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Wheeler's prospect pool ranking Vol.3

16-8
2/20/2022 • Jean Brisson

Welcome to the 3rd volume of Scott Wheeler's prospect pool ranking. 
We will be listing teams rank 16 through 9. Let's get straight into it.


Rank #16 Calgary Flames

1. Matt Coronato, RW, 19 (Toronto Maple Leafs)

There’s has never been any questioning Coronato’s effort level or his ability to make something happen in the home plate area. He’s a determined, competitive player with the small-area skill package, detail and skating (he’s got good speed, for sure) needed to play that kind of game. He’s also got rare spatial awareness which helps him understand where he is in relation to pressure and play off of it. And then he’s got a hard, quick release which rattles off of the heel of his blade and great feel around the net. 

2. Jakob Pelletier, LW, 20 (Ottawa Senators)
3. Dustin Wolf, G, 20 (New York Rangers)
4. Connor Zary, C/LW, 20 (Carolina Hurricanes)
5. Jeremie Poirier, LHD, 19 (Vegas Golden Knights)


Rank #15 Toronto Maple Leafs

1. Nick Robertson, LW, 20 (Dallas Stars)

Robertson has a pretty unique composition. His curl and drag release comes off his blade heavy and can cleanly beat goalies from mid-range. He’s got superb hands and footwork, helping him spin off checks, pull back against pressure, adjust around close-outs, and play under sticks or through feet. And then he’s also got some of the skills needed to complement that package and get the most out of his 5-foot-9 frame: He’s fearless in puck pursuit, he doesn’t back down from board battles, and his feet are always moving to stay involved on the forecheck (he can actually occasionally chase the play a little too much) and get open off the puck.

2. Matthew Knies, LW, 19 (Florida Panthers)
3. Topi Niemelä, RHD, 19 (New York Rangers)
4. Rodion Amirov, LW/RW, 20 (Edmonton Oilers)
5. Nick Abruzzese, C/LW, 22 (Anaheim Ducks)


Rank #14  San Jose Sharks

1. William Eklund, C/LW, 19 (Chicago Blackhawks)

Eklund’s a well-rounded three-zone player who can do a little bit of everything offensively (he’s strong and agile below the goal line, he’s a capable transporter, and he’s a plus-level finisher, handler and passer) and defensively (he supports the play well, takes smart routes to pucks and pinches along the wall, and engages effectively in battles to win more than you might expect from a 5-foot-11 teenager). Eklund’s biggest strength, though, is the way he navigates on the ice. He slides in and out of space to get open for his shot (a shot which has improved to make him a real mid-range threat, even though it hasn’t been going in thus far this year) and play the give-and-go game effectively. He also makes a lot of small-area plays around the net to attack the slot or play a puck into it, with proper timing, for a teammate.

2. Ryan Merkley, RHD, 21 (Detroit Red Wings)
3. Thomas Bordeleau, C, 20 (New York Rangers)
4. Daniil Gushchin, RW/LW, 19 (Toronto Maple Leafs)
5. Tristen Robins, C/RW, 20 (New York Rangers)


Rank #13 Philadelphia Flyers

1. Cam York, LHD, 21 (San Jose Sharks)

He’s a smooth skater but not an explosive one. And while he’s talented with the puck on his stick, capable of running a power play, mobile moving side-to-side across the line and a superb passer who has produced at every level he’s ever played at, some worry that he’s not quite dynamic enough to become a truly high-end offensive defenseman, nor big enough and powerful enough to become go-to defensive zone guy. And while I share in some of those concerns, I also still see an excellent distributor who makes the game look easy, rotating in and out of space with and without the puck to make plays and get open. I see a light, fluid stride and smooth hands which help him manipulate opposing players, create separation without a separation gear and manage pressure to play with a ton of poise with the puck. I see a positional defender who does a good enough job gapping up and maintaining his gaps to help break up plays and transition back the other way without needing to push people around. 

2. Bobby Brink, RW, 20 (New York Rangers)
3. Egor Zamula, LHD, 21 (Minnesota Wilds)
4. Morgan Frost, C, 22 (Tampa Bay Lightning)
5. Tyson Foerster, RW, 20 (Vancouver Canucks)


Rank #12 Nashville Predators

1. Iaroslav Askarov, G, 19 (Washington Capitals)

 Askarov’s raw talent certainly makes him unique, though. His ability to change directions in the net, stay on top of shooters, track their hands, and make reactionary saves is elite. His athleticism is too. He regularly makes second- and third-chance saves holding firm in his positioning even when he’s laying on the ice. But there are tools in his game that still need some refinement. There are still times where he gets frozen over his glove hand, something NHL teams will exploit. He still looks jittery in the net, bouncing on his toes and moving to pucks (which he says is to keep himself focused and make some of those quick-twitch saves I talked about). But his agility and reads are so impressive that he can steal games when he’s at his best, and make the difficult saves that others just can’t get to or stick with. 

2. Zachary L’Heureux, LW, 18 (Dallas Stars)
3. Fedor Svechkov, C, 18 (Florida Panthers)
4. Luke Evangelista, RW, 19 (Edmonton Oilers)
5. Cody Glass, C, 22 (Los Angeles Kings)


Rank #11 Winnipeg Jets

1. Cole Perfetti, C/LW, 20 (Ottawa Senators)

He’s a crafty, increasingly inventive (though sometimes I do wonder whether that’s to compensate for his feet not moving fast enough), modern playmaking type who understands how to use the sheet to his advantage, blending his unique anticipation with excellent hands, a lethal wrist shot, and “eyes in the back of his head” creativity. He has also worked to improve his one-timer and turn it into more of a threat, adding another weapon to his PP1 arsenal. Then you add in great feel on his backhand (his comfort level here is special or very close), the way he adjusts his handling to sticks, reads that are one step ahead of most, his vision through layers, and his ability to play pucks into space for him to skate onto (some players burn wide with speed but others are just as effective sliding pucks under the triangles of a defender’s stick to the same result)

2. Chaz Lucius, C, 18 (Winnipeg Jets)
3. Ville Heinola, LHD, 20 (Calgary Flames)
4. Nikita Chibrikov, RW/LW, 18 (Vegas Golden Knights)
5. David Gustafsson, C, 21 (San Jose Sharks)



Rank #10 Dallas Stars

1. Wyatt Johnston, C, 18 (Nashville Predators)

 I think Johnston was a little miscast ahead of the draft because of how effective he was in a checking role for Team Canada — and because his skating can kick out a little. And while he is a versatile, Jack-of-all-trades type who is always on the right side of the puck, moulds his game to his linemates, excels in the faceoff circle, works hard, doesn’t make many mistakes, and comes up with a lot of lifts and steals, he’s also super talented (which there were clear signs of in minor hockey and in the second half of his rookie season in the OHL, when he had started to look like one of Windsor’s best players before COVID-19 hit). This season, his ability to make plays under pressure, play with tempo, and manufacture offence on his own has really shone through. The puck just finds him and then he just seems to make crafty, smart little skill plays with it.

2. Mavrik Bourque, C, 20 (Vancouver Canucks)
3. Thomas Harley, LHD, 20 (Minnesota Wilds)
4. Logan Stankoven, LW/RW, 18 (Washington Capitals)
5. Jake Oettinger, G, 23 (Arizona Coyotes)


Rank #9 Carolina Hurricanes

1. Scott Morrow, RHD, 19 (Minnesota Wilds)

 He’s an excellent transition defender who transports pucks confidently, plays boldly inside the offensive zone, and possesses impressive handling skill for a defenceman. He’s an exit/entry machine who carves teams up through the neutral zone with head fakes, side-steps and cuts (his skating really impresses on its edges, even if he’s not explosive). When he’s on the ice, he wants to take over and direct play in possession and does so by guiding opposing players out of his way. And on top of all of that, he’s a 6-foot-2 righty whose game defensively has both taken steps this season and proven that some of last year’s bad habits were about a level that was below him more than they were major concerns about his game.

2. Ryan Suzuki, C, 20 (Minnesota Wilds)
3. Ville Koivunen, RW/LW, 18 (Seattle Kraken)
4. Noel Gunler, RW/LW, 20 (Seattle Kraken)
5. Jack Drury, C, 21 (Carolina Hurricanes)


Rank #8 Montreal Canadiens

1. Cole Caufield, RW, 21 (Los Angelers Kings)

This is still a kid who broke records at the national program. This is still a kid who, this time last year, was in the middle of a goal-a-game Hobey Baker season as a 19 and 20-year-old. This is still a kid who has looked lethal in the AHL and has played some strong stretches in the NHL. There are some limitations, for sure. Despite significant progress made in his play off of the puck (he’s still swinging low and supporting the play more effectively than he used to), his size will always limit his defensive value. He’s still finding ways to create his own looks against bigger, stronger, faster players (after showing real progress creating in transition with the puck in college last season). That has been underscored because his teammates are also not doing a great job of finding him in his sweet spots, so both of his greatest weapons have been muted. But the tools are still there. He’s still got the ability to pick spots from bad angles and score (which, again, I assure you he will do plenty of throughout his career!). He’s still got an elite catch-and-release shooting motion. He can still use his footwork, tremendous stick handling and size to create bursts off of cuts and use his maneuverability as an advantage rather than the opposite. He’s still got a quick acceleration gear and understands how to maximize time and space.

2. Kaiden Guhle, LHD, 19 (Carolina Hurricanes)
3. Sean Farrell, LW, 20 (Minnesota Wilds)
4. Jordan Harris, LHD, 21 (Minnesota Wilds)
5. Jan Mysak, C/LW, 19 (Edmonton Oilers)

 

Thanks for tuning in,
You stay classy, Dchl