Wheeler's prospect pool ranking Vol.4

#7-#4

Welcome to the 4th edition of Scott Wheeler's prospect pool ranking.
We will be visiting teams rank 7 through 4 today, hope you enjoy the content.

Rank #7 Detroit Red Wings

1. Simon Edvinsson, LHD, 18 (Detroit Red Wings)

His ceiling is extremely high and backed by a unique set of traits and skills for a 6-foot-5 player (let alone defenceman), including his exceptional hands and control of the puck, his fearlessness with and without, and his strong foundational knowledge of how to use his towering frame to defend in a variety of ways (with an active stick, with step-up physicality when opportunities present themselves, on box-outs, etc.). If he can develop his shot (one of those areas that still needs work), continue to smooth out his game, and make better choices (which he’s doing), the potential is there in spades. This season he has shown more inside the offensive zone, making play-ending passes and creating a ton of chance (he should actually have a couple more goals under his belt) to add to his already-dominant transition game as a confident carrier and transporter. I hate the cliche but you really can’t teach hands like his at that size.

2. Sebastian Cossa, G, 18 (Chicago Blackhawks)
3. Jonatan Berggren, LW/RW, 21 (Winnipeg Jets)
4. William Wallinder, LHD, 19 (William Wallinder)
5. Joe Veleno, C, 22 (Vancouver Canucks)

Rank #6 Columbus Blue Jackets 

1. Kent Johnson, C/LW, 19 (Anaheim Ducks)

His ability to dance with the puck and manufacture offence as a playmaker in possession is elite. When he’s under pressure, he doesn’t have to play through much contact because of how effortlessly he makes soft little plays through the triangles of sticks and into space for himself to skate onto (the kind that can shock a crowd with his craftiness when it looks like he’s stuck in a phone booth without options). 

The reality is he consistently makes difficult plays at speed, his hands and his feet flow effortlessly together (and often out of sync to lose defenders), there are few young players in the sport who can draw defenders to them and make a play to the backside as he does, he’s a PP1 lock, and there’s just a breeziness and elusiveness about his game that captivates.

2. Cole Sillinger, C/LW, 18 (Columbus Blue Jackets)
3. Corson Ceulemans, RHD, 18 (Florida Panthers)
4. Yegor Chinakhov, RW/LW, 20 (Chicago Blackhawks)
5. Kirill Marchenko, LW, 21 (Los Angeles Kings)

Rank #5 Anaheim Ducks

1. Mason McTavish, C, 19 (Seattle Kraken)

McTavish is a heavyset, highly talented goal scorer who plays a powerful, middle-lane game built on a competitive foundation. He looks to dictate play in puck protection, drive the net, and manufacture his own offence first, but he can also involve his linemates and use some of the attention he draws as a tool to facilitate. Despite how sturdy and strong he is over his skates, he’s also capable of playing with speed and pace and has worked hard to add tempo changes to his game. There are still times when he can look a little slow-moving from a standstill, but when he’s ramped up and engaged, he wins a lot of races, outmuscles opponents on retrievals, and pushes through checks and bumps with such ease (a huge part of his game). He also finishes every check, knocks a lot of players over, and loves to be involved in the battles that happen on the ice. Offensively, his shot gives him power-play upside as a natural finisher who can overpower goalies and loves to shoot (occasionally to his detriment). Despite his game’s hardness, he also boasts impressive soft skill, finding his way through traffic with quick dekes under sticks when the opportunity to drop his shoulder and push past the defender isn’t there.

2. Jacob Perreault, C/RW, 19 (Toronto Maple Leafs)
3. Sasha Pastujov, LW/RW, 18 (New Jersey Devils)
4. Olen Zellweger, LHD, 18 (Detroit Red Wings)
5. Lukas Dostal, G, 21 (Minnesota Wilds)

Rank #4 New Jersey Devils

1. Alexander Holtz, 20, RW (anaheim Ducks)

Holtz has the makings of a potential first-line winger (and should be a top-six one at minimum). He’s got a coveted blend of skill, power and shooting which allows him to create his own looks and then finish off of them with a variety of release points and shot types (or play off of the puck from a playmaker and get open with his timing). He’s got a pro frame and strength (6-foot, 195 pounds) which allows him to play through bumps, win battles, and get off the wall. But he’s also got underrated playmaking sense (I’ve often argued that his ability as a shooter is overstated and his ability in facilitation has been understated). He still needs to get a little quicker and play a little quicker to maximize those tools but if he can develop a little more pace (he’s not slow!), he’ll be the goal-scoring winger everyone believes he can be at even strength and he’s always going to have power-play upside.

2. Luke Hughes, LHD, 18 (New York Rangers)
3. Reilly Walsh, RHD, 22 (Winnipeg Jets)
4. Tyce Thompson, C/RW, 22 (Columbus Blue Jackets)
5. Nolan Foote, LW, 21 (Detroit Red Wings)

That is all for today, stay tune tomorrow for team ranked #3

as always, 
stay classy, Dchl