Christopher Ralph is a sportswriter with a focus on hockey prospects, the entry draft, as well as occasional Flames coverage here at THW.
This article goes along with the Home Page taking an in depth view of Hockey’s Version of Christmas, appropriately on the 25th, of June that is, on this Friday.
*This draft preview has been featured on such web sites as Yahoo Sports via Puck Daddy.
Notes:
Emerson Etem {Photo: Chris Ralph}
*The table is “sortable” – that is, if you click on any of the headings it will sort them.
*For detailed prospect profiles of the top 30 click on the link above for the Draft Preview or check out my archives.
*Just under the title, you can click “Show” and change the quantity you show on one page or you can simply click on bottom right hand corner of table to scroll through the rankings.
*This is not a mock draft. These rankings are the exclusive opinions of the author only and not predicting where prospects will get picked on draft day, but more of a product of how I project the player will turn out based on his potential.
*TSN’s Final Rankings & The Hockey News (Top 60 only) are included as well for comparison.
| THW | Name | Pos. | Team | League | Ht. | Wt. | TSN | THN | Shots From The Slot (Quick Notes) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hall, Taylor | LW | Windsor | OHL | 6' 0.75" | 186 | 1 | 1 | Explosive offensive dynamo |
| 2 | Seguin, Tyler | C | Plymouth | OHL | 6' 0.75" | 180 | 2 | 2 | Franchise centerman; Yzerman-esque |
| 3 | Fowler, Cam | D | Windsor | OHL | 6' 2" | 195 | 5 | 3 | Sublime skating QB blueliner |
| 4 | Niederreiter, Nino | RW | Portland | WHL | 6' 1" | 205 | 7 | 8 | "El Nino" Swiss Rick Nash |
| 5 | Gudbranson, Erik | D | Kingston | OHL | 6' 3.75" | 195 | 3 | 5 | Physical force on back end; offensive upside |
| 6 | Gormley, Brandon | D | Moncton | QMJHL | 6' 2" | 187 | 4 | 7 | Duncan Keith Part Deux? |
| 7 | Etem, Emerson | RW | Medicine Hat | WHL | 5' 11.75" | 190 | 17 | 17 | One of the draft's fastest & has finnish |
| 8 | Connolly, Brett | RW | Prince George | WHL | 6' 2" | 181 | 8 | 4 | Offensive highly skilled winger; injury free? |
| 9 | Skinner, Jeff | RW | Kitchener | OHL | 5' 10" | 197 | 10 | 31 | Super sniper; don't worry about his skating |
| 10 | Johansen, Ryan | C | Portland | WHL | 6' 2.25" | 194 | 6 | 12 | Eric Staal-like center rocketed up rankings |
| 11 | Granlund, Mikael | C | Hifk | FINLAND | 5' 10" | 180 | 13 | 10 | A more offensive Saku Koivu |
| 12 | Campbell, Jack | G | Usa U-18 | USDP | 6' 2.5" | 175 | 9 | 13 | Cool as ice franchise goaltender |
| 13 | Burmistrov, Alexander | C | Barrie | OHL | 5' 11.5" | 162 | 12 | 6 | Similar to Datsyuk with two-way savvy play |
| 14 | Watson, Austin | RW | Peterborough | OHL | 6' 3" | 180 | 14 | 15 | Do-it-all forward exploded offensively with Petes |
| 15 | Howden, Quinton | C | Moose Jaw | WHL | 6' 2" | 183 | 26 | 23 | Great skating two-way forward; Excellent WJC-U18s |
| 16 | Mcilrath, Dylan | D | Moose Jaw | WHL | 6' 3.25" | 210 | 15 | 26 | Toughest player in draft can skate, shoot & destroy |
| 17 | Pysyk, Mark | D | Edmonton | WHL | 6' 1" | 179 | 20 | 16 | Poor man's Lidstrom |
| 18 | Forbort, Derek | D | Usa U-18 | USDP | 6' 4.5" | 198 | 11 | 11 | Excellent size and skating with offensive upside |
| 19 | McFarland, John | C | Sudbury | OHL | 6' 0" | 200 | 28 | 20 | High end skill and skating; questionable desire |
| 20 | Tarasenko, Vladimir | RW | Novosibirsk | RUSSIA | 5' 11" | 202 | 16 | 14 | Top 7 talent; Russian Roulette Factor |
| 21 | Schwartz, Jaden | C | Tri-City | USHL | 5' 10" | 180 | 29 | 30 | Small but solid; offensive dynamic center |
| 22 | Kuznetsov, Evgeny | C | Chelyabinsk | RUSSIA | 6' 0" | 172 | 24 | 18 | Outstanding typically talented Russian; inconsistent |
| 23 | Kabanov, Kirill | LW | Moncton | QMJHL | 6' 2" | 173 | 43 | 38 | The draft's biggest enigma and wildcard |
| 24 | Toffoli, Tyler | C | Ottawa | OHL | 6' 0" | 183 | 27 | 40 | NHL ready elite shot; Ty knows scoring |
| 25 | Bjugstad, Nick | C | Blaine | HIGH-MN | 6' 3.75" | 188 | 19 | 9 | Amazing athlete and high end upside |
| 26 | Weal, Jordan | C | Regina | WHL | 5' 8.5" | 156 | 48 | 41 | Tiny talent but can he ever play the game |
| 27 | Tinordi, Jarred | D | Usa U-18 | USDP | 6' 5.5" | 205 | 23 | 22 | Hulking good-skating d-man a lot like Dad, Mark |
| 28 | Bennett, Beau | RW | Penticton | BCHL | 6' 0.5" | 173 | 18 | 35 | Offensive standout is 2nd wildcard of the draft |
| 29 | Sheahan, Riley | C | U Of Notre Dame | CCHA | 6' 1.5" | 202 | 21 | 19 | Possibly best defensive forward; ?offensive upside |
| 30 | Pitlick, Tyler | C | Minnesota State | WCHA | 6' 1.5" | 194 | 25 | Grinding two-way forward on to WHL next season | |
| 31 | Merrill, Jon | D | Usa U-18 | USDP | 6' 3.25" | 198 | 22 | 31 | Smooth 2-way d-man, but some question marks |
| 32 | Faulk, Justin | D | Usa U-18 | USDP | 5' 11.75" | 196 | 30 | 45 | "Pitbull on ice"; great slapshot |
| 33 | Pulkkinen, Teemu | RW | Jokerit | FINLAND | 5' 11" | 183 | 46 | 50 | Outstanding WJC-U18s after injury-plagued year |
| 34 | Spooner, Ryan | C | Peterborough | OHL | 5' 10.5" | 174 | 39 | 36 | Another small but dynamicall skilled prospect |
| 35 | Rensfeldt, Ludvig | LW | Brynas Jr. | SWE-JR. | 6' 2.75" | 192 | 37 | 32 | Inconsistent, but flashes of brilliance |
| 36 | Petrovic, Alex | D | Red Deer | WHL | 6' 3.5" | 192 | 36 | 24 | Steady defensive d-man with some off. Upside |
| 37 | Jarnkrok, Calle | C | Brynas Jr. | SWE-JR. | 5' 10.75" | 156 | 33 | 28 | Diminutive quick Swede has slick skillset |
| 38 | Pickard, Calvin | G | Seattle | WHL | 6' 0.5" | 200 | 31 | 27 | Brother of Chet has great mental composure |
| 39 | Nelson, Brock | C | Warroad | HIGH-MN | 6' 2.5" | 205 | 34 | 29 | Good scoring touch but tough to judge in high school |
| 40 | Larsson, Johan | LW | Brynas Jr. | SWE-JR. | 5' 10" | 200 | 45 | Unbelievable WJC-U18s; 2-way smooth talent | |
| 41 | Galiev, Stanislav | RW | Saint John | QMJHL | 6' 0.5" | 177 | 40 | 37 | Expected more offensive output from skilled forward |
| 42 | Ross, Bradley | LW | Portland | WHL | 5' 11.25" | 181 | 35 | Agressive agitator who can play the game | |
| 43 | Straka, Petr | RW | Rimouski | QMJHL | 6' 1" | 184 | 38 | 52 | Opportunistic scorer has to get stronger |
| 44 | Coyle, Charlie | RW | South Shore | EJHL | 6' 1.5" | 202 | 32 | 33 | Cousin of Tony Amonte on to Boston University |
| 45 | Zucker, Jason | LW | Usa U-18 | USDP | 5' 10.5" | 174 | 44 | 54 | Speedy grinder produced at WJC-U18s |
| 46 | Hishon, Joey | C | Owen Sound | OHL | 5' 9.25" | 172 | 51 | 39 | Great hockey sense; struggled with injuries this year |
| 47 | Mckegg, Greg | C | Erie | OHL | 5' 11.75" | 191 | 64 | Breakout year; exceptional offensive instincts | |
| 48 | Hayes, Kevin | RW | Nobles | HIGH-MA | 6' 2.25" | 201 | 49 | 44 | Brother of Leafs' Jimmy Hayes; great size & hockey IQ |
| 49 | Nemeth, Patrik | D | Aik Jr. | SWE-JR. | 6' 3" | 201 | 42 | 2-way good skating blueliner with good size | |
| 50 | Brickley, Connor | C | Des Moines | USHL | 5' 11.5" | 190 | 47 | Great skater is talented and plays an abrasive style | |
| 51 | Martindale, Ryan | C | Ottawa | OHL | 6' 3" | 195 | 58 | 46 | Great size & skill; questionable desire |
| 52 | Smith-Pelly, Devante | RW | Mississauga St. Michael | OHL | 5' 11.5" | 214 | 52 | "Tank on skates" is a scorer albeit inconsistent | |
| 53 | Mackenzie, Matt | D | Calgary | WHL | 6' 1" | 193 | 73 | 55 | Very solid two-way blueliner |
| 54 | Knight, Jared | C | London | OHL | 5' 10.5" | 186 | Played great after diabetes treated; Offensive Upside | ||
| 55 | Hamilton, Curtis | LW | Saskatoon | WHL | 6' 2.25" | 209 | 57 | Injury-plagued season for talented, hard-nosed LW | |
| 56 | Simpson, Kent | G | Everett | WHL | 6' 2.5" | 182 | 62 | Might be better than Pikard | |
| 57 | Kitsyn, Maxim | LW | Novokuznetsk | RUSSIA | 6' 2" | 194 | 59 | 43 | Stock dropped for once promising forward |
| 58 | Kuehnhackl, Tom | RW | Landshut Cann. | GERMAN-2 | 6' 2" | 172 | 72 | 59 | Son of perhaps best German hockey player ever |
| 59 | Lindberg, Oscar | C | Skelleftea Jr. | SWE-JR. | 6' 0" | 187 | 50 | Very solid all around game | |
| 60 | Beukeboom, Brock | D | Sault Ste. Marie | OHL | 6' 0.75" | 197 | 54 | 49 | Son of Jeff is smaller but more talented than father |
| 61 | Gauthier-Leduc, Jerome | D | Rouyn-Noranda | QMJHL | 6' 0.5" | 180 | 55 | Offensive d-man needs work on defensive play | |
| 62 | Johns, Stephen | D | Usa U-18 | USDP | 6' 3.25" | 215 | 41 | 48 | Disruptive defensive blueliner |
| 63 | Holl, Justin | D | Minnetonka | HIGH-MN | 6' 2.25" | 170 | 56 | Very gifted and high ceiling but is raw at this point | |
| 64 | Smith, Dalton | LW | Ottawa | OHL | 6' 2" | 203 | 65 | Son of Derrick; Old school power forward | |
| 65 | Silas, Stephen | D | Belleville | OHL | 6' 0.25" | 190 | A positionally sound, 2-way defensive rock | ||
| 66 | Archibald, Brandon | D | Sault Ste. Marie | OHL | 6' 3.25" | 203 | Great size & skating; needs more confidence | ||
| 67 | Aittokallio, Sami | G | Ilves Jr. | FINLAND-JR. | 6' 1" | 174 | 75 | Next Finnish "Fortress" | |
| 68 | Corbeil-Theriault, Mathieu | G | Halifax | QMJHL | 6' 5.75" | 186 | 68 | Huge frame , great coordination and moves well | |
| 69 | Shugg, Justin | LW | Windsor | OHL | 5' 10.75" | 184 | Good hockey IQ and work ethic; strong shot | ||
| 70 | Arnold, Bill | C | Usa U-18 | USDP | 5' 11.5" | 218 | 60 | Strong on skates & tough to play against | |
| 71 | Rutkowski, Troy | D | Portland | WHL | 6' 1.5" | 208 | Smooth skating offensively agressive blueliner | ||
| 72 | Gardiner, Max | C | Minnetonka | HIGH-MN | 6' 2.5" | 176 | 61 | Brother of Jake; good size and shot | |
| 73 | Bulmer, Brett | RW | Kelowna | WHL | 6' 2.25" | 175 | 63 | Late blooming power forward; good puck protection | |
| 74 | Visentin, Mark | G | Niagara | OHL | 6' 1.25" | 185 | 60 | Hybrid goalie with good mechanics | |
| 75 | Culek, Jakub | LW | Rimouski | QMJHL | 6' 3" | 175 | 67 | 53 | Great size; high skill; but not physical or consistent |
| 76 | Grubauer, Philipp | G | Windsor | OHL | 6' 0.25" | 180 | 69 | 47 | Superb OHL playoffs & WJC-U20s (Div. 1 Group A) |
| 77 | Marincin, Martin | D | Slovakia U20 | SLOVAKIA | 6' 4" | 187 | 71 | 34 | Project Slovak defender |
| 78 | Telegin, Ivan | RW | Saginaw | OHL | 6' 2.25" | 194 | 53 | 58 | Great 1st half of season but trailed off in 2nd half |
| 79 | Melchiori, Julian | D | Newmarket | CCHL | 6' 3" | 186 | 66 | Outstanding mobility off to Umass (NCAA) | |
| 80 | Alt, Mark | D | Cretin-Derham | HIGH-MN | 6' 3" | 199 | 70 | Star football QB has apparently chosen hockey | |
| 81 | McNally, Pat | D | Milton Academy | HIGH-MA | 6' 2" | 180 | Attractive package of size and skill | ||
| 82 | Macek, Brooks | C | Tri-City | WHL | 5' 10.75" | 180 | Posted fantastic offensive numbers in WHL | ||
| 83 | Bunz, Tyler | G | Medicine Hat | WHL | 6' 1.25" | 196 | Puck handling and passing reminiscent of Turco | ||
| 84 | Biega, Danny | D | Harvard | ECAC | 6' 0" | 191 | Fantastic scouting combine performance | ||
| 85 | Yogan, Andrew | C | Erie | OHL | 6' 2.75" | 202 | Big frame; power forward needs work on skating | ||
| 86 | Bournival, Michael | LW | Shawinigan | QMJHL | 5' 11" | 184 | 56 | Highly competitive 2-way forward | |
| 87 | Thomas, Christian | RW | Oshawa | OHL | 5' 8.5" | 162 | Son of Steve has lethal shot but size an issue | ||
| 88 | Ohman, Victor | C | Malmo Jr. | SWE-JR. | 6' 1" | 202 | Impressive skillset & skating; questionable work ethic | ||
| 89 | Shipley, Steven | C | Owen Sound | OHL | 6' 2" | 204 | Roller coaster yr; almost PPG player, but skating issues | ||
| 90 | Sundher, Kevin | C | Chilliwack | WHL | 5' 11.75" | 192 | 74 | Projects as speedy & skilled 3rd line NHLer | |
| 91 | Reinhart, Maxwell | C | Kootenay | WHL | 6' 0.75" | 180 | Son of Paul is two-way hard competitor | ||
| 92 | Pettersson, Adam | C | Skelleftea Jr. | SWE-JR. | 6' 0" | 186 | High-end creativity and playmaker | ||
| 93 | Madaisky, Austin | D | Kamloops | WHL | 6' 1.75" | 186 | Solid two-way good skating blueliner | ||
| 94 | Basaraba, Joe | RW | Shat.St.Mary | HIGH-MN | 6' 2.25" | 190 | Shows flashes but inconsistent; off to Minn-Duluth | ||
| 95 | Jank, Bohumil | D | C. Budejovice Jr. | CZREP-JR. | 6' 2" | 192 | Czech d-man had 5 points in 6 games at WJC-U18s | ||
| 96 | Davidson, Brandon | D | Regina | WHL | 6' 1" | 190 | Positionally sound dependable blueliner | ||
| 97 | Domingue, Louis | G | Quebec | QMJHL | 6' 2.5" | 185 | Butterfly style goalie coached by Patrick Roy | ||
| 98 | Ranford, Brendan | LW | Kamloops | WHL | 5' 9.5" | 182 | Son of Bill; small but stocky; good hockey sense | ||
| 99 | Hamilton, Freddie | C | Niagara | OHL | 6' 0.75" | 187 | Super solid utility player with good work ethic | ||
| 100 | Donskoi, Joonas | LW | Karpat Jr. | FINLAND-JR. | 5' 11" | 165 | Versatile forward with good hands |
*You’ll note I am much higher on WHL prospects Emerson Etem and Nino “El Nino” Niederreiter than other rankings.
*Stay tuned as I post my final version of my mock draft.
Taylor Hall {Photo: Leon T Switzer/TotalPhoto}
*For all the latest prospect and draft news follow me on Twitter: The Hockey Spy
