Scouching’s Final 2024 NHL Draft Rankings

Welcome one and all! We’ve finally made it to the end of the 2024 NHL Draft season, and what an interesting ride it’s been. All kinds of things have been said about this draft class from top to bottom. Some names are the next top pair defensemen out there, or the class as a whole is underwhelming, every thought under the sun is out there about this crop of players. For me, this is one of the more fascinating groups I’ve seen in great detail. There are a ton of directions a bunch of these players could go, but my impression is that there are a lot of very, very intelligent play drivers out there who seem to lack the skill and pace to clearly project to strong NHL roles. That’s not a knock on these guys, because a ton of them have been more and more impressive the more I’ve seen them this season, and I think NHL teams could land a number of strong role players at a variety of selections in this year’s draft. For me, I like to think about where the barrier is where I am truly really, really excited about this year’s crop, and the barrier of where I stop becoming really curious about what players could be, and for me the first barrier comes a bit earlier than usual, but the second barrier comes quite a bit later. I’d say the first 18-20 names are potentially very exciting players that could play important NHL roles, but I’m really, really interested in the next 30 or so players on the list. Beyond that, there are some solid players who bring more than enough to the game to end up on the list, but carry some question marks about their actual NHL upside. Talented players nonetheless and there is absolutely plenty to like about this group.

Before we get to the list I find it would be helpful to outline a quick background to how I think, what I look for and how I come to the conclusions I do. To put it simply, I am always looking for play drivers. Production is often a reward for good procedural play, and I always am thinking about how players perform in what I call the cycle of possession. Most of the time, players don’t have the puck, so how are they when they don’t have it? Are they reading play well, supporting teammates, getting their hands dirty when the time comes, and creating turnovers in some area of the ice in some way? Once they get the puck back, what’s happening? Are they flipping pucks into the neutral zone, turning pucks over and making life more difficult for the team? Are they taking a second to scan the ice before possession, making smart reads, and finding creative ways to march the puck up the ice in some fashion? How often are they even involved in plays like this? Only then do I start to really think about offensive zone play, but it’s an important factor. Are they a distributor, individual chance generator, dual threat offensive player, or not really doing much in the offensive zone at all? This part does affect my read on a player, but it isn’t the be-all-end-all. Motivating a confident and hard-working player who can get pucks into the offensive zone to be more assertive and creative offensively is a good baseline if I’m a coach. I watch the Stanley Cup Playoffs and so many times, skill and pure shot quality is a factor, but these games are largely won by off-puck play, raw intensity, competitiveness and ability to drive play to the net in some fashion so that is often my focus in the context of the draft. Backing up my views this season are almost documented 700 performances of data across around 150 players with plenty more video going untracked when I can’t stand to stare at a spreadsheet anymore. I track their defensive involvement, forechecking ability, puck transportation ability, rush defense, and of course their offensive zone data. How the player gets the puck up the ice or stop rushes defensively, how effective they are in that discipline, and how they generate offense are key areas that form the backbone of my analysis. Are they getting pucks to the slot? How? Are they completing passes in that area? Are they driving a strong percentage of their team’s offense? If not, why not? There’s so much nuance to this, and in my view, the tracked data is a reference manual for what I’ve gathered from a player that I can look back on to cut through my own biases and frame my analysis around. Not every poor transition player is super low on my list, not every great one is super high on my list. The video factors in, as well as games and video I’ve seen that didn’t get tracked to get a more bird’s-eye view of a player.

At the end of all of this, my rankings thus end up split into tiers, ordered where I would argue certain players over others for various reasons, but am completely open to players at the end of the tier being options above the ones at the top, despite my reservations. At the tail end, there’s a watchlist of players who I’m not clamoring to draft at a certain point, but who I’ve enjoyed watching and may not have been able to get around to tracking. Guys who I think would be good to keep track of assuming they go undrafted, or ones to get behind should they have a flyer taken on them. I hope all of this helps you understand where I’m coming from and how I get there.

Quick note: LSD/RSD indicates a defender playing on the wrong side relative to their shooting that I’ve gathered in my tracked data. For players I’ve tracked I gather their positions from the performances I see, so some may not line up perfectly with what’s out there, and I think it’s important to note defenders who have been played on the opposite side of their natural shooting direction.

With that out of the way, the list is below with writeups for everyone, so enjoy!

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Tier 1 - Two Key Franchise Pieces

• #1 | Macklin Celebrini | C | Boston University | Apr. Rank (1)

  It’s June. We all know the guy, we all know where he’s going, we all know pretty much everything we need to know. He’s going to San Jose and in all likelihood be a pivotal player in their upcoming generation. A 200-foot impact, highly intelligent player that every team would love to have, Celebrini is going to be a player I’ll be fascinated to see grow into an NHL role with the Sharks. He brings so much to the game that is so valued in the NHL, and has a great mind for the game. Any improvements to his skill, speed, strength and creativity will only elevate his game with such a strong hockey mind to build around.

• #2 | Ivan Demidov | RW | SKA-1946 St. Petersburg | Apr. Rank (2)

  Where Demidov goes in the draft is going to be fascinating. The thought of him setting up Connor Bedard and vice-versa is something that I haven’t felt since I thought the Edmonton Oilers had the chance to pair Connor McDavid with Cole Caufield. Alas, it seems that Demidov may be slipping from here a little bit. Whoever picks him is getting an elite playmaker with hilarious amounts of skill and creativity, and is one of the few players in this draft that I would categorize as a gamebreaker with the puck on his stick. He’ll need to show his capability in the KHL next season but the growth in his game has been remarkable since his last stint there. I have little concern that he’ll sort things out over time. His physical play has improved, his ability to face and solve pressure has improved, and his game has become much more focused offensively. He’s a great asset and whoever gets him should be excited. To me, nobody else is a threat to Macklin Celebrini for the top spot on my board, but #3 comes awfully close in my opinion.

Tier 2 - Where Everything Opens Up

• #3 | Berkly Catton | C | Spokane Chiefs | Apr. Rank (3)

  Berkly Catton is a great exercise in figuring out my philosophy. I value players who elevate others greatly. Players who can move the puck themselves, move the puck to others, find targets, hit them accurately, and finish chances they get from others. Catton checks every one of those boxes in my books. His tracked data is outstanding almost across the board. The only hangup is that he isn’t the most physical centre out there, but he’s so smart with his positioning and such a great support player that surrounding him with players that can fill that gap should give him the space to be Berkly Catton. Brilliant with the puck with his pass lane creation skill and one of the few players I trust to run a line this year as he is, he’ll almost certainly be drafted too late and someone is going to be very happy.

• #4 | Cayden Lindstrom | F | Medicine Hat Tigers | Apr. Rank (4)

  Lindstrom just screams NHL playoff performer. He's big and physical, has great tight area skill for his size, and has a quick release that can catch defenses off guard. There are some issues with processing play and managing the puck as part of a line but the individual skill and talent profile is extremely hard to ignore. It sounds like he'll go early and in my opinion rightfully so, even if he has some work to do. Every prospect does, but if things break right, he could have a heck of a career, and even if they don't, there's a job of some kind somewhere in the lineup he should be able to thrive in.

• #5 | Zeev Buium | D | Univ. of Denver | Apr. Rank (7)

  Zeev Buium has been a favorite of mine since he joined the NTDP program a few years back. The only real hole in his game is that he lacks a certain level of quickness necessary to play an offensive brand like his in the NHL at a high level, and utilizing that quickness to be a more impactful defensive player will be key to NHL success, but outside of that? Yeehaw Hockey at it's finest. He's aggressive, confident, skilled, can shoot, make plays, pinches in the offensive zone, can step up to the half wall and get pucks in front, he just does so much so well offensively. In fact in my tracking work he was taking more chances from scoring areas than he was from the perimeter which for a defenseman is unheard of. He's fun to watch, and any good development program should raise his floor which should elevate the high level areas we already see. I find myself always going back to watch him expecting to move him around a bit but he remains rock solid in my top 10. With the right partner, he could be an absolutely dynamite asset for any team.

• #6 | Teddy Stiga | LW/C | U.S. National U18 Team | Apr. Rank (13)

  Last year I was a huge Gavin Brindley fan, and this year Teddy Stiga fills a similar role in my mind. He's a little bit small, fine, but I guarantee you that if you said that to his face as a concern for his development, he'd prove you wrong. He's all over the ice all the time, a constant end to end presence who supports linemates and can both set plays up and score pucks himself. I realize that 6 is really high, but this is a guy who will rise to any occasion by virtue of how he plays on the ice. Even if he isn't scoring 80 points a season, he's going to be a useful player that is going to be impactful in a variety of ways in any situation. I've seen players like this in the past fall in the draft who I've had ranked high, and I regret not having them ranked higher. For Stiga, I'm going to stick my neck out because every time I've seen him, he's impressed the heck out of me and I can't wait to see where he is in 5-10 years.

• #7 | Tij Iginla | F | Kelowna Rockets | Apr. Rank (10)

  See what I wrote about Stiga? Basically copy+paste for Iginla in a lot of ways. I think he's a slightly less intense player, but a more threatening offensive talent, especially with his shot, and with impressive physical tools on the puck. Iginla steadily improved over the year finishing up with a tremendous U18 Gold Medal winning performance. A lightning quick wrist shot, high end agility and a great sense for using his skill to solve problems, Iginla is a diverse offensive talent that could slot into many different roles on an NHL team. He's a hard working player that is more selfless than his scoring line would indicate, but his ability to make quick cuts, work through pressure and create great scoring chances is undeniable and I would be thrilled to go on stage and call his name pretty early in the draft.

• #8 | Adam Jiříček | D | HC Plzeň | Apr. Rank (6)

  I know, I know. One of my top rated defenders hasn't played in 2024 and had a rough start to the year. Let's all not forget how many times players with strong D-1 years who have tough DY years find their footing again later. In Jiricek's case, while I agree his first few months in Czechia were less than ideal, especially moving the puck and defensively along the boards, I felt he was settling in at the pro level before the World Juniors, and he looked excellent in his games at that tournament before his injury. Is he a sure thing? No, but I've been watching him for a season and a half, and the mobility, defensive positioning, stick and body checking ability in conjunction, and flashes of offensive upside are things you don't find every day. Knee injuries are often not what they used to be and are more manageable, but I would be doing my homework on his case before making him a pick. My hunch is that it isn't something to be terribly scared of. If he hadn't been hurt, his back half playing pro hockey would've taken a turn for the better like many young players who perform at that tournament after they return to their clubs from the World Juniors.

• #9 | Cole Eiserman | LW | U.S. National U18 Team | Apr. Rank (15)

  One of the biggest enigmas in the draft, Cole Eiserman is a player with the benefit of youth on his side, but in my view has a long way to go to be a diverse impact player in the NHL. The scoring ability in the truest sense of the term is extremely high end. He can beat goalies clean with his wrist shot, he has a devastating power play one timer, he can attack the net, tip pucks, there's all kinds of scoring traits there. I believe there's an understated playmaker here too that I would want to nurture and bring out more. He's still crossing the blueline and putting low percentage chances on net too much and I'd love to encourage him to take a few more steps, scan the ice and look for linemates, which I hope is a relatively easy adjustment to make over time. He's got a physical edge that needs to be refined but could be an asset to any NHL team as well. Skills training would also make him a much more interesting rush threat, but being completely reasonable, I see an energetic shooter with some playmaking ability that with time could become a useful offensive NHL winger in a variety of scenarios.

• #10 | Michael Brandsegg-Nygård | F | Mora IK | Apr. Rank (11)

  It will be interesting to see where Michael Brandsegg-Nygård goes from here. He's easily projectable to the NHL with his smart, calculated physical game with quick skating cuts and ability to generate scoring chances in tough, NHL-like grinding scenarios. He's one of those players who doesn't often jump out at you, but a few times throughout the game you're seeing a few nice chances here and there and a few threatening moments getting pucks off the boards quickly. He's not the fastest or most agile guy around, but he applies what he has very well, and has the rare ability to use his backside to fend off players with ease and in some cases toss them to the ice like Eric Cartman sumo wrestling his poor classmates. He may go later than this but there's a solid player here with good upside as a dependable NHLer.

• #11 | Alfons Freij | LSD | Växjö Lakers HC J20 | Apr. Rank (5)

  Alfons Freij comes in around where I had him much earlier in the year. I felt that Freij had a significantly better U18 tournament than his production might indicate, and I can't shake the feeling that thinking a few years out from now, Freij could be an electrifying offensive defenseman in the NHL. He's crafty, shifty, deceptive, finds ways to stitch play together, and has sneaky ways of navigating pressured defensive zone retrievals. He needs to work on his explosiveness and lateral mobility on defensive rushes, but his ability to see the ice in the neutral zone, stick to opposing rushers off the puck and challenge with stick checks or beating them to the puck in the first place is high-end. He has some rough spots, but with patience I only see good things in the future for a player like Freij if you stay patient, calm and motivational.

• #12 | Zayne Parekh | RHD | Saginaw Spirit | Apr. Rank (18)

  Parekh has come up my board quite a bit as his game has steadily improved over the year. I still have concerns about his defensive play when things become very "NHL-like" on defensive rushes and along the boards, but his map of the neutral zone, positioning off the puck and ability to anticipate where play is going has improved in my view. In recent viewings I've actually been more concerned with his puck movement outside of the offensive zone which can be at various points crisp and creative, or reckless. His work in the offensive zone is undeniable, but he has to get there in the first place, and NHL coaches generally don't trust defensemen who have limited intensity and quickness to get involved physically in their own end, and with Parekh, there are still some issues that will need to be overcome. I'm not nearly as skeptical as I was back in December, but as much as he's moved up the board, it's also because I've moved other names down that I just simply haven't enjoyed watching as much as I've enjoyed watching Parekh at his best. The puck movement in the offensive zone, the routes he takes to scoring areas and the playmaking he's connected on are highly impressive and he will be a fascinating player to see in the NHL one day.

• #13 | Artyom Levshunov | RHD | Michigan State Univ. | Apr. Rank (8)

  It looks like Levshunov may be going second overall. To me, that is a huge risk to take considering who else is on the board but hey, what do I know? Levshunov is a mobile, physical defender with a great short area passing game that can hit targets accurately with hard, clean passes, but he remains a big work in progress. He can lose physical battles, get turned around and taken for a walk defensively, have mystifying passing decisions on the rush, and over the course of the season has lost a bit of that cowboy hockey edge he brought at the beginning of the season that to me made him an intriguing brand of defender. I really don't know what he's going to become, but I don't think it'll be worth a top 3 selection in this draft class. If I'm wrong, I'm wrong but I'll be curious to find out why because in both my notes and tracked data, there isn't a ton that stands out as high end with Levshunov at 5v5, and I put a lot of value in 5v5 play at this stage of a career. I can see a solid physical defense-first player here one day though that could play a safe and dependable game with some offensive flair.

• #14 | Sam Dickinson | LHD | London Knights | Apr. Rank (14)

  I don't think there's a player I watched as much this season as Sam Dickinson, at least at the defense position. I still don't know what to think of him. The only thing that comes to mind is that he's at his most impressive wheeling up below his goal line with the puck and bursting up the ice, and dropping a shoulder around the perimeter of the offensive zone to fend off pressure and maintain possession. At 5v5, his offensive creation as a playmaker is underwhelming, but he is often stepping up and taking higher percentage shots than many defensemen. The issues really come from his puck management skills, as he was one of the worst offensive transition passers I've tracked at the high end of the draft with some of the most hair-raising moments in the defensive zone stemming from his attempts to use skill and confidence to get through forecheckers. There's something there, but I didn't see enough defensive intensity in his game for too long this year and I still have a doubts, even 7 months later. I was hugely curious about his game last season and still am this year, but it's draft time and I don't know where I'd be comfortable taking him considering the known talent out there right now. He's skilled and fast with a solid frame but I'm not sure what he becomes at the end of the day.

• #15 | Trevor Connelly | LW | Tri-City Storm | Apr. Rank (9)

  Connelly is another enigma. Completely setting aside his uh, let's just say not-ideal history, I find him to be a bit too individualistic with the puck, trying to do way, way too much on his own, only to put pucks on net from the boards or other low scoring areas, but that may be a result of his not-great team in Tri-City. The skill level and straight line quickness is hard to ignore and he's made some very high end plays, especially outside the USHL. He's a top 10 pure skill player in this draft, and his defensive rush game isn't as bad as you'd expect at all, but there are question marks and to me, so much of the story comes down to your impression of him as a person, those around him, and those who have dealt with him.

• #16 | Anton Silayev | RSD | Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod | Apr. Rank (20)

  This is another player likely going much higher that I feel is a massive risk in that range of the draft. He's tall, tries to play physical, and a mobile skater, but outside of that, he's just... there. His puck movement through his passing is really hit or miss and you rarely see him moving pucks up the ice, rather more simple D to D and offensive zone cycle passes. He falls victim to what I'd call the Giant's Triangle issue of defenders where you're so tall that the gap between your skates and their stick blade can be worked around easily unless they can get to you with their body. Silayev can be beaten and left behind, trying to defend with his arms than his feet staying square to the puck carrier, but I guess you can always fall back on the skating and length combination. He isn't a "bad" hockey player whatsoever, I just feel as though his realistic upside is somewhat limited. If he didn't score over half his production this season in his first six games, I don't think we're penciling him in as a top 5 pick. His play in the MHL playoffs was also good but not spectacular, and thinking back to what I saw of Dmitri Simashev last year, I simply do not see the same level of player here. Could there be in the future? Maybe, but I'm not a huge fan of uncertainty in the highest ranges of the draft. He's a curiosity, a mystery box, and there are a lot of avenues he could go.

Tier 3 - A Small Drop, but Plenty of Fun

• #17 | Jett Luchanko | RW/C | Guelph Storm | Apr. Rank (29)

  The highest riser on my board since my first ranking in December, Jett Luchanko just keeps getting better and better whenever I see him. I can't help but love how he sees the ice, moves the puck, keeps his game simple yet effective, and elevates others. He's the consolation prize to Berkly Catton in my opinion. He's skilled, brilliant with how he applies his skill level, gets to the net and creates in scoring areas. Rarely wasting opportunities, Luchanko is a kid who is also one of the youngest in the draft, and I'm happy to pick him up in the first round. This is a player I wouldn't be shocked taken highly and bet on long-term by an NHL team and if he is, fans should absolutely not be disappointed.

• #18 | Andrew Basha | LW | Medicine Hat Tigers | Apr. Rank (19)

  In terms of pure skill and fun factor, Basha might be top 10 in this draft, but there are admittedly a lot of refinements likely to be necessary if Basha is going to be a high octane offensive talent in the NHL one day. I love the combination of speed and skill though, he tucks the puck close to his body, can change lanes on the fly, hit targets in stride accurately, and run transitions effectively. He can cause turnovers in the offensive zone with his anticipation and stick checking skill, and there's a nice release if he wants to take chances himself. The issue is that his involvement in all of this is very streaky to me. He's easy to knock off of pucks and out of play, which is a tough obstacle to overcome, but if he can gain an elite quickness and footspeed and the skill can keep up, he could be an exciting offensive winger in the NHL that goes too late in the NHL Draft. A few people have asked if I see him in a similar light to Andrew Cristall, and I do see more creativity with Cristall's offensive playmaking, but in terms of practical and projectable skills, I see more in Basha that I like. Quicker on his feet, more straightforward offensive approach, and more dynamic, I feel fewer concerns with Basha but they may go in similar ranges when all is said and done.

• #19 | Beckett Sennecke | LW/C | Oshawa Generals | Apr. Rank (31)

  The Chosen One down the stretch this season, Sennecke has risen meteorically in the last two months. He has had a hell of a second half of the year, and had a very impressive playoff run. I love the plays he tries to make with his skill, getting through defensive layers with well orchestrated combinations of skill, body positioning, and pace. There's a great wrist shot that has been there since what I remember of his AAA days, and lots to love in there. That said, top 10 seems... Hasty and risky to me. His play off the puck is behind his play with it, and I think he's got work to do if he's going to pull off the kinds of plays he pulls in the OHL against NHL talent. He can jump into the neutral zone to pinch for offense with great explosiveness, and I think this is a very good complimentary offensive piece to add that has come a long way this year, but I'm skeptical of just how high some have him. The development case is there, and I'm more than happy to be wrong, I just think there are a lot of players around this range that bring a lot to the game themselves that puts him in the mix rather than a huge standout.

• #20 | Luke Misa | LW/C | Mississauga Steelheads | Apr. Rank (17)

  I'm still on the Luke Misa train after all these months and I'm still confused why so many have jumped off the bus completely. There are holes in Misa's game. He's all speed, but there's skill and pass vision there that makes him extremely intriguing, even if he's a bottom six energy player. I spoke to a scout who asked "what if he's a Ryan McLeod 2.0", and I would say, I wouldn't draft Luke Misa as high as McLeod, but what's wrong with Ryan McLeod? He's the 16th leading scorer in the 2018 Draft class, was a 2nd round pick and has become a great complimentary energy player for the Oilers in their cup run. If I can get that in the third round like people say Misa may go, I don't see how he isn't at the top of your list. The speed is undeniable, his skill on the fly is high end, and he's able to hit teammates in stride extremely well in this class. His tracked data is excellent across the board. Huge offensive threat creation with a balance between passes and shots, strong shot selection, extremely efficient in good offensive transition data, and one of the best puck carriers I've tracked. He generates offensive zone turnovers at a very good rate, but leaves a bit to be desired defensively in transition being beaten with pressure and lacking the lateral quickness to be a factor. Regardless, I think he's a heck of a player with loads of potential, and likely slips much too far in Vegas. He's exactly the kind of player I bet on, and even if he doesn't hit his offensive potential, can play a strong energy role down my lineup and chip in offensively.

• #21 | Michael Hage | C | Chicago Steel | Apr. Rank (25)

  Skill is the name of the game with Michael Hage. He's determined to battle through defensive layers with a great touch for hitting teammates on the rush with his passing, and is another player with great tracked metrics almost across the board. He's makes plays at a high pace, brings strong playmaking in scoring areas as well as a solid wrist shot that he deploys from both close and midrange. His offensive transition game is strong, balancing all transition types well, but my big question mark comes from his skating ability, where he lacks a level of quickness in his first few steps that leaves him behind in the defensive zone and in defensive transitions, leading to less than ideal results in close quarters. The upside is high, but I would be leaving him in college for a while and working on building up a level of speed to combine with the skill and mindset he already brings.

• #22 | Konsta Helenius | C | Jukurit | Apr. Rank (24)

  I remain a bit cooler on Helenius than many after a tepid U18 tournament and a World Championship appearance that left a lot to be desired. He's a bit higher on my board though after doing a deep dive on the players I have in this range, but just falls short of jumping up a tier. Every time Helenius has played outside of Liiga, he looks like a smart member of the crowd, but never truly standing out in my view. I still think there's a strong floor to his game with great smarts positionally, especially on the forecheck, and using his skill and deception to carry the puck effectively. He was involved in transitions going both ways at a strong rate with great efficiency offensively and above average defensive ability. He's a physical player with a brand NHL teams will value, but I wonder how much he'll be able to impact the game offensively in the NHL with a lower pace, more off-puck centric style of play. It'll be an interesting case to follow for my own purposes in the years to come, but I think Helenius becomes a solid, dependable NHL centre but nothing like what many were claiming for months. We'll see, but I've always felt that he was smarter and more physical than his Liiga competition, and leaving Finland has been a bit of a challenge for him thus far.

• #23 | Igor Chernyshov | LW | Dynamo Moscow | Apr. Rank (16)

  One of the first players I tracked this year, Igor Chernyshov spent the majority of his year with Dynamo Moscow's KHL program and playing somewhat solid minutes in most games. The bulk of my viewings were at that level, largely because he didn't look out of place there at all. Sure a quick Google search might show that he put four points on the board this year, but this is a player with strong fundamentals that should get better as his skating ability improves. He started to figure out a strong positional game as the year wore on and became a pretty impactful 200 foot player at a high level of hockey. He landed solid scoring chances in every KHL game I tracked and brought good dual threat metrics in the MHL. He's big but carries a strong skill level that he combines with his frame to protect pucks well, and off the puck he finds ways to make himself a target. My tracked data on him implies there's a breakthrough incoming with strong transition involvement with solid efficiency, and an offensive threat that puts him pretty high in my history of tracking KHL players. His shot selection is also strong, with very limited volumes from the perimeter and always finding ways to battle to scoring areas. He isn't the most exciting player, but he's effective with diverse talents and I could see him slotting into a number of complimentary offensive roles in the NHL one day.

• #24 | Liam Greentree | RW | Windsor Spitfires | Apr. Rank (12)

  Another player where I have absolutely no clue what to do with. I thought Greentree looked like one of the most fascinating players in the draft before the new year with pretty much everything except skating ability coming out at an extremely projectable level. Dealing with physical pressure, evading forecheckers, generating offense under pressure, all traits you desperately need in the NHL, Greentree has. He's got a good frame to work with, and he just kept generating more and more and more offense on a Windsor team that simply did not have much to work with. As time wore on, I'm not sure exactly what happened and I'd be curious to ask him about it, and I'm hesitant to speculate, but it felt like Greentree was just worn out. There were and are huge issues with his pace of place and skating ability if he's ever going to be a puck possession player in the NHL in transition, but everything else seemed slower. Reading the ice, executing plays, making shooting decisions, all the offensive data took a slide and he looked like a different player. At the U18s, he fell all the way down the lineup and was basically not a factor for the team at the end of the tournament playing the least minutes of anyone in the gold medal game. All is not lost though as through it all there is a highly efficient offensive player with those projectable NHL traits and I could see huge growth in his game in the coming years. He just has weaknesses in some areas that are serious needs in the NHL that to myself and many others need a lot of work, and adapting his game around those improvements is going to be interesting to see. I'm still optimistic which keeps him in this tier, but he's had a strange season and remains a tough nut to crack.

• #25 | Linus Eriksson | C | Djurgårdens IF | Apr. Rank (26)

  In my view, one of the most improved players over the season, I had written off Eriksson back in November after a few games in J20 Nationell, but it wasn't long before he was a mainstay for Djurgården at the HockeyAllsvenskan level, and simply gained more and more confidence and with it more ice time. He was a #1 centre in their playoff run as they fell just short of promotion back to the SHL. He didn't look out of place in that role at all and is a great study of what a rock solid hockey player looks like. He's gained a level of speed in transition that he didn't seem to show much, but the smarts he has around his feet are high end and help elevate others on the ice. There's a physical presence with Eriksson and his offensive efficiency through making himself a target, settling pucks and keeping play moving are high end. The offensive side of the game needs development, especially with his pass vision and threatening playmaking but he has an underrated shot from mid-range and can crash the net well. He captained the Swedish U18 team and you can tell why, as he's a clearly selfless leader that distributes the puck well and plays a style that teammates want to get behind. He may not have first round talent right now in a few areas, but you have the luxury of parking this player on what will be a talented, young pro hockey team in Sweden battling for a spot in the SHL next season, and probably the season after, and in my view he'll only get better from here. He's become a personal favorite that doesn't really leap out at you, but I get the feeling coaches and students of the game will appreciate his game greatly as will his future linemates.

• #26 | Dominik Badinka | RHD | Malmö Redhawks | Apr. Rank (21)

  Another player who grew on me immensely as the year went on, even if he isn't as high as he was in April. That is moreso due to this area of the draft being razor thin with players who all bring similar all-around levels that could play decent roles in an NHL organization one day. Badinka has been on my radar since playing with Jokerit last year in Finland, and this year he sprouted in height a bit it seems, and really improved the raw speed he can generate. He landed on Malmö's pro team after a great start with the junior team and never looked back. Earning a solid middle pair role and gaining more and more comfort as time went on. He's fast, lanky, plays hard, is efficient in transition going both directions, and largely keeps his game simple and effective. Clean, smart breakout passes, quick thinking before his shot attempts to create a lane, and an underrated puck carrying ability to go with it. This is a player whose career could go a number of different directions for an NHL club, with flashes of offence that stick out, but plenty of strong defensive traits stemming from a higher pace of play that I personally love to see in young players. He'll also have the luxury of more seasons playing with Malmö's men's team and I would expect him to be a serious player for them sooner than later.

• #27 | Nikita Artamonov | LW | Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod | Apr. Rank (23)

  Nikita Artamonov might be one of the most fascinating players to keep track of in the coming years. He had a tremendously productive season for a draft eligible in the KHL, but many have him nowhere close to the first round, if ranked at all, so why? Honestly leaving him unranked is questionable, but this is a hard-working player with great energy in his game and great supportive pass work outside of the offensive zone. My tracked data on Artamonov is quite good everywhere except in the offensive zone, strangely enough with massive offensive transition volumes with good efficiency, making himself a pass target with good positioning and a quick jump into empty space. His shots often come from the perimeter, his rate of shot assists is negligible, he can get erased along the boards even if he's a battler in those situations, and really needs to settle his play down a bit at times to open space and create more offense. At the end of the day, I could see a good penalty killing forward that could compliment other more skilled forwards well, and if he's a second round pick, you could do much worse.

• #28 | Stian Solberg | LHD | Vålerenga | Apr. Rank (30)

  Well it's the flavor of the week as Stian Solberg comes in slightly higher at 27. He had a pretty strong World Championship performance, showcasing his physical and intense style of play to many and has clearly enamored quite a few evaluators all of a sudden. To me, this is still the player I've seen since December/January. A brutal, punishing physical player with mobility and a quick wrist shot but some hockey sense and pass selection issues that may need to be managed. I've heard Radko Gudas about this guy and to me that's a great comparison. How much do you value a great teammate who plays with anger, confidence and swagger that doesn't really take over the ice in every aspect of the game? I can see some teams jumping on a player like that early I guess, but I wouldn't do it. First round pick of some kind? That I could easily get behind, especially when all you hear about him as a person is just how unique and enjoyable a personality he has off the ice. He's a ton of fun to watch, even if his shot differentials on the ice were awful in my tracking. I would put that more on his linemates as that deficiency largely came from their offensive deficiencies, and he was a major factor in whatever offense they did generate, taking 36% of the shot attempts they took while on the ice. Of course he was the most physical player I tracked which carries NHL value too. A player I adore, but not "Draft him 10th overall" adore. Is there a team out there that does? Maybe!

• #29 | Emil Hemming | RW | TPS | Apr. Rank (37)

  I go back and forth on Hemming all the time. As he is now, I don't see an NHL player. In isolated moments? I could easily see a skilled power winger you could stick in your lineup, and maybe as a shot threat on the wings of a secondary power play. He's silky for a lanky kid, with strong pace in his game, and nothing in his game sticks out as bad in my tracking, but nothing really sticks out that would put him extremely high on my board. There's a great wrist shot to rely on, and he's a player that can step into opponents well, generating turnovers quite a few times. He's a very capable puck carrier with good protection skill and vision of rushing lanes to sneak through, but I just haven't seen that enough to really rely on him every shift. All in all he's a solid supportive winger who could do a variety of things just fine, and I could see him become a great player in Liiga in relatively short order with what he already brings. Looking back in a decade, he could be one of the more undervalued players in the draft, or he could just be a guy who nobody really minds but fits into a number of jobs in the NHL. Time will tell.

• #30 | Lucas Pettersson | C | MoDo Hockey J20 | Apr. Rank (34)

  Speaking of tough nuts to crack, Lucas Pettersson. Similar to Trevor Connelly, in terms of pure skill level, he may be a tier higher than this group. Going into this season I had him very high, but after a few games he just kept dropping and dropping. He has the raw talent to be in this tier, and I will admit that the last couple games I saw and tracked were significantly better than those before. The tracked data isn't bad at all, with very solid but not otherworldly dangerous playmaking and shot assist rates, and a very strong set of offensive transition data. When he applies himself, he's a solid offensive playmaking centre with great puck carrying ability and a balanced offensive transition game that doesn't put him in any single lane. The issue is projecting his game to the NHL and not just to being a good SHL forward one day. The pace of his game and physical resilience are question marks that are tough to get over right now. His scoring ability also lacks gusto at 5v5, and leans into playmaking extremely heavily. Part of me thinks he could slip in the draft due to his inconsistency and may slip too far because he still deserves a supportive environment to try to get the best out of him more often.

Tier 4 - Solid Roleplayers and Curiousities

• #31 | Herman Träff | F | HV71 | Apr. Rank (38)

  Another player I've been a fan of for two seasons, Träff bounced around the Swedish hockey world a bit which for me is a delight any time it happens. He looked somewhat slow, plodding and individualistic in J20 but still showcased a great combination of size, skill, power and shot quality that is always intriguing. At the SHL level, he turned into a forechecking nightmare for opponents, showcasing a much more NHL-like game that was more boards centric, heavy, and found ways to chip in offensively in tough areas. In HockeyAllsvenskan, he combined both of these and looked more than comfortable powering up the ice with strong puck possession and determination with a physical edge. I'm not sure there's much more than a bottom six player here but a spot in the middle of the ice on the power play feels possible with his wrist shot and big body that he can deploy well in conjunction. Would I run a line through him? Probably not, but could he play in my bottom six? Absolutely.

• #32 | Topias Hynninen | LW/C | Jukurit | Apr. Rank (28)

  I am remaining on this wagon as one of about four human beings with this guy in the top 50, let alone the first round, and one of those four is my co-host who can't take credit. All eyes are on Konsta Helenius but just go watch this guy for a bit and forget that he's 5'10" for a moment. He just does so many things well that you don't see a ton of in Finland. He's a high energy, high pace player who thinks quickly, has a high end wrist and slap shot I'm desperate to see more of in Liiga, a high end forechecker with a physical side to him, and a level of finesse in transition I'm always drawn to. He's one of the most involved defensive transition forwards in my dataset, playing in a men's league. Even if you see him internationally, a quick Google search puts him at over a point a game at a recent U19 tournament for Finland and appearances on the U20 team through the year. Frankly I'm surprised he wasn't an addition to the World Junior team, but more secrecy for me I suppose. Sure, you can dismiss him by seeing that he's 5'10", but I think that's hasty and an error. Similar to Teddy Stiga, he plays a style of play where he will hear that criticism and make you regret it. He's energetic, highly involved in play, has shown extremely well consistency outside of Liiga this year, and shows very strong flashes at the highest level of Finnish men's hockey.

• #33 | Ollie Josephson | C | Red Deer Rebels | Apr. Rank (36)

  I am pretty sure I have Ollie Josephson too high on my board, but I just love his game so much and his tracked data I've gathered is so strong. I feel as though he's a great breakout candidate in the WHL in the coming years with the pure speed and intensity in his game. He very much reminds me of a bit of a less skilled Brad Lambert, with high end offensive transition ability, underrated defensive contributions, and a selfless attitude that often goes unrewarded. He doesn't waste his shooting opportunities, he generates strong rates of shot assists, they're just often from the perimeter, and is tremendously efficient offensively and defensively in transition. He's a high end puck carrier that doesn't carry the puck much. He's got great stick checking results and wins races to loose pucks far more often than not. He anticipates breakouts well and is rarely out of a good spot. He brings strong rates of both hits and offensive turnover generation. Josephson is a great example of "you're almost there" to me that reminds me a little of my feelings regarding Marat Khusnutdinov in 2020. Not the biggest player, but plays a brand that should slot into an NHL bottom six very well in the future, even if the offense never really develops. There's so much I could gush about with Josephson, and in terms of downside, he does get pushed out of play a little more than you'd like, he's not the most skilled or creative player, but the pure energy in his game might be enough to make up for it at higher levels.

• #34 | Daniil Ustinkov | LHD | ZSC Lions | Apr. Rank (32)

  The name of the game is potential with Ustinkov. First off, the National League is probably the fastest and most skilled hockey league in Europe, and Ustinkov has spent most of the season in a depth role for one of the premier organizations in the league. Zurich doesn't often elevate young players right to the NL, and Ustinkov is less than a month from 2025 NHL Draft eligibility. Yet he was a major role player for the Swiss junior program this year and while he had some mixed results, I saw a significantly more interesting player playing at the highest levels. In terms of downside, his close quarters defending and physical strength need work. Outside of that, I would adore to have the ability to keep in touch and work/develop him into a premier 200 foot defender that can chip in anywhere on the ice. The skating is high end, the skill level is strong, the shiftiness and deception you love to see in offensive leaning players is there, but I find he's often not doing enough with it. At the Swiss League level he felt much more daring and confident and to me it suited him. It took him almost three full games of tracked data in low usage to miss a pass. I wouldn't note such a thing if that were common. He knows how to protect the puck, find linemates and keep things moving. He allowed control on just 17% of defensive entries he was involved in largely with exceptional positioning through his footwork and mobility. Sure he's dropped on my board a bit but that's largely due to him being more one of the pack in this range rather than getting worse, but his international performances also showed me sides of his game that I felt needed some work. That said I'm surprised he isn't getting more attention because I think his details are often great, especially with the puck on his stick and there are flashes of offense that I'd want to nurture a bit as he gains more and more of a role in a great European league in Switzerland.

• #35 | Carter Yakemchuk | RHD | Calgary Hitmen | Apr. Rank (39)

  Carter Yakemchuk might be the defenseman I've sat down and watched the most out of almost anyone. He'll go way higher than this, and I realize that I have him "too low" so save your tweets. I know there's skill there. I know that he can shoot the puck. I am aware of how he generates offense, but the details of his game that actually get the puck into offensive situations are a massive work in progress and that's a major issue to me, especially when we're talking about someone people believe is one of the best defensemen in the entire draft. His actual ability to defend outside of cross-checks in front and trying to erase players along the boards from distance is not there enough, as he bleeds defensive entries and dangerous scoring chances against going for the body and not the puck. The mobility in transition needs work, defensive transition involvement is very low, and while I think he's a very talented puck carrier when barreling forward in a straight line, his passing in transition leaves a lot to be desired far too often. Panic passing, not seeing options in the neutral zone, dangerous decisions in the defensive zone, there are just a lot of issues that other players haven't displayed. The skill level in the offensive zone is unlike many defenders in this draft, but I wonder about the pace at which he's able to stitch offensive plays together and wonder what he'll be in the NHL. As I write this, the Edmonton Oilers are in the Stanley Cup Final, and there are some echoes here to another big, offensive defenseman in junior drafted in the top 15 that has had his fair share of ups and downs in the NHL in Cody Ceci. He can shoot the puck better, but the overall vibe is a bit of an echo to me from what I remember of Ceci over the years. Maybe I'm wrong as heck on this guy and if I am, I'll reflect. I've just seen so, so much and remain very questioning of his placement as a top 15 player.

• #36 | Clarke Caswell | C/LW | Swift Current Broncos | Apr. Rank (46)

  I adore Clarke Caswell's game. He's so, so smart with how he times almost every move he makes on the ice. Finding open ice off the puck, creating open ice with it in every zone of the ice, reading breakouts and stopping defensive zone cycles, it's just wonderful to watch. Pretty much across the board, Caswell absolutely pins my tracked data. Ivan Demidov put together an offensive threat rating of 47 which is ridiculous, but Clarke Caswell was 2nd with 42, which is also ridiculous. 30 is considered high end. Caswell almost gets to 30 through his slot pass attempts alone. These attempts were completed 28% of the time, but there is so much to like with Caswell that revolves around his hockey sense on both sides of the puck. He absolutely needs to work on the skating as many have pointed out but I don't think it's that big of an issue, and the data indicates that if he improves there, he could be an elite player considering how good his output is already. He's over 80% efficiency in transition offensively with insanely strong passing results there combining skill and smarts to find targets and nail tape to tape passes almost every time. I think he's a project, but one that I would happily take.

• #37 | Yegor Surin | C/RW | Loko Yaroslavl | Apr. Rank (63)

  Surin took a while to grow on me this season but the last few games I caught were quite impressive. I'm not sure he's a player that has massive NHL upside but he certainly has the skill level and shot quality to be a threat in the offensive zone. He's stronger than you'd think under pressure, using his body and hands to fight through traffic, but the real value in my dataset comes from his offensive transitions. He juggles all types in massive volumes, almost 50% of Loko's with him on the ice, and while he isn't a true standout with his passing or pass receptions, his puck carrying is great and everything as a whole is very strong. He's also highly involved defensively outside of checking, with very good results in that area as well. He is a physical player along the boards however, causing turnovers at both ends often and driving a strong dataset overall. I could see him going higher than where I have him ranked and I wouldn't be against it, but Surin has shown a lot more the more I've seen him and I think there could be a good middle six player here who can fill a number of roles with a bit of offensive pop.

• #38 | Cole Beaudoin | C | Barrie Colts | Apr. Rank (41)

  I've heard people absolutely rave about him and I can see why, I'm just not on that train nearly as much. He'll likely be an NHL player with his hard-nosed northbound physical game, and I imagine NHL teams are enamored with his willingness to get his hands dirty and be a good teammate that stands up for his peers. That said, his actual game is a little bit too straightforward and simplistic that might be a bit too easy to counter if I'm an NHL pro scouting team. Get the puck, skate it up the ice yourself skating as hard as you can through any and all traffic, put it into the middle of the ice. This isn't obviously always the case, but this is often what's going on with Beaudoin on the ice. It could and should work in the NHL, and I may very well be undervaluing him a bit, but this is a very tight area of the draft and I wouldn't be against adding him to my stable earlier than this if I've already got plenty of skill to work with. Beaudoin doesn't bring everything to the table, but he brings a ton of what he does. High slot pass volumes, high puck carrying volumes, perfect puck carrying efficiency, and a physical edge everyone wants these days.

• #39 | Sacha Boisvert | C | Muskegon Lumberjacks | Apr. Rank (40)

  Boisvert is another player with some very impressive talent in isolated moments but rarely seeing his capabilities often enough to project him to the NHL. I'm a bit surprised to see him so high on some boards but I will admit he's got a mobile and fluid skating stride that he combines with a strong wrist shot that can beat goalies at the USHL level. He's one of the least involved forwards in transition going either directions in my data, often deferring to others and waiting for play to come to him. He does generate balanced offense through slot passing and mid-range shooting, and generated over half of Muskegon's shot attempts with him on the ice, but I still wonder what he's going to be at higher levels. The pace of the game is going to increase and if he wants to play centre, his responsibility is going to get heavier than it is. Luckily, he's a good physical presence as well, and could easily profile as a good complimentary offensive winger in the future. The skill level and puck protection ability needs to improve, and with all the ups and downs and lack of involvement, Boisvert finds him on the fringes of my first round, even if the upside is there.

• #40 | Tomas Galvas | LHD | Bílí Tygři Liberec | Apr. Rank (22)

  Tomas Galvas is just a hoot to watch. Team Scouching doesn't pick after 23rd overall until 121st and Galvas may very well be there at that second pick. He's 5'10" which works against him, and he looks like he's about 140 pounds soaking wet, and plays like it, but boy is this a talented hockey player that could become quite the offensive quarterback projecting out 5-10 years. He's dynamic, shifty, has great edges to find creative ways through traffic, and carries strong pass vision leading to good completion rates in all areas of the ice. Stepping up from the offensive blueline, he can make some high end plays with his skill and determination, often choosing to not simply pepper the net with attempts from the perimeter. The guy is just fun to watch, and sure he's a longshot, but he does so many high end offensive things at the Czech pro level that the stronger and more mobile he gets, the better he'll get.

• #41 | Ryder Ritchie | RW | Prince Albert Raiders | Apr. Rank (48)

  It's been two years and I still don't know what Ryder Ritchie is. Part of me thinks this is a great WHL scorer down the road with better linemates with him, but another part of me wonders if he's always going to be a lower pace, highly intelligent player who simply manages to make things work offensively that may lack some of that jam and grit you'd like out of your wingers. Across the board, everything is perfectly fine. Slot passing, shot selection, transition volumes and efficiencies, raw pass volumes, there just isn't much that really stands out on paper as a good thing or a bad thing. His defensive metrics for me aren't promising, but in my view that's not his job. He's a great positional thinker, finding space and corralling pucks effectively, making smart plays into good areas of the ice, and driving a large part of Prince Albert's offence with him on the ice. If you value smarts and think you can inject some pace and oomph into a player's game, Ritchie goes higher than this. I just have always been somewhat doubtful of that area developing as much as it needs to, and while Ritchie is at his highest point in the year, I still have doubts that keep him from being as high on my board as others.

• #42 | Marek Vanacker | LW | Brantford Bulldogs | Apr. Rank (42)

  Marek Vanacker reminds me of that scene in The Simpsons with Marge Simpson trying to get Bart to bring a potato to school for show and tell. "I just think they're neat", but in a very good way. I don't think Vanacker is a super high end prospect, but there's really nothing wrong with him either. He's got size, he's resilient, times his passes very well and just kept putting great results on the board every game I saw with Brantford. He protects the puck well, gets to scoring areas often, can chain playmaking attempts together from the boards, and was one of the highest volume offensive transition players in the games I've tracked. He catches pucks on the fly with ease, has a projectable style of play, and very little in troubling weaknesses that others in this tier may carry. I'm still not sure exactly what he is in the NHL outside of a complimentary physical forward, but he's one I could be convinced to take higher similar to Cole Beaudoin if my stable already is full of skill and requires a bit of talented beef.

• #43 | Noel Fransén | LHD | Bílí Tygři Liberec | Apr. Rank (33)

  It finally has come to pass that Noel Fransén is getting some attention. Just as that has happened, he's slipped down my board somewhat in the last month. His defensive game in transition is involved but often ineffective, being beaten my faster and more physical players unless he can be directly in front of play or already in forwards motion on his way to the boards to challenge puck carriers with a stick check. That said, the rest of the picture is very, very strong. Solid pass volumes with great completion, extremely high transition involvement in both directions with strong offensive efficiency, and a great ability to pass pucks through the neutral zone. Folks might look at his point totals as an indicator of some kind of elite shooting ability, but while his shot is quite a strong point of his game displaying it with a bomb resulting in his first SHL goal in his first SHL game, but Fransén combines multiple offensive traits together to be a confident and diverse contributor. Pinching up from the blueline to make plays below the goal line, cutting into scoring areas himself, dragging pucks to mask intent and look cross-ice, and using his edges to navigate around defenders well. Even with the issues that others have rightfully pointed out, Fransén ended with very good defensive results in his own end with low rates of dangerous shots against and decent cycle breaking ability. He's likely an interesting swing in the middle rounds more than anything but there's potential for him, especially without looking out of place in his limited SHL time.

• #44 | John Mustard | LW | Waterloo Black Hawks | Apr. Rank (27)

  Ah John Mustard. I have to say that I'm more optimistic about his game than I was a month ago after a few more viewings of him and others simply knocked him down the priority list and became more of a mystery box player that I might swing on after the first couple rounds. I did see a couple games that showcased a much more refined player than what I usually see, but Mustard is often a frustrating player in the same way Kent Johnson was frustrating for me. The capability to be truly special is there, but he just hasn't quite gotten there yet. In his favour, he's a USHL rookie that is a month away from 2025 Draft eligibility that nearly got to 30 goals with his excellent wrist shot and ability to get to the net. That said, his ability to distribute the puck is very, very mixed and his vision of the ice is a big question mark that limits his impact on the ice. He's a real speedster but he never really does much with it off the puck. When he does get moving though, he can absolutely fly, and let shots go in full stride and certainly has individual traits that would put him much higher on my list as my previous rankings would indicate. I do think there's a world where he goes to the NCAA, gets more and more comfortable over the years, maybe even starts playing more centre which I believe he could, becoming an interesting 3rd line speedyboy with an offensive punch, but his game will have to evolve from where it is now in order to get there.

• #45 | Cole Hutson | LHD | U.S. National U18 Team | Apr. Rank (52)

  Cole Hutson is one of many NTDP players who felt more and more comfortable and projectable as time wore on this year. Hutson was one of the most impressive puck carriers and offensive creators at the U18s for the Americans, with shifty skill, lane juggling at full stride, and pushing deep in the offensive zone to create for linemates. There are still rough patches in his game that could make or break his NHL potential, especially under close pressure on defensive rushes, and opponents can still power straight through him when barreling to the net, but there's more to like than you'd think with Cole Hutson. If I'm being honest, there are moments where I think that Cole's northbound skating and crossovers are more projectable to the NHL than Lane, who relies on trickery, skill and body fakes to generate space for himself. With time, there could be an interesting player here, especially if he is available as late as some are portraying him to go. He's a bet I'd be happy to make in the mid rounds and my read on him is much more positive than it was all the way back in 2023.

• #46 | Luke Osburn | LHD | Youngstown Phantoms | Apr. Rank (53)

  At long last we end up with Luke Osburn at 46. This is much, much higher than others have him, but I'm a huge believer in this guy. I get the feeling he's taller than he's listed, still quite lanky and very young for this draft class. He went from AAA hockey last year to USHL spare defenseman, to top four with a strong Youngstown squad at times touching the top pair, and he earned the chance to say the least. His awareness of the ice is largely great, especially defensively on the rush, stopping breakout after breakout across both lines with calm, patient and intelligent gap management and quick thinking to pass pucks up the ice again. In fact he has some of the stronger completion metrics on his passing for defenders that I've tracked this year. There are some poor moments with the puck in terms of completions, but the ideas he spots are largely good ones. He absolutely needs to get stronger, especially in front of the net as he can get outworked and outmuscled, but there's so much potential. The footwork along the blueline and wrist shot is understated, but he needs to become a better distributor in the offensive zone to unlock the offense that seems to bubble under the surface. Regardless, he brings so much to the table, and I feel as though he'll only get better as the years go by, and a smart, patient team will be greatly rewarded for their foresight with Osburn.

• #47 | Tanner Howe | LW/C | Regina Pats | Apr. Rank (57)

  Another player yet again who is a tough read for me. He's got skill, he's competitive, but often detached from play, especially defensively, but in the offensive zone the talent is undeniable. His slot passing rates are strong, and he creates or takes 48% of Regina's shot attempts while on the ice. There aren't great rates of shot attempts from high danger areas, but he's a talented mid-range shooter with good pre-shot skill who can put the puck in the net here and there. There's a physical element to his game, and I could see a solid complimentary player supporting more pace-y puck controllers with some offensive pop in the NHL one day, it's just a matter of how much value you believe he'll bring in that role.

• #48 | EJ Emery | U.S. National U18 Team | EV Zug | Apr. Rank (NR)

  EJ Emery was another player who really showed what he can do in the U18s for the Americans. He's been unranked for me because his results in a number of areas in my work has been less than ideal. He can be taken for a walk laterally, lose physical battles to smaller, more determined players, and his ability to pass the puck is spooky too often. That said, the skating ability and athletic tools are hard to deny, and the more I talk to others, the more I'm convinced that he at least deserves recognition in a tier that could touch the first round. I could see an effective defensive player down an NHL lineup that could offset a better puck mover or offensive defenseman, but he'll need time to get there in my opinion. Part of the scouting game comes down to how you think they'll develop, and while Emery is already quite the athletic individual, there's a clear off-ice intent to improve and awareness of his issues that teams may find highly valuable. He probably goes before I'd take him, but I see much more of the appeal now, especially after a solid U18 showcasing more puck carrying ability and raw mobility that I don't remember seeing nearly as much of beforehand.

• #49 | Kieron Walton | C | Sudbury Wolves | Apr. Rank (WL)

  This may surprise people but holy smokes did this guy get better as the year went on. I was very, very intrigued by Walton after a strong start to the season, spotting him while tracking Nathan Villeneuve. If we're talking about players with potential for the future, I am honestly very surprised we're not hearing more about him. 6'5", a lanky 200 pounds, really skilled for a big boy, and a lightning quick wrist shot that, while streaky in terms of goal scoring and volume, is impressive when it comes out. He lacks quickness which, I mean look at him, he's huge, so it's forgivable, but compared to the other giant forwards out there this year, Walton is the one that piques my curiosity the most. He can pull pucks into open lanes, drives efficient transition data with a good ability to settle pucks and find space, and with time, there could be a very interesting skilled big boy here for someone willing to take a chance in the mid-rounds.

• #50 | Sam O'Reilly | C | London Knights | Apr. Rank (NR)

  Sam O'Reilly is a good example of a strong meat and potatoes hockey player similar to guys like Vanacker and Beaudoin. He's physical, determined, a battler, and has some moments of scoring skill that are impressive when you see them. I do have concerns about how he'll play his brand in the NHL, but if he gains strength and improves his sense of body positioning a bit, I could see a good checking forward here, and I feel like he'll find his way into the bottom of an NHL lineup somehow. I go back and forth on him every time I see him but watching him in the playoffs and in the Memorial Cup, there is absolutely a projectable floor there that I was undervaluing a bit.

• #51 | Aron Kiviharju | LHD | HIFK Helsinki | Apr. Rank (55)

  I've been a bit of a Kiviharju skeptic going into this season but it doesn't take long to see why he was such a productive player at lower levels. His vision, patience and accuracy with his passing is remarkable. He locks onto targets and executes his plays so quickly and you just have to respect how he sees the ice and distributes the puck. His limited time in Liiga to start the year exposed a lot of defensive issues, and how easy it can be to forecheck him and pin him in dangerous space, but at the U18s you saw a player with a bit more breathing room and saw more of what makes him special. If he can become an extremely high end skater with great quickness and agility, the defensive concerns could be alleviated and he could project as an interesting offensive NHL defenseman, but I believe there's a ways to go for that. I want to believe, I've loved the high end stuff I've seen of him, and he likely gets drafted a bit too late, but he's a very interesting player and his story from here will be one to watch.

• #52 | Nathan Villeneuve | C | Sudbury Wolves | Apr. Rank (44)

  In my view, Nathan Villeneuve is one of the more undervalued players out there. The former first overall selection in the OHL Priority Draft brings such an interesting combination of physical play, high pace playmaking and skill that shows tons of promise and likely requires guidance more than talent development to improve upon. He's aggressive, with great rates of hits and offensive zone turnover generation, gets good body positioning on and off the puck, and can make plays quickly in scoring areas. The only real criticism I have of his game is that he's such a tenacious and aggressive player, but it simply hasn't translated to individual scoring chances much at all. A highly efficient offensive transition quarterback with great skill to move pucks into open space and vision to spot linemates, Villeneuve checks so many boxes and doesn't check so few that I'm surprised he's so low on so many boards. He creates over 50% of Sudbury's offense while on the ice, largely through his passing and shot assists, but he has a shot that could certainly threaten goaltenders that he just doesn't use enough. It's hard to imagine him not becoming some kind of NHL player in a lineup somewhere. Bottom six, physical energy presence? Sure, but I could see more in his future if he gets a bit quicker and more determined to push more play into scoring areas than he does.

• #53 | Kamil Bednarik | C | U.S. National U18 Team | Apr. Rank (57)

  Bednarik is a highly skilled and evasive forward who can catch your eye at times with some high pace play, and he's always just been a very pleasant player to watch. I'm not sure his talent level is quite enough to break into an NHL Top 6, and I don't believe that he has the physical tools to regress to a bottom six player, but there's upside here. With a few strong developmental years in the NCAA in a great program at Boston University, he could blossom into a talented skilled centre in the future.

Tier 5 - Everyone Else

• #54 | Brodie Ziemer | RW | U.S. National U18 Team | Apr. Rank (73)

  Another player who brings a high end mind for the game, Brodie Ziemer grew on me as the season wore on. He played the Gabe Perreault role often, being a bit of a lower pace, but highly creative and intelligent puck mover. For stretches he may be stuck away from play with a lack of involvement, but there's such an impressive map of the ice, and ability to push play up the sheet with great timing and vision through traffic. I'm not sure there's a ton of upside with Ziemer, but he's a player that has enough pace and smarts to play with more capable players, and relative to similar players like Terik Parascak who is unranked on my board, I think he brings a more projectable style of play and talent floor that gives me more confidence that we'll see Ziemer playing some kind of complimentary role in the NHL.

• #55 | Jiří Ticháček | LHD | Rytíři Kladno | Apr. Rank (47)

  It's Jiří Ticháček. He had a huge year. He was in the national team camp before the World Championship and unfortunately didn't make the cut, but without him, it's hard to imagine Kladno staying in the top division of Czech hockey. He's being deployed in more offensive scenarios than previous years, and he's still the highly mobile, electrifying player with a wicked slap shot he uses often from the point. There still is very little momentum about him, but I don't care. I still think he's a guy who can buck the trend of undersized defensemen, and if he goes undrafted again, he's a guy I'm all over for a camp invite and building a relationship that leads to an ELC once his time in Kladno is complete.

• #56 | Matvei Shuravin | LHD/RSD | CSKA Moskva | Apr. Rank (66)

  Matvei Shuravin has been all over my list all season long, at one point being completely off my list until recently, but there's something there with this guy, I just am not sure it's a high end defensive asset as he is now. He seemed outmatched with the pace and physicality of the KHL without keeping his game as simple as possible, and he had his fair share of shaky moments corralling pucks and starting breakouts in his own end at every level. That said, this is a mobile defender with great timing on his stick checks when play is coming his way. There are flashes of deception and skill with the puck as well that open ice and create options for himself, and he's a player that remains active in play going both directions. The passing results in transition are poor, however as he can put pucks in the wrong hands and look off options only to send play to opponents elsewhere. Shuravin is a weird one to project, but as a defensive-minded player that might end up down an NHL lineup, I could see something there. Similar to Henry Mews, when considering leaving him unranked, I simply felt that I had other defenders ranked with no more or less potential than Shuravin, but for different reasons from Mews. There's a potentially stable player who may be able push play a bit better than he does with time, and you can bring him along as slowly as you like in Russia.

• #57 | Jesse Pulkkinen | LHD | JYP Jyväskylä | Apr. Rank (WL)

  Hoooooooo boy here's Jesse Pulkkinen. The more I watch him this year, the more I shrug my shoulders and think "you know what, screw it." He's huge with some good skill to go with it, a ridiculous amount of confidence, and some really, really rough moments. He has some really smart and impressive moments with regards to his physical defensive play, using his reach effectively, and quick thinking to pass pucks and move play up the ice. I'm not sure what he is at the NHL level, but he's some kind of hockey player in some way that has his share of highs and lows. Some of the creative, deceptive moments I've seen out of Pulkkinen, especially at the junior level are hilarious and unique, and if he can capture more offensive zone confidence and quickness in Liiga, he could be a very curious case that might have a bit more of a fast track to the NHL in this class considering his age.

• #58 | Veeti Väisänen | RSD | KooKoo | Apr. Rank (55)

  I've gone back and forth with Veeti Vaisanen over the year, and a solid U18 performance only solidified my opinion of him being "huh, he's neat". A really talented and mobile skater, quickly cutting and changing directions, creating new angles and space in many areas of the ice. He generates a significant part of KooKoo's offense, albeit through perimeter shot volume, but there are some shot assists he can generate through his skill and feet. The constant concern is that if there's enough to overcome his size disadvantage to be a difference-maker in the NHL. There's a lot of good, but not great in his game, and to play his brand in the NHL at his size, things have to be great. There are physical moments with him that I noted on many occasions so it isn't like this is a soft player, and the stick checking data is strong, but again, the question is if it's enough to get to the promised land. He should get drafted, and he'll probably go too late. He's fun to watch and brings good raw talent that could grow him into some kind of mobile NHL defenseman.

• #59 | Julius Miettinen | C | Everett Silvertips | Apr. Rank (53)

  I imagine Miettinen will go higher than a late second rounder, as I think there's a pretty safe floor to fall back on if all else fails. He's a guy who you don't notice a ton but he ends up with very good slot pass rates and landing a few scoring chances himself. He doesn't waste his offensive chances and with faster, pacey partners who can carry pucks with him as a compliment on the rush I could see an interesting pivot in the NHL one day. All of his shot assists came from scoring areas, and he plays a simple, but very effective player who positions himself well at both ends of the ice and simply generates results in ways you can see working in the NHL. My concern in the back of my mind is that players who play like bottom six NHLers at the junior hockey level often struggle to actually turn into effective bottom six NHLers, but I'm more than willing to be wrong in Miettinen's case. He's simple but effective and has the size to make it work and I could be convinced to take him higher in the second round if my scouting team really wanted someone like him.

• #60 | Leon Muggli | LHD | EV Zug | Apr. Rank (72)

  Leon Muggli is another player on the list of names who I've seen a ton of, and am still not totally sure what I see or what I think will be there in a few years. He's shifty and skilled with strong vision of the ice, and playing the full year in good usage at the National League level is notable on it's own. He has a solid shot from the point he deploys often with limited shot assist rates and low pass volumes in general. He's not a particularly involved transition player in my experience but is a good example of what I'd call a "turret" player. Smart per-puck-touch player when hit with passes, a strong point shot, and sees the ice well in multiple directions. He had a strong U18 before getting injured which was pleasant to see, and I may be a little low on him, but he's a tough one to project as-is without better mobility and defensive results over time.

• #61 | Fyodor Avramov | LW | Kapitan Stupino | Apr. Rank (43)

  One of the pleasant surprises in the draft class for me, Fyodor Avramov played for the worst team in the best division of Russian junior hockey, and plays a style that translates to North America significantly better than many other players at his level. He drove a ton of Stupino's offense on the ice while playing a physical style that overwhelmed opponents often. There's intensity in his game that comes and goes, but I think with time and experience he could easily capture the necessary effort level to make it work at higher levels. There's a lightning quick wrist shot there as well that can beat goalies from mid-range, and is a highly efficient offensive transition player with a diverse skillset in that area, with elite carrying results and very solid passing data. He's a player on my shortlist for the mid-rounds and I could easily see a player who outperforms his draft slot. It may take a solid 5-6 years in Russia to get there, but Stupino's parent KHL team is in Sochi, and they aren't shy about playing young players as we've seen. I feel Avramov just gets better and better the more consistent he is with his effort level and competitiveness.

• #62 | Miguel Marques | RW | Lethbridge Hurricanes | Apr. Rank (35)

  This is a weird one. Marques has first round talent, that much is not in doubt. I just see a player who has a long, long way to go to get to be a dependable NHL player. The highlights are at times staggeringly awesome, but taken as a whole, there are so many moments you wish you saw more out of him. I've seen words like "lazy" and "soft" applied about him, which I never, ever like to use when talking about elite athletes, but you definitely wish there was just a bit more competitiveness and involvement with Marques, especially off the puck defensively. He's a tough read for me. The data overall is very positive and if someone took the chance on him much higher than this, I could easily see why. The skill level and playmaking ability is tremendous, and he can absolutely humiliate defensemen with fakes and crossovers, but battling through pressure and consistently challenging players is a concern. I like Marques, I want to put him higher, but projecting to the NHL without some changes to the overall approach to the game on many of his shifts is a big question mark, and I know those in the NHL often feel similarly.

• #63 | Matvei Gridin | RW | Muskegon Lumberjacks | Apr. Rank (52)

  Take what I wrote about Marques and copy paste for Gridin. This is a guy who can disappear for huge stretches, cheat for offense, put too much on his own stick and look very difficult to see working in the NHL, but holy smokes in small doses this guy can really play. There's been a lot of talk about Beckett Sennecke's skill, creativity and shot at his height, and I see many similarities in the positive area with a player like Gridin. As a complimentary player whose focus is strictly offensive, he's got plenty to offer, and some of the "oh my" moments this year with the puck on his stick. Establishing separation from opponents, catching pucks at high pace, high skill level and quick evasiveness to generate very strong playmaking data and drive a ton of Muskegon's offense with him on the ice. I can see a very, very good college scorer here, with the NHL being a bit of a challenge, but he, along with Marques are two that I have ranked low but could easily see going higher if you believe in the raw potential in their game.

• #64 | Will Skahan | LHD | U.S. National U18 Team | Apr. Rank (75)

  Skahan has been all over the place for me going back to last year. He's got a great frame for a defenseman, and moves quite well in a simple way that covers ice effectively and keeps his game calculated and safe. He finds easy targets with his head up and hits them more accurately than many defenders in this class. There's good transition involvement and good success rates, and he can put pucks on net from the point at a solid rate even if it isn't a huge threat. Skahan is a player who keeps it safe and effective, and I could see that trend continuing as he matures both physically and mentally on the ice at college. He's a player I haven't actively disliked at all, but there's nothing that sticks out at a high level, and that's perfectly fine!

• #65 | Henry Mews | RHD | Ottawa 67s | Apr. Rank (NR)

  Mews has been a tough one for me, but after seeing more of him, especially at the U18s, there are definitely players who bring a little less to the game that I have on my list in some capacity. He feels similarly to a player like Leon Muggli or me, where there is a very, very smart passer and creative thinker that can read play and make things happen in motion, but projecting to the NHL is tough. Mews' defending and puck management in the defensive zone are a bit questionable, losing control of pucks and inviting a bit too much pressure with a bit of a lower pace game to him. I don't think the skating level in transition is quite good enough to be comfortable seeing him play a major puck controlling role in the NHL one day either, but that doesn't mean it's impossible. He sees the ice so, so well and can adapt to what he sees in front of him very effectively and drives great results offensively through his passing and puck carrying. I do worry about his defensive involvement and ability to shut down play off the puck, which for a defenseman is a bit of a must at higher levels. He can get crossed up at high speeds, lose track of rushing forwards, lose physical battles and had one of the higher rates of scoring chances against in my work among defenders. That said, he really is one of the higher end creative minds at the defensive position, and is as much a part of this tier of players as any other defender, it just depends on how much you think he'll develop from here, and how much you value what he brings to the table already.

• #66 | Ben Danford | LSD | Oshawa Generals | Apr. Rank (62)

  At various points of the year, Danford has been right up near my first round, and I've seen him ranked in that range here and there. Honestly, I can see why. He's got some flashes of really impressive puck rushing ability, with size and puck protection skill that should project to higher levels easily. He's got good short range passing instincts, able to get involved with his first pass in the defensive zone and jump into a rush from time to time. I do find he has some issues seeing the ice when running a breakout himself and can turn pucks over at a rate that bumps him down my board, and he's a player that doesn't really jump into the offensive zone to create offense much in my work. When he does, I found his shot to be more threatening than I expected here and there. Defensively though, he's a smart positional player, tracking rushes well, closing gaps and getting to loose pucks often to turn play back around. He's got a physical edge and much in the same way as Will Skahan earlier, I can see a lower upside, but NHL-like defender who could chip in down a lineup in the future. If he captures some of his best moments more often, especially with the puck on his stick, there's potential for more.

• #67 | Adam Kleber | RHD | Lincoln Stars | Apr. Rank (61)

  Another player who is a "let's see how he is in 5 years" kind of guy, Adam Kleber caught my eye at the Hlinka Gretzky tournament in September and has had some really impressive flashes of a unique talent profile unlike many in the draft. He's a huge and hulking defender but has a fluidity to his stride beyond his years, and a skill level that pops up here and there that is a ton of fun to watch. I've seen plays of him pinching into the offensive zone, but not much often comes from it. There's a solid wrist and slap shot from the point with Kleber that has generated the solid offensive data he's had this year, but the real star of the show is how effective he is defensively. Excellent stick checking with excellent reach and great positioning ability and awareness of where play is going. He has some of the best shutdown metrics when play is coming his way, translating to good suppression of scoring chances against. If he can manage the puck in a more advanced way, using his skill to create space and hit targets more accurately, and impose himself a bit more physically than he does, there could be quite an interesting defender here in a few years.

• #68 | AJ Spellacy | C | Windsor Spitfires | Apr. Rank (NR)

  Credit to the EliteProspects crew for highlighting Spellacy earlier in the year. There's plenty to like with Spellacy with his solid, tall frame, and remarkable speed to go along with it. There are also strong flashes of skill to pull pucks around forecheckers and blow right past them at high pace. He's a physical presence all over the ice, forechecking well and throwing his weight around often, and there are certainly jobs in the NHL for players like this. I'd like to see a bit more puck control and dynamic play in the offensive zone utilizing linemates well to generate a bit more offense, but he battles to scoring areas and generates chances on his own at a good rate. Highly involved in play in every game I've seen, Spellacy is an all out speedy big guy with a physical edge that could round out an NHL lineup that popped up on the radar late in the year.

• #69 | Ludvig Johnson | LHD | EV Zug U20 | Apr. Rank (WL)

  The more I see Johnson, the more I like his potential. After watching both games he drew into at the U18s, I'm frankly stunned he didn't make the team from the start. He brought high pace, a great skill level and a wonderful sense of positioning in the neutral zone with excellent defensive results. The game tracked was against the Americans, and while his shot differential was awful, he factored into every shot attempt Switzerland took in that game, and when push literally came to shove, Johnson was involved, thought quickly and made smart plays, doing what he could to keep Switzerland afloat. There are so many traits that are almost there with Johnson holding him back from being a truly high end defender in my view. The skill level is great but not quite there enough to get through defensive layers at higher levels, and the creativity offensively is also there but lacks the quickness or shiftiness to create enough space for himself. He's positioned well defensively so often but doesn't have the strength to be a dependable player in his own end just yet. I'm still a believer, and I'm very hopeful we'll see him playing in the pro levels in Switzerland sooner rather than later. Based on what I've seen, a strong offseason of development may find him tested at higher levels, and I'll be keeping a keen eye on him if he does.

• #70 | Jacob Battaglia | LW | Kingston Frontenacs | Apr. Rank (64)

  Battaglia has been a player on my radar since his AAA days with the Toronto Jr. Canadiens, with a great combination of skill, size and puck protection with a great shot that unfortunately comes from low danger areas much more often than you'd like for such a strong player. He brings a physical, hard forechecking style of play that could compliment more offensive leaning names well, with excellent offensive transition results. His ability to catch pucks in stride, find a lane to exploit and get up the ice is excellent, it's just that once the puck is in the offensive zone, Battaglia's ability to finish or create for linemates simply hasn't been there. I think there's great growth potential in his game as-is, just a bit more confidence and puck protection skill to get into scoring areas in the offensive zone are going to be key areas in order to hit his ceiling, but that ceiling is there.

• #71 | Ilya Protas | LW | Des Moines Buccaneers | Apr. Rank (68)

  Big, skilled and adaptive, Ilya Protas has gotten better and better as he gains more and more confidence with a Des Moines team that is adding fun young talent as time goes on. Protas is exactly the type of centre I'd like down the lineup who can receive passes well and often, and has one of the highest pass volumes of anyone I tracked this year, with enormous volumes in offensive transitions through that passing. He can hit targets relatively accurately, and has the habits that give confidence that he'll get better in this area. He's trying to pull pucks around forecheckers, trying to use his body to protect the puck, and thinking creatively under pressure, but the results just aren't quite there yet. He goes to the net in the offensive zone and can create in dangerous areas, with a decent amount of Des Moines' offense coming off of Protas' stick in some way. Leaning more into passing and playmaking than shooting the puck himself, Protas should only improve in this area and might be a nice mid-round pick that could slot in down the lineup in the NHL in the future.

• #72 | Marcus Kearsey | LHD | Charlottetown Islanders | Apr. Rank (49)

  I've come down on Marcus Kearsey quite a bit this season, but I still remain a big fan of what he brings to the game. He's undersized, and the weak points of his game are gamebreakers when under pressure and in defensive coverage. That said, there's so many high level traits I look for in defensemen with Kearsey that make him such an intriguing option if you're looking for a big swing late in the draft. His fluidity in his skating stride and ability to quickly change directions and get to spots on the ice would put him higher on my board on its own as it did early in the year, and I would be urging him to be more confident, assertive and bring even more creativity to his offensive zone play. If his quickness improves when juking off opponents in the offensive zone, he could be a serious threat in the offensive zone, moreso than he already is. He remains a player who completely shines in the neutral zone off the puck, challenging breakouts as quick as they come, covering ice with ease and stick checking with the best of them. He's a major driver of Charlottetown's offense off the point and I think there's potential for quite the offensive defenseman over the long term.

• #73 | Kuzma Voronin | W | Youngstown Phantoms | Apr. Rank (50)

  The concerns with Voronin definitely became more apparent the more I saw him. There's so much talent but is all to often wasting possessions with poor shot selection or blind slot passing that shows well in my database but practically speaking is hard to see working at higher levels. That said, he's still such a tremendously fun player to watch. He's high speed, high skill, and aggressive with better hit metrics you would expect. There's a wicked wrist shot with Voronin, and he does have a high skill level that he can use to add more motion and dynamism to his game. His offensive transition data is outstanding, however. He settles pucks in the neutral zone so well and so easily finds space to work with in transition, with good passing and great carrying results to go with it. He's responsible for creating 37% of Youngstown's shot attempts with him on the ice through all the ups and downs, and might be one of the bigger upside swings you could make in the late rounds. In my view he only gets better from here, but he'll need to see the ice a bit better and accurately find linemates more often to make things work at higher levels. I'm a believer and wouldn't be surprised to see an offensive breakout year in the next little while.

• #74 | Tarin Smith | LHD | Everett Silvertips | Apr. Rank (NR)

  Shifty, confident and effective is the name of the game with Smith, as he can hit targets with his passes in transition and in the offensive zone. He knows how to find targets and pinch up in the offensive zone here and there to create along the half wall. One of the highest totals of zone transitions in the entire dataset, Smith is constantly involved in play going both directions, but my impression is that I'm not sure exactly what Smith is in the NHL, or if he's just going to be a very effective WHL defender with a good AHL role in his future. There's a high end mind that talent development could combine with to create a much more dangerous player as is, but as of right now, if play is coming his way or he has the puck in the offensive zone, he keeps it smart, effective and safe with a heavy reliance on positioning defensively and passing offensively with mixed results in both. I think there's plenty of potential with Smith but his style of play required very high end tools that I think he may just fall a bit short on.

• #75 | Hiroki Gojsic | RW | Kelowna Rockets | Apr. Rank (69)

  Gojsic is pretty simple to me, he's got size, good pace in his game, keeping up with the flow of play effectively, with great forechecking and physical metrics. He finds his way to scoring areas often both with and without the puck, and was the source of over 40% of Kelowna's attempts on net with him on the ice. This is largely down to some perimeter playmaking and a good rate of individual scoring chances, but there's something here. I could see a player who compliments your bottom six well, with the physical tools and an underrated skill level and shot that could provide some offensive pop as well. He isn't a potential gem of a steal at some point in my view, but he's got a great floor to work with and could find his way into an NHL lineup with a few years of development in the WHL and AHL.

• #76 | Harrison Brunicke | RHD | Kamloops Blazers | Apr. Rank (74)

  Brunicke lands at the tail end of the list after a decently strong U18 performance for the Canadians in heavy usage. For a stretch he was off my list entirely with regards to my concerns with his processing of play moving the puck up the ice with inconsistent breakout ability and mediocre passing data, but boy can this guy skate with the puck and get up the ice with great momentum. There's a good fundamental floor to build around with aggressive self-driven offensive instincts, putting plenty of pucks on the net and being a major conduit for the Blazers in strong usage. I do wonder about what he is in the NHL without added quickness in his own end and more consistent reads when breaking out the puck from his own end, but there's enough there to be interested enough to have him on the list.

• #77 | Tory Pitner | RHD | Youngstown Phantoms | Apr. Rank (NR)

  There's a pattern around here in my list. Pitner is just a solid, effective defender. He's a physical player, punishing opponents along the boards, heavy involvement in offensive transitions with very good, safe results through his smarts and short range passing. He lets very, very little through him in the defensive zone and faced very few scoring chances against, thanks to his physical play and a fluid skating stride that allowed him to cut off gaps and get himself involved in play. I'm not sure what his NHL upside is, but a few years in college with some AHL time after could leave you with a defensive player down your lineup that is a capable puck mover and strong physical presence in his own end.

• #78 | Carson Wetsch | RW | Calgary Hitmen | Apr. Rank (77)

  It's getting tiring at this point but Wetsch is just a good "guy". He's got high pace to his game, is aggressive as a forechecker, and generates individual scoring chances in dangerous areas at a very strong rate in my experience with him. Wetsch brings energy to the game but I've also seen some impressive isolated moments of puck movement in the offensive zone and cross-seam playmaking that seemed somewhat uncharacteristic for a player like him. His puck carrying ability has mixed results and his passing is worse, but this is an interesting player with plenty of energy in his game that keeps it simple and effective.

• #79 | Kevin He | LW | Niagara IceDogs | Apr. Rank (NR)

  He's a curious player. Niagara was again a bit of a mess this year, and He was a player who really wanted the puck on his stick often this year. He was responsible for over 50% of Niagara's shot attempts, 35% were off his own stick, with a very high volume of attempts from scoring areas. There was a solid rate of low percentage attempts and He is a player that can be found peppering the net a bit from the perimeter, but it would be interesting to see him in better surroundings with other linemates. He carries a solid amount of speed and skill but it isn't otherworldly, and he projects as a bit more of a pure shooter as-is, but it's a heck of a shot that he carries. I don't think many people are really considering that this is a 30+ goal scorer on a team with just three 20 goal scorers on the roster, and he earned many of those goals in my experience. He's a curious player, and I have no idea where he goes in the draft, but he deserves a look thanks to his offensive potential and existing finishing quality.

• #80 | Dean Letourneau | C | St. Andrew's College | Apr. Rank (76)

  I really wish I was seeing what others see in Dean Letourneau. I've said on multiple occasions that Letourneau reminds me of those 6'4" guys from AAA hockey who come out to community shinny that nobody can touch, even if they aren't the fastest or most skilled guys on the ice. They protect the puck and jam themselves to the net and there's nothing you can do. In my experience, Letourneau is that, but at the Canadian high school level. Yes, he was extremely productive, and it's bordering on tragic that an injury stopped him from more USHL time at the end of the year. To me, he's very dependent purely on how big he is, stronger than his competition and simply going to the net and finishing off plays that Jack Good and others have set him up with. He's an interesting case though, as there are definitely roles for boulders on skates with good hands in tight and scoring ability, but seeing him in first rounds more often than not is a lot of risk considering who is in that range for me. I tracked one of his USHL games and watched the other and he felt more than a step behind play, but made smart passes when given the puck, and there definitely is a good shot to work with from mid-range. Canadian high school hockey is simply not competitive enough for me to be very confident that a player who generates results like Letourneau is worth picking extremely high. That said, he's a curious case that I could easily be wrong on, and would be very curious to see what he turns into.

• #81 | Ondrej Kos | LW | KOOVEE | Apr. Rank (WL)

  Another player who I bounce back and forth on depending on the weather, I loved Kos in the early parts of the season with size, skill, and a lethal wrist shot that caught my attention quickly. Unfortunately some mixed results in the Finnish second division ended with an injury that knocked him out until the U18s, and he looked like a player who had missed 6 months of time at that tournament. He was still quite a shifty puck protector with a great shot on a bit of a disappointing Czech roster and it bumped him back off my watchlist when watching him closely. He's an interesting player with some good physical tools, and you can leave him in Finland to play at whatever level he's comfortable with for a few years and see how things go. I think there's potential, but he's got a bit of a ways to go to catch up after missing so much time this season.

• #82 | Daniel Nieminen | LHD | Pelicans Lahti U20 | Apr. Rank (NR)

  One of quite a few players I was very interested in seeing at the U18 and Nieminen didn't disappoint whatsoever. He's got a ton of skill and creativity, especially on breakouts and offensive zone work, with even strength production that is better than his raw numbers would indicate. I'm not sure he's quite at a projectable enough level to put him on the actual list, but he's a player that could be a solid mid-late round swing if you like higher pace skilled defenders that may need some work off the puck. The intent is there but he can get outworked and outmuscled at higher speeds. He's a curious case with some very interesting traits that I love to see.

The Watchlist

• Samuel Huck | F | Okotoks Oilers | Apr. Rank (NR)

  Over the course of the season I often jot names down to keep in the back of my mind that when setting aside expectations and preconceived notions to check in on once in a while. Covering the World Junior A Challenge this season was a great experience for me and saw some interesting talents I normally don't pay a ton of attention too. Sam Huck was the one I always kept going back to over and over during the year and loving what I saw. He's an August 2004-born forward in the AJHL/BCHL system with production that doesn't blow you away, but he's such an energetic and skilled player with a lightning quick release he gets off in traffic and in full stride. He is the exact player the watchlist is for, and I could easily see him turning heads over time in the NCAA with a solid Western Michigan team. He's tenacious, plays bigger than he is but carries a skill level and pace in his game that could be an interesting project.

• Max Plante | C | U.S. National U18 Team | Apr. Rank (NR)

  Another player with high end smarts that really impressed me at the U18 tournament a little while back. Plante brought really clever puck movement to the ice on many shifts with plenty of quick thinking and creative moments that definitely showcased a player I hadn't seen enough of going in. He very easily could be a top three round player and I wouldn't be against it, I just wonder how much more you extract out of him with how he generates speed and just how hard he pushes himself to get the results he gets now. Plante is a curious one that grew on me over the year and could be a nice swing that likely has a very good college career. From there, who knows, but he has plenty of smarts and intensity to make things work.

• Heikki Ruohonen | C | Kiekko-Espoo U20 | Apr. Rank (NR)

  It's a trend in this range of the board, getting more exposure to players I have a hard time sorting out and ranking going into the U18 tournament bringing more than I expected. I've heard some be really taken with Ruohonen's game after his U18 performance, and while I'm not as enamored as some, I do think there's a very interesting, well-rounded pivot who can get up and down the ice with really good puck protection skills and body positioning. There are plenty of projectable traits and he can time his passes in transition well, facilitating plenty of offense for the Finnish group. I have no idea where he goes in the draft, and the Finnish junior league is not often a great source of high end players, but Ruohonen projects interestingly with time considering the tools both physical and talentwise on the ice.

• Timur Kol | LHD | Omskie Krylia | Apr. Rank (79)

  Kol has clung to the end of my ranking all year but lands on the watchlist at the finish line. He's a very interesting name for a project to leave in Russia for a number of years in my view. Very lanky with a tremendous shot from the point and some impressive performances at the men's level in Russia as well as internationally. He needs to fill out physically and his lateral skating skill needs to improve, often relying on letting play come to him and getting beaten often on entries, but Kol has some interesting physical tools and has been a mainstay on many Russian lineups the last few years. I could see an effective, lanky and skilled defenseman here that needs to diversify his offensive game, but here and there I've seen some impressive play come form Kol that should be worth a swing in the mid to late rounds.

• Ilya Pautov | RW | Krasnaya Armiya Moscow | Apr. Rank (WL)

  Fun fun fun fun fun is the name of the game with Pautov. I really am not sure if he's an NHL player and he's big tim boom or bust, but he's one of the higher pace, high skill players in the MHL I've seen this year. He uses extremely quick hands and edges to create lanes and space, but this is a player that certainly gets a bit of tunnel vision and can chase offense a bit too often, leading to quite poor scoring chance differentials. That said, he was responsible for 2/3 of the shots that his team took with him on the ice which is notable at least. He shoots the puck a ton with a quick wrist shot but doesn't get to scoring areas as much as he could. His playmaking is largely focused on the perimeter, which all makes his game very difficult to project, but I've had a keen eye on Pautov all year and if he's undrafted may be one to circle back on next season.

• Josh Fluker | RHD | Wenatchee Wild | Apr. Rank (NR)

  Fluker came onto my radar a while back but I totally forgot to take a look until the last few weeks and what I saw out of him was very interesting to keep an eye on. He may not be a player that gets picked in Vegas but the skating ability in all four directions has to be noted in the class. I'm not totally sure there's enough forwards skating quickness, offensive creativity and defensive results to project well, but he's a fun watch that could develop well in a more progressive, mobility minded development program.

• Arvid Bergström | LHD | Djurgårdens IF | Apr. Rank (WL)

  I've popped in on Bergström over the season after having him ranked last year, and I still believe there's some kind of offensive breakout coming for him at the pro level. The defending with strength and backwards skating are still works in progress but with the puck, he's often hugely exciting. Great northbound speed, offensive blueline shiftiness and evasion, able to create shooting lanes and seems to have taken a step in his confidence to try higher end plays. It seems he's going undrafted again, but I do think he's one of the most curious offensive defensemen out there as a re-entry and should be a great watch next year as Djurgården tries for promotion again next year with a young, exciting group.

• Jacob Therrien | RW | North Bay Battalion | Apr. Rank (WL)

  This frickin guy, man. He's a dirty little rat who is all over the ice all the time, playing hard to a fault but has skill and a wrist shot that are serious offensive threats. He was a bit down North Bay's lineup, but I think there's huge growth potential in his game. Ryan Lomberg was an undrafted free agent and I see some similarities there in Therrien stylewise. He needs to advance his offensive game to add more of a playmaking element but the skill and intensity is definitely there to build on. That said, you're drafting him because he's a little jerk who annoys opponents, plays hard, and can rip shots from mid-range better than many players ranked ahead of him. I wouldn't be surprised to see someone take a flyer on him late in the draft, but if he's undrafted I could see him being a much improved goal scorer with North Bay next year and if he makes some headlines for his silliness he could be a nice re-entry case.

• Tomas Mrsic | F | Medicine Hat Tigers | Apr. Rank (NR)

  A few separate WHL-focused folks have highlighted Mrsic over the season and in my limited viewings of him, there were some interesting tools there that could make for an interesting player. He's a quick, determined straight line skater keeping the puck tight to his frame and trying to fight through defensive layers, and there's a heck of a wrist shot there that he's willing to use pretty much anywhere in the offensive zone. A big portion of his scoring isn't coming at even strength, but you can see potential there if his edges can improve to make some more space for himself, and I noted some issues with is vision to prepare and connect on pass attempts. He's a fun player to watch though, and brings some exciting natural tools to the game that in the final weeks and days of preparing this list, left me thinking I had worse, lower pace shooters on my list and that Mrsic deserves a note here. I know others are higher on him, and I would imagine they're more familiar with him than I am, but for what I've seen of him, there are at least interesting tools he can use at high speeds that could be a good baseline to develop around in the coming years.

• Mitch Young | LHD | Sarnia Sting | Apr. Rank (54)

  Mitch Young has been a curious one I've caught a bit late in the season, but I've really enjoyed what I've seen. One of the most highly involved defensement in my dataset when it comes to generating offense, Young is confident, stepping into the offensive zone on many occassions and being a huge source of Sarnia's limited offensive output. He's also one of the most involved transition defensemen going either direction with remarkable stick checking results and using his skating effectively to create passing lanes and cross up forecheckers. Young is likely to have a huge role in Sarnia next year and is certainly on the list of names I'm calling for a camp invite should he go undrafted again this year.

• Eriks Mateiko | W | Saint John Sea Dogs | Apr. Rank (WL)

  Mateiko is gone well before I probably am taking him, but I really like the tools, mind, and potential that he brings to the game. He's a strong offensive zone player with somewhat limited involvement around the ice, but he has a simple but effective game that has driven solid results in my experience. He forechecks extremely well, pinches along the boards and quickly gets pucks to scoring areas, and can find himself gaining good chances on his own well. Mateiko is a player that needs to increase the pace and skill of his game, but the potential is there and he's been an interesting player to check in on over the season both in Saint John and internationally for the Latvian national program.

• Yegor Graf | C | SKA-1946 St. Petersburg | Apr. Rank (56)

  I loved Graf in the preseason, really liked him in the fall, started getting frustrated I wasn't seeing another step in the spring, and now he's just a curious case to track in Russia the next few years. He's slender and a bit of a compact puck carrier who does drive solid results outside the offensive zone but shows so little willingness to attack scoring areas and battle through pressure that would add another dimension to his game. He has a strong rate of slot pass attempts but does so with limited intent, and barely shoots the puck at all, but his offensive transition efficiency is extremely high. He's deceptive and quick on his feet, navigating around the ice well and with what he brings to the table, I could see something there in a number of years in SKA's development program.

• Alexander Siryatsky | LHD | Stalnye Lisy Magnitogorsk | Apr. Rank (NR)

  He's the Russian Henry Mews. Very smart and creative passer with deception around the ice, and some really impressive offensive zone work, but the mobility and defensive results are not great in my experience. He can be passive off the puck, take way too long to make a play and invite way too much pressure, and while he's fun to watch, I think he's one I want to circle back on next season.

• Gavin Uhlenkamp | RW | Madison Capitols | Apr. Rank (WL)

  One of a few players who stuck out to me in the Minnesota high school tournament, helping take his team to their first state tournament and all the way to the final, Uhlenkamp stuck out to me with the potential he showed with Madison after that tournament. An excellent puck carrier with quickness and cuts to get into lanes in the neutral zone, Uhlenkamp can get a bit of tunnel vision in the offensive zone with plenty of slot pass attempts and no receptions on the other end, but he generates huge mid-range shot volumes with great pre-shot skill. A major source of offense for Madison, a full season in the USHL could be very very interesting for Uhlenkamp, and he's on my shortlist for a late round swing.

• Christopher Thibodeau | RW | Kingston Frontenacs | Apr. Rank (WL)

  Christopher Thibodeau ends up on the watchlist as he remains an undersized but determined player adept at gaining body positioning, inside lanes and driving huge results in scoring areas. He's creating 50% of Kingston's shot attempts in my sample somehow, and is a key transition threat for the Frontenacs. Highly involved in play and a skilled forechecker, if Thibodeau were a bit bigger, I could easily see him being much higher on lists. He's a longshot, but he plays an admirable game that has caught my attention for two seasons now.

• Blake Montgomery | RW | Lincoln Stars | Apr. Rank (NR)

  Brother of former draft pick Bryce, Blake Montgomery went undrafted after a quiet season last year but took a huge step forward with the Lincoln Stars this year, falling just shy of the top scorers on the team. Montgomery has a great physical toolset with height, strength, determination and a great wrist shot release he can use from midrange or attack the net with. I haven't seen as much of Montgomery as I'd like, but seeing him with Adam Kleber and Tanner Henricks off and on this year has left me impressed with what he brings to the table.

• Viggo Gustafsson | LHD | HV71 J20 | Apr. Rank (WL)

  I've really liked what I've seen of Viggo Gustafsson, even if it's not the most amazing, high end stuff you'll ever see. He's very young, very lanky, but more skilled than you would assume and has some great reads of the ice to move pucks effectively, and I felt he showed very well on a bit of a shaky Swedish U18 team at the end of the year. The HV71 crop of youngsters was interesting for a variety of reasons this season and Gustafsson certainly stood out more to me than a player like Gabriel Eliasson in my viewings of them. Solid mobility, great use of his stick and his size defensively, smart puck mover on gains of possession, and while he may not be a player at the top of my list in the draft, he's one that I think could have a strong few years of development. Growing more into his frame, gaining a bit more confidence and explosiveness in his skating, there are plenty of areas to explore with a player like Gustafsson and I'll have an eye on him for a while from here.

• John Whipple | RSD | U.S. National U18 Team | Apr. Rank (WL)

  John Whipple has had an understated season compared to what I expected after last year, and Whipple is a player that continues to simply not even begin to scratch the surface of what he seems to be capable of. He brings a fluid skating stride with good lateral mobility and a decent level of skill that he combines with a strong view of the ice with the puck. The defensive metrics for him are excellent, and the intent behind his play with the puck is there, but the execution isn't. Whipple is a potential college free agent perhaps rather than a draft pick but he has an interesting future ahead of him with the right guidance in my view.

• Oskar Vuollet | W | Skellefteå AIK | Apr. Rank (80)

  Go fast, shoot hard. That's the name of the game for Oskar Vuollet. I find that the pace of his game ratcheted up in his limited time in the SHL. He played with aggression, quickness, and has a ton of finishing skill that he was willing to deploy often. In fact likely too often, as there just isn't enough distribution skill and playmaking in his game to project him to higher levels confidently. There are interesting traits here and he may have a ways to go, but I imagine worse players likely get picked if he isn't taken.

• Jamiro Reber | F | HV71 J20 | Apr. Rank (WL)

  Jamiro Reber is so fun but falls short of being a projectable player in my view. I still can't ignore what he brings to the table with great straight line speed with good skill at high pace, with great efficiency in his carries offensively. There are just so many instances where he'll have a great possession but get absolutely nothing out of it. He has the advantage of age and will have plenty of chances to gain more experience playing internationally as a key '06 for Switzerland. There are plenty of interesting traits, it's just a matter of putting them all together in the coming years and gaining more confidence in the offensive zone.

• William Nicholl | C | London Knights | Apr. Rank (WL)

  I'm a little bit surprised more aren't sniffing around on Will Nicholl with London. He barely played minutes on an extremely strong team, but I found him impressive when I caught him this year. High energy, high pace with some really great skill moments cutting into scoring areas and showcasing creativity to adapt to pressure and move pucks around the ice effectively. With numerous Knights likely graduating to the pro level after this season, I would expect Nicholl to have a jump in production next season with more ice time and better linemates with a strong offseason of development. The mindset and approach to the game is there already, the skill level and skating ability are very good but not quite at a high enough level to be a player higher on my list, but I've really, really liked what I've seen of him and could see him being a sneaky good pick in the NHL Draft should he be selected. If he isn't, I would not at all be surprised to see him higher on my board next season as a re-entry.

• Brittan Alstead | LW/C | Des Moines Buccaneers | Apr. Rank (NR)

  Another standout from the Minnesota high school tournament this season with some bright flashes with the Des Moines Buccanners, Brittan Alstead is a quick, agile and skilled undersized winger that seemed a step behind processing the USHL level, but showcased some really interesting moments that left me thinking there might be an interesting offensive player here after a full season at that level. Alstead had problems reading the ice, often crossing up his linemates and taking strange routes both on and off the puck. He could put a ton of risk on his own shoulders and skate directly into a turnover, but the pace of his game is strong, and similar to Uhlenkamp, showcased a good ability to make quick cuts and quick skill moves to get himself to scoring areas and create offense for himself. He often wasn't very involved in rushes going either direction, with play often needing to come to him rather than him pursuing it himself, but he was efficient when involved. He's a compact player without a ton of reach so pure speed and agility are going to be paramount for his development, but I could at least see a skilled, exciting offensive college player here who has been an interesting one to watch for me since catching him in high school this season.

• Tanner Henricks | LSD | Lincoln Stars | Apr. Rank (NR)

  Another raw but highly intriguing player I caught a few times this year, Henricks' point totals might not jump out at you, but in my view he's still feeling out and getting used to the USHL and playing a more conservative and cerebral brand of defending to this point. There's skill here, and some strong moments of deception in transition and great positioning defensively, he just needs to fill out. He's a wiry, lanky player but the potential is there if he can get a bit more explosive and confident in the offensive zone to create some passing and shooting lanes to help elevate others a bit more and put some points on the board. Henricks is a player I might not draft until the later rounds, but if your team does, don't be disappointed because there aren't many points there. If he goes undrafted I wouldn't be surprised if he takes a jump in the next couple of years offensively, and I get the feeling that at least one NHL team feels similarly and he'll hear his name called at some point in Vegas.

• Joel Abrahamsson | LW | HV71 J20 | Apr. Rank (WL)

  A player who caught my eye many times watching HV71 this season, Abrahamsson is a tall, lanky, but impressively skilled forward who stuck out more than I expected in limited usage. He dominated the U18 circuit with a goal per game over 20 games, and for his usage at 5v5, produced well at the U20 level in Sweden. He's a powerful, determined skater, attacking defenders one-on-one with pace and skill, and there were some isolated moments that were really, really impressive. There's a very interesting development case here for Abrahamsson and I would think he should produce well in an elevated role next season, perhaps even earning an SHL call-up at some point if he fills out, gets a bit more intense off the puck and applies his size defensively more than he does. He's an exciting player especially as an individual generator of offense, and with time there could be an interesting power forward in Abrahamsson.

• Josef Trojna | LHD | Rytiri Kladno | Apr. Rank (NR)

  The last name on the board is another Marge Simpson with a potato player. He's neat. Yeah, you look at Trojna's production in the 2nd division of Czech junior hockey with Kladno and may wonder what the hell I'm doing, but I watched every minute of him when he earned a call-up to the Czech top division and was really intrigued with what I saw. He's got size, still has room to grow physically, but skates very, very well relative to what I expected and has some skill that just hasn't quite all been put together to drive results as well as it could. Granted, the jump from the 2nd junior division in Czechia to the top division is... large. He seemed physically outmatched defensively, but not much worse than other pro defenders I've seen, his shot and offensive zone play largely isn't a threat yet, and there isn't enough gusto behind some of his passes that can lead to turnovers, but there are great tools here with Trojna and you can see why he earned a few games at the top levels of Czech hockey. This isn't a player I'm drafting, but he's on this list largely so I don't forget about him, and I'm hopeful that he can earn quite a few more games at the top division next season to see more, and hopefully see some growth and confidence in his game.

Goaltenders

1. Eemil Vinni - Mid 2nd

2. Evan Gardner - Late 2nd

3. Mikhail Yegorov - 2nd-3rd

4. Carter George - Mid-Late

5. Ryerson Leenders - Mid-Late

6. Ivan Yunin - Mid-Late

7. Vladislav Bryzgalov - Mid-Late

8. Kim Saarinen - Mid-Late

9. Teodor Munther - Late Flyer

10. Martin Neckar - Late Flyer

11. Kirill Zarubin - Late Flyer

12. Nikolai Nikulshin - Late Flyer

13. Pavel Moysevich - Late Flyer

14. Simon Wolf - Late Flyer

15. Dawson Cowan - Late Flyer

16. Kam Hendrickson - Late Flyer

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There we have it, a year of work done. Thank you so much for all the views, likes, subscriptions and discussion both private and public. This is a slog of hard work, and I still am left leaving plenty open to fate in the next few years. It’s a pleasure to share my views and work with everyone, and if you’re interested in joining the community and supporting what I do, click below to get subscribed to the site where you’ll get exclusive content, access to a Discord server, exclusive datasets and more depending on the tier. If not, that’s all good but be sure to subscribe to us on YouTube, Twitch, Instagram and Tiktok, and give us a follow at Scouching on Twitter! Thanks so much, and if you see me in Vegas, be sure to say hi!