Wheeler's prospect pool ranking Vol.7

Rank #1

We are finally at #1, hope you guys enjoyed the ranking.

Rank #1  Buffalo Sabres

1. Owen Power, LHD, 19 (Seattle Kraken) 

 I think he’s the best player in college hockey this season. He walks through traffic with such ease for his size (6-foot-6), side-stepping defenders to his backhand and then making plays off of his backhand to teammates as coverage caves in on him. He’s activating to join the rush, even while shorthanded. He understands when to sling a quick one-touch pass and when to hang onto it. He’s attacking off the line with ease. He hits seams as soon as they open. He makes a ton of little plays on outlets under pressure. His ability to play off of his heels and the push to his toes, given his size, is remarkable. He’s got this uncanny ability to spin under pressure in the corner, dragging pucks through his feet and pivoting in one smooth motion to escape and advance the play. He sees the ice beautifully in possession. He wants to be involved deep into the offensive zone whenever he can. He shapes play on his edges with his footwork and crossovers like a smaller player. He breaks down the play and executes east-to-west at an advanced level. His unique skating ability for his size allows him to cover the sheet quickly, though there are still times when I’d like to see him be more aggressive defending in neutral ice (he does a great job filling and taking space inside the defensive zone on the penalty kill). He does a wonderful job adjusting around the first layer. He consistently reads the play effectively, processing at high speeds when pace ratchets up.

2. Peyton Krebs, C/LW, 21 (Vancouver Canucks)

Krebs has always been a top player at every level he has ever played at. He was the No. 1 pick into the WHL. He was, in my opinion, the best player in the WHL last season. He produced at a point-per-game level in the AHL at age 19 and 20. Then, the week of his 21st birthday in late January, he scored his first three NHL goals and looked like he belonged with the Sabres. Krebs isn’t going to ever score a ton of goals, but he’s the kind of player who could well score 15-20 goals, add 30-35 assists and be a damn-good 50-point player who adds speed, pace and playmaking near the top of a lineup. Tools-wise, it’s almost all there. Krebs doesn’t have a great shot and that may be the difference between him becoming a second-line player versus a first-line one, but I’d argue the rest of his tools are enough to safely project into the former. Krebs is a brilliant skater, both through his north-south acceleration and his changes of direction on spins, cutbacks and stop-ups. That speed helps him forecheck effectively, play at a high tempo, involve himself in the game, and make plays in transition or in quick bursts from a standstill within the offensive zone. He also has the finesse skills and the processing skills needed to play with dexterity and touch at that speed. He quickly reads and reacts to the play, knifing through lanes and hitting seams as a plus-level passer. He’s got excellent hands in tight which help him play in traffic and adjust to defenders.

3. Jack Quinn, RW/LW, 20 (St Louis Blues)

Quinn’s play is silencing critics one at a time at this point. He’s having an unbelievable season in any context, but especially so considering he’s returning from a serious hernia injury. Quinn has an A-level shot (both through a standard shooting motion and off of curl and drags or catch-and-release sequences) that he can score with from medium-to-long range. He’s a right-handed shot, can play both wings (though he prefers his off wing). He’s diligent and counted-upon off the puck as a detail-oriented winger. He’s got a pro frame that he’ll be able to continue to fine-tune. He has proven this year that his skating deserved better marks (especially through his crossovers) in the lead-up to the draft. He has proven that, despite his late birthday, he was early in his late-blooming development track in his draft year. He impresses more and more in puck control getting from the outside to the inside. Quinn is a well-rounded winger who can play off of a variety of linemate types. He’s got great off-puck anticipation to complement his shot. Somehow, despite his eye-popping AHL production this year, it has felt like he has found new levels as the season has gone on. With continued effort to get stronger physically, there’s a 30-goal guy in the NHL in there.

4. Devon Levi, G, 20 (Minnesota Wilds)

his has been a season for the ages for Levi. The kind that warrants potentially becoming just the third goalie to ever win the Hobey Baker Award (and the first since Ryan Miller in 2001). If Power is the best player in college hockey, Levi might be its MVP. His journey from the CCHL to the Olympics is one of the best stories in hockey right now, too. And he has exactly the skills smaller goalies need to be successful: impressive control on his outside edges (and the patience to hold them), quick feet on his shuffles so that he can stick with dekes and go post-to-post or low-to-high to get to tough pucks, perfect reads on shooters, and a battler’s mentality in the net which keeps him in plays even when he looks like he’s down and out on his knees. There aren’t a ton of 6-foot goalies in today’s NHL, at least not starting ones, but Levi, like diminutive Flames prospect Dustin Wolf, has all of the tools to become one.

5. JJ Peterka, LW, 20 (Ottawa Senators)

He’s one of the AHL’s best young players and his middle-six projection now feels firm. Peterka’s game is built around his athleticism, his dexterity, and his ability to powerfully drive the net and forecheck. But he has also learned to focus less on the net, he has built some east-west creativity into his toolkit, and he has added dimensions to his shot (which has always been a strength but now features, for example, a useful one-timer). He used to play exclusively on instinct and feel, rather than calm and patience. And while that’s still central to his game, he has learned to slow and play at tempos other than his buzzsaw one. I don’t think he’s going to put up big counting stats at the next level, but Peterka’s going to be a fan favourite for his style of play, his effort level, and his competitiveness. He just goes out on the ice and makes things happen.