He can run the wall or the point on the PP, effortlessly picking coverage apart and feathering pucks through seams. Hes a big, strong, sturdy, athletic net-driven winger with slick puckhandling skill one-on-one and a balanced skaters stride. 3 pick in the 2020 WHL Bantam Draft. Dylan McLaughlin (F) AHL. During the bantam draft (typically held in early May), players from the four Western Provinces and the states of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming are eligible to be selected. This year, he has already broken past both of those marks and sits top 10 in the WHL in scoring (though he has regressed a little after a hot start). Riley Heidt C, Prince George Cougars, 5-foot-11. There have been times this season, though, where he has looked like hes trying a little too hard to impress and make things happen instead of allowing the game to come to him. Hes a hard worker who makes his team better whenever he steps on the ice. Selected first overall in the WHL bantam draft that year, he played 22 games with the Winnipeg Ice in 2019-20 when he became . He loves attacking defenders and beating them in one-on-one skill battles. Only Hughes. Its not just his dominant, record-breaking performance at the World Juniors, dragging an underperforming Canada team to the gold medal, and its not just his 12 goals and 16 points in five games since returning to the WHL. Once he refines his game some more and adds more muscle as he ages, watch out. Jake Leschyshyn (/ l s n / leh-SIH-shuhn; born March 10, 1999) is an American-born Canadian professional ice hockey forward for the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League (AHL) as a prospect to the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League (NHL). This kid is as prolific from long distance as any shooter Ive ever scouted. Hes got quick hick hands (hes prolific on breakaways/in the shootout), a cleverness to his game as a passer (whether through seams or often blind), slick skill in traffic sliding pucks under sticks and rotating through coverage or past checks, and a knack for finessing pucks into spots for himself or his linemates to skate onto. he wants the puck in the offensive zone and has the skill and shot to make things happen when teammates find him off the point or as the trailer off the rush. Scott Wheeler covers the NHL draft and prospects nationally for The Athletic. Moore has identified himself as the second best prospect out of the NTDP this season, behind only Will Smith (and the gap isnt that big in my mind). Thank you for your interest in our network of websites, newsletters, and other services. His average SHL TOI is around 4:30, so this should be a confidence boost for the 2023 top prospect.In the J20 Nationell, Stenberg has 20pts (8G, 12A) through 23 games.pic.twitter.com/H36RVcNC4H Alexa Potack (@alexa_potack) January 24, 2023, Otto Stenberg scores his first SHL goal and point! 2020 All rights reserved to Puck Preps. And he always seems to be around it. Hes also not fast despite his strength, although he has made progress in his skating and does at times look powerful in straight lines. 4 and has had a tremendous age-adjusted season between his play with Orebro in the SHL and at the world juniors (where he was one of Swedens top forwards despite playing sick), even considering his December 2004 birthday and a year after playing to virtually two points per game at the J20 level (he looked good in an important role as a top-nine centre for Sweden at U18 worlds before an injury kept him out of their medal round run to a gold medal, too). Noel Nordh, LW (Brynas) He has now impressed me wherever Ive watched him (NCAA, USHL, Five Nations, U18 Worlds, world juniors, etc.) When he plays with pace and intention, hes both effective and flashes his skill in all three zones. Eventually, when the points pile up like they have, and they happen making the kinds of plays that he does, you cant ignore them. A brilliant handler and manipulator of the puck, including at full speed, Smith is a tantalizing and slippery talent who blends deception, baits and fakes (with his eyes, shoulders and head) into his movements to not just make opposing players miss but often send them the wrong way. Theres a lot to work with though. Tomas Suchanek, G, Tri-City Americans (WHL), 59. Hes also highly creative despite his goal-scoring tilt. Hell of a performance from Slovakia especially their Tendy! Stenberg was, coming into this season, viewed by many as the second-best Swedish prospect in this class to Carlsson after he played to nearly a point per game at the J20 level last year, looked like he belonged as an underager on the national team at U18 worlds, and impressed as Swedens leading scorer captain at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup (he also scored two Michigan goals last season and has continued to wear the C for Sweden this season at events like the falls Five Nations in Plymouth, and the World Jr. A Challenge). The only player to ever score at a rate of two points per game on the U18 team for a full season is Jack Hughes, you might have heard of him. 22-Mason Fauser F Swift Current Broncos 5-8 23-Cash Lanigan F Regina Aces 5-8 24-Dane Mansuy D Regina Monarchs 5-8 25-Charlie Kay F Saskatoon Outlaws 5-8 26-Dryden Deobold D Regina Monarchs 5-8 27-Keaton Lesperance F Regina Aces 5-8 28-Cameron Jacobson D Humboldt Broncos 5-8 29-Ethan Dundas F Regina Monarchs 5-8 He thrives in transition creating breakaways and putting defenders on their heels with his speed and plays with a ton of confidence and swagger on the puck as a deft handler. He has been off to a hot start this season, averaging just under a goal per game. He profiles similarly to David Jiricek physically, but with a more defensive tilt to his game. Carlssons one of the smartest players in the draft, a very heady player who understands spacing and timing on and off the puck at an advanced level for his age. He was more impressive than his already-impressive 61-points-in-68-games season last year (where he led the Cougars in scoring), and the same is true in his strong production on a middle-of-the-pack Cougars team this year. Its all there. Its not often we see players his size who can move like him. Early results are extremely positive with Wood being one of the top rookie point scorers and one of the top scorers on his team despite being the youngest player in all of mens NCAA hockey. ), a quick move into a pass, a sudden stop-up, or an attacking cut. After the 1st round, the Clubs select in order from fewest to most regular season points. The top pick in the 2021 OHL Priority Selection, Musty is one the focal points of the Wolves offence and would be their leader in shots on goal, assists and points were it not for a few weeks lost in January to a hand injury (following up on a strong showing at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup this summer). Expectations were unfairly high for Connor Bedard coming into his draft year, with the generational talent label floating around in many draft conversations. However, first-year bantams had been playing at the peewee level the previous year, and in order to list first-year bantams, WHL Clubs needed to scout the peewee ranks. There are some whod like to see him get to the guts of the ice and battle a little more (he glides a little too much off of the puck offensively and defensively). With the 268th overall selection (Round 13) the Vancouver Giants have selected 2007-born defender Chloe Primerano (North Vancouver, BC) in the 2022 @TheWHL Prospects Draft. His near point-per-game production at the top of the Huskies stat sheet comes a year after he led the BCHL in goals (45 in 46 games) and points (85) for a 1.85 points-per-game clip that stands as the most productive 16-year-old season in the league in decades, besting Alex Newhook(1.47), Kyle Turris (1.26), Tyson Jost (0.98), and Kent Johnson (0.81) while being four months younger than Johnson was at the time. Hes consistent shift-to-shift and game-to-game and while he might lack the dynamism of some of the players in front of him here, he can make plays in a variety of ways on and off the puck and the ice usually tilts in his teams favor when hes out there. His skating also continues to improve (hes not fast, but hes an above-average skater for his size by my measure and it shouldnt be preventative in him reaching his NHL upside). Reinbacher had a solid tourney on a bad team despite dealing with an illness the entire time. He is agile enough that I expect hell be very successful on zone entries in the NHL some day, giving his team a chance to control play in the offensive zone whenever he touches the puck. The way that Fantilli plays wouldnt really fly in the SHL where you need to be dependable at all times, and Carlssons maturity, reliability, and his clear understanding of what makes him great are the reasons he has succeeded in a top pro league as a teenager. He has every physical tool you could hope for, and uses each of them well, with the speed, strength, and reach to be a really great top-four defender in the NHL. He can score from mid range consistently with his low-kick wrister, hes got an ability to protect the puck and shade in and out of coverage, hes got a dangerous curl-and-drag wrister, and hes comfortable in traffic. 3 pick in the 2020 WHL Bantam Draft. The bantam draft allows for the orderly transfer of players to WHL Protected Player Lists (PPL) from the bantam ranks (13-14 year-olds). When you spend some time watching him and asking around about him, you quickly realize why. He has been utterly dominant at the J20 level, played big minutes when things mattered most as an underager at the world juniors (including in three overtimes) and looked himself in spot usage in the SHL. 2023 NFL Mock Draft . The combination of Michkovs position and the uncertainty around Russias invasion of Ukraine and his contract in the KHL with SKA (which is signed through to the end of the 2025-26 season and has been loaned out to Sochi after he reportedly forced his way out in search of greater opportunity) could complicate where he goes on draft day, but he still belongs here. Hes a strong, pro-built, physically mature winger (some of which is a benefit of his 2004 birthday, but some of which is obviously a credit to the work he has put into filling out his frame he really does look sturdy) who likes to shoot the puck and shoots it hard, but also regularly beats defenders and goalies one-on-one with a slick set of hands across his body so that they cant plan for the shot. One of my favourites in this class, Cristall isa creative, slippery playmaker who isnt afraid to try things and possesses a rare ability to hang onto pucks, pull eyes and bodies towards him, and then expose opposing structures to the weak side of coverage. Hes got quick hands and instincts, with standout puck control and shading. And this season theres no doubt: Hes the best forward on arguably the CHLs most talented team at forward. And while hell fade in stretches, the talent level is clear. During every draft cycle there are a handful of prospects who are 5-foot-10 or shorter who get a ton of praise in public scouting circles before unceremoniously sliding on draft day. No, you haven't accidentally clicked a lyrics page add and been directed to an eighties anthem, it's DubNetwork Scouting's LAST REVEAL for our December Top 22 - WHL Bantam Draft prospect breakdown. Welcome to my March ranking of the top 64 prospects eligible for the 2023 NHL Draft. Hes great at changing speeds in transition to separate himself from defenders before either making a move around them or passing to an open teammate. 2020 All rights reserved to Puck Preps. His playmaking and shot arent exceptional, but theyre both good enough to be reasonably sure that his offense would translate to the NHL some day. At the time of writing, he leads all defenseman in points per game and is on pace to have one of the most impressive offensive seasons in league history amongst defensemen of any age, not just draft eligible ones. 2022 NHL Entry Draft Rankings First Round 1. His play in transition leaves something to be desired, but once hes in the offensive zone his ability to maintain control of the puck and make smart passes at an efficient rate makes him a consistent threat. 7 overall in the 2019 WHL Bantam Draft and he made his debut in 2019-20 playing in four games. When hes around it, he can be a handful. Michkov is, without question or hesitation, the best prospect Ive ever ranked at No. Slick. And he likes to try to take D one-on-one, which can result in some high-end plays but also some turnovers. Smith is one of the very best slot passers in the draft and uses his unique puckhandling ability to dodge close-outs, weave off of the wall, and make plays through holes in coverage in possession with ease, regularly hanging onto pucks to delay his way into his spots or carve in. He has a high floor and should safely become a strong third-line player but also has the upside to become more if things really click in his north-south game at the next level.
