce offensively in his first full KHL season.<h2>21-AND-UNDER NHLERS</h2>TYSON JOST, C, 20 SAMUEL GIRARD, D, 20 &#9632;

col_kaut

COLORADO AVALANCHE: DEEP, SOON DEEPER

<div class="byline">BY AARON PORTZLINE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/clb_foudy5/470060-1-eng-US/clb_foudy2.jpg" title="clb_foudy" width="992" height="1235"><figcaption class="caption-body">LIAM&nbsp;FOUDY (CLAUS ANDERSEN/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>B&ndash;/RANK 23THE SERGEI BOBROVSKY ERA is coming to a close in Columbus, but that might not be the devastating news it seems to be. The Blue Jackets have never been better stocked with goaltending prospects, two of whom are right on the cusp of beginning their pro careers. Elvis Merzlikins could very well assume Bobrovsky&rsquo;s No. 1 job within a year, while Veini Vehvilainen could challenge him for starting duty in 2020-21. The Jackets are the only team in Future Watch with three goalies among their top 10 prospects. Who knows how long Daniil Tarasov will remain in Russia, but he could be the most talented of the bunch.5-YEAR TREND<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-0243/470053-1-eng-US/f0043-022.jpg" title="f0043-02" width="1264" height="352"></div><h2>1. LIAM FOUDY</h2>C, 19, 6-1, 182 London (OHL) 57&ndash;35&ndash;31&ndash;66&ndash;30 2018 draft, 18th overall OVERALL 51Foudy is an elite skater, but the question is whether his hands can keep pace with his feet. If the answer is yes, Columbus is looking at a dynamic top-six forward, though he may end up on the wing at the NHL level. If not, they&rsquo;ll have a third-liner with great wheels and decent skill. No shame there. Foudy has shown progress &ndash; he&rsquo;s on pace for 40-plus goals and 70-plus points in the OHL. Another key will be his ability to add muscle to a lanky frame without losing his speed advantage.&nbsp;FW18 n/a NHL 2021-22<h2>2. VLADISLAV GAVRIKOV</h2>D, 23, 6-2, 209 St. Petersburg (KHL) 60&ndash;5&ndash;15&ndash;20&ndash;10 2015 draft, 159th overallThe Blue Jackets believed he was ready back in 2017, when he came to take a summer tour of Columbus. But then he signed a two-year KHL extension as a requirement to represent Russia in the 2018 Olympics. The wait is almost over. Gavrikov has never made a splash offensively, but sharp vision and puck movement are strengths, which will allow for an easier transition to the NHL. There is skepticism the shutdown defender will come over next season. But if he does, he could be a third-pairing &lsquo;D&rsquo; right out of training camp.&nbsp;FW18 No. 6 NHL 2019-20<h2>3. ELVIS MERZLIKINS</h2>G, 24, 6-2, 180 Lugano (Sui.) GP 42, 2.45, .920 2014 draft, 76th overallThe future could arrive sooner than many expected for Merzlikins, who has been a dominant netminder on the world stage with his club team and country (Latvia). Even with Bobrovsky still around, Merzlikins could make his NHL debut in April. He has a big personality and an abundance of confidence. Three years ago, Merzlikins passed on a chance to come to North America, instead signing in Switzerland to coincide with Bobrovsky&rsquo;s contract ending in Columbus. The gutsy move is about to pay off.&nbsp;FW18 No. 10 NHL 2019-20<h2>4. GABRIEL CARLSSON</h2>D, 22, 6-5, 192 Cleveland (AHL) 53&ndash;1&ndash;9&ndash;10&ndash;14 2015 draft, 29th overallIt&rsquo;s been a backward slide for Carlsson since he first played as a 20-year-old in 2017 and was thrown immediately into a playoff series against Pittsburgh. He&rsquo;s competed in just 15 NHL games since and is rarely discussed as a future fixture on the NHL blueline. There&rsquo;s talent, to be sure, to go with a big frame and wingspan. But injuries have slowed his development. His lack of confidence shows up with huge gaps between him and onrushing forwards and some &ldquo;baby giraffe&rdquo; moments of uncertainty.&nbsp;FW18 No. 1 NHL 2020-21<h2>5. DANIIL TARASOV</h2>G, 19, 6-5, 183 Neftekamsk (Rus.2) GP 25, 1.71, .928 2017 draft, 86th overallColumbus gambled by spending a third-round pick on Tarasov in 2017. He had missed the entire season with a leg injury that required surgery. But the long shot looks to be paying off. Of all the goalies in the pipeline, the long, lanky Tarasov may have the highest ceiling. He has been a dominating stopper in Russia&rsquo;s minor league, and he fared well in a brief call-up to the KHL and at the 2019 WJC. He should be a KHL regular next season, moving one step closer to the NHL. He has the look of a future No. 1.&nbsp;FW18 nr NHL 2023-24<h2>6. ALEXANDRE TEXIER</h2>C, 19, 6-0, 182 KalPa (Fin.) 51&ndash;11&ndash;24&ndash;35&ndash;34 2017 draft, 45th overallCrazy-quick and skilled, but learning tough lessons in Finland&rsquo;s top league.<h2>7. ANDREW PEEKE</h2>D, 20, 6-2, 210 Notre Dame (Big Ten) 34&ndash;3&ndash;17&ndash;20&ndash;18 2016 draft, 34th overallWell-rounded defenseman, but offense would bloom if he&rsquo;d shoot more.<h2>8. EMIL BEMSTROM</h2>C, 19, 5-9, 190 Djurgarden (Swe.) 42&ndash;20&ndash;11&ndash;31&ndash;6 2017 draft, 117th overallBreakout player at world juniors flashed potential for high-end offensive future.<h2>9. VEINI VEHVILAINEN</h2>G, 22, 6-0, 174 Karpat (Fin.) GP 35, 1.62, .931 2018 draft, 173rd overallCould win a second championship in Finland before coming to North America.<h2>10. TREY FIX-WOLANSKY</h2>RW, 19, 5-7, 188 Edmonton (WHL) 60&ndash;33&ndash;63&ndash;96&ndash;48 2018 draft, 204th overallShort but solid winger putting up gaudy numbers. Great puck distributor.<h2>21-AND-UNDER NHLERS</h2>ZACH WERENSKI, D, 21 PIERRE-LUC DUBOIS, C, 20 &#9632;

clb_foudy

COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS: NO BOB? NO PROB

<div class="byline">BY STEPHEN MESERVE</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="dal_roberts_130" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/dal_roberts_1302/470110-1-eng-US/dal_roberts_1302.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">JASON&nbsp;ROBERTSON (VIVID EYE PHOTOGRAPHY)</figcaption></div>B&ndash;/RANK 20WITH MANY MID-FIRST-ROUND picks in the past few years, Dallas has plenty of decent prospects in the development system. The lingering question, however, is the ceiling for those players. Aside from can&rsquo;t-miss pick Miro Heiskanen, who has already graduated to the NHL, the Stars haven&rsquo;t recently drafted any game-breaking talent into their youth pool. Forwards make up the majority of Dallas&rsquo; top echelon, but few project for anything better than bottom-six NHL duty. A lack of blue-chippers limits the Stars&rsquo; ability to get big deals done and puts them in a position to reach on free agents, sometimes unwisely so.5-YEAR TREND<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-0259/470103-1-eng-US/f0044-022.jpg" title="f0044-02" width="1264" height="298"></div><h2>1. JASON ROBERTSON</h2>RW, 19, 6-2, 200 Niagara (OHL) 56&ndash;43&ndash;62&ndash;105&ndash;40 2017 draft, 39th overall OVERALL 44Robertson has had a big OHL season and was a point-per-game player at the 2019 WJC, but the root of that success came last year in the AHL. On a tryout with Texas, Robertson &ldquo;got his eyes opened with the talent and fitness level of players.&rdquo; He began training with Gary Roberts and is a different player, fitness-wise, but the skating still needs work. &ldquo;It was important for him to see himself in the same boat as all those top talented players,&rdquo; said Dallas assistant GM Scott White.&nbsp;FW18 No. 9 NHL 2020-21<h2>2. TY DELLANDREA</h2>C, 18, 6-1, 190 Flint (OHL) 54&ndash;20&ndash;37&ndash;57&ndash;47 2018 draft, 13th overall OVERALL 47Dellandrea&rsquo;s OHL season has been great for him on an individual level. However, Flint has been basically out of contention since October. The Firebirds are leaning heavily on Dellandrea, using him in every zone, and he takes the majority of the team&rsquo;s faceoffs. Dellandrea is a &ldquo;complete player&rdquo; in the eyes of White, who applauds the center&rsquo;s battling spirit. Dellandrea needs to work on his play in the defensive zone and also said he wants to improve his skating and speed.&nbsp;FW18 n/a NHL 2020-21<h2>3. DENIS GURIANOV</h2>RW, 21, 6-2, 195 Texas (AHL) 39&ndash;14&ndash;23&ndash;37&ndash;10 2015 draft, 12th overall OVERALL 71After being a healthy scratch during the 2018 Calder Cup final, Gurianov is an entirely different player. Once thought a first-round bust, he has spent time in Dallas this year on a line with Roope Hintz. Gurianov realized his skating speed was his greatest weapon, and he has put it on display in the AHL, blowing by defenders and scoring highlight-reel goals. He has spent time on the penalty kill as he rounds out his defensive game. He&rsquo;ll soon graduate to full-time NHLer.&nbsp;FW18 No. 4 NHL 2019-20<h2>4. ROOPE HINTZ</h2>LW, 22, 6-3, 215 Texas (AHL) 21&ndash;9&ndash;13&ndash;22&ndash;10 2015 draft, 49th overall OVERALL 85Hintz is another player likely to graduate from the prospect ranks by the end of the season. He was one of the last AHL assignments out of camp and was recalled shortly thereafter. Often combined with Gurianov to form a lethal combo in the AHL, he&rsquo;s reprising his role as a speedy winger-center in the NHL, also paired with Gurianov. Hintz has a nearly complete game at this point, and he played in all situations in the AHL. He just needs more NHL ice time to get into the flow of things.&nbsp;FW18 No. 5 NHL 2019-20<h2>5. JAKE OETTINGER</h2>G, 20, 6-5, 205 Boston University (HE) 14&ndash;13&ndash;4, 2.39, .930 2017 draft, 26th overall OVERALL 91Dallas made a case for Oettinger to leave college in the summer, but he decided to stay for his junior NCAA year. &ldquo;BU is having a down year, and he&rsquo;s seen more rubber,&rdquo; White said. &ldquo;His game in the second half has taken off.&rdquo; Oettinger wants to improve his stickhandling, while Dallas will look to sign him this spring and have him forego his senior season. Standard goalie caveats apply as Oettinger will need to marinate in the AHL before becoming a backup option in Dallas.&nbsp;FW18 No. 7 NHL 2022-23<h2>6. ALBIN ERIKSSON</h2>RW, 18, 6-4, 207 Skelleftea (Swe.) 41&ndash;8&ndash;7&ndash;15&ndash;29 2018 draft, 44th overallHeavy right shot who can skate. Big frame. He needs to develop in all areas.<h2>7. RILEY TUFTE</h2>LW, 20, 6-6, 230 Minn-Duluth (NCHC) 32&ndash;6&ndash;9&ndash;15&ndash;30 2016 draft, 25th overallGoal-scoring is down for junior winger, but board work and skating have improved.<h2>8. JOSEPH CECCONI</h2>D, 21, 6-2, 205 Michigan (Big Ten) 34&ndash;3&ndash;17&ndash;20&ndash;24 2015 draft, 133rd overallStock is rising for unsigned senior, the shutdown partner to Quinn Hughes.<h2>9. NICHOLAS CAAMANO</h2>RW, 20, 6-2, 195 Texas (AHL) 57&ndash;7&ndash;11&ndash;18&ndash;64 2016 draft, 146th overallOverall solid rookie pro season. Stars would love to see more scoring.<h2>10. RHETT GARDNER</h2>C, 23, 6-3, 207 North Dakota (NCHC) 33&ndash;8&ndash;6&ndash;14&ndash;67 2016 draft, 116th overallContinuously improving hard-nosed center. Senior will go pro in AHL this spring.<h2>21-AND-UNDER NHLERS</h2>MIRO HEISKANEN, D, 19 &#9632;

DALLAS STARS: STUCK IN MIDDLE

<div class="byline">BY BOB DUFF</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/det_veleno2/470160-1-eng-US/det_veleno2.jpg" title="det_veleno" width="889" height="1292"><figcaption class="caption-body">JOE&nbsp;VELENO (DRUMMONDVILLE VOLTIGEURS)</figcaption></div>B/RANK14AFTER TREATING IT FOR years as if it were some hockey version of profanity, the Red Wings finally relented and are freely using the R-word in conversation these days. &ldquo;I understand that we&rsquo;re in a rebuild here,&rdquo; said GM Ken Holland. The Wings will miss the playoffs again this season, making it the first time since the early 1980s that they&rsquo;ve failed to qualify for the post-season three years in a row. &ldquo;I want to try to get this thing turned around as quickly as possible so that we&rsquo;re way more competitive and we can compete for a playoff spot,&rdquo; Holland said. So, the process continues.5-YEAR TREND<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-0253/470153-1-eng-US/f0045-022.jpg" title="f0045-02" width="1263" height="299"></div><h2>1. FILIP ZADINA</h2>RW, 19, 6-0, 195 Grand Rapids (AHL) 45&ndash;15&ndash;16&ndash;31&ndash;14 2018 draft, 6th overall OVERALL 7Zadina was getting an NHL look to see if he learned the lessons he failed to in camp, mainly how to find open space and release his shot quickly. &ldquo;We all want him to be Wayne Gretzky tomorrow because of the fact he&rsquo;s an important piece for the Red Wings, but that&rsquo;s not the way it always works,&rdquo; said Detroit coach Jeff Blashill. &ldquo;Filip just has to come along at his own pace. In the end you could be a better player because you faced adversity. A lot of times adversity helps you.&rdquo;&nbsp;FW18 n/a NHL 2019-20<h2>2. JOE VELENO</h2>C, 19, 6-1, 193 Drummondville (QMJHL) 53&ndash;41&ndash;58&ndash;99&ndash;19 2018 draft, 30th overall OVERALL 48Veleno has been dominant with the Voltigeurs, pushing for the QMJHL scoring title, but he was a disappointment at the WJC, producing two assists in five games. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s closer than we suspected coming into camp,&rdquo; Blashill said. &ldquo;We told him to focus on trying to make the team next year. It starts by going and having a great year. We talked about more speed from the top of the circle to the top of the circle. He&rsquo;s got to get going so he doesn&rsquo;t get caught by the track.&rdquo;&nbsp;FW18 n/a NHL 2020-21<h2>3. JONATAN BERGGREN</h2>RW, 18, 5-10, 181 Skelleftea (Swe.) 16&ndash;0&ndash;3&ndash;3&ndash;4 2018 draft, 33rd overall OVERALL 82A strong skater and deadly finisher, Berggren plays the game at a high pace, a vital quality in today&rsquo;s NHL. &ldquo;We couldn&rsquo;t pass up his skill,&rdquo; said Tyler Wright, Detroit&rsquo;s director of amateur scouting. Berggren led the Swedish junior league with 57 points in 2017-18, but a back injury has slowed him this season. &ldquo;He has a chance to become a Viktor Arvidsson, a speedy forward who plays with intensity and has a good feel for the net,&rdquo; said the Wings&rsquo; European scout Hakan Andersson.&nbsp;FW18 n/a NHL 2021-22<h2>4. JARED MCISAAC</h2>D, 18, 6-1, 196 Halifax (QMJHL) 47&ndash;15&ndash;44&ndash;59&ndash;50 2018 draft, 36th overall OVERALL 97McIsaac has been on fire since returning from the WJC. He leads QMJHL D-men in points per game, meaning the kid can score. That&rsquo;s great news since he was viewed as more of a defensive D-man, and the Wings need offense from the blueline. &ldquo;I saw a really good player,&rdquo; Blashill said. &ldquo;He seems to have confidence and sees and understands the game. He seems to not have glaring weaknesses. He&rsquo;s good at everything. He looks like a guy who&rsquo;s going to be a future NHL defenseman.&rdquo;&nbsp;FW18 n/a NHL 2021-22<h2>5. EVGENY SVECHNIKOV</h2>RW, 22, 6-3, 212 Grand Rapids (AHL) Has not played 2015 draft, 19th overallSvechnikov looked to be figuring out where he fit in as an NHLer in a late-season recall, using his big body to create time and space. But his development was derailed by knee surgery that will sideline him for the rest of 2018-19. &ldquo;He understands being heavy on the puck,&rdquo; Blashill said. &ldquo;He showed good ability offensively at times. I was interested to see where he&rsquo;s at. We&rsquo;re still trying to figure out what the real Evgeny Svechnikov looks like. Sometimes he can be so hard on himself that he hurts himself.&rdquo;&nbsp;FW18 No. 3 NHL 2019-20<h2>6. GUSTAV LINDSTROM</h2>D, 20, 6-2, 187 Frolunda (Swe.) 36&ndash;3&ndash;3&ndash;6&ndash;50 2017 draft, 38th overallAt times has played on top &lsquo;D&rsquo; pairing on No. 1 Swedish club. More muscle is a must.<h2>7. VILI SAARIJARVI</h2>D, 21, 5-10, 182 Grand Rapids (AHL) 55&ndash;2&ndash;9&ndash;11&ndash;12 2015 draft, 73rd overallStrong skater who can quarterback a power play, but needs to add strength.<h2>8. AXEL HOLMSTROM</h2>C, 22, 6-1, 200 Grand Rapids (AHL) 56&ndash;10&ndash;12&ndash;22&ndash;6 2014 draft, 196th overallGood hands and hockey sense. Effective player in the greasy areas.<h2>9. FILIP LARSSON</h2>G, 20, 6-2, 188 Denver (NCHC) 9-3-3, 2.30, .919 2016 draft, 167th overallFreshman rebounded from groin surgery in the fall and earned No. 1 job with Pioneers.<h2>10. KASPER KOTKANSALO</h2>D, 20, 6-2, 190 Boston University (ECAC) 33&ndash;0&ndash;10&ndash;10&ndash;12 2017 draft, 71st overallAggressive and physical. Mobile, agile skater with soft hands and sound hockey IQ.<h2>21-AND-UNDER NHLERS</h2>MICHAEL RASMUSSEN, C, 19 DENNIS CHOLOWSKI, D, 21 FILIP HRONEK, D, 21 &#9632;

DETROIT RED WINGS: REBUILD…SORT OF

<div class="byline">BY ROB TYCHKOWSKI</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/edm_bouchar_1322/470210-1-eng-US/edm_bouchar_1322.jpg" title="edm_bouchar_132" width="947" height="1235"><figcaption class="caption-body">EVAN&nbsp;BOUCHARD (TOM SZCZERBOWSKI/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>C+/RANK 24THE OILERS HAVE BEEN drafting defensemen by the bushel in recent years, and the results are showing in the prospect pool. Six of their top 10 prospects are blueliners, and although none of them are banging down Edmonton&rsquo;s door, there is a definite hope that some of them can soon help make a difference on the big team. There are a few scoring wingers in the system as well, which addresses another major need in Edmonton. The Oilers have a long and troubled history of rushing prospects into hard minutes in the NHL before they are ready, but a recent organizational shift suggests these prospects will be given time to ripen.5-YEAR TREND<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0046-0260/470203-1-eng-US/f0046-022.jpg" title="f0046-02" width="1259" height="328"></div><h2>1. EVAN BOUCHARD</h2>D, 19, 6-2, 198 London (OHL) 40&ndash;12&ndash;37&ndash;49&ndash;34 2018 draft, 10th overall OVERALL 13Bouchard played seven games with Edmonton to start the season, turning heads with his heavy shot and instinct for offense. He&rsquo;s exactly what the organization has been searching for: a puck-moving, right-shot defenseman. He&rsquo;ll need time to develop, though. He struggled with his defensive play in the NHL, and he can have sluggish feet at times, a byproduct of having to conserve energy because he logs big minutes in junior. He has some holes to fix, but the potential is high.&nbsp;FW18 n/a NHL 2020-21<h2>2. KAILER YAMAMOTO</h2>RW, 20, 5-8, 155 Bakersfield (AHL) 24&ndash;9&ndash;6&ndash;15&ndash;16 2017 draft, 22nd overall OVERALL 43He was rushed to the NHL to compensate for Edmonton&rsquo;s lack of skilled depth on the wings. He played 26 NHL games over the past two years, putting up five points, before the Oilers hit the reset button and sent him to Bakersfield in January. He doesn&rsquo;t have the flash and blazing speed you would expect from a smaller player, but he has quick hands and a knack for finding soft spots around the net. He has learned how to compensate for his size, but the NHL will be another big adjustment.&nbsp;FW18 No. 1 NHL 2019-20<h2>3. CALEB JONES</h2>D, 21, 6-1, 194 Bakersfield (AHL) 35&ndash;5&ndash;16&ndash;21&ndash;18 2015 draft, 117th overallJones had a nice look in the NHL earlier this season, which wasn&rsquo;t easy given the state of the Oilers at the time. He showed promise offensively. He&rsquo;s a good skater, makes a nice outlet pass and walks the offensive blueline well for a player with his limited experience. Where he struggled at times was with defensive awareness, as did many of his teammates. There were some glaring mistakes he had to fish out of his own net, but he showed a strong ability to learn from them and move on instead of losing confidence.&nbsp;FW18 No. 2 NHL 2019-20<h2>4. KIRILL MAKSIMOV</h2>RW, 19, 6-3, 194 Niagara (OHL) 59&ndash;38&ndash;38&ndash;76&ndash;110 2017 draft, 146th overallHe doesn&rsquo;t get a lot of headlines because he&rsquo;s a fifth-round sleeper, but he&rsquo;s working hard to change that. He&rsquo;s the best pure scorer in the system. Maksimov comes with a shoot-first mentality, which is sorely needed on an Oilers team that loves to over-pass. As the NHL gets faster, deficiencies in his skating will be a hurdle, but not everyone needs elite speed. A player who knows how to get open and has a quick, hard and accurate release will have a home. He&rsquo;s also aggressive and likes to get in on the forecheck.&nbsp;FW18 No. 5 NHL 2021-22<h2>5. JOEL PERSSON</h2>D, 24, 5-9, 170 Vaxjo (Swe.) 47&ndash;6&ndash;23&ndash;29&ndash;8 Free agent, May 18, 2018He&rsquo;s a smart and determined right-shot defenseman. He battled his way from third-division player working a regular job during the day to power-play quarterback on a first-division Swedish League team. He&rsquo;s a project &ndash; the Oilers signed him last year, left him in Sweden, then re-upped him in January and will invite him to camp &ndash; but he sees the ice well. He leads Vaxjo in scoring among defensemen, maintaining his pace from last year even though the team sagged badly after Elias Pettersson left for the NHL.&nbsp;FW18 nr NHL 2020-21<h2>6. RYAN MCLEOD</h2>C, 19, 6-3, 205 Saginaw (OHL) 57&ndash;17&ndash;42&ndash;59&ndash;12 2018 draft, 40th overallPoint-per-game skill in the OHL. Could still get more out of himself.<h2>7. DMITRI SAMORUKOV</h2>D, 19, 6-2, 179 Guelph (OHL) 54&ndash;7&ndash;34&ndash;41&ndash;16 2017 draft, 84th overallVery productive offensively, but still committed to defensive side of the game.<h2>8. JOHN MARINO</h2>D, 21, 6-2, 181 Harvard (ECAC) 29&ndash;3&ndash;8&ndash;11&ndash;14 2015 draft, 154th overallRangy, right-shooting defenseman developing in a good program.<h2>9. COOPER MARODY</h2>C, 22, 6-0, 184 Bakersfield (AHL) 43&ndash;13&ndash;30&ndash;43&ndash;22 Trade (Phi), March 21, 2018Puts up points in AHL, but it hasn&rsquo;t translated in his brief NHL appearances.<h2>10. ETHAN BEAR</h2>D, 21, 5-11, 195 Bakersfield (AHL) 40&ndash;2&ndash;20&ndash;22&ndash;30 2015 draft, 124th overallAnother right shot. Excellent skills, but needs to round out his overall game.<h2>21-AND-UNDER NHLERS</h2>JESSE PULJUJARVI, RW, 20 &#9632;

edm_bouchar_132

EDMONTON OILERS: BLUELINE GUSHING

<div class="byline">BY ERIN BROWN</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/fla_denisen_1332/470260-1-eng-US/fla_denisen_1332.jpg" title="fla_denisen_133" width="712" height="1249"><figcaption class="caption-body">GRIGORI&nbsp;DENISENKO (RICH LAM/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>B/RANK 16THE PANTHERS FINALLY HAVE the pipeline of elite scoring talent that they had been seeking since Dale Tallon took over as GM in 2010. As the contracts of Florida&rsquo;s top-six start to come due in 2020, the Panthers have several options to consider. Some of those options include the leading scorers from this year&rsquo;s World Junior Championship, two power forwards and a top-flight center who is already seeing some NHL action. Taking care of business in the defensive end has been Florida&rsquo;s biggest issue this season, and internal help in the form of goaltending and a shutdown defenseman are still at least a year away.5-YEAR TREND<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0047-0182/470253-1-eng-US/f0047-012.jpg" title="f0047-01" width="1258" height="336"></div><h2>1. GRIGORI DENISENKO</h2>LW, 18, 5-11, 176 Yaroslavl (KHL) 25&ndash;4&ndash;2&ndash;6&ndash;58 2018 draft, 15th overall OVERALL 6Florida sees the 2019 WJC leading scorer as the full package. He&rsquo;s a smooth skater who is shifty in the corners. He loves to take advantage of his lethal shot, making him a perfect complement for Aleksander Barkov or Henrik Borgstrom. &ldquo;He can push the pace in a game, he can play with elite players and he can make players around him better,&rdquo; said director of player personnel Bryan McCabe. Denisenko is physical despite his small frame. He&rsquo;ll spend at least one more year in Russia.&nbsp;FW18 n/a NHL 2020-21<h2>2. HENRIK BORGSTROM</h2>C, 21, 6-3, 190 Springfield (AHL) 24&ndash;5&ndash;17&ndash;22&ndash;8 2016 draft, 23rd overall OVERALL 16In his first year as a pro, Borgstrom started the season in the AHL, but after averaging nearly a point per game, he had earned an NHL call-up. His playmaking ability was showcased as high as Florida&rsquo;s second line. Strength is still an issue, and he recognizes his limitations, but the Panthers love his work ethic. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s an incredibly cerebral, smart player,&rdquo; said assistant GM Eric Joyce. &ldquo;What impresses us the most about him is his detail. He&rsquo;s always in the right spot at the right time.&rdquo;&nbsp;FW18 No. 1 NHL 2019-20<h2>3. OWEN TIPPETT</h2>RW, 20, 6-2, 205 Saginaw (OHL) 48&ndash;31&ndash;34&ndash;65&ndash;14 2017 draft, 10th overall OVERALL 23The Panthers returned Tippett to junior, hoping he&rsquo;d find more jam. The natural scorer learned to develop a sense of urgency away from the puck with penalty-killing duties in Mississauga. Along with an exceptional shot and explosive stride, Tippett&rsquo;s improved defense earned him a WJC spot. He&rsquo;ll wrap up his OHL career in Saginaw after a trade. Florida likes the fit. &ldquo;Saginaw plays a high-tempo, come-at-you energy game, which is what we&rsquo;re preaching to &lsquo;Tipp,&rsquo;&rdquo; McCabe said.&nbsp;FW18 No. 2 NHL 2019-20<h2>4. ALEKSI HEPONIEMI</h2>C, 20, 5-10, 147 Karpat (Fin.) 46&ndash;16&ndash;28&ndash;44&ndash;6 2017 draft, 40th overall OVERALL 64The Finn boasts highlight-reel skills, which he&rsquo;s showing off during his rookie pro season. He&rsquo;s an elite passer with the ability to think the game two steps ahead. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s got a high hockey IQ,&rdquo; McCabe said, &ldquo;and he&rsquo;s a determined individual.&rdquo; Size is the issue, but Heponiemi added 10 pounds in the off-season. Florida would like to see more detail in his own end. Between a smooth transition in Europe and his production at the WJC, McCabe said Heponiemi has &ldquo;exceeded our expectations.&rdquo;&nbsp;FW18 No. 3 NHL 2020-21<h2>5. SERRON NOEL</h2>RW, 18, 6-5, 213 Oshawa (OHL) 62&ndash;32&ndash;43&ndash;75&ndash;50 2018 draft, 34th overall OVERALL 80Noel has set personal bests across the board. Florida is eager to get the hardworking power forward under contract and see how many heads he can turn. &ldquo;He deserves it,&rdquo; Joyce said. &ldquo;The best part about him is I know he&rsquo;ll probably take that signing bonus money, and invest in himself and train all summer. He&rsquo;s a dedicated kid.&rdquo; The Panthers are high on Noel&rsquo;s size, skating and ability to finish, making him an ideal replacement for the traded Nick Bjugstad. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re excited,&rdquo; Joyce said.&nbsp;FW18 n/a NHL 2021-22<h2>6. SAM MONTEMBAULT</h2>G, 22, 6-3, 192 Springfield (AHL) 13&ndash;14&ndash;3, 3.16, .901 2015 draft, 77th overallFleury-like with a great glove. Moves the puck like a third &lsquo;D.&rsquo; Now Florida&rsquo;s No. 3.<h2>7. JAYCE HAWRYLUK</h2>RW, 23, 5-11, 196 Springfield (AHL) 28&ndash;7&ndash;21&ndash;28&ndash;36 2014 draft, 32nd overallPesky winger had become a mainstay in Florida&rsquo;s bottom-six by January.<h2>8. RYAN BEDNARD</h2>G, 21, 6-5, 205 Bowling Green (WCHA) 16&ndash;6&ndash;4, 1.80, .923 2015 draft, 206th overallBig late bloomer could turn pro after junior season. Ready for AHL seasoning.<h2>9. MAX GILDON</h2>D, 19, 6-3, 191 New Hampshire (HE) 28&ndash;6&ndash;15&ndash;21&ndash;43 2017 draft, 66th overallPower-play QB with a big shot. Has shown improvement containing opponents.<h2>10. RILEY STILLMAN</h2>D, 20, 6-2, 194 Springfield (AHL) 48&ndash;4&ndash;9&ndash;13&ndash;41 2016 draft, 114th overallShutdown defender has adjusted well to pro game. Also plays wing in a pinch.<h2>21-AND-UNDER NHLERS</h2>NONE &#9632;

fla_denisen_133

FLORIDA PANTHERS: ALL ABOUT OFFENSE

<div class="byline">BY DOUG WARD</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/la_kupari5/470310-1-eng-US/la_kupari2.jpg" title="la_kupari" width="990" height="1103"><figcaption class="caption-body">RASMUS&nbsp;KUPARI (OULUN K&Auml;RP&Auml;T)</figcaption></div>C+/RANK 26WHERE DIESELS AND ROAD graders once clogged the freeways leading to Los Angeles, a steady stream of faster, sportier coupes is now cruising toward Staples Center. The Kings won Stanley Cups in 2012 and 2014 by steamrolling over opponents but, as the decade nears its end, the organization is in the process of trading in its outdated rattletraps for models more efficient in today&rsquo;s environment. GM Rob Blake&rsquo;s first two drafts have stocked the Kings&rsquo; system with skilled players who can skate. Three of their top 10 prospects were imported from the larger ice surfaces of Europe, where speed and finesse loom large.5-YEAR TREND<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0048-0258/470303-1-eng-US/f0048-022.jpg" title="f0048-02" width="1264" height="306"></div><h2>1. RASMUS KUPARI</h2>C, 18, 5-9, 163 Karpat (Fin.) 40&ndash;12&ndash;20&ndash;32&ndash;28 2018 draft, 20th overall OVERALL 19Fast and skilled, Kupari symbolizes the evolution of a Kings prospect. &ldquo;Speed is his No. 1 asset,&rdquo; said director of player personnel Nelson Emerson. &ldquo;Rasmus can flat-out fly. He&rsquo;s playing well against men in the top league in Finland.&rdquo; Kupari started slowly at the WJC, but the Kings like the way he took a leadership role, playing his best when the games became more important to help Finland win gold. Kupari gets a lot of chances because of his skating, but needs to work on his shooting.&nbsp;FW18 n/a NHL 2020-21<h2>2. GABE VILARDI</h2>C, 19, 6-3, 201 Ontario (AHL) 4&ndash;0&ndash;1&ndash;1&ndash;0 2017 draft, 11th overall OVERALL 49Back issues have plagued Vilardi, limiting him to four AHL games. If he can get &ndash; and stay &ndash; healthy, his future is bright. The 2017 Memorial Cup standout (seven assists) plays both ends of the ice and has a knack for making everyone around him better. The Kings believe Vilardi is young enough to overcome his injury and make a successful return. Vilardi had 22 goals and 58 points in 32 OHL games in 2017-18. &ldquo;It was exciting to see him back last year,&rdquo; Emerson said. &ldquo;He was dominant.&rdquo;&nbsp;FW18 No. 1 NHL 2021-22<h2>3. AKIL THOMAS</h2>C, 19, 6-0, 180 Niagara (OHL) 57&ndash;32&ndash;58&ndash;90&ndash;34 2018 draft, 51st overall OVERALL 67The gifted playmaker who can also finish has good pedigree: his father, Kahlil, played minor pro for 12 years, and an uncle, Leo, also played pro. &ldquo;Akil scores and distributes the puck well,&rdquo; Emerson said. The Kings are eager to see how Thomas fares in the playoffs, when games are tighter and intensity ramps up. A strong skater, Thomas&rsquo; defense is the area in need of improvement. He grew up a fan of Drew Doughty, and if he can channel Doughty&rsquo;s defensive intensity, the Kings will be thrilled.&nbsp;FW18 n/a NHL 2022-23<h2>4. JARET ANDERSON-DOLAN</h2>C, 19, 5-11, 195 Spokane (WHL) 26&ndash;14&ndash;21&ndash;35&ndash;15 2017 draft, 41st overall OVERALL 72Another example of the new breed of King: smart, serious and speedy sums up Anderson-Dolan. The two-way center played five NHL games this year and made an impression. &ldquo;He plays the game the right way,&rdquo; Emerson said. &ldquo;His speed is good, and he plays at great pace. Jaret just does not stop. He has a great head and knows what he wants.&rdquo; He isn&rsquo;t just fast, he also has quick feet, quick hands and is a quick thinker. More scorer than passer, he has a hard, accurate shot.&nbsp;FW18 No. 3 NHL 2020-21<h2>5. KALE CLAGUE</h2>D, 20, 6-0, 177 Ontario (AHL) 51&ndash;7&ndash;22&ndash;29&ndash;34 2016 draft, 51st overall OVERALL 79A strong skater and good puckhandler, Clague has adapted well in his first pro season, improving his defensive play while seeing ice time in all situations. An offensive threat, Clague has focused on getting back and going hard after pucks, while also improving his defensive positioning and breakout passes. He stepped up his game after the new year, playing with more confidence. Clague has good instincts and gained experience during two WJC tournaments with Team Canada.&nbsp;FW18 No. 2 NHL 2019-20<h2>6. MIKEY ANDERSON</h2>D, 19, 6-0, 190 Minnesota-Duluth (NCHC) 30&ndash;4&ndash;13&ndash;17&ndash;12 2017 draft, 103rd overall OVERALL 89A steady, heady D-man who plays an honest, two-way game and exudes leadership.<h2>7. CARL GRUNDSTROM</h2>LW, 21, 6-0, 201 Ontario (AHL) 55&ndash;16&ndash;23&ndash;39&ndash;32 Trade (Tor), Jan. 28, 2019Ultimate professional, competes hard every shift and has great hockey sense.<h2>8. CAL PETERSEN</h2>G, 24, 6-1, 182 Ontario (AHL) 8&ndash;14&ndash;1, 4.10, .896 Free agent, July 1, 2017Mature product of Notre Dame more reliable than his spotty AHL numbers reflect.<h2>9. SEAN DURZI</h2>D, 20, 6-0, 187 Guelph (OHL) 35&ndash;11&ndash;26&ndash;37&ndash;25 Trade (Tor), Jan. 28, 2019Fluid skater, skilled puck-handler has a good shot and can run the power play.<h2>10. JOHAN SODERGRAN</h2>RW, 19, 6-2, 205 Linkoping (Swe.) 37&ndash;8&ndash;4&ndash;12&ndash;4 2018 draft, 165th overallSmooth skater gained valuable experience with Sweden at WJC.<h2>21-AND-UNDER NHLERS</h2>MATT LUFF, RW, 21 &#9632;

la_kupari

LOS ANGELES KINGS: NEW SET OF WHEELS

<div class="byline">BY MICHAEL RUSSO</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/min_kaprizo_1342/470360-1-eng-US/min_kaprizo_1342.jpg" title="min_kaprizo_134" width="923" height="1056"><figcaption class="caption-body">KIRILL&nbsp;KAPRIZOV (MIKHAIL JAPARIDZE\TASS VIA GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>C/RANK 27IF PAUL FENTON DIDN&rsquo;T know what he was getting into when he landed his dream job, the Minnesota Wild&rsquo;s rookie GM learned this winter when the Wild were the only team without a participant in the World Junior Championship. The Wild may have six straight playoff appearance, but they have the oldest team in the NHL and are now paying the price for years of trading draft picks to get to the next competitive level. &ldquo;Yeah, we&rsquo;ve got some work to do for prospects,&rdquo; Fenton said. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s no question. I want to build our prospect pool. That&rsquo;s the name of the game here, build your prospect pool.&rdquo;5-YEAR TREND<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0049-0262/470353-1-eng-US/f0049-022.jpg" title="f0049-02" width="1258" height="304"></div><h2>1. KIRILL KAPRIZOV</h2>LW, 21, 5-9, 185 CSKA Moscow (KHL) 57&ndash;30&ndash;21&ndash;51&ndash;16 2015 draft, 135th overall OVERALL 8The dynamic scorer won&rsquo;t leave Russia until at least 2020-21, but Fenton has flown to Moscow to create a relationship with Kaprizov, and owner Craig Leipold wrote Kaprizov a letter that was translated into Russian. &ldquo;We want him to feel welcome here,&rdquo; Leipold said. Added Fenton: &ldquo;We&rsquo;re already talking how he is gonna fit in. There is no mystery to the contributions he&rsquo;s going to be able to make. He&rsquo;s taking English lessons and preparing himself so the transition is that much easier.&rdquo;&nbsp;FW18 No. 1 NHL 2020-21<h2>2. LOUIS BELPEDIO</h2>D, 22, 6-0, 190 Iowa (AHL) 54&ndash;5&ndash;13&ndash;18&ndash;42 2014 draft, 80th overallThe former Miami University defenseman has played a few NHL games and looks to be a player. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s got the vision, he&rsquo;s got the sense,&rdquo; Fenton said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s got the feel to be an NHL player. It&rsquo;s one thing to play college, but it&rsquo;s another to be actively playing against men and learning what it&rsquo;s like to compete every night. When he gets to that stage, he&rsquo;ll be a good defenseman for us.&rdquo; Belpedio plays with snarl defensively, which is what he&rsquo;ll need as a sub-six-footer. The grit adds to his offense.&nbsp;FW18 No. 5 NHL 2020-21<h2>3. KAAPO KAHKONEN</h2>G, 22, 6-2, 215 Iowa (AHL) 16&ndash;10&ndash;4, 2.69, .910 2014 draft, 109th overallCould the Wild have their goalie of the future? He was named to the AHL All-Star Game and is a giant reason for Iowa&rsquo;s quality season after being thrust into the No. 1 role as a rookie pro. &ldquo;It carries a lot of weight when you&rsquo;re able to do that as a goaltender,&rdquo; Fenton said. The Wild extended Alex Stalock by three years in part to be patient with Kahkonen. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s no reason to rush goaltenders,&rdquo; the GM said. &ldquo;You&rsquo;ve got to make sure they&rsquo;ve got the maturity and mental game to be able to come in here and succeed.&rdquo;&nbsp;FW18 nr NHL 2021-22<h2>4. FILIP JOHANSSON</h2>D, 18, 6-1, 176 Leksand (Swe.2) 46&ndash;1&ndash;3&ndash;4&ndash;28 2018 draft, 24th overallThere are questions with the first pick of the Fenton administration. The Wild were criticized when they went off the board to take him at No. 24, and so far it looks justified. He has been underwhelming and wasn&rsquo;t invited to Sweden&rsquo;s WJC evaluation camp. &ldquo;We need him to add more offense to his game,&rdquo; Fenton said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s complacent with the way he&rsquo;s been playing, but our guys are talking about the progress he&rsquo;s made, and they&rsquo;re very happy with it.&rdquo; The Wild may sign him soon and bring him to North America.&nbsp;FW18 n/a NHL 2021-22<h2>5. CONNOR DEWAR</h2>C, 19, 5-10, 175 Everett (WHL) 54&ndash;34&ndash;41&ndash;75&ndash;56 2018 draft, 92nd overallDewar went unclaimed in his draft year of 2017 but has been ripping up the WHL since, which grabbed the Wild&rsquo;s attention in the third round last year. &ldquo;Our guys come back, and every time they see him they&rsquo;re just raving about the way he plays,&rdquo; Fenton said. &ldquo;He plays the game &ndash; it seems to be the new saying in our game &ndash; the right way. He contributes both offensively and defensively and the leadership role and the grit role&hellip;whatever you need him to do, he does it. We can&rsquo;t wait to get him into our system.&rdquo;&nbsp;FW18 n/a NHL 2021-22<h2>6. JACK MCBAIN</h2>C, 19, 6-4, 205 Boston College (HE) 30&ndash;6&ndash;7&ndash;13&ndash;35 2018 draft, 63rd overallFreshman had mono to start year. Has the ability to be a dominant power forward.<h2>7. MASON SHAW</h2>C, 20, 5-9, 179 Iowa (AHL) 59&ndash;5&ndash;22&ndash;27&ndash;29 2017 draft, 97th overallComing off a knee injury that cost him last season, he has been Iowa&rsquo;s motor.<h2>8. ALEX KHOVANOV</h2>C, 18, 5-11, 196 Moncton (QMJHL) 58&ndash;24&ndash;41&ndash;65&ndash;92 2018 draft, 86th overallSmart player with scoring potential. Limited to 29 games last year due to Hepatitis A.<h2>9. DMITRY SOKOLOV</h2>RW, 20, 6-0, 205 Iowa (AHL) 46&ndash;12&ndash;12&ndash;24&ndash;2 2016 draft, 196th overallCan score goals, but criticisms continue to be fitness, speed and defensive desire.<h2>10. DAMIEN GIROUX</h2>C, 18, 5-10, 185 Saginaw (OHL) 61&ndash;27&ndash;20&ndash;47&ndash;22 2018 draft, 155th overallHard worker, competitive, smart, can score. He&rsquo;s a complete 200-foot player.<h2>21-AND-UNDER NHLERS</h2>LUKE KUNIN, C, 21 &#9632;

MINNESOTA WILD: PAUL THE POOL GUY

<div class="byline">BY PAT HICKEY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/mtl_suzuki2/470410-1-eng-US/mtl_suzuki2.jpg" title="mtl_suzuki" width="747" height="1260"><figcaption class="caption-body">NICK&nbsp;SUZUKI (TERRY WILSON / OHL IMAGES)</figcaption></div>B+/RANK 10THE 2018 DRAFT REPRESENTED a change in the Canadiens&rsquo; strategy as they moved away from picking the best player available and addressed their needs. It started in the first round when the team passed on highly rated prospects like Brady Tkachuk, Filip Zadina and Quinn Hughes to select Finnish center Jesperi Kotkaniemi. The Canadiens have been weak up the middle for the better part of a decade, but seven of their 11 draft picks in 2018 were centers, and they also acquired 2017 first-rounder Nick Suzuki from the Vegas Golden Knights as part of the Max Pacioretty trade. Habs GM Marc Bergevin said Suzuki was the key to the trade.5-YEAR TREND<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0050-0267/470403-1-eng-US/f0050-022.jpg" title="f0050-02" width="1256" height="304"></div><h2>1. NICK SUZUKI</h2>C, 19, 5-11, 183 Guelph (OHL) 53&ndash;32&ndash;54&ndash;86&ndash;12 Trade (Veg), Sept. 10, 2018 OVERALL 22The vision of the smooth-skating Suzuki as a top-six center has blurred. While he continues to rack up points in the OHL, he failed to take advantage of an opportunity to make the Canadiens with a mediocre camp. He was returned to junior while Kotkaniemi, a year younger than Suzuki, stayed in the NHL. Suzuki was also underwhelming at the WJC. While he has skill, his lack of size may be a problem at the next level. He might be better suited to playing on the wing.&nbsp;FW18 3 (Veg) NHL 2020-21<h2>2. RYAN POEHLING</h2>C, 20, 6-2, 200 St. Cloud State (NCHC) 30&ndash;7&ndash;21&ndash;28&ndash;34 2017 draft, 25th overall OVERALL 28Poehling has improved over his three-year-collegiate career. He took advantage of a Jack Hughes injury to play a larger role for Team USA at the WJC and was named tournament MVP. Poehling is more of a playmaker than a scorer, but he had five goals and eight points in the tournament. The question is whether Poehling wants to leave school before he graduates along with his older twin brothers Jack and Nick. The decision may be easier if top-ranked St. Cloud wins the NCAA title.&nbsp;FW18 No. 1 NHL 2020-21<h2>3. ALEXANDER ROMANOV</h2>D, 19, 5-11, 185 CSKA Moscow (KHL) 43&ndash;1&ndash;3&ndash;4&ndash;12 2018 draft, 38th overall OVERALL 45Montreal may have scored the steal of the draft by selecting him in the second round. &ldquo;He can play in the NHL right now,&rdquo; Bergevin said. Central Scouting had Romanov ranked 115th among European skaters. He was named top defenseman at the WJC. Romanov has one year remaining on his KHL contract, but he has the skills to thrive in the NHL. He is an excellent skater with an accurate slapshot and moves the puck well. He can hit but must guard against taking himself out of the play.&nbsp;FW18 n/a NHL 2021-22<h2>4. CAYDEN PRIMEAU</h2>G, 19, 6-2, 199 Northeastern (HE) 20&ndash;9&ndash;1, 2.19, .929 2017 draft, 199th overall OVERALL 60The Habs traded for a seventh-round pick so they could select Primeau, whose stock fell after a spotty run in the USHL. Two seasons into his NCAA career, Primeau is being touted as a solid prospect. He has size, athletic ability and good genes &ndash; his father, Keith, played 909 games over 15 NHL seasons. Cayden has made progress with his glove and puck tracking. He helped Team USA win silver at the WJC and was nominated for the Hobey Baker. He&rsquo;ll play at least one more year in college.&nbsp;FW18 No. 10 NHL 2023-24<h2>5. NOAH JUULSEN</h2>D, 21, 6-2, 193 Laval (AHL) 3&ndash;0&ndash;0&ndash;0&ndash;0 2015 draft, 26th overall OVERALL 99The scouting report says Juulsen &ldquo;plays the game right,&rdquo; but staying healthy has been an issue. His NHL debut was delayed last season with an ankle injury in a rookie tournament. He was contending for a top-four role this season when he was struck in the face by a puck twice in a Nov. 19 game and sustained a facial fracture. He returned to action three weeks later but was sent to Laval after five games. Vision problems stemming from the injury forced him to shut it down in late December.&nbsp;FW18 No. 3 NHL 2019-20<h2>6. JOSH BROOK</h2>D, 19, 6-1, 192 Moose Jaw (WHL) 52&ndash;15&ndash;51&ndash;66&ndash;73 2017 draft, 56th overallOffensive D-man thrives in transition game. He creates offense with precision passes.<h2>7. JESSE YLONEN</h2>RW, 19, 6-1, 172 Pelicans (Fin.) 48&ndash;12&ndash;12&ndash;24&ndash;6 2018 draft, 35th overallWorld junior gold medalist will take another year in Finland to bulk up.<h2>8. CALE FLEURY</h2>D, 20, 6-1, 211 Laval (AHL) 42&ndash;5&ndash;9&ndash;14&ndash;19 2017 draft, 87th overallFirst year pro has impressed Canadians with his poise on blueline.<h2>9. JACOB OLOFSSON</h2>C, 19, 6-2, 196 Timra (Swe.) 34&ndash;3&ndash;6&ndash;9&ndash;2 2018 draft, 56th overallPlaying against men. Has a two-way game not often seen in younger players.<h2>10. JONI IKONEN</h2>C, 19, 5-11, 172 KalPa (Fin.) 13&ndash;5&ndash;5&ndash;10&ndash;6 2017 draft, 58th overallSpeedster is back on track in Finnish top league after off-season knee surgery.<h2>21-AND-UNDER NHLERS</h2>JESPERI KOTKANIEMI, C, 18 VICTOR METE, D, 21 &#9632;

MONTREAL CANADIENS: PIVOT TO PIVOTS

<div class="byline">BY PETER BOTTE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/nyi_dobson2/470560-1-eng-US/nyi_dobson2.jpg" title="nyi_dobson" width="992" height="1094"><figcaption class="caption-body">NOAH&nbsp;DOBSON (ROUYN-NORANDA HUSKIES)</figcaption></div>A&ndash;/RANK 4THE NEW YORK ISLANDERS have emerged as the surprise team of the NHL this season, their first under the adult supervision of two Stanley Cup winners, team president/GM Lou Lamoriello and coach Barry Trotz. The accomplished duo&rsquo;s overhaul of the organizational culture has impacted every level, including a prospect base that was boosted by the No. 11 and 12 overall draft picks in 2018, shortly after Lamoriello took over from maligned predecessor Garth Snow. With a nod to Snow&rsquo;s drafting and acquisitions of high-end picks, Lamoriello categorized the Isles&rsquo; prospect pool as &ldquo;extremely strong&rdquo; with &ldquo;depth at every position.&rdquo;5-YEAR TREND<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0053-0253/470553-1-eng-US/f0053-022.jpg" title="f0053-02" width="1258" height="328"></div><h2>1. NOAH DOBSON</h2>D, 19, 6-4, 184 Rouyn-Noranda (QMJHL) 50&ndash;14&ndash;34&ndash;48&ndash;52 2018 draft, 12th overall OVERALL 10The two-way blueliner gained valuable big-game experience during Acadie-Bathurst&rsquo;s run to the Memorial Cup title in 2018. A plummet to last place &ndash; and correspondingly poor personal numbers &ndash; led to Dobson&rsquo;s trade to first-place Rouyn-Noranda. &ldquo;Now he&rsquo;s on another team that has a chance for a (post-season) run,&rdquo; Lamoriello said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a complete player, he has offensive and defensive skills, and there&rsquo;s no question he got drafted where he should have. We&rsquo;re glad he was available.&rdquo;&nbsp;FW18 n/a NHL 2020-21<h2>2. OLIVER WAHLSTROM</h2>RW, 18, 6-2, 209 Boston College (HE) 30&ndash;7&ndash;9&ndash;16&ndash;22 2018 draft, 11th overall OVERALL 31One pick earlier, the Isles nabbed sniper Wahlstrom, who has stuck out in his freshman year despite rumors in November he&rsquo;d considered leaving school following a slow start. He scored just twice in his first 10 NCAA appearances, then started heating up. &ldquo;People underestimate how difficult college is &ndash; he&rsquo;s an 18-year-old playing with guys 21 and 22,&rdquo; Lamoriello said. &ldquo;His progress has been outstanding. He&rsquo;s playing for a great program and a great coach in Jerry York.&rdquo;&nbsp;FW18 n/a NHL 2021-22<h2>3. ILYA SOROKIN</h2>G, 23, 6-2, 170 CSKA Moscow (KHL) GP 40, 1.16, .940 2014 draft, 78th overall OVERALL 41New York unexpectedly received star-level goaltending from free-agent Robin Lehner and holdover Thomas Greiss, but the ultra-athletic Sorokin is still the future. Using top-end quickness and mobility, he&rsquo;s posted cartoonish numbers (.930 career SP) over four full seasons in the KHL. He is signed through 2020, but the Isles would love to get him to North America as soon as possible. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s proven year-in and year-out that he has the potential to be an elite goalie,&rdquo; Lamoriello said.&nbsp;FW18 No. 2 NHL 2020-21<h2>4. BODE WILDE</h2>D, 19, 6-3, 190 Saginaw (OHL) 56&ndash;19&ndash;48&ndash;67&ndash;36 2018 draft, 41st overall OVERALL 57Like Wahlstrom, Wilde is a product of the U.S. National Team Development Program, but he chose major junior over college. He projected as a first-round pick before sliding to the second after teams were concerned with his hockey sense. The offense is there and he has a projectable frame. The Isles believe the rest will come. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s been working hard on his defensive game, too,&rdquo; Lamoriello said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s having an outstanding year. He&rsquo;s progressed at both ends.&rdquo;&nbsp;FW18 n/a NHL 2022-23<h2>5. KIEFFER BELLOWS</h2>LW, 20, 6-1, 195 Bridgeport (AHL) 58&ndash;11&ndash;5&ndash;16&ndash;45 2016 draft, 19th overall OVERALL 93The son of 485-goal scorer Brian Bellows has endured growing pains in his first pro year, but the Islanders have seen progress. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s developing his skating and overall game,&rdquo; Lamoriello said. Though he&rsquo;s played well enough for an NHL look, the time isn&rsquo;t right. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a top-six forward, and if he&rsquo;s not going to get the minutes here, he&rsquo;s better off getting them there.&rdquo; Bellows has the attributes of a power forward and a dose of leadership skills as well. He also thrives under pressure.&nbsp;FW18 No. 1 NHL 2019-20<h2>6. DEVON TOEWS</h2>D, 25, 6-1, 191 Bridgeport (AHL) 24&ndash;5&ndash;14&ndash;19&ndash;16 2014 draft, 108th overallAfter two injury-plagued years, speedster has looked sharp during NHL recall.<h2>7. OTTO KOIVULA</h2>C, 20, 6-4, 220 Bridgeport (AHL) 55&ndash;17&ndash;23&ndash;40&ndash;26 2016 draft, 120th overallFinn has opened eyes with smooth transition to center in rookie North American year.<h2>8. SEBASTIAN AHO</h2>D, 23, 5-11, 177 Bridgeport (AHL) 51&ndash;6&ndash;30&ndash;36&ndash;26 2017 draft, 139th overallThe mobile D-man provides depth in minors after 22-game NHL taste late last season.<h2>9. LINUS SODERSTROM</h2>G, 22, 6-5, 195 HV71 (Swe.) Has not played 2014 draft, 95th overallFuture uncertain after groin and shoulder injuries wiped out much of two seasons.<h2>10. MICHAEL DAL COLLE</h2>LW, 22, 6-2, 198 Bridgeport (AHL) 34&ndash;18&ndash;16&ndash;34&ndash;20 2014 draft, 5th overallOnce-projected top-six forward is contributing, albeit mostly in a checking role.<h2>21-AND-UNDER NHLERS</h2>MATHEW BARZAL, C, 21 ANTHONY BEAUVILLIER, LW, 21 &#9632;

nyi_dobson

NEW YORK ISLANDERS: TOP TO BOTTOM

<div class="byline">BY STEVE ZIPAY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="nyr_kravtso_140" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/nyr_kravtso_1402/470610-1-eng-US/nyr_kravtso_1402.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">VITALI&nbsp;KRAVTSOV (PAVEL TABARCHUK)</figcaption></div>B+/RANK 11WHEN THE RANGERS BRASS announced plans for a significant rebuild in February 2018, fans braced for the long haul. The recent deep playoff runs, led by Henrik Lundqvist, simply would be memories. No one can accurately predict how long a franchise re-engineering &ndash; which has included shedding veterans and hiring a new coach in David Quinn &ndash; will take. But the critical element is having a bevy of drafted prospects and youngsters acquired via trade who hopefully will produce one day, including promising forwards Filip Chytil, Brett Howden and Brendan Lemieux, who are already on the roster.5-YEAR TREND<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0054-0245/470603-1-eng-US/f0054-022.jpg" title="f0054-02" width="1259" height="304"></div><h2>1. VITALI KRAVTSOV</h2>LW, 19, 6-2, 187 Chelyabinsk (KHL) 50&ndash;8&ndash;13&ndash;21&ndash;6 2018 draft, 9th overall OVERALL 5Kravtsov is the best offensive player snagged by the Rangers in the first round since Chris Kreider in 2009. &ldquo;He has high-end skill and elite hockey sense,&rdquo; said assistant GM Chris Drury. After playing wing all season, Kravtsov centered Russia&rsquo;s top line during some WJC games. He had four points in three games, then played the final two with an arm injury. Kravtsov speaks English well and wants to come to North America. Presumably he&rsquo;ll play in the AHL next season.&nbsp;FW18 n/a NHL 2020-21<h2>2. LIAS ANDERSSON</h2>C, 20, 6-1, 204 Hartford (AHL) 36&ndash;6&ndash;14&ndash;20&ndash;25 2017 draft, 7th overall OVERALL 34Andersson started the season in the AHL, posted 12 points in 14 games and, as the Blueshirts were hit with injuries, was called up in November. He lasted 21 games before being returned. The motor and compete level that made him attractive to scouts were evident, but Andersson had rough spots defensively and couldn&rsquo;t stick in the top nine. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s made progress, and he&rsquo;s done some good things, but we need to see more consistency,&rdquo; said coach David Quinn.&nbsp;FW18 No. 1 NHL 2019-20<h2>3. IGOR SHESTYORKIN</h2>G, 23, 6-1, 189 St. Petersburg (KHL) GP 28, 1.11, .953 2014 draft, 118th overall OVERALL 37The heir to Henrik Lundqvist, Shestyorkin is finishing his third KHL season and has posted nice stats. Before 71,381 fans in St. Petersburg Dec. 17, Shestyorkin backstopped Russia&rsquo;s national team to a 5-0 win over Finland, a deceptive score because of his multiple &ldquo;grade-A saves,&rdquo; said director of European scouting Nikolai Bobrov. The athletic Shestyorkin will report to his first NHL camp in September. The challenges: smaller ice surface, better competition, more shots.&nbsp;FW18 No. 3 NHL 2019-20<h2>4. K&rsquo;ANDRE MILLER</h2>D, 19, 6-4, 205 Wisconsin (Big Ten) 26&ndash;5&ndash;17&ndash;22&ndash;18 2018 draft, 22nd overall OVERALL 62The blueliner&rsquo;s poise and numbers as a freshman have drawn comparisons to the first NCAA seasons of Zach Werenski, Jacob Trouba and Mike Matheson. Miller&rsquo;s size and skating were attractive, but averaging almost a point per game has raised eyebrows. Said Wisconsin coach Tony Granato: &ldquo;He is on his way to being the player the Rangers expected when they drafted him and what we expected when we recruited him: to be an elite player that can dominate right out of the gate.&rdquo;&nbsp;FW18 n/a NHL 2021-22<h2>5. LIBOR HAJEK</h2>D, 21, 6-2, 204 Hartford (AHL) 58&ndash;0&ndash;5&ndash;5&ndash;36 Trade (TB), Feb. 26, 2018The Czech lefty, acquired in the Ryan McDonagh/J.T. Miller trade, has struggled in his transition from junior to the pro. A good-skating defensive defenseman without a strong shot, the 2016 second-rounder (37th overall) needs more AHL experience. He has battled hard and been durable, but his neutral-zone decision-making has been uneven. Hajek is generating shots but has the fewest points among Wolf Pack blueliners. Hajek did amass 12 goals and 39 points in 55 WHL games in 2017-18, so there&rsquo;s room to grow.&nbsp;FW18 No. 4 NHL 2021-22<h2>6. NILS LUNDKVIST</h2>D, 18, 5-11, 175 Lulea (Swe.) 41&ndash;3&ndash;7&ndash;10&ndash;8 2018 draft, 28th overallNot a lot of ice time in men&rsquo;s league, but played close to mistake-free in WJC.<h2>7. ADAM HUSKA</h2>G, 21, 6-4, 220 Connecticut (HE) 5&ndash;13&ndash;2, 3.34, .896 2015 draft, 184th overallStruggling to bounce back after injury cost him two months of sophomore year.<h2>8. RYAN LINDGREN</h2>D, 21, 6-0, 200 Hartford (AHL) 52&ndash;0&ndash;11&ndash;11&ndash;75 Trade (Bos), Feb. 25, 2018Tough, stay-at-home defenseman got a short NHL look in December.<h2>9. MORGAN BARRON</h2>C, 20, 6-3, 214 Cornell (ECAC) 29&ndash;13&ndash;17&ndash;30&ndash;16 2017 draft, 174th overallBeefy sophomore producing many multi-point games. Player of month in January.<h2>10. JOEY KEANE</h2>D, 19, 6-0, 181 London (OHL) 61&ndash;8&ndash;29&ndash;37&ndash;91 2018 draft, 88th overallAthletic, puck-moving righty slowly adjusting after trade from OHL Barrie.<h2>21-AND-UNDER NHLERS</h2>FILIP CHYTIL, C, 19 BRETT HOWDEN, C, 20 &#9632;

nyr_kravtso_140

NEW YORK RANGERS: BRICK BY BRICK

<div class="byline">BY BRUCE GARRIOCH</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/ott_brannst_1412/470660-1-eng-US/ott_brannst_1412.jpg" title="ott_brannst_141" width="989" height="1257"><figcaption class="caption-body">ERIK&nbsp;BRANNSTROM (JASON SCOURSE)</figcaption></div>B+/RANK 6A STEP BACK TO take a step forward. A year ago, Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk and GM Pierre Dorion decided a full rebuild was the best route to take to get this organization back to respectability. A year later, the road is tough, but they feel they&rsquo;ve got the right pieces in place. &ldquo;This cupboard is filled with a lot of NHL players,&rdquo; Dorion said. &ldquo;We feel these guys are going to be NHL players, and they&rsquo;re going to fill different roles when they&rsquo;re ready to do so&hellip;We&rsquo;re excited we have these guys coming.&rdquo; And there&rsquo;s a plethora of draft picks in the pipeline as well, so the prospect pool is only going to get deeper.5-YEAR TREND<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0055-0248/470653-1-eng-US/f0055-022.jpg" title="f0055-02" width="1257" height="312"></div><h2>1. ERIK BRANNSTROM</h2>D, 19, 5-10, 173 Belleville (AHL) 43&ndash;7&ndash;22&ndash;29&ndash;38 Trade (Veg), Feb. 25, 2019 OVERALL 11The main return in the Mark Stone trade is a scintillating prospect. Brannstrom is a top-drawer skater with excellent vision. &ldquo;With the puck, he is so good,&rdquo; said Rocky Thompson, Brannstrom&rsquo;s former coach with AHL Chicago. &ldquo;It was without the puck, the ability to defend better and not give up odd-man rushes, that he had to work on, and he has developed. Even offensively without the puck, he has done well. He&rsquo;s learned how to jump into plays and activate a lot more.&rdquo;&nbsp;FW18 2 (Veg) NHL 2019-20<h2>2. DRAKE BATHERSON</h2>RW, 20, 6-3, 187 Belleville (AHL) 43&ndash;19&ndash;32&ndash;51&ndash;18 2017 draft, 121st overall OVERALL 27The Sens have given their kids a chance this season, and Batherson was a bright light. While he suited up for 17 NHL games when the club ran into injury trouble, it was determined to let him develop in the AHL. He has a chance to be a winger on the club&rsquo;s top two lines down the road, and they don&rsquo;t want to rush him. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s come in and pretty much dominated as a first-year player,&rdquo; Dorion said. &ldquo;Being a front-line player as a rookie shows us he&rsquo;s got all those tools.&rdquo;&nbsp;FW18 No. 3 NHL 2019-20<h2>3. ALEX FORMENTON</h2>LW, 19, 6-2, 185 London (OHL) 26&ndash;12&ndash;19&ndash;31&ndash;38 2017 draft, 47th overall OVERALL 38Formenton earned a spot coming out of camp, but the Sens decided to send him to junior because he was struggling offensively. They were hoping he&rsquo;d get a chance to win a gold with Canada at the world juniors, but a knee injury at camp sidelined him, and he only returned in February. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s got top-end, elite, NHL speed,&rdquo; Dorion said. &ldquo;We just felt the best thing to do for his development was to handle the puck.&rdquo; Formenton will push for an NHL spot in camp next season.&nbsp;FW18 No. 4 NHL 2019-20<h2>4. JOSH NORRIS</h2>C, 19, 6-2, 195 Michigan (Big Ten) 17&ndash;10&ndash;9&ndash;19&ndash;10 Trade (SJ), Sept. 13, 2018 OVERALL 52Norris is the key return in the deal that sent Erik Karlsson to San Jose. Dorion got a first-hand look at Norris playing for Team USA at the WJC, but he won&rsquo;t play the rest of this season because of shoulder surgery. Ottawa will try to bring him out of school this summer. &ldquo;He has NHL speed, is physically mature, and works really hard,&rdquo; Dorion said. &ldquo;What impressed me at the world juniors is his ability to do things at high speed. Great, quick hands and great, quick feet.&rdquo;&nbsp;FW18 1 (SJ) NHL 2020-21<h2>5. JACOB BERNARD-DOCKER</h2>D, 18, 6-0, 180 North Dakota (NCHC) 32&ndash;5&ndash;11&ndash;16&ndash;6 2018 draft, 26th overall OVERALL 68Bernard-Docker was invited to the WJC camp but was in tough to make Canada. The Sens aren&rsquo;t going to rush him out of North Dakota, and he&rsquo;s playing at a school that&rsquo;s strong at developing defensemen. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s getting a chance to play a big role,&rdquo; Dorion said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s the modern-age defenseman: skates well, moves the puck well and has a big-time shot. He can provide offense. We don&rsquo;t know when he&rsquo;s going to play for us, but we know he&rsquo;ll be a top-four defenseman.&rdquo;&nbsp;FW18 n/a NHL 2022-23<h2>6. LOGAN BROWN</h2>C, 20, 6-6, 220 Belleville (AHL) 41&ndash;12&ndash;23&ndash;35&ndash;18 2016 draft, 11th overallBelleville&rsquo;s top player since Christmas. Has size and skill to fill second-center role in NHL.<h2>7. VITALY ABRAMOV</h2>RW, 20, 5-9, 171 Belleville (AHL) 55&ndash;13&ndash;11&ndash;24&ndash;28 Trade (Clb), Feb. 22, 2019Potent junior scorer having slow adjustment to pro game with less time and space.<h2>8. FILIP GUSTAVSSON</h2>G, 20, 6-0, 197 Belleville (AHL) 12&ndash;15&ndash;1, 3.42, .886 Trade (Pit), Feb. 23, 2018Showed a lot of maturity by playing in the AHL to adjust to North American game.<h2>9. JONATHAN DAVIDSSON</h2>RW, 21, 5-11, 185 Djurgarden (Swe.) 36&ndash;10&ndash;11&ndash;21&ndash;16 Trade (Clb), Feb. 22, 2019Playmaker ready for North American test after three years in top Swedish league.<h2>10. RUDOLFS BALCERS</h2>LW, 21, 5-11, 175 Belleville (AHL) 38&ndash;15&ndash;13&ndash;28&ndash;4 Trade (SJ), Sept. 13, 2018Good offensive awareness and a strong shot. Can AHL production translate to NHL?<h2>21-AND-UNDER NHLERS</h2>BRADY TKACHUK, LW, 19 MAX LAJOIE, D, 21 &#9632;

ott_brannst_141

OTTAWA SENATORS: CUPBOARD IS FULL

<div class="byline">BY WAYNE FISH</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="phi_farabee_145" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/phi_farabee_1452/470710-1-eng-US/phi_farabee_1452.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">JOEL&nbsp;FARABEE (RICHARD T GAGNON/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>A&ndash;/RANK 1WHEN CHUCK FLETCHER REPLACED Ron Hextall as the Flyers GM, he inherted a team with several problems that have kept the team out of contention in recent seasons. But help is on the way, as Fletcher also inherited an A-grade prospect system that ranked second overall in Future Watch 2018. Keeping that high rank will take some work, but Fletcher and his assistant GM, Brent Flahr, hit the ground running. &ldquo;We have a lot of different types of players, which is great,&rsquo;&rsquo; Flahr said. &ldquo;The volume of prospects is important. It&rsquo;s just our job now to develop them properly.&rsquo;&rsquo; Youth is already making an NHL impact, with three players younger than 22 on the roster.5-YEAR TREND<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0056-0257/470703-1-eng-US/f0056-022.jpg" title="f0056-02" width="1259" height="360"></div><h2>1. JOEL FARABEE</h2>LW, 19, 6-1, 170 Boston University (HE) 33&ndash;13&ndash;18&ndash;31&ndash;42 2018 draft, 14th overall OVERALL 24Farabee got off to a slow start in his freshman year, struggling against the older, more-developed competition. But a strong performance at the WJC, featuring a hat trick against Kazakhstan, provided a boost to his confidence. &ldquo;Since late December, he&rsquo;s really started to go,&rdquo; Flahr said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a smart offensive player, complements good centers. Any time you have success on the big stage (WJC), it&rsquo;s exciting &ndash; tough environment, full buildings, lots of pressure.&rdquo;&nbsp;FW18 n/a NHL 2021-22<h2>2. MORGAN FROST</h2>C, 19, 6-0, 185 Sault Ste. Marie (OHL) 55&ndash;37&ndash;70&ndash;107&ndash;38 2017 draft, 27th overall OVERALL 26When the Flyers traded Brayden Schenn to St. Louis at the 2017 draft, they insisted on receiving a first-round pick with Frost in mind. &ldquo;For a smaller guy, he has all the attributes to make it,&rdquo; Flahr said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s just a matter of rounding out his game, but he has the ability to play with good players and produce at any level. He has a chance to be a quality top-six forward at center or wing.&rdquo; He has good hands, vision and offensive instincts. &ldquo;He has a lot of offensive tools you just can&rsquo;t teach,&rdquo; Flahr said.&nbsp;FW18 No. 3 NHL 2019-20<h2>3. PHILIPPE MYERS</h2>D, 22, 6-5, 210 Lehigh Valley (AHL) 48&ndash;9&ndash;20&ndash;29&ndash;57 Free agent, Sept. 21, 2015 OVERALL 65The fact Myers went undrafted continues to perplex talent evaluators. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s the type of kid where everyone would like to do a do-over,&rsquo;&rsquo; Flahr said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s made the most of it since his draft year &ndash; worked at his game, got stronger and his game dramatically improved.&rdquo; Myers has good mobility for his size but needs to simplify his game. &ldquo;The one thing he&rsquo;s learned in the AHL is when to go, when not to go,&rdquo; Flahr said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s learned to manage the game, figure out little things.&rdquo;&nbsp;FW18 No. 2 NHL 2020-21<h2>4. ISAAC RATCLIFFE</h2>LW, 20, 6-6, 204 Guelph (OHL) 59&ndash;47&ndash;27&ndash;74&ndash;97 2017 draft, 35th overallRatcliffe has been impressive at the Flyers&rsquo; development camps, skating well for a player his size. He has good hands and a great shot, and that&rsquo;s translated into averaging better than a point per game for Guelph the past two seasons. &ldquo;He still has a lot of room to fill out, get stronger, but you can&rsquo;t teach 6-foot-6,&rdquo; Flahr said. &ldquo;His skating is coming. His top-end speed has always been fine. The quickness, the agility, that&rsquo;s just about growing into his body.&rdquo; The Flyers would like to see him play at a higher pace.&nbsp;FW18 nr NHL 2021-22<h2>5. WADE ALLISON</h2>RW, 21, 6-2, 205 Western Michigan (NCHC) 18&ndash;4&ndash;5&ndash;9&ndash;16 2016 draft, 52nd overallAllison is a bit of a Flyers throwback: a power forward with a visible edge to his game. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a big, strong kid who plays straight lines, and he can really shoot the puck, drive hard to the net,&rdquo; Flahr said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s got power forward potential.&rdquo; To become an NHL regular, Allison will have to refine his defensive tools to become a complete player who can take care of things in both ends. &ldquo;He has the physical tools,&rdquo; Flahr said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s just a matter of rounding out his game.&rdquo; Along the way, he has overcome an ACL injury.&nbsp;FW18 No. 8 NHL 2021-22<h2>6. GERMAN RUBTSOV</h2>C, 20, 6-0, 187 Lehigh Valley (AHL) 14&ndash;6&ndash;4&ndash;10&ndash;0 2016 draft, 22nd overallOut for season with shoulder surgery. Good defense sometimes hinders offense.<h2>7. JAY O&rsquo;BRIEN</h2>C, 19, 6-0, 174 Providence (HE) 24&ndash;2&ndash;3&ndash;5&ndash;10 2018 draft, 19th overallFlyers like his skill set. Freshman hampered by injuries. Patience required.<h2>8. WYATT KALYNUK</h2>D, 21, 6-1, 190 Wisconsin (Big Ten) 34&ndash;9&ndash;14&ndash;23&ndash;32 2017 draft, 196th overallLate bloomer needs to add weight. Sophomore has flourished in the Badgers system.<h2>9. TANNER LACZYNSKI</h2>C, 21, 6-1, 193 Ohio State (Big Ten) 25&ndash;10&ndash;20&ndash;30&ndash;14 2016 draft, 169th overallFlahr likes what he sees out of junior: &ldquo;Big heart, gamer, comes to play. Coachable.&rdquo;<h2>10. NOAH CATES</h2>LW, 20, 6-2, 185 Minnesota-Duluth (NCHC) 30&ndash;8&ndash;12&ndash;20&ndash;14 2017 draft, 137th overallSmart, energetic, character freshman. Made impression at WJC. Rapid improvement.<h2>21-AND-UNDER NHLERS</h2>TRAVIS KONECNY, RW, 21 NOLAN PATRICK, C, 20 CARTER HART, G, 20 &#9632;

PHILADELPHIA FLYERS: MAINTAIN ALTITUDE

<div class="byline">BY JONATHAN BOMBULIE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/pit_bjorkqv_1442/470760-1-eng-US/pit_bjorkqv_1442.jpg" title="pit_bjorkqv_144" width="963" height="1220"><figcaption class="caption-body">KASPER&nbsp;BJORKQVIST (RICH GAGNON)</figcaption></div>D+/RANK 31AS THE PITTSBURGH PENGUINS traded away handfuls of draft picks while chasing Stanley Cups, they were warned it would catch up with them eventually. That day has pretty much arrived, to put it mildly. The system is bereft of high-end prospects, as they&rsquo;re the only team without a youngster in our Top 100. Luckily for the Penguins, they don&rsquo;t need to develop a top-line center or No. 1 defenseman. They already have those guys. Their needs are for complementary pieces, which they try to find in free agency or at the bottom of the draft. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a lot of pressure on all of us,&rdquo; said assistant GM Bill Guerin, &ldquo;but that&rsquo;s our job.&rdquo;5-YEAR TREND<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0057-0256/470753-1-eng-US/f0057-022.jpg" title="f0057-02" width="1257" height="304"></div><h2>1. KASPER BJORKQVIST</h2>RW, 21, 6-1, 207 Providence (HE) 35&ndash;14&ndash;11&ndash;25&ndash;16 2016 draft, 61st overallThe Pens&rsquo; most NHL-ready prospect has a polished and responsible game with a confrontational edge. He has worn a letter for Finland internationally and carries himself like a pro. He&rsquo;s already physically mature. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a specimen,&rdquo; Guerin said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s tops in every category.&rdquo; Bjorkqvist has speed and skill, but there are questions about his offensive upside. His stats have improved over three NCAA seasons. &ldquo;The biggest thing is for him to believe in the offensive part of his game,&rdquo; Guerin said.&nbsp;FW18 No. 10 NHL 2020-21<h2>2. CALEN ADDISON</h2>D, 18, 5-10, 180 Lethbridge (WHL) 62&ndash;11&ndash;50&ndash;61&ndash;50 2018 draft, 53rd overallAny D-man Addison&rsquo;s size has to answer one question before he can have success at the pro level: can he defend when his opponents are full-grown men? The Penguins aren&rsquo;t sure yet, but they they&rsquo;ve evolved enough to appreciate Addison&rsquo;s gifts more than they fret about his stature. They love his hockey sense and confidence with the puck and think he has a sneaky nastiness to his game. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a new-age defenseman,&rdquo; Guerin said. &ldquo;We used to call them undersized. Now he&rsquo;s mobile and agile.&rdquo;&nbsp;FW18 n/a NHL 2021-22<h2>3. NIKITA PAVLYCHEV</h2>C, 21, 6-7, 225 Penn State (Big Ten) 34&ndash;14&ndash;14&ndash;28&ndash;53 2015 draft, 197th overallWhen Pavlychev was drafted in 2015, he was a long-term project: it was going to take time for the massive center to mature physically and grow into his frame. His development has gone as well as the team could have hoped. In his first two years at Penn State, Pavlychev thrived in a checking role. The offensive breakthrough came this season as a junior. But how will a man his size keep up with the pro pace? The Pens are optimistic. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s adapted to the speed at every level he&rsquo;s gone to,&rdquo; Guerin said.&nbsp;FW18 nr NHL 2021-22<h2>4. ANTHONY ANGELLO</h2>RW, 22, 6-5, 210 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL) 53&ndash;15&ndash;12&ndash;27&ndash;46 2014 draft, 145th overallAngello looks like a quintessential power forward. He goes to the net and has the hands to produce once he gets there. He punishes D-men on the forecheck and uses his strength to win board battles. He&rsquo;ll fight when the situation calls for it. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a lot to handle &ndash; a 6-foot-5 guy who can skate,&rdquo; Guerin said. While the team is excited about Angello, they recognize why he&rsquo;s not a can&rsquo;t-miss prospect: young players whose games are based on physicality often have a hard time playing with intensity every night.&nbsp;FW18 nr NHL 2020-21<h2>5. FILIP HALLANDER</h2>C, 18, 5-9, 178 Timra (Swe.) 40&ndash;7&ndash;10&ndash;17&ndash;4 2018 draft, 58th overallThe only Pens prospect at the WJC, Hallander is putting up impressive numbers for a teen in Sweden&rsquo;s top league. More than that, Pittsburgh is pleased with how he&rsquo;s proven capable of playing in high-leverage situations. His smarts and situational awareness are his greatest strengths. While he&rsquo;s strong on his skates, he isn&rsquo;t a burner, and he&rsquo;s capable offensively but not a whiz with the puck. As such, there are questions about his ceiling. He&rsquo;ll need AHL time to get used to the pace of the North American game.&nbsp;FW18 n/a NHL 2022-23<h2>6. SAM LAFFERTY</h2>C, 23, 6-1, 185 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL) 51&ndash;8&ndash;22&ndash;30&ndash;59 2014 draft, 113th overallSpeedy Brown alum having surprisingly productive rookie pro season.<h2>7. JORDY BELLERIVE</h2>C, 19, 5-11, 194 Lethbridge (WHL) 63&ndash;29&ndash;45&ndash;74&ndash;57 Free agent, Sept. 16, 2017Pens laud his character after overcoming injuries from off-season campfire explosion.<h2>8. NICLAS ALMARI</h2>D, 20, 6-0, 178 HPK (Fin.) 41&ndash;1&ndash;4&ndash;5&ndash;6 2016 draft, 151st overallSmart defender who makes a good first pass, plays a simple game.<h2>9. CLAYTON PHILLIPS</h2>D, 19, 6-0, 195 Minnesota (Big Ten) 31&ndash;1&ndash;9&ndash;10&ndash;18? 2017 draft, 93rd overallHigh-end offensive talent learning to master defensive fundamentals as sophomore.<h2>10. SAM MILETIC</h2>LW, 21, 6-1, 196 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL) 30&ndash;7&ndash;11&ndash;18&ndash;8 Free agent, Sept. 25, 2017Skating is borderline, but shows effective, no-nonsense power-forward game.<h2>21-AND-UNDER NHLERS</h2>NONE &#9632;

pit_bjorkqv_144

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS: OK AT THE BOTTOM

<div class="byline">BY JEREMY RUTHERFORD</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/stl_kyrou2/470810-1-eng-US/stl_kyrou2.jpg" title="stl_kyrou" width="688" height="1176"><figcaption class="caption-body">JORDAN&nbsp;KYROU (DARREN ABATE)</figcaption></div>B/RANK 15IN 2011, THE ST. LOUIS Blues made three separate trades, moving Eric Brewer, Brad Boyes and Brad Winchester for draft picks. Eight years later, the players taken with those picks &ndash; Joel Edmundson, Jordan Binnington and MacKenzie MacEachern &ndash; are contributors. The takeaway: player development takes time, especially in the case of rookies like Binnington (25) and MacEachern (24), and fans should be patient. &ldquo;To plant a tree, you&rsquo;ve got to have sunshine and water, and sometimes we don&rsquo;t have all that available,&rdquo; said Blues assistant GM Bill Armstrong. &ldquo;But then you see guys come in. They&rsquo;re coming &ndash; it just takes patience.&rdquo;5-YEAR TREND<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0058-0170/470803-1-eng-US/f0058-012.jpg" title="f0058-01" width="1257" height="296"></div><h2>1. JORDAN KYROU</h2>RW, 20, 6-0, 177San Antonio (AHL)40&ndash;15&ndash;25&ndash;40&ndash;102016 draft, 35th overallOVERALL 18The Blues need speed, and Kyrou possesses as much as anyone in the organization. Kyrou made the opening-night roster, but his role was limited, and he was assigned to AHL San Antonio. He&rsquo;s had a couple call-ups, but his best work has been in the minors, where he had a 12-game point streak. In the NHL, he has not been hard enough on the puck. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a big jump from being a good junior to a good pro,&rdquo; Armstrong said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s been dominant in the AHL, so he&rsquo;s close.&rdquo;&nbsp;FW18 No. 2 NHL 2019-20<h2>2. DOMINIK BOKK</h2>LW, 20, 6-3, 180Vaxjo (Swe.)43&ndash;7&ndash;14&ndash;21&ndash;82018 draft, 25th overallOVERALL 40The Blues moved up four spots in the draft to take Bokk, the German-born winger who plays in Sweden. He has been compared to Edmonton star and fellow countryman Leon Draisaitl. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a thin body type who&rsquo;s playing against men,&rdquo; Armstrong said. &ldquo;When the puck is on his stick, he makes something happen. He can make highlight-reel passes from anywhere. For his strength and learning to play in the small rink, he&rsquo;ll have some adjustment time, but he has high-end ability.&rdquo;&nbsp;FW18 n/a NHL 2021-22<h2>3. KLIM KOSTIN</h2>RW, 19, 6-3, 212San Antonio (AHL)49&ndash;7&ndash;11&ndash;18&ndash;742017 draft, 31st overallOVERALL 55Kostin has been in the AHL for two years but is still only 19. His stats have been underwhelming, but his performance at the international level against peers is promising. &ldquo;Klim is a big, powerful winger,&rdquo; Armstrong said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s changing rink sizes, and there&rsquo;s a language barrier. But when he&rsquo;s in the world juniors, you can see his game and how it translates. He&rsquo;s a kid like Kyrou. They have to manage the game. But he&rsquo;s got some raw qualities that he&rsquo;s got to trim up to be an NHL player.&rdquo;&nbsp;FW18 No. 3 NHL 2019-20<h2>4. SCOTT PERUNOVICH</h2>D, 20, 5-10, 175Minnesota-Duluth (NCHC)31&ndash;3&ndash;24&ndash;27&ndash;242018 draft, 45th overallOVERALL 83The undersized but skilled Perunovich doesn&rsquo;t have the same cast that won a Frozen Four title in 2017-18, but he&rsquo;s played well enough to consider turning pro after his sophomore season. &ldquo;We fell in love with him in the sense he put his team on his back and got it done in the clutch situations,&rdquo; Armstrong said. &ldquo;He has the ability to move the puck, and he&rsquo;s unique on the power play up top. He&rsquo;s got a ways to go with the strength factor. But he&rsquo;s put time in to improve his defensive side.&rdquo;&nbsp;FW18 n/a NHL 2021-22<h2>5. JOEL HOFER</h2>G, 18, 6-3, 157Portland (WHL)13&ndash;27&ndash;1, 3.76, .9052018 draft, 107th overallHofer is an example of why the Blues don&rsquo;t look at stats when evaluating goalie prospects. He had a GAA near 3.00 but owns a winning record with Portland after a trade from Swift Current. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s had a spectacular year because he&rsquo;s getting 55 shots a game and was walking away with (a victory),&rdquo; Armstrong said. &ldquo;When we see goalies that steal games, if you can get one or two of them a year, that&rsquo;s impressive. But this guy has had about five of them. He&rsquo;s very raw, but his instincts are very good.&rdquo;&nbsp;FW18 n/a NHL 2023-24<h2>6. JAKE WALMAN</h2>D, 23, 6-1, 202San Antonio (AHL)52&ndash;1&ndash;8&ndash;9&ndash;402014 draft, 82nd overallKnown for his heavy shot. Has become more reliable in the defensive zone.<h2>7. VILLE HUSSO</h2>G, 24, 6-2, 205San Antonio (AHL)6&ndash;14&ndash;2, 3.45, .8812014 draft, 94th overallRangy. Great puck tracker. Pivotal season in progression set back by high-ankle sprain.<h2>8. SAMUEL BLAIS</h2>RW, 22, 6-2, 205San Antonio (AHL)26&ndash;8&ndash;10&ndash;18&ndash;552014 draft, 176th overallSkilled forward who can hit is making more of an impact every call-up.<h2>9. ALEXEI TOROPCHENKO</h2>RW, 19, 6-3, 200Guelph (OHL)56&ndash;17&ndash;23&ndash;40&ndash;292017 draft, 113th overallA long player who can skate well. Needs to bear down on scoring chances.<h2>10. NIKO MIKKOLA</h2>D, 22, 6-4, 205San Antonio (AHL)52&ndash;1&ndash;7&ndash;8&ndash;332015 draft, 127th overallDefense-minded &lsquo;D&rsquo; has shown a strong stick as he transitions to North America.<h2>21-AND-UNDER NHLERS</h2>ROBERT THOMAS, C, 19 &#9632;

ST. LOUIS BLUES: SLOW COOKING

<div class="byline">BY DAVID POLLAK</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/sj_merkley3/470860-1-eng-US/sj_merkley2.jpg" title="sj_merkley" width="952" height="1258"><figcaption class="caption-body">RYAN&nbsp;MERKLEY (TERRY WILSON / OHL IMAGES)</figcaption></div>D+/RANK 30IN LATE JANUARY, SHARKS scouting director Doug Wilson Jr. could scan the list of top scorers across the Canadian major junior landscape and smile. Joachim Blichfeld was leading the WHL in points and goals. Ivan Chekhovich was doing the same in the QMJHL. Both had been taken by San Jose in the seventh rounds of recent drafts. Oh, and no OHL defenseman had more points than San Jose&rsquo;s top pick in 2018, Ryan Merkley. Yes, it&rsquo;s a long road from major junior to the NHL. But not bad for a franchise whose constant playoff presence has denied them access to the game&rsquo;s most highly touted 18-year-olds.5-YEAR TREND<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0059-0234/470853-1-eng-US/f0059-022.jpg" title="f0059-02" width="1257" height="304"></div><h2>1. RYAN MERKLEY</h2>D, 18, 5-11, 163Peterborough (OHL)57&ndash;11&ndash;53&ndash;64&ndash;602018 draft, 21st overallOVERALL 96The Sharks rolled the dice in 2018, drafting an offense-minded D-man with flashes of temper that gave other teams pause. Are they second-guessing their decision? Nope. &ldquo;During camp and in our rookie tournament, he was fantastic,&rdquo; said Wilson Jr., the GM&rsquo;s son. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s nothing else we could ask from him.&rdquo; Merkley was traded in December from Guelph to Peterborough. The Sharks say they played no role in that. &ldquo;Those GMs, they&rsquo;re all trying to win the Memorial Cup,&rdquo; Wilson Jr. said.&nbsp;FW18 n/a NHL 2020-21<h2>2. MARIO FERRARO</h2>D, 20, 5-11, 195UMass-Amherst (HE)33&ndash;2&ndash;10&ndash;12&ndash;232017 draft, 49th overallOVERALL 100Only a sophomore, Ferraro is one of three co-captains on a UMass-Amherst team that held down the No. 2 spot in NCAA rankings. &ldquo;He brings people together,&rdquo; Wilson Jr. said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a natural leader and a natural worker.&rdquo; The Sharks see Ferraro as &ldquo;an absolute gamer&rdquo; with high energy and speed. &ldquo;He pushes the puck north all the time,&rdquo; Wilson Jr. said. &ldquo;He jumps into plays.&rdquo; Down the road, the scouting department can envision Merkley and Ferraro as high-end partners.&nbsp;FW18 No. 3 NHL 2021-22<h2>3. JEREMY ROY</h2>D, 21, 6-0, 195San Jose (AHL)45&ndash;6&ndash;13&ndash;19&ndash;162015 draft, 31st overallAfter missing nearly two seasons with ACL injuries, Roy is getting a chance to show the Sharks what he brings to the blueline. The team says Roy was on board with their plan to ease him into the pro game. &ldquo;Then I think he rattled off a seven or eight-game point streak to start the season,&rdquo; Wilson Jr. said, &ldquo;so our plan switched to get him more ice time.&rdquo; Roy&rsquo;s hockey smarts with and without the puck as a key asset. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re working with him to play the game faster,&rdquo; Wilson Jr. said, &ldquo;pushing his pace.&rdquo;&nbsp;FW18 No. 9 NHL 2021-22<h2>4. DYLAN GAMBRELL</h2>C, 22, 6-0, 195San Jose (AHL)38&ndash;15&ndash;22&ndash;37&ndash;122016 draft, 60th overallAfter three seasons of college at Denver that included the 2017 Frozen Four title, Gambrell played things too safe when he came to his first camp last fall. &ldquo;He was just extremely tight because he wanted to make the team so badly,&rdquo; Wilson Jr. said. &ldquo;So we sent him down and told him to work on creativity. He has one of the hardest shots, but he just has to use it more.&rdquo; Gambrell has taken that advice to heart. Through January, he averaged 0.90 points per game in the AHL, almost matching his 1.1 PPG pace at Denver.&nbsp;FW18 No. 2 NHL 2019-20<h2>5. SASHA CHMELEVSKI</h2>C, 19, 6-0, 187Ottawa (OHL)50&ndash;31&ndash;39&ndash;70&ndash;262017 draft, 185th overallScoring more than a point per game for the 67&rsquo;s shows consistency. But his Team USA performance in the WJC was more noteworthy. There, Chmelevski had seven points in seven games &ndash; including the semifinal winner against Russia and a goal and assist in the gold-medal 3-2 loss to Finland. Wilson Jr. noted Chmelevski was the most versatile player on Team USA and that his playing time increased every game. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a strong, natural center with high-end vision. He has to keep pushing himself every single night.&rdquo;&nbsp;FW18 No. 10 NHL 2021-22<h2>6. JONATHAN DAHLEN</h2>LW, 21, 5-11, 176Utica (AHL)53&ndash;14&ndash;18&ndash;32&ndash;10Trade (Van), Feb. 25, 2019Tough transition from Sweden, but comfort factor and scoring have improved.<h2>7. IVAN CHEKHOVICH</h2>LW, 20, 5-10, 176Baie-Comeau (QMJHL)60&ndash;40&ndash;56&ndash;96&ndash;342017 draft, 212th overall&ldquo;Our game-breaker prospect,&rdquo; Wilson Jr. said of the Russian-born scoring ace.<h2>8. MAXIM LETUNOV</h2>C, 23, 6-4, 185San Jose (AHL)47&ndash;9&ndash;10&ndash;19&ndash;14Trade (Ari), June 20, 2016Adjusting to the role as third-line center in AHL after top-line duties at UConn.<h2>9. JOACHIM BLICHFELD</h2>RW, 20, 6-2, 188Portland (WHL)63&ndash;52&ndash;55&ndash;107&ndash;622016 draft, 210th overall&ldquo;He&rsquo;s a shooter, an agitating shooter,&rdquo; Wilson Jr. said of WHL&rsquo;s leading scorer.<h2>10. NOAH GREGOR</h2>C, 20, 6-0, 180Prince Albert (WHL)59&ndash;38&ndash;44&ndash;82&ndash;342016 draft, 111th overallCenters top line on top team. Likely in AHL if injuries hadn&rsquo;t cost him a season.<h2>21-AND-UNDER NHLERS</h2>NONE &#9632;

SAN JOSE SHARKS: MAJOR JUNIORS

<div class="byline">BY ERIK ERLENDSSON</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/tb_foote5/470910-1-eng-US/tb_foote2.jpg" title="tb_foote" width="904" height="1192"><figcaption class="caption-body">CAL&nbsp;FOOTE (FRANK JANSKY/ICON SPORTSWIRE VIA GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>B+/RANK 8THE TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING model of draft and development continues to be the lifeblood of the organization&rsquo;s success, with players such as Brayden Point, Anthony Cirelli, Erik Cernak and Mathieu Joseph making an impact while still playing on entry-level contracts. But even with some of Tampa Bay&rsquo;s recent top prospects now graduated to the NHL, the Lightning maintain a prospect pipeline playing and developing together as pros with Syracuse. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s huge, because they all kind of go through things together,&rdquo; said Stacy Roest, the Lightning&rsquo;s director of player development. &ldquo;When they go through it together, they can lean on each other.&rdquo;5-YEAR TREND<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0060-0230/470903-1-eng-US/f0060-022.jpg" title="f0060-02" width="1258" height="320"></div><h2>1. CAL FOOTE</h2>D, 20, 6-4, 221Syracuse (AHL)57&ndash;7&ndash;15&ndash;22&ndash;292017 draft, 14th overallOVERALL 58The son of former NHLer Adam Foote plays a different style than his dad, with less physicality but more offense. In his first pro season, Cal has shown a steady and poised two-way game. &ldquo;You have to go in and find your way,&rdquo; Roest said. &ldquo;Ice time is earned, and he&rsquo;s earned his ice time. He had a bit of a slow start, but he&rsquo;s now playing with more pace, his skating is coming along, and he&rsquo;s getting stronger. He&rsquo;s more confident and playing more relaxed while playing good minutes.&rsquo;&rsquo;&nbsp;FW18 No. 1 NHL 2019-20<h2>2. BORIS KATCHOUK</h2>LW, 20, 6-2, 199Syracuse (AHL)56&ndash;9&ndash;10&ndash;19&ndash;442016 draft, 44th overallOVERALL 95Katchouk is a versatile, two-way winger who can play either side of the ice, unleash his quick shot on the power play and kill penalties. Scoring came easy to Katchouk in junior, but he will have to adjust his game to find some success against men. &ldquo;Boris is going to score as a pro, but he just needs to trust the process and keep developing,&rsquo;&rsquo; Roest said. &ldquo;His work ethic is good. He&rsquo;s preparing like a pro. He&rsquo;s starting to make more plays, get a few more shots. The goals will follow him for sure.&rdquo;&nbsp;FW18 No. 2 NHL 2020-21<h2>3. ALEX VOLKOV</h2>RW, 21, 6-1, 192Syracuse (AHL)56&ndash;12&ndash;19&ndash;31&ndash;512017 draft, 48th overallIn his second year with the organization, Volkov continues to round out his overall game. After reaching the 20-goal mark as a rookie last season with Syracuse, he has worked on his two-way game following two extended looks in camp. &ldquo;When he&rsquo;s on his game, he&rsquo;s skating well and has the puck and drives the net,&rdquo; Roest said. &ldquo;I like his future because he can play without the puck, or if he does get the puck, he can make plays with skill guys, and in Tampa we have a lot of those skill guys who can skate.&rdquo;&nbsp;FW18 No. 10 NHL 2019-20<h2>4. TAYLOR RADDYSH</h2>RW, 21, 6-3, 216Syracuse (AHL)52&ndash;14&ndash;19&ndash;33&ndash;262016 draft, 58th overallRaddysh was a top scorer in the OHL on a powerhouse Erie team before turning pro. As the next step in his development, he must utilize his size on a consistent basis. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s winning more battles, controlling the puck, and now he goes in the corners,&rdquo; Roest said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s adjusting. He has a nice shot, and his playmaking is underrated. He just always seems to find a way to get open in the slot, and the puck finds him. He&rsquo;s trending up.&rdquo; If it all comes together, the Lightning have a a power forward in the making.&nbsp;FW18 No. 3 NHL 2020-21<h2>5. MITCHELL STEPHENS</h2>C, 22, 6-0, 193Syracuse (AHL)22&ndash;9&ndash;9&ndash;18&ndash;42015 draft, 33rd overallStephens drew comparisons to Ryan Callahan, though with a stronger skating style, when drafted. Slowed by injuries in his second pro season, Stephens continues to showcase his work ethic, a willingness to do whatever it takes and a strong two-way game. &ldquo;His skating is probably his best asset,&rsquo;&rsquo; Roest said. &ldquo;He uses it to get in on the forecheck and to pressure the puck and on the penalty kill. He&rsquo;s getting better at making plays in traffic, but his skating is his strength, and when he&rsquo;s using that, he&rsquo;s effective.&rdquo;&nbsp;FW18 No. 6 NHL 2020-21<h2>6. GABRIEL FORTIER</h2>LW, 19, 5-10, 172Baie-Comeau (QMJHL)62&ndash;32&ndash;46&ndash;78&ndash;252018 draft, 59th overallPlays in all situations. Very fast and an honest, hardworking, 200-foot player.<h2>7. CONNOR INGRAM</h2>G, 21, 6-2, 196Syracuse (AHL)14&ndash;7&ndash;0, 2.26, .9222016 draft, 88th overallAHL All-Star Game rep a dogged worker in practice as second-year pro.<h2>8. SAMMY WALKER</h2>C, 19, 5-11, 160Minnesota (Big Ten)34&ndash;10&ndash;14&ndash;24&ndash;162017 draft, 200th overallFreshman has great commitment and work ethic. Open-ice skating is ideal.<h2>9.&nbsp;ALEX BARRE-BOULET</h2>C, 21, 5-10, 170Syracuse (AHL)57&ndash;27&ndash;25&ndash;52&ndash;12Free agent, March 1, 2018Skilled playmaker with good shot needs work on skating and strength.<h2>10. NICK PERBIX</h2>D, 20, 6-4, 206St. Cloud State (NCHC)32&ndash;3&ndash;13&ndash;16&ndash;82017 draft, 169th overallFreshman right-shot D-man shoots the puck well and moves well for his size.<h2>21-AND-UNDER NHLERS</h2>MIKHAIL SERGACHEV, D, 20 ANTHONY CIRELLI, C, 21 ERIK CERNAK, D, 21 &#9632;

tb_foote

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING: GROWING TOGETHER

<div class="byline">BY MATT LARKIN</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/tor_sandin5/470960-1-eng-US/tor_sandin2.jpg" title="tor_sandin" width="827" height="1259"><figcaption class="caption-body">RASMUS&nbsp;SANDIN (DAVID KIROUAC/ICON SPORTSWIRE VIA GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>A&ndash;/RANK 2BEHOLD, THE CIRCLE OF prospect life. Years of playoff misses helped the Toronto Maple Leafs draft elite talent at the NHL level and stack their farm system. Now, with Toronto matured into a Stanley Cup threat, GM Kyle Dubas must pursue win-now fixes. Acquiring Jake Muzzin from the Los Angeles Kings cost the Leafs two of their top six prospects: Carl Grundstrom and Sean Durzi. The farm depth trends downward now, though the trades benefit their lesser prospects. &ldquo;Everyone thinks they&rsquo;re capable of doing more, and when holes open up, there&rsquo;s a chance for them to do that,&rdquo; said AHL Toronto Marlies coach Sheldon Keefe.5-YEAR TREND<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0061-0239/470953-1-eng-US/f0061-022.jpg" title="f0061-02" width="1259" height="359"></div><h2>1. RASMUS SANDIN</h2>D, 18, 6-0, 184 Toronto (AHL) 29&ndash;5&ndash;7&ndash;12&ndash;10 2018 draft, 29th overall OVERALL 25Injuries have kept Sandin&rsquo;s sample size small, but he&rsquo;s shown enough &ndash; with the Marlies and in an eye-opening WJC with Sweden &ndash; to leapfrog Timothy Liljegren. Sandin doesn&rsquo;t have the offensive flash of Liljegren, but Sandin is well-rounded: mobile, quick moving the puck, surprisingly physical and strong positionally. &ldquo;He showed a lot of confidence for a young guy,&rdquo; Keefe said. &ldquo;You saw some elite skills that allowed a young player to adjust very quickly to our level.&rdquo;&nbsp;FW18 n/a NHL 2020-21<h2>2. TIMOTHY LILJEGREN</h2>D, 19, 6-0, 193 Toronto (AHL) 27&ndash;2&ndash;6&ndash;8&ndash;12 2017 draft, 17th overall OVERALL 74Mono slowed Liljegren in his draft year. A hip injury limited him last year. A high-ankle sprain shortened his 2018-19. He possesses the skills to become a high-end offensive defenseman, but that hasn&rsquo;t happened in the AHL yet. He must cut down on turnovers and show he can handle a bigger workload after getting limited time as an AHL rookie. He has NHL speed but must learn how and when to use it, Keefe says, adding Liljegren needs to get stronger to improve his battling ability.&nbsp;FW18 No. 2 NHL 2020-21<h2>3. JOSEPH WOLL</h2>G, 20, 6-4, 205 Boston College (HE) 10&ndash;18&ndash;3, 2.39, .917 2016 draft, 62nd overallThe progression has been steady for Woll, who got nominated for the Hobey Baker. He&rsquo;s big and mature, playing a disciplined and relatively conservative style, making him the antithesis of a scrambler. That works in his favor but doesn&rsquo;t suit him particularly well to any team that plays leaky defense and needs him to make improvisational saves, especially moving side to side. Woll is a junior at BC but has motivation to turn pro given how wide-open the Marlies&rsquo; crease is. He could end up starting for them by the fall.&nbsp;FW18 No. 5 NHL 2021-22<h2>4. JEREMY BRACCO</h2>RW, 21, 5-11, 171 Toronto (AHL) 57&ndash;15&ndash;42&ndash;57&ndash;8 2015 draft, 61st overallLast year was a reality check. His offensive gifts were never in doubt, but his conditioning and responsibility away from the puck were. Bracco learned that and has earned more responsibility. The stats have exploded, but any Leaf forward earning a call-up requires the flexibility to play in the bottom six. &ldquo;Right now, he&rsquo;s the type of player that is a power-play specialist &ndash; he&rsquo;s going to make a good offensive play,&rdquo; Keefe said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re working to make his game well-rounded so he can play in all situations.&rdquo;&nbsp;FW18 No. 7 NHL 2020-21<h2>5. IAN SCOTT</h2>G, 20, 6-3, 183 Prince Albert (WHL) 35&ndash;7&ndash;2, 1.90, .931 2017 draft, 110th overallScott wasn&rsquo;t one of Toronto&rsquo;s top 10 prospects last year. By the time he signed an entry-level deal with the Leafs Dec. 14, he was an incredible 23-2-1 with a 1.61 GAA and .943 SP in the WHL. Scott has cooled since his inhuman first half, but there&rsquo;s plenty to like: large wingspan, sound positioning, rapid reflexes. In his draft year, he was criticized for being too spastic and aggressive, but that was a product of a bad team in front of him. It&rsquo;s hardly a coincidence he has great numbers on a first-place Raiders team.&nbsp;FW18 nr NHL 2022-23<h2>6. CALLE ROSEN</h2>D, 25, 6-1, 195 Toronto (AHL) 52&ndash;7&ndash;37&ndash;44&ndash;36 Free agent, May 16, 2017Speedy puck-rusher busting out after learning to think quicker on North American ice.<h2>7. SEMYON DER-ARGUCHINTSEV</h2>C, 18, 5-11, 161 Peterborough (OHL) 56&ndash;6&ndash;34&ndash;40&ndash;14 2018 draft, 76th overallDazzling puckhandler. Built like a child. Years away but could be a steal.<h2>8. MAC HOLLOWELL</h2>D, 20, 5-10, 163 Sault Ste. Marie (OHL) 58&ndash;23&ndash;49&ndash;72&ndash;56 2018 draft, 118th overallBeing undersized no hindrance in today&rsquo;s game. Top offensive D-man in OHL.<h2>9. PIERRE ENGVALL</h2>LW, 22, 6-5, 214 Toronto (AHL) 54&ndash;15&ndash;11&ndash;26&ndash;47 2014 draft, 188th overallGrinding forechecker wears down defensemen. Can play on any type of line.<h2>10. PONTUS HOLMBERG</h2>LW, 19, 5-10, 179 Vaxjo (Swe.) 43&ndash;3&ndash;7&ndash;10&ndash;10 2018 draft, 156th overallLow ceiling, but great hockey sense and simple game make NHL a realistic goal.<h2>21-AND-UNDER NHLERS</h2>AUSTON MATTHEWS, C, 21 MITCH MARNER, RW, 21 &#9632;

tor_sandin

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS: WHO WILL STEP UP?

<div class="byline">BY BEN KUZMA</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/van_hughes6/471010-1-eng-US/van_hughes2.jpg" title="van_hughes" width="756" height="1252"><figcaption class="caption-body">QUINN&nbsp;HUGHES (DAVE REGINEK/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>A&ndash;/RANK 3THREE OF THE CANUCKS&rsquo; top five prospects &ndash; Quinn Hughes, Thatcher Demko and Mike DiPietro &ndash; will have played at least one 2018-19 game, while Olli Juolevi would have logged second-half games if not for a season-ending knee injury. And with goaltending the backbone of any franchise, along with a commitment to speed and skill, the rebuilding Canucks believe they have a leg up on the competition. &ldquo;You can never have enough quality goaltending, and a perfect example is Thatcher &ndash; it got to the point where we just couldn&rsquo;t hold him back &ndash; and he was ready for the next challenge,&rdquo; said Ryan Johnson, the Canucks&rsquo; director of player development.5-YEAR TREND<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0062-0228/471003-1-eng-US/f0062-022.jpg" title="f0062-02" width="1253" height="336"></div><h2>1. QUINN HUGHES</h2>D, 19, 5-10, 175Michigan (Big Ten)30&ndash;5&ndash;28&ndash;33&ndash;162018 draft, 7th overallOVERALL 2The fleet-footed, quick-thinking Hughes will surely sign after his college season and make an impact on a transitioning back end. &ldquo;His hockey sense is elite,&rdquo; Johnson said. &ldquo;He sees things not many do, and when he makes that (NHL) jump and is surrounded by players who are thinking what he&rsquo;s thinking, it&rsquo;s going to be scary.&rdquo; The only downside is that the creative Hughes may not get away with a Globetrotter-like game in the NHL, but the Canucks won&rsquo;t put reins on him.&nbsp;FW18 n/a NHL 2019-20<h2>2. THATCHER DEMKO</h2>G, 23, 6-4, 192Utica (AHL)8&ndash;5&ndash;0, 2.58, .9112014 draft, 36th overallOVERALL 35A Sept. 23 concussion sidelined Demko, a cerebral stopper who studies psychology and human development, until Nov. 21, but he returned to form and got the full-time back-up call when Anders Nilsson was traded Jan. 2. The challenges at the NHL level will be sealing up the short side and better rebound control. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s not content with anything,&rdquo; Johnson said. &ldquo;He had already reached a ceiling at the (AHL) level, and I could tell he was ready to go (to the NHL).&rdquo;&nbsp;FW18 No. 3 NHL 2019-20<h2>3. OLLI JUOLEVI</h2>D, 20, 6-3, 198Utica (AHL)18&ndash;1&ndash;12&ndash;13&ndash;22016 draft, 5th overallOVERALL 66The hard-luck Finn lasted 18 games before season-ending knee surgery. He also had back surgery in the summer, but he has moved the development meter. &ldquo;He wasn&rsquo;t just getting rid of pucks and firing them up the wall,&rdquo; Johnson said. &ldquo;He showed aggressiveness in the D-zone getting his stick on pucks. He was running the first power play and making smart plays, putting people in good positions and getting pucks through.&rdquo; Juolevi will have to do all that at a faster pace in the NHL.&nbsp;FW18 No. 2 NHL 2019-20<h2>4. TYLER MADDEN</h2>C, 19, 5-11, 150Northeastern (HE)30&ndash;10&ndash;15&ndash;25&ndash;62018 draft, 68th overallOVERALL 70The son of former NHLer John Madden is a diminutive magician and a poster boy for where the game is transitioning. He scored the semifinal overtime winner in the Beanpot tournament as the Huskies won for a second straight year. Size will be a question mark until he proves it not an issue in the NHL, but the Canucks aren&rsquo;t concerned. &ldquo;I love his skill set, and his skating will get better,&rdquo; Johnson said. &ldquo;He has a fire and shows it and will get in anybody&rsquo;s face. He&rsquo;s not a fun guy to play against.&rdquo;&nbsp;FW18 n/a NHL 2021-22<h2>5. MICHAEL DIPIETRO</h2>G, 19, 6-0, 205Ottawa (OHL)22&ndash;11&ndash;1, 2.46, .9062017 draft, 64th overallA 2017 Memorial Cup and stellar performance in the 2019 WJC have DiPietro on the fast track to turn pro next fall despite a rough start to his NHL career. Recalled on an emergency basis, he allowed seven goals on 24 shots in his NHL debut Feb. 11, but that didn&rsquo;t shake his outlook. &ldquo;A lot of guys may have folded,&rdquo; Johnson said. &ldquo;He has an incredible makeup, and it only heightened the hunger to be better.&rdquo; But his game is far from NHL ready, and it&rsquo;ll need to be considering he can&rsquo;t rely on a big frame.&nbsp;FW18 No. 8 NHL 2022-23<h2>6. JETT WOO</h2>D, 18, 6-0, 203Moose Jaw (WHL)56&ndash;12&ndash;44&ndash;56&ndash;632018 draft, 37th overallA finisher and punisher playing at point-a-game clip. Total game is on the upswing.<h2>7. ZACK MACEWEN</h2>RW, 22, 6-4, 212Utica (AHL)52&ndash;19&ndash;27&ndash;46&ndash;51Free agent, March 3, 2017Undrafted winger most-improved player in system. Projects as power forward.<h2>8. KOLE LIND</h2>RW, 20, 6-1, 186Utica (AHL)40&ndash;2&ndash;9&ndash;11&ndash;122017 draft, 33rd overallTough adjustment from junior. Improved with more minutes after Christmas.<h2>9. JONAH GADJOVICH</h2>LW, 20, 6-2, 209Utica (AHL)33&ndash;2&ndash;5&ndash;7&ndash;182017 draft, 55th overallBudding power forward with skating issues has to figure out identity as a pro.<h2>10. TONI UTUNEN</h2>D, 18, 5-11, 176Tappara (Fin.)39&ndash;1&ndash;2&ndash;3&ndash;62018 draft, 130th overallGood skater. Competing in WJC with top players elevated his game. A work in progress.<h2>21-AND-UNDER NHLERS</h2>ELIAS PETTERSSON, C, 20 &#9632;

van_hughes

VANCOUVER CANUCKS: READY AND ABLE

<div class="byline">BY SCOTT ZERR</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/veg_gusev2/471060-1-eng-US/veg_gusev2.jpg" title="veg_gusev" width="987" height="1257"><figcaption class="caption-body">NIKITA&nbsp;GUSEV (DONAT SOROKIN\TASS VIA GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>C+/RANK 25ONE SEASON INTO EXISTENCE, the Golden Knights were a stunning Stanley Cup finalist. A year later, they&rsquo;re in the thick of things again. It would be easy to assume Vegas had therefore cast aside its plan to develop players via the draft and maintain a long-term approach to be a success story. That&rsquo;s not the case. The Golden Knights didn&rsquo;t gamble away all their future for immediate gratification. The winning came early, and they remain Cup contenders, yet they have still maintained a deep talent pool &ndash; even with the departure of prospects Nick Suzuki and Erik Brannstrom this season.5-YEAR TREND<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0063-0229/471053-1-eng-US/f0063-022.jpg" title="f0063-02" width="1254" height="304"></div><h2>1. CODY GLASS</h2>C, 19, 6-2, 185Portland (WHL)38&ndash;15&ndash;54&ndash;69&ndash;182017 draft, 6th overallOVERALL 3Ask anyone who the top Vegas prospect is, and the answer is instantaneously Glass despite the injury issues. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s been nights you could say he is too good for this league,&rdquo; said one WHL insider of Glass, who was second in scoring for Canada at the WJC. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s the real deal. He&rsquo;s got size, and his skills are unbelievable. He could be a little more selfish and shoot more, but he is such a profound playmaker, which is what he focuses on. There is nothing not to like about his game.&rdquo;&nbsp;FW18 No. 1 NHL 2019-20<h2>2. NIKITA GUSEV</h2>LW, 26, 5-9, 180St. Petersburg (KHL)62&ndash;17&ndash;65&ndash;82&ndash;10Trade (TB), June 21, 2017OVERALL 84He might not be a conventional prospect at his age, but there&rsquo;s still hope the Russian standout will come to Vegas and erase the bad memories of the Vadim Shipachyov experiment. Gusev was literally all-world last season, winning gold and an earning an all-star nod at the Olympics before capping the year as MVP of the KHL. It&rsquo;s no better than 50/50 the Golden Knights are able to get him to North America, however. He apparently doesn&rsquo;t have a burning desire to play in the NHL.&nbsp;FW18 No. 6 NHL 2019-20<h2>3. NICOLAS HAGUE</h2>D, 20, 6-6, 215Chicago (AHL)57&ndash;10&ndash;14&ndash;24&ndash;302017 draft, 34th overallOVERALL 94A year ago, the towering high-end offensive blueliner needed to work on his defensive game. Consider that box checked. He&rsquo;s now learned to use his height and reach to keep foes at bay. &ldquo;You could see all along he had that offensive club in his bag,&rdquo; said Chicago Wolves coach Rocky Thompson. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s playing heavy minutes, activates on the rush, has a good one-timer and a nose for the net. Now that he is developing defensively, he could turn out to be a No. 1-style D-man.&rdquo;&nbsp;FW18 No. 4 NHL 2020-21<h2>4. JAKE LESCHYSHYN</h2>C, 19, 5-11, 191Lethbridge (WHL)63&ndash;35&ndash;39&ndash;74&ndash;422017 draft, 62nd overallBreak out the thesaurus. Get every synonym possible for the word reliable, then insert a photo of Leschyshyn. He&rsquo;s not going to wow anyone most nights, but he owns a decent skill set. His best attribute is being a consummate pro despite his age. &ldquo;He was what the Hurricanes needed when they got him from Regina,&rdquo; said the WHL insider. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s not going to blow you away with his offense, but he&rsquo;s still very capable. Dependable is the word that comes to mind right away. He gives you an honest effort every night.&rdquo;&nbsp;FW18 No. 5 NHL 2021-22<h2>5. STANISLAV DEMIN</h2>D, 18, 6-2, 194Denver (NCHC)32&ndash;4&ndash;9&ndash;13&ndash;122018 draft, 99th overallAll the ingredients for a solid, possibly high-end, two-way defenseman were there when the Golden Knights selected the California-grown product out of the B.C. Junior League. Instead of moving him to major junior, Vegas was more than happy to let him sit in the slow cooker. Demin is already making good strides, playing a little above average for a freshman blueliner. &ldquo;He is potentially a go-to player who will benefit from playing three or four years with a good college program,&rdquo; said an NCAA source.&nbsp;FW18 n/a NHL 2023-24<h2>6. BEN JONES</h2>C, 20, 6-0, 194Niagara (OHL)62&ndash;38&ndash;55&ndash;93&ndash;762017 draft, 189th overallWell-rounded game as a two-way center. Good leader. Captains stacked OHL squad.<h2>7. JACK DUGAN</h2>LW, 20, 6-2, 194Providence (HE)34&ndash;10&ndash;21&ndash;31&ndash;442017 draft, 142nd overallPower forward benefitting from extra year in USHL before this freshman NCAA season.<h2>8. DYLAN COGHLAN</h2>D, 21, 6-2, 189Chicago (AHL)49&ndash;10&ndash;16&ndash;26&ndash;14Free agent, Sept. 20, 2017Nice growth in first pro season for all-around &lsquo;D.&rsquo; Offense has carried over from junior.<h2>9. ZACH WHITECLOUD</h2>D, 22, 6-1, 196Chicago (AHL)56&ndash;6&ndash;17&ndash;23&ndash;34Free agent, March 8, 2018Not flashy. Moves puck quickly. Reliable. Produces without power-play time.<h2>10. LUCAS ELVENES</h2>C, 19, 6-0, 168Rogle (Swe.)38&ndash;3&ndash;16&ndash;19-42017 draft, 127th overallOozes skill. A quick, shifty, creative playmaker who makes opponents miss.<h2>21-AND-UNDER NHLERS</h2>NONE &#9632;

veg_gusev

VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS: WIN NOW AND THEN

<div class="byline">BY J.J. REGAN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="wsh_samsono_150" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/wsh_samsono_1502/471110-1-eng-US/wsh_samsono_1502.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">ILYA&nbsp;SAMSONOV (RANDY LITZINGER/ICON SPORTSWIRE VIA GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>C&ndash;/RANK 29MOST PEOPLE THINK OFFENSE when they think of the Capitals, but the future in Washington is built from the net out. The Caps have a projected high-end starting goalie and a number of defensive prospects with decent NHL potential. Though their draft philosophy is to pick the best player available, the Capitals have not selected a forward in the first round since 2014. As a result, the prospect pool has little high-end talent up front. Washington is very cognizant of the speed of the game and has put a premium on smart, mobile players who can think and react as quickly as they can skate. Its prospect list is loaded with D-men meeting those criteria.5-YEAR TREND<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0064-0231/471103-1-eng-US/f0064-022.jpg" title="f0064-02" width="1257" height="304"></div><h2>1. ILYA SAMSONOV</h2>G, 22, 6-2, 205 Hershey (AHL) 15&ndash;12&ndash;1, 2.78, .893 2015 draft, 22nd overall OVERALL 29Samsonov&rsquo;s stats are not great, but he has been dominant since back-to-back shutouts in January. He is difficult to beat down low but is still adjusting to the smaller North American ice and can be slow to react to quick transitions and passing plays. His athleticism makes up for that. &ldquo;For a guy of his size, his ability to get around the net and side to side and make huge recoveries&hellip;it&rsquo;s impressive,&rdquo; said Hershey coach Spencer Carbery. &ldquo;He is extremely quick and covers a ton of area.&rdquo;&nbsp;FW18 No. 1 NHL 2020-21<h2>2. ALEXANDER ALEXEYEV</h2>D, 19, 6-4, 200 Red Deer (WHL) 48&ndash;10&ndash;33&ndash;43&ndash;34 2018 draft, 31st overall OVERALL 53The Caps believe they have a mobile top-pair D-man, but two injuries this season have raised concerns over durability. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s very good on the power play, patient with the puck, good vision, good poise, but he also has that size, and he&rsquo;s got a good stick,&rdquo; said Caps assistant GM Ross Mahoney. Alexeyev also has more maturity than a typical 19-year-old. He refused to take a picture with the Cup at development camp. &ldquo;I should deserve my Stanley Cup,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Then I can take pictures.&rdquo;&nbsp;FW18 n/a NHL 2020-21<h2>3. MARTIN FEHERVARY</h2>D, 19, 6-2, 194 HV71 (Swe.) 41&ndash;1&ndash;5&ndash;6&ndash;8 2018 draft, 46th overall OVERALL 90Fehervary can cover opponents closely and use his body and stick to break up plays. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s smart, can skate and competes, but he&rsquo;s a really high-character guy,&rdquo; Mahoney said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve never seen him take a shift off.&ldquo; Fehervary was thought to be primarily a defensive player, but he showed in the world juniors that he has offensive upside with five points in five games. The Caps see Fehervary as a future leader who can be a top-four shutdown player with some room to grow offensively.&nbsp;FW18 n/a NHL 2021-22<h2>4. LUCAS JOHANSEN</h2>D, 21, 6-2, 182 Hershey (AHL) 29&ndash;1&ndash;10&ndash;11&ndash;18 2016 draft, 28th overall OVERALL 98The skilled puck-mover has made bulking up a focus since he was drafted. Until that&rsquo;s done, handling the physical play along the boards or down low remains a concern. Johansen has shown improvement in that area and was playing a shutdown role in Hershey. But an upper-body injury has kept him sidelined. There&rsquo;s still excitement over his potential as a top-four D-man. &ldquo;He can move the puck well, and he&rsquo;s a good skater,&rdquo; Mahoney said. &ldquo;Good speed. He&rsquo;s got a good pivot, good lateral movement.&rdquo;&nbsp;FW18 No. 3 NHL 2020-21<h2>5. JONAS SIEGENTHALER</h2>D, 21, 6-3, 206 Hershey (AHL) 25&ndash;2&ndash;3&ndash;5&ndash;30 2015 draft, 57th overallIn Siegenthaler, the Caps have a physical defenseman who possesses good size and mobility. He is never going to light up the scoresheet, but that&rsquo;s not what why he was drafted. Early concerns about his conditioning have dissipated. &ldquo;He really committed himself to his off-ice training a couple years ago and dropped a significant amount of weight,&rdquo; Mahoney said. &ldquo;Dropping that weight has really helped his foot speed.&rdquo; The Caps see him as a second-pair defenseman who can play a shutdown role.&nbsp;FW18 No. 2 NHL 2019-20<h2>6. KODY CLARK</h2>RW, 19, 6-2, 185 Ottawa (OHL) 53&ndash;16&ndash;26&ndash;42&ndash;89 2018 draft, 47th overallTalented winger, son of Wendel, looking to add a physical edge to his game.<h2>7. SHANE GERSICH</h2>C, 22, 5-11, 174 Hershey (AHL) 48&ndash;6&ndash;13&ndash;19&ndash;30 2014 draft, 134th overallNephew of Brotens has tremendous speed. Has upside as a possible bottom-sixer.<h2>8. CONNOR HOBBS</h2>D, 22, 6-1, 200 Hershey (AHL) 44&ndash;3&ndash;15&ndash;18&ndash;60 2015 draft, 143rd overallA bomb of a shot and has some snarl, but still sharpening his defensive skills.<h2>9. TOBIAS GEISSER</h2>D, 20, 6-4, 201 Hershey (AHL) 32&ndash;0&ndash;1&ndash;1&ndash;6 2017 draft, 120th overallAHL rookie has tremendous mobility and size. Still learning how to play physically.<h2>10. GARRETT PILON</h2>C, 20, 5-11, 188 Hershey (AHL) 58&ndash;6&ndash;18&ndash;24&ndash;6 2016 draft, 87th overallSkilled playmaker adjusting to the speed, physicality of pro hockey in first AHL year.<h2>21-AND-UNDER NHLERS</h2>NONE &#9632;

WASHINGTON CAPITALS: ROCK THE BLUELINE

<div class="byline">BY JARED CLINTON</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="wpg_vesalai_151" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/wpg_vesalai_1512/471160-1-eng-US/wpg_vesalai_1512.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">KRISTIAN VESALAINEN (SERGEI SAVOSTYANOV\TASS VIA GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>B&ndash;/RANK 18TALENT DEVELOPMENT IN THE AHL is of paramount importance for the long-term success of NHL organizations. But AHL clubs have to balance their roles in developing the next generation with winning games in the present. &ldquo;You learn to keep the line in the sand as close as you can to the middle,&rdquo; said Winnipeg Jets assistant GM/Manitoba Moose GM Craig Heisinger. &ldquo;Development and winning, to a certain degree, they go hand in hand, but guys still have to play. If your team wins but your young players don&rsquo;t play, they don&rsquo;t develop.&rdquo; So far so good, as the Moose continue to groom high-end young talent for the contending Jets.5-YEAR TREND<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0065-0247/471153-1-eng-US/f0065-022.jpg" title="f0065-02" width="1258" height="360"></div><h2>1. KRISTIAN VESALAINEN</h2>RW, 19, 6-3, 207 Jokerit (KHL) 31&ndash;6&ndash;11&ndash;17&ndash;0 2017 draft, 24th overall OVERALL 32Vesalainen was a camp surprise and had his NHL arrival earlier than expected. But a demotion to the AHL saw him exercise an out clause and head to the KHL. The Jets would have relished the opportunity to watch his development in house, but his departure will give him the chance to add depth to his game. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a big guy that has the ability to play a little physical, shoot the puck,&rdquo; Heisinger said. &ldquo;He needs to learn to have some penalty-killing ability, not just be a power-play guy.&rdquo;&nbsp;FW18 No. 2 NHL 2020-21<h2>2. DYLAN SAMBERG</h2>D, 20, 6-4, 215 Minnesota-Duluth (NCHC) 29&ndash;6&ndash;7&ndash;13&ndash;25 2017 draft, 43rd overall OVERALL 73Samberg has built upon a terrific freshman NCAA campaign, and the offensive growth has been evident. After posting one goal and 13 points in 42 outings last season, Samberg has added a goal-scoring touch. That he&rsquo;s showing offensive upside &ndash; and performed well in his second WJC, winning silver with Team USA &ndash; is a positive. He needs to work on his skating. Samberg has the physical attributes to take the next step, but mobility is a necessity at the highest level.&nbsp;FW18 No. 3 NHL 2021-22<h2>3. SAMI NIKU</h2>D, 22, 6-1, 176 Manitoba (AHL) 20&ndash;3&ndash;9&ndash;12&ndash;14 2015 draft, 198th overall OVERALL 77Niku&rsquo;s performance in the AHL indicates he&rsquo;s ready, but a crowded Jets blueline has made it difficult for him to get reps. His time with the Jets has been limited to use as an injury replacement or bottom-pair hand. But playing on the farm will help Niku as there are strides to be made from a physical standpoint. &ldquo;He can skate, move the puck &ndash; he&rsquo;s got offensive instincts and the ability to defend,&rdquo; Heisinger said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s probably light on power and strength, but that&rsquo;ll come with maturity.&rdquo;&nbsp;FW18 nr NHL 2019-20<h2>4. MASON APPLETON</h2>RW, 23, 6-2, 193 Manitoba (AHL) 22&ndash;8&ndash;11&ndash;19&ndash;10 2015 draft, 168th overallThe expectation with Appleton when he departed Michigan State to turn pro was he would spend a few seasons marinating in the AHL. But he stunned by winning AHL rookie of the year. His progression has been impressive. &ldquo;It caught me off guard,&rdquo; Heisinger said. &ldquo;I wouldn&rsquo;t have predicted that development curve as quickly.&rdquo; Yet Appleton isn&rsquo;t done growing. While he possesses speed and smarts, if he&rsquo;s to make the leap from skilled role player to top-six talent, his shot and finishing ability must improve.&nbsp;FW18 No. 10 NHL 2019-20<h2>5. LOGAN STANLEY</h2>D, 20, 6-7, 231 Manitoba (AHL) 55&ndash;5&ndash;7&ndash;12&ndash;58 2016 draft, 18th overallStanley&rsquo;s imposing frame makes him impossible to miss, but he&rsquo;s more than a big body. He obliterated previous career-best totals in the OHL last season and is exceeding expectations and logging important minutes as a first-year pro. Stanley&rsquo;s transition to the AHL has been aided by his impressive mobility. His frame does present its challenges. &ldquo;You need to be an elite-conditioned athlete, especially with his size and frame,&rdquo; Heisinger said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s the one area for us that we continue to harp on.&rdquo;&nbsp;FW18 No. 8 NHL 2020-21<h2>6. TUCKER POOLMAN</h2>D, 25, 6-4, 216 Manitoba (AHL) 33&ndash;3&ndash;15&ndash;18&ndash;6 2013 draft, 127th overallMobile for a big guy. Hard shot. Regular shift in AHL helping him fine tune.<h2>7. ERIC COMRIE</h2>G, 23, 6-1, 180 Manitoba (AHL) 20&ndash;15&ndash;2, 2.73, .917 2013 draft, 59th overallHas seized starting role in minors with best numbers of career. Moose&rsquo;s top player.<h2>8. DAVID GUSTAFSSON</h2>C, 18, 6-2, 187 HV71 (Swe.) 32&ndash;1&ndash;9&ndash;10&ndash;10 2018 draft, 60th overallWell-rounded pivot&rsquo;s ceiling is likely as all-situations bottom-six forward.<h2>9. JOHNATHAN KOVACEVIC</h2>D, 21, 6-4, 207 Merrimack (HE) 31&ndash;4&ndash;14&ndash;18&ndash;14 2017 draft, 74th overallJunior possesses good size and hockey sense, but skating needs work.<h2>10. MIKHAIL BERDIN</h2>G, 20, 6-2, 163 Jacksonville (ECHL) 16&ndash;8&ndash;2, 2.66, .912 2016 draft, 157th overallSmart and agile. Room for growth, but flourishing after move to lower pro ranks.<h2>21-AND-UNDER NHLERS</h2>PATRIK LAINE, RW, 20 &#9632;

wpg_vesalai_151

WINNIPEG JETS: FINDING BALANCE

<div class="byline">BY JARED CLINTON</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="womens_gigu_152" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/womens_gigu_1522/471224-1-eng-US/womens_gigu_1522.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">INSTANT CHEMISTRYGabel (No. 19) and Giguere (No. 7) have formed one of the most lethal scoring combos in NCAA history. (JIM MEAGHER)</figcaption></div>ON THE DOCKET AS patrons filed into the CN Centre in Prince George, B.C., in late February 2015 was the final of the Canada Winter Games between Quebec and Ontario. What onlookers were treated to that night was a spectacle, a knock &rsquo;em down, drag &rsquo;em out, winner-take-all affair that saw the combatants battle to a draw through regulation before Quebec managed an early overtime-winner to capture gold. But what fans also witnessed, unbeknownst to them, was a head-to-head between Elizabeth Giguere and Loren Gabel, two forwards who would in four short years become the most dominant one-two punch in the college game.At the time, Giguere and Gabel were wholly unfamiliar with one another. Despite crossing paths on the provincial level and at Team Canada development camp, even calling the pair acquaintances would have been a stretch. That began to change around the time Giguere made her official visit to Clarkson University, though, and changed forever after Giguere&rsquo;s first skate as a Golden Knight. &ldquo;Since the first practice, they put us together,&rdquo; said Giguere, 21. &ldquo;Literally the first practice.&rdquo;That was nearly two years ago, and what has blossomed since is an ever-growing off-ice friendship, accompanying an on-ice brilliance that has gone unrivalled throughout the NCAA.To hear Gabel tell it, it&rsquo;s as though the two, not to mention center Michaela Pejzlova, are on-ice soul mates. The chemistry was instantaneous, and Gabel gushes about Giguere&rsquo;s ability. &ldquo;She brings a lot to the ice every day,&rdquo; said Gabel, also 21. &ldquo;She works hard day in and day out, has really good heads-up play, her skills are amazing and, for my game, it&rsquo;s been amazing to have her on my line because she works hard and she gets me the puck.&rdquo;There&rsquo;s a symbiosis to pair&rsquo;s play. Though both dynamic in their own ways, if you had to cast them into roles, Giguere would be the playmaker and Gabel would be the sniper. Their numbers this season back up the billing. Entering late February, Giguere led the U.S. college women&rsquo;s game with 40 assists. Gabel, meanwhile, was the only player in the NCAA averaging more than a goal per game, netting 34 in 32 contests. Together, the duo has combined for 124 points and only once all season have both been held off the scoresheet in the same game.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/womens_gigu_1532/471210-1-eng-US/womens_gigu_1532.jpg" title="womens_gigu_153" width="1022" height="728"><figcaption class="caption-body">ELIZABETH&nbsp;GIGUERE (SCHUYLER MEYER PHOTOGRAPHY)</figcaption></div>Giguere and Gabel&rsquo;s output en route to twin nods as top-10 finalists for the Patty Kazmaier Award is worth putting into perspective. As the top two scorers in the nation (Giguere had bragging rights with a two-point edge entering March), the Clarkson combo is in line to accomplish a rare feat. The&nbsp;last teammates to finish one-two in the nation in scoring were Amanda Kessel and Hannah Brandt. The current Team USA standouts, then linemates at the University of Minnesota, blew away the field with respective 101- and 82-point campaigns in 2012-13. That&rsquo;s the kind of company Gabel and Giguere are keeping.As one might expect from members of a back-to-back national championship-winning club, however, offensive production alone will do little to satisfy Giguere, who scored the overtime goal to clinch the 2018 title, or Gabel, who had the primary assist on the insurance tally that sealed the 2017 final. &ldquo;She&rsquo;s a really competitive person, and she really wants to win,&rdquo; said Giguere of Gabel. &ldquo;I am, too, but she really wants to win every single game, do our best. And even if we win and we&rsquo;re not playing our best, we&rsquo;re not satisfied, and she&rsquo;s not satisfied with herself.&rdquo;While that is no doubt an innate quality Gabel possesses, as most of the game&rsquo;s elite talents do, it&rsquo;s a trait that was cemented in her by her mentors at Clarkson, such as Cayley Mercer, Genevieve Bannon and Shannon MacAulay. And like those who&rsquo;ve come before her, Gabel wants her indelible mark on the program to include not just national titles but also the attributes that can lead future teams to similar success. &ldquo;All those people are amazing players who brought a lot to Clarkson hockey, and they left an amazing legacy when they were here,&rdquo; Gabel said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s definitely something that I want to accomplish when I leave.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/womens_gabe_1542/471203-1-eng-US/womens_gabe_1542.jpg" title="womens_gabe_154" width="1021" height="1080"><figcaption class="caption-body">GRADUATION DAYGabel&rsquo;s college career is about to end, but she&rsquo;s hoping for a Team Canada reunion with Giguere. (SCHUYLER MEYER PHOTOGRAPHY)</figcaption></div>For Gabel, that time is drawing near. When this season concludes, so too will her collegiate career. She&rsquo;s already taken the next step in her journey. In October, she earned a spot on Canada&rsquo;s 4 Nations Cup roster, her first time representing the national team. That has put her squarely on the radar for the World Championship. But when it comes time for her to step off the ice for the last time at Clarkson, her hope is that Giguere, the once freshman and now friend whom Gabel took under her wing two seasons ago, can carry the torch and hold it high.But don&rsquo;t go thinking that will signal the end for Clarkson&rsquo;s dynamic duo. The bond the two have built gives Giguere and Gabel reason to say that they will &ldquo;always&rdquo; keep in touch &ndash; both use that word &ndash; and there was a clearly expressed hope that the future could include a reunion of what will go down as one of the most prolific pairs in NCAA history. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know what she&rsquo;s going to do after university,&rdquo; Gabel said. &ldquo;But wherever we both end up, hopefully we can end up playing with each other again, and I think that would be amazing to play with her at the national team level, as well. We both just need to keep pushing for that.&rdquo;<h2>5 TO WATCH</h2>These NCAA standouts have a future on the international ice<h3>1. SARAH FILLIER</h3>F, Princeton UniversityA star in the making who is already wowing in college. Fillier wasted no time putting her ability on display as a freshman, leading Princeton with 16 goals and 48 points. Her 1.92 points per game led the NCAA. She was the youngest player named to Canada&rsquo;s 4 Nations Cup roster.<h3>2. JESSE COMPHER</h3>F, Boston UniversityA two-time member of USA&rsquo;s under-18 club and the sister of the Colorado Avalanche&rsquo;s J.T. Compher, the shifty scorer has taken her game to another level as a sophomore and ranked third in the nation in points. Her NCAA performance led to a much-deserved call-up to Team USA&rsquo;s World Championship squad.<h3>3. DARYL WATTS</h3>F, Boston CollegeAfter becoming the first freshman in NCAA history to win the Patty Kazmaier Award, Watts had her point total slashed in half but managed to finish top-25 in the nation in scoring. She suffered a disappointing cut from Canada&rsquo;s 4 Nations Cup roster, but she&rsquo;s destined to make the national team.<h3>4. MELISSA SAMOSKEVICH</h3>F, Quinnipiac UniversityShe&rsquo;s set to become a fixture for Team USA&rsquo;s offense. The former Shattuck St. Mary&rsquo;s captain wore the &lsquo;C&rsquo; for Quinnipiac and led at both ends of the ice. Samoskevich enjoyed her first taste of national team success at the 4 Nations Cup, and she&rsquo;ll get a second helping at the World Championship.<h3>5. MICAH ZANDEE-HART</h3>D, Cornell UniversityOne of the final cuts from Canada&rsquo;s 2018 Olympic roster, but her impressive showing portends greater success. Hart is one of the more prolific blueliners in the NCAA, which speaks to her puck-moving game, and she should be considered a frontrunner for Canada&rsquo;s D-corps at the World Championship. &#9632;

womens_gigu_152

Women

END OF AN ERA FOR GOLDEN DUO

<div class="byline">BY RYAN KENNEDY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="sneakpeek_k_155" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/sneakpeek_k_1552/471253-1-eng-US/sneakpeek_k_1552.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">SECOND TO NONEKakko rates as the No. 2 prospect for the 2019 draft behind Hughes, but his talent takes a back seat to nobody&rsquo;s. (RICH LAM/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>WHEN FINLAND WON THE world juniors in 2016, the team was led by the dynamic kid line of Jesse Puljujarvi, Sebastian Aho and Patrik Laine, with Mikko Rantanen and Kasperi Kapanen providing veteran heroics. Laine used the tournament to start a debate over whether Auston Matthews was in fact the top prospect for the draft that summer and, ultimately, the Toronto Maple Leafs decided the American center would be their foundational piece.Which brings us to 2019, where another U.S. pivot &ndash; Jack Hughes &ndash; sits atop the draft board. Meanwhile, another big Finnish winger tails him. This time, that player is right winger Kaapo Kakko, and he too has a world-junior gold medal to his credit. The difference? While Laine is already a 40-goal scorer in the NHL, Kakko may actually become an even more effective player at the next level. &ldquo;Laine has his one specialty, his finishing touch,&rdquo; said one NHL scout. &ldquo;Kaapo has an overall two-way game. He&rsquo;s the better player. Whoever picks first overall will have to consider him.&rdquo;Even if Kakko ends up going second overall, he&rsquo;ll be a magnificent prize, just as Laine was when the Winnipeg Jets nabbed him with the No. 2 pick.A product of Turku, Kakko burst onto the scene last year when he rode shotgun for future Montreal Canadiens center Jesperi Kotkaniemi at the world under-18s. Kakko rang up 10 points in seven games as the Finns shocked the powerhouse Americans for gold.But this year&rsquo;s WJC in Vancouver truly elevated Kakko to a different plane. The Finns had an uneven round-robin, but they put together a solid effort to upset Canada in the quarterfinal before knocking off an excellent Russian squad and then Team USA for gold. A big part of Finland&rsquo;s success in the medal round was a new line featuring Kakko, underage center Anton Lundell (a 2020 draft prospect) and Nashville Predators prospect Eeli Tolvanen, who didn&rsquo;t hit his stride until he joined the two kids.In the end, Kakko scored the golden goal with less than two minutes to go in the championship game, using hard work and size at the side of the net. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s an unbelievable guy and a good teammate,&rdquo; said Chicago Blackhawks prospect and Team Finland defenseman Henri Jokiharju. &ldquo;I think he&rsquo;ll be the No. 1 pick. He&rsquo;s a big guy, he&rsquo;s playing with men and he&rsquo;s ready.&rdquo;Back in Finland, Kakko has been just as impressive. Like Laine, he took the Liiga by storm and was averaging 0.84 points per game for TPS. (Laine, who was a revelation for Tappara in his draft year, put up 0.72 points per game.) &ldquo;Of course it&rsquo;s a good thing,&rdquo; said Kakko through a translator. &ldquo;Points don&rsquo;t mean everything, and there&rsquo;s still a long way to go, but I&rsquo;m proud of myself. I&rsquo;ve been playing well and got (acclimated) into the team pretty quickly. I&rsquo;m familiar with the guys and how they play, so it&rsquo;s been good so far.&rdquo;And while Kakko is right about individual points not meaning everything, TPS has also been one of Liiga&rsquo;s top teams &ndash; so his contributions had positive consequences. As a local, Kakko grew up watching TPS, and some of the future NHLers he got to see early included Colorado&rsquo;s Rantanen and Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen. But it&rsquo;s Toronto&rsquo;s Matthews who really catches Kakko&rsquo;s attention. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a good stickhandler, good with the puck, a great offensive player and especially a smart player with the puck,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s what I like about him.&rdquo;Looking at Kakko&rsquo;s solid two-way game, it&rsquo;s hard not to wonder if he&rsquo;d be better utilized as a center, and the fact Kotkaniemi made the switch from wing to NHL pivot in about a year certainly shows it&rsquo;s possible. But for now, Kakko is happy playing on the flank. &ldquo;I feel more comfortable on the wing, but I can play center,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I think I get more offensive opportunities as a winger.&rdquo;Back on this side of the pond, Hughes has been ripping it up for the U.S. National Team Development Program while battling through injuries at the world juniors as well as after the tourney. Hughes is a pure center, and though he doesn&rsquo;t have Kakko&rsquo;s 6-foot-2, 190-pound frame, Hughes does have blazing speed. As with Matthews and Laine, there really is no disadvantage in picking second this summer. Whichever team &ldquo;loses&rdquo; the lottery will still get a tremendous player. And Kakko has well-placed confidence in his own abilities and upside, despite his respect for Hughes. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t make the choices,&rdquo; Kakko said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s an awesome player, but I&rsquo;m confident that I&rsquo;m a great player, too.&rdquo; &#9632;

sneakpeek_k_155

2019 Sneak Peek

FINNISH WITH A FLOURISH

<div class="image-hero"><img title="2019-1" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/2019-1/478743-1-eng-US/2019-1.jpg"></div>1. JACK HUGHESC, 17, 5-10, 168 U.S. NTDP (USHL)Has been destroying the competition to the tune of nearly two points per game despite a couple of minor injuries along the way. Some of his best games have been against older NCAA opponents.SCOUT SAYS: &ldquo;Has elite awareness and an acute sense of danger in terms of opponents around him, so he&rsquo;s able to escape and buy himself time. His skating and hockey IQ separates him from everyone else, plus he has the will to attack. He&rsquo;s going to be a serious player for sure.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/2019-2/478736-1-eng-US/2019-2.jpg" title="2019-2" width="1667" height="1146"></div><h1>2. KAAPO KAKKO</h1>RW, 18, 6-2, 190 TPS (Fin.)Had a great world juniors and has continued his ascent back in Finland, climbing the scoring charts and showing his versatility up front. He&rsquo;s at least turning up the heat on Hughes for No. 1 overall.SCOUT SAYS: &ldquo;Outstanding. He&rsquo;s NHL-ready for me. Top speed needs a little bit of improvement, but he has a long summer to take care of that. He has everything you want. Defends well, strong down low, has creativity and a finishing touch, and he&rsquo;s strong for his age.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/2019-3/478722-1-eng-US/2019-3.jpg" title="2019-3" width="1667" height="1146"></div><h1>3. DYLAN COZENS</h1>C, 18, 6-3, 185 Lethbridge (WHL)A top-15 scorer in the &lsquo;Dub,&rsquo; Cozens is intriguing thanks to his frame and his skating. He made a memorable first impression when he put up a point per game for Canada&rsquo;s gold-medal team at the under-18 Hlinka Gretzky tournament.SCOUT SAYS: &ldquo;It&rsquo;s his size, he&rsquo;s a great skater and he has skill. It&rsquo;s quite a commodity when you have all three in one player, to go along with good hockey sense&hellip;The fact he can play on the wing gives him versatility.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/2019-4/478715-1-eng-US/2019-4.jpg" title="2019-4" width="1667" height="1146"></div><h1>4. KIRBY DACH</h1>C, 18, 6-4, 198 Saskatoon (WHL)Most exciting for Blades fans this season is that Dach has helped the team to its first playoff berth since 2013. Played 19 games as a 15-year-old due to team injuries, so he has more experience than most junior kids. Another Hlinka Gretzky standout.SCOUT SAYS: &ldquo;Kinda the same as Cozens. Dylan is a little stronger, but I could see Kirby getting there. Very good skater, terrific skill, and he can make plays at high speeds. Good on the power play and good on the penalty kill.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/2019-5/478729-1-eng-US/2019-5.jpg" title="2019-5" width="1667" height="1146"></div><h1>5. VASILI PODKOLZIN</h1>RW, 17, 6-1, 190 St. Petersburg (Rus.2)It&rsquo;s rare for Russian WJC coach Valeri Bragin to trust a 17-year-old, but he put Podkolzin out in all situations and for meaty minutes on the bronze-medal squad. Podkolzin was electrifying in Vancouver and has played in the KHL, junior and Russia&rsquo;s version of the AHL this year.SCOUT SAYS: &ldquo;Plays so hard. Has ability, smarts and loves playing in traffic. He&rsquo;s a bulldog. Hustles on the backcheck, hustles to the bench. Everything he does speaks to his on-ice character.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/2019-6/478708-1-eng-US/2019-6.jpg" title="2019-6" width="1667" height="1146"></div><h1>6. BOWEN BYRAM</h1>D, 17, 6-1, 192 Vancouver (WHL)You want offense from the blueline? Byram set a franchise record this year with a five-point game and has consistently been one of the WHL&rsquo;s top-scoring defensemen. The kid loves to contribute and he isn&rsquo;t afraid to take the puck in deep.SCOUT SAYS: &ldquo;Very intelligent player. Really likes to get involved off the rush. Good decision-making with the puck. He&rsquo;s strong, and he runs the power play. His skating is good in a straight line, but his agility could use improvement.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/2019-7/478750-1-eng-US/2019-7.jpg" title="2019-7" width="1667" height="1146"></div><h1>7. TREVOR ZEGRAS</h1>C, 17, 6-0, 168 U.S. NTDP (USHL)On most other editions of the NTDP, Zegras would be the star attraction, but this year he yields the spotlight to Hughes. Nonetheless, the Boston University commit has been the team&rsquo;s leading scorer, and he can play both center and wing.SCOUT SAYS: &ldquo;Explosive and offensively gifted. He&rsquo;s the motor on whatever line he plays on, even when he has lined up with Hughes. He&rsquo;s got vision and creativity, and he&rsquo;s ultra-skilled. He&rsquo;ll transition to pro hockey seamlessly.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/2019-8/478757-1-eng-US/2019-8.jpg" title="2019-8" width="1667" height="1146"></div><h1>8. PHILIP BROBERG</h1>D, 17, 6-3, 203 AIK (Swe.2)An early breakthrough at the Hlinka Gretzky tourney put him on the map, and the youngster cracked Sweden&rsquo;s world junior squad before getting bitten by the flu bug that ravaged the team. It&rsquo;s hard to find players with the physical gifts that Broberg possesses.SCOUT SAYS: &ldquo;The size and the skating is such an advantage right from the get-go. He has hockey sense, and he&rsquo;s got good hands. His skating allows him to join the offensive rush and also get back in time on defense.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/2019-9/478764-1-eng-US/2019-9.jpg" title="2019-9" width="1667" height="1146"></div><h1>9. MATTHEW BOLDY</h1>LW, 17, 6-2, 187 U.S. NTDP (USHL)His signature performance came early at the All-American Prospects Game, but Boldy has been pretty good throughout his draft year. The Boston College commit is the latest in a long line of snipers to come through the NTDP.SCOUT SAYS: &ldquo;Elite scorer with a great shot, and he knows how to get into scoring lanes. Has elite hands in tight and unbelievable hand-eye coordination. One of the better scorers I&rsquo;ve ever seen with The Program. He&rsquo;s just tapping into his body.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/2019-10/478771-1-eng-US/2019-10.jpg" title="2019-10" width="1667" height="1146"></div><h1>10. ALEX NEWHOOK</h1>C, 18, 5-11, 190 Victoria (BCHL)Snubbed for Canada&rsquo;s Hlinka Gretzky team, the explosive and fearless Newhook channelled that into an MVP award in the BCHL, leading the league in scoring and winning bronze with Canada West at the World Jr. A Challenge. The Newfoundlander is a Boston College commit.SCOUT SAYS: &ldquo;He&rsquo;s very good. He&rsquo;s not the biggest, but he&rsquo;s physically developed at 190 pounds. Really smart, great hands, good foot speed, good decision-making, and he plays in traffic.&rdquo; &#9632;

2019-10

PROJECTED TOP 10

<div class="byline">BY RYAN KENNEDY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="sneakpeek_h_185" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/sneakpeek_h_1852/471451-1-eng-US/sneakpeek_h_1852.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">GOAL GETTERHe&rsquo;s known for his knack around the net, but Holtz sees the big picture as he works toward an all-around game. (KENTA JÖNSSON / BILDBYRÅN)</figcaption></div>WHEN SWEDISH UNDER-17 national coach Markus Akerblom first saw Alexander Holtz play last spring, he quickly realized the hype around the youngster was justified. &ldquo;From the red line forward, he scored on every shot,&rdquo; Akerblom said. &ldquo;It was unbelievable. I had never seen anything like that before. He could literally squeeze the puck through when there was no space. I was blown away. He hit the target every time. You could see the goalies were really frustrated. They couldn&rsquo;t get a read on him.&rdquo;And while it would be very easy for the 17-year-old to get distracted by all the chatter surrounding his future, Holtz&rsquo;s drive was just as impressive as his goal-scoring ability. &ldquo;I was really surprised how this kid, and he is still a kid, was so mature and focused,&rdquo; Akerblom said. &ldquo;He knows exactly what he wants to do and what he needs to do to get there. He has both feet on the ground and is very calm for the position that he&rsquo;s in.&rdquo;Holtz, a right winger who plays for the Djurgarden organization, has been on scouting radars for a couple years already, dating back to his time with Nacka HK&rsquo;s under-16 team. His older brother, David, also played junior hockey (for the fantastically named Boo HC) and now coaches. Hailing from an area of Stockholm called Saltsjo-Boo, Holtz grew up playing a number of sports, including golf, tennis, soccer and bandy. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s important to test other sports,&rdquo; Holtz said. &ldquo;I can take something from here, something from there and put them together so that my hockey can be the best.&rdquo;Soccer is still a big passion for Holtz, and when he was in Toronto during the summer, he made sure to get his World Cup viewings in. &ldquo;I watched every game,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I love football. My favorite is Zlatan (Ibrahimovic). He&rsquo;s nice.&rdquo;<blockquote class="pullQuote">FROM THE RED LINE FORWARD, HE SCORED ON EVERY SHOT. I HAD NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THAT BEFORE</blockquote>&ndash; Swedish coach Markus AkerblomHoltz was in Toronto for Newport NEXT, a development camp put on by the player agency that represents stars such as Steven Stamkos, P.K. Subban and, on the younger side, Rasmus Dahlin.Holtz made the move to Djurgarden (which is also in Stockholm) for the 2017-18 campaign, where he continued to thrash the competition in Sweden&rsquo;s junior ranks.What is most interesting about his development is the fact Djurgarden resisted the urge to get him into SHL games too early. Holtz was blitzing the under-18 circuit last season, then fared well when he was called up to the under-20 squad &ndash; but he didn&rsquo;t get into any games against men. From a marketing perspective, it would have been tempting for Djurgarden to bring the kid up, but the team was also gunning for a title at the time. Akerblom was pleased at the fact the organization didn&rsquo;t rush Holtz, and the same applied to Frolunda, the SHL program that is developing another top Swede for the 2020 draft, right winger Lucas Raymond.Holtz and Raymond made their SHL debuts this season and, really, they could only be kept in junior for so long. The dynamic duo helped Sweden claim bronze at the World Under-17 Challenge in New Brunswick, with Holtz leading the team in scoring and Raymond sniping the bronze-winning shootout goal. Add in another potential high 2020 pick in right winger Zion Nybeck and the 2002 birth year is looking very strong for the Swedes. &ldquo;Not only do we have those names, but we&rsquo;ve had 41 different players out for the national team, so we have depth,&rdquo; Akerblom said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a really strong year.&rdquo;One intriguing question is which Swede will end up going off the draft board first. Raymond has been the more complete player, but Holtz has that incredible goal-scoring ability that is difficult to ignore.<blockquote class="pullQuote">YEAH, I GET A LOT OF ATTENTION. BUT I TRY TO STAY HUMBLE AND MAKE THE BEST OF THE SITUATION</blockquote>&ndash; Alexander HoltzHoltz&rsquo;s favorite NHLers are snipers Alex Ovechkin and Patrik Laine, and it&rsquo;s easy to envision a scenario where Holtz&rsquo;s Laine-esque scoring talents vault him ahead of Raymond. Having said that, Akerblom has already seen a good deal of growth in Holtz&rsquo;s game since they first crossed paths last spring. Holtz is developing a 200-foot approach and has learned to play more physically. He was also the captain of that Swedish under-17 team, which speaks to his leadership capabilities. In terms of progression, Holtz is still honing different parts of his game. &ldquo;For skating, I want to get faster,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;The game gets faster every year.&rdquo;And life is going to get a lot faster for Holtz as well. He will assuredly play a big role on Sweden&rsquo;s world under-18 team this spring when the tournament is held in Ornskoldsvik and Umea, and it&rsquo;s a decent bet he and Raymond get into next year&rsquo;s world juniors as underagers. The hype is already here, but Holtz is trying to use the maturity Akerblom mentioned. &ldquo;Yeah, I get a lot of attention,&rdquo; Holtz said. &ldquo;But I try to stay humble and make the best of the situation.&rdquo; &#9632;

sneakpeek_h_185

2020 Sneak Peek

PURE SCORER AND PLENTY MORE

<div class="image-hero"><img title="2020-1" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/2020-1/478778-1-eng-US/2020-1.jpg"></div>1. ALEXIS LAFRENIERELW, Rimouski (QMJHL)Battling for the league scoring crown as March began, he&rsquo;ll be a beast in the &lsquo;Q&rsquo; next season and a key part of Canada&rsquo;s 2020 WJC team.SCOUT SAYS: &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a big, skilled player who moves well and handles the puck well. What I like the most is that he&rsquo;s got great hockey sense and anticipation.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/2020-2/478806-1-eng-US/2020-2.jpg" title="2020-2" width="1667" height="1146"></div><h2>2. QUINTON BYFIELD</h2>C, Sudbury (OHL)No. 1 pick in 2018 OHL draft had heavy expectations on his shoulders, but the big kid from north of Toronto has managed to fulfill them.SCOUT SAYS: &ldquo;He has been able to step in and contribute right away. He&rsquo;s been their best player. I wouldn&rsquo;t call him a power forward, but he can be that skill player with power.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/2020-3/478792-1-eng-US/2020-3.jpg" title="2020-3" width="1667" height="1146"></div><h2>3. ALEXANDER HOLTZ</h2>RW, Djurgarden (Swe.)Has been on radar for a while due to prolific goal-scoring talents. Won gold with Sweden at World Under-17 Challenge, leading team in points.SCOUT SAYS: &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a specimen with his hands and shooting ability. One of those guys you don&rsquo;t see in a game and then suddenly he has two goals. Pro shot already. He&rsquo;ll bury it.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/2020-4/478785-1-eng-US/2020-4.jpg" title="2020-4" width="1667" height="1146"></div><h2>4. JAMIE DRYSDALE</h2>D, Erie (OHL)Swift blueliner is a foundational piece for rebuilding Otters. Doesn&rsquo;t have a lot of talent around him but has put up decent offensive numbers.SCOUT SAYS: &ldquo;Very skilled defenseman in terms of his ability to move the puck. Passes it well, but he also skates it out well. Prototypical modern-day D-man. He fits that ideal.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/2020-5/478798-1-eng-US/2020-5.jpg" title="2020-5" width="1667" height="1146"></div><h2>5. ANTON LUNDELL</h2>C, HIFK (Fin.)Centered effective scoring line for Finland at 2019 WJC. Great blend of size and skill. Has put up impressive numbers against men in the Liiga.SCOUT SAYS: &ldquo;He looks like a top-five pick. Hockey sense is top-notch. He&rsquo;s skilled and not afraid to battle, even in the men&rsquo;s league. Does a lot of the same things as Kaapo Kakko.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/2020-6/478813-1-eng-US/2020-6.jpg" title="2020-6" width="1667" height="1146"></div><h2>6. LUCAS RAYMOND</h2>RW, Frolunda (Swe.)Along with Holtz, he&rsquo;s the cream of the crop in what looks like a great draft class for the Swedes &ndash; keep an eye out for Noel Gunler, too.SCOUT SAYS: &ldquo;More of an all-around guy than Holtz. Naturally makes players around him good. Creates on his own, but also makes average guys good.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/2020-7/478820-1-eng-US/2020-7.jpg" title="2020-7" width="1667" height="1146"></div><h2>7. DYLAN HOLLOWAY</h2>C, Okotoks (AJHL)Looked fantastic at World Jr. A Challenge for Canada West, where he earned a bronze medal as one of the team&rsquo;s top scorers.SCOUT SAYS: &ldquo;Really good skater. Really good hockey sense. Solid work ethic and knows where to be in all three zones. He can shoot the puck, and he plays with imagination.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/2020-8/478827-1-eng-US/2020-8.jpg" title="2020-8" width="1667" height="1146"></div><h2>8. KAIDEN GUHLE</h2>D, Prince Albert (WHL)Taken first overall in 2017 WHL bantam draft, he has developed into a very good blueliner for a team that has ruled the league this season.SCOUT SAYS: &ldquo;For being 16, he gets his ice time. His skating sets him apart. He has balance, quickness and acceleration. He can carry the puck out or make a good first pass.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/2020-9/478834-1-eng-US/2020-9.jpg" title="2020-9" width="1667" height="1146"></div><h2>9. WILL CUYLLE</h2>LW, Windsor (OHL)Leading all OHL rookies in shots on goal, he&rsquo;s part of a Spitfires rebuild that also includes fellow 2020 prospect Jean-Luc Foudy.SCOUT SAYS: &ldquo;More of a shooter. Give him the puck and he&rsquo;ll score goals. Good skater who competes hard. He just needs to add more elements to his game.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/2020-10/478841-1-eng-US/2020-10.jpg" title="2020-10" width="1667" height="1146"></div><h2>10. JAKE SANDERSON</h2>D, U.S. NTDP (USHL)Son of ex-NHLer Geoff Sanderson, and he&rsquo;s got wheels, too. North Dakota commit headlines NTDP class that includes Tyler Kleven, Ty Smilanic.SCOUT SAYS: &ldquo;He&rsquo;s the clear-cut NTDP guy for me. Does it all. Skates, defends, moves the puck with poise and breaks up plays. The next thing to see is how much offense he has.&rdquo; &#9632;

2020-10

<div class="byline">BY RYAN KENNEDY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="sneakpeek_l_187" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/sneakpeek_l_1872/471684-1-eng-US/sneakpeek_l_1872.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">CHAZ MISSILELucius&rsquo; shot, already better than most men&rsquo;s, makes him one of the top prospects for the 2021 NHL draft. (KRISTIN SCHIMEK)</figcaption></div>IF YOU HAVEN&rsquo;T HEARD of Gentry Academy yet, don&rsquo;t worry: the Lucius family is putting it on the radar. The private school just finished its first year as a member of Minnesota&rsquo;s high-school league with a respectable 14-11-0 record, but it&rsquo;s Gentry&rsquo;s under-15 squad that is truly making noise. The biggest reason? Center Chaz Lucius, who tore it up at Tier I showcases to the tune of 39 goals and 62 points in just 13 games, while also becoming one of the youngest players ever to commit to the University of Minnesota. The youngest? His 14-year-old brother, Cruz, who committed at the same time. &ldquo;We get along really well,&rdquo; Chaz said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re also linemates. He&rsquo;s more of a pass-first kind of player, which is why we really work well together.&rdquo;Gentry Academy is located in Vadnais Heights, north of St. Paul. It is owned by the Lucius boys&rsquo; parents, Chuck and Tami (who also founded the Gradient Financial Group), and has basically grown along with Chaz&rsquo;s young career. Billy Hengen first coached a nine-year-old Chaz and has been behind the bench with him ever since. Hengen is also the hockey director at Gentry and sees a ton of potential in his star player. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s been the most consistent player, physically and mentally, that I&rsquo;ve been around,&rdquo; Hengen said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s the same player every day. He has an insatiable appetite to score goals, he&rsquo;s hungry at all times. But he also distributes the puck and makes his wingers better. It&rsquo;s not all about him.&rdquo;There is also Chaz&rsquo;s most deadly weapon to consider. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s got the release, accuracy and power in his shot &ndash; it&rsquo;s the total package,&rdquo; Hengen said. &ldquo;He shoots the puck better than all four of our coaches.&rdquo;Which is saying something, since Hengen and co-head coach Joe Jensen played NCAA hockey at St. Cloud State, with Jensen even getting a six-game cup of coffee with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2008.Though the showcases in the North American Prospects League haven&rsquo;t been too difficult for Chaz and his team, Gentry isn&rsquo;t a full-time member of the circuit, and that is by design: they have also played top-flight programs such as Shattuck-St. Mary&rsquo;s, Chicago Mission and Toronto&rsquo;s Don Mills Flyers &ndash; a team that potentially features the two top picks in this year&rsquo;s OHL draft, Shane Wright (a 2004 birthday who has applied for exceptional status) and defenseman Brandt Clarke. &ldquo;Steel sharpens steel,&rdquo; Hengen said. &ldquo;We want to play the top teams, and that&rsquo;s why we stay independent, so we can travel.&rdquo;Because of Chaz&rsquo;s gaudy stats and early NCAA commitment, the spotlight has tended to follow him. That might seem like a lot for a 15-year-old, but he doesn&rsquo;t find the attention outrageous. &ldquo;Not really, because it&rsquo;s what I work hard for,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I kind of expect it, almost.&rdquo;A big fan of Steven Stamkos and Alex Ovechkin, Chaz will move on to junior hockey next season, which could mean a spot with the U.S. National Team Development Program in Michigan. He has already been hitting the gym in order to develop his explosiveness and fast-twitch muscles, but it&rsquo;s fair to say the foundation for a great future has already been set.<h2>PLAYERS TO WATCH</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/saganiuk_co_1892/471677-1-eng-US/saganiuk_co_1892.jpg" title="saganiuk_co_189" width="323" height="352"></div><h3>COLBY SAGANIUK</h3>C, Pittsburgh Penguins Elite U-16Definitely born at the right time given his diminutive frame. A Johnny Gaudreau type, the 5-foot-6, 150-pounder&rsquo;s dynamic skill set makes him very buzz-worthy.SCOUT SAYS: &ldquo;Prototype dynamic small forward with top-end speed and skills. Has a nose for the net and a strong work ethic. Lock for the NTDP.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/hughes_luke_1932/471663-1-eng-US/hughes_luke_1932.jpg" title="hughes_luke_193" width="337" height="332"></div><h3>LUKE HUGHES</h3>D, Little Caesars U-15The youngest of the Hughes clan, Luke has similar raw skills to his brothers &ndash; perhaps even the best of all &ndash; though he still needs to iron out his all-around game. Another NTDP lock.SCOUT SAYS: &ldquo;Explosive first steps and elite edging, giving him the ability to dodge checks. Not sure he sees the ice as well as Quinn and Jack.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/power_owen2/471649-1-eng-US/power_owen2.jpg" title="power_owen" width="372" height="321"></div><h3>OWEN POWER</h3>D, Chicago Steel (USHL)A big, strapping Canadian kid taking advantage of the USHL&rsquo;s new import rules, Power is a 6-foot-4, 215-pounder who put up admirable rookie numbers on a very good Steel squad.SCOUT SAYS: &ldquo;He looks like your prototypical NHL defenseman. He&rsquo;s already huge, and he&rsquo;s really intelligent. Good with the puck, and he can skate.&rdquo; &#9632;

sneakpeek_l_187

2021 Sneak Peek

HOCKEY SCHOOL FOR THE FAMILY

<div class="byline">BY MATT LARKIN</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/rewind_rask_1962/471720-1-eng-US/rewind_rask_1962.jpg" title="rewind_rask_196" width="656" height="976"><figcaption class="caption-body">TUUKKA&nbsp;RASK (ABELIMAGES/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>TEAMS KNOW THE RISKS of taking a goalie in the first round (see pg. 8), but the trouble with projecting their careers in net continues long after they get drafted and regardless of where they&rsquo;re picked.Looking at the Future Watch&rsquo;s top 50 from 10 years ago, we see several highly regarded goalie prospects who realized their potential as NHL No. 1s: Tuukka Rask, Semyon Varlamov and Cory Schneider among them. Others, such as Jacob Markstrom, went on to middling stopgap roles, while Chet Pickard bombed, never playing an NHL game.Nine goalies cracked the top 50 a decade ago, including six in the top 25. Five years ago, in Future Watch 2014: six goalies in the top 50 and three in the top 25. In Future Watch 2019: no goalies in the top 20 and five in the top 50. Given how unpredictable the position is, not only during prospect development but year to year among the NHL starters, it seems our scouting panel has almost washed its hands of predicting anything when it comes to goalies. That&rsquo;s likely why we see fewer landing on our list. Another reason: fewer get drafted in Round 1, meaning fewer carry the can&rsquo;t-miss pedigree warranting high Future Watch rankings. &#9632;

rewind_rask_196

Rewind

CREASE CRAPSHOOT

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0073-0129/471756-1-eng-US/f0073-012.jpg" title="f0073-01" width="657" height="2256"></div>Players listed with current team and NHL games played as of March 6, 2019.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/rewind_fw09_1952/471770-1-eng-US/rewind_fw09_1952.jpg" title="rewind_fw09_195" width="234" height="360"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/rewind_fw14_1942/471763-1-eng-US/rewind_fw14_1942.jpg" title="rewind_fw14_194" width="234" height="360"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0073-0216/471749-1-eng-US/f0073-022.jpg" title="f0073-02" width="662" height="2256"></div> &#9632;

f0073-01

BLAST FROM THE PAST

<div class="byline">BY RYAN KENNEDYBY RYAN KENNEDY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="lastword_hu_197" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/lastword_hu_1972/471799-1-eng-US/lastword_hu_1972.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">SENS WON&rsquo;T KNOW JACKEven if luck favors Ottawa in the draft lottery, it won&rsquo;t land the highly touted Hughes thanks to an ill-advised trade. (KEVIN LIGHT/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>THIS SPRING, WE WILL be treated to one of the most gruesome draft lotteries ever to grace the NHL since the ping-pong balls first bounced in 1995. As with many tales of woe this year, the Ottawa Senators stand in the eye of the vortex thanks to the ill-fated 2017 trade that sent Kyle Turris to Nashville, Matt Duchene to Ottawa and a conditional first-round pick to Colorado, among other pieces.At the time, the deal was seen as a very intriguing three-way swap &ndash; a win for the Avs, but not necessarily a bad one for Nashville or Ottawa. But with apologies to Kenny Rogers, let&rsquo;s drop in to see what condition that conditional pick is in.Yes, it is very possible that the lowly Senators could win the lottery only to surrender the first-overall pick to the Avalanche. Jack Hughes and Nathan MacKinnon on the same squad? Lower your sunglasses slowly and deliberately, Avs fans, because that would be smooth.It would also be agonizing for Sens fans, as a potential first-line center would go really well with the organization&rsquo;s efforts to rebuild. To twist the knife even further, Columbus sent Ottawa a conditional first-rounder at the deadline this year in exchange for Duchene. That pick becomes a 2020 first-rounder if the Blue Jackets get a top-three selection this year, which is improbable but not impossible &ndash; Columbus is likely to make the playoffs, which would take it out of the lottery altogether. But what if the Blue Jackets stumble before the finish line and miss the post-season? At that point, the lottery balls can make the unpredictable a reality. It was only two years ago that Philadelphia picked second overall (landing center Nolan Patrick) after finishing 19th in the league, after all.In this nightmare scenario for Ottawa, it could see the first two picks in the 2019 draft slip through its fingers.For me, it all comes down to the precarious practice of &ldquo;betting on yourself,&rdquo; and the Senators are not the first team to go down that path. The New York Islanders had a similar scenario play out a few years earlier as part of the Thomas Vanek trade with Buffalo in 2013. Matt Moulson was the name going the other way in that deal, but there was also a conditional 2014 first-rounder that could be deferred a year if the Isles were slated to pick in the top 10.As it so happens, New York ended up with the fifth-overall selection in 2014, so it kept the pick and took left winger Michael Dal Colle (clunk!). The Islanders were much better the next season, and the pick surrendered to Buffalo ended up being 21st overall (and then traded to Ottawa for Robin Lehner and David Legwand).Now, the Senators could&rsquo;ve given last year&rsquo;s first-rounder to Colorado, but Ottawa ended up with the fourth overall pick. Instead of handing it over to the Avs, the Sens selected left winger Brady Tkachuk, who by all measurements has been a solid NHL rookie with the long-term potential to be a great NHLer. But now they must hope that fate does not curse them with a lottery &ldquo;win&rdquo; in 2019. It would be, put simply, the deepest disgrace on a franchise that has suffered many indignities.When then-Islanders GM Garth Snow decided to pick Dal Colle instead of giving up the selection to Buffalo, he believed his team would be better the next season. Could Ottawa have made the same claim last summer? Keep in mind, Mike Hoffman had already been traded and the draft seemed like the ideal time to deal Erik Karlsson, where the writing was on the wall for a departure. As it turned out, Karlsson wasn&rsquo;t traded until September, but the result was the same.Maybe Ottawa doesn&rsquo;t get burned in the lottery this spring. Mathematically, there is an 81.5-percent chance some other team gets that No. 1 slot &ndash; but on the flip side, no other team has a greater shot than last-place Ottawa&rsquo;s 18.5-percent odds.There were a lot of conditional picks moved at the NHL trade deadline this year, and it appears to be a trend, in which a second-rounder becomes a first-rounder if a team wins a certain amount of playoff rounds or signs the marquee name in question to an extension. This all seems perfectly rational to me for both parties involved.But the idea of potentially giving up the first overall pick when you&rsquo;re not even close to being a playoff team? That makes me queasy. For the sake of their sanity, I hope Ottawa fans don&rsquo;t have to go through that ordeal. Of course, if Murphy&rsquo;s Law is really a thing, then we all know what&rsquo;s going to happen when those ping-pong balls stop bouncing, don&rsquo;t we? &#9632;

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