Underrated 2024 NHL draft prospects.

[MikeyS]

I was wondering who ya’ll think are some of the most underrated players in the 2024 NHL draft, I’m not talking guys that are getting consideration to be first rounders. it’s easy to call out their names. I’m talking about the pink sheets of prospecrs, the ones that no one talks about almost at all that you think are really going to have an impact.

Click to read more...

 

[austin63867]

I would have said Jett Luchanko or Matvei Gridin a little while back but they've been getting some recent high praise.

Some names think could rise a lot in the rankings or in the future

- John Mustard
- Yegor Surin
- Heikki Ruohonen
- Marek Vanacker
- Andrei Krutov
- Lukas Fischer
- Ben Danford
- Kim Saarinen

 

[LeProspector]

Noah Smith is scoring at a point per game pace in the OHL, yet no one is talking about it.

 

[GermanSpitfire]

Alright, I kinda wanted to chime in on this one even though I don’t post much anymore. There are a few guys I really wanted to highlight that are not getting a lot of press, some don’t even have threads on here yet but I REALLY enjoy watching them play and I hope me talking about them here can create some discourse around them and further opinions presented.



Vasili Zelenov

This is a kid that is playing for the Red Bull Juniors in Austria, the team isn’t the most high flying offensive team and is one of the top scorers on his team in a mens league. For context, the two leading scorers on his team are a couple of Finns, a 2002 born and a 2003 born. Zelenov is third in scoring as a 2006 born. He has a really good offensive skillset, is really good at creating offence off the rush and is a pretty good skater to boot. Sometimes he can be a puck hog, but honestly for a player that most likely won’t be drafted until the later half of the draft, he has some pretty good upside.



Filip Sitar

A re-entry for this years draft, Stiar I think has really good potential as a two way guy. He is a very smart kid who is able to use his vision and IQ to find teammates and create space for himself on the ice. He is a good skater who is able to create separation and beat guys to the outside and I genuinely think that he has very good potential as a two-way player in the future. Not a lot of perople are talking about him but I think there is potential he goes on the top-3 rounds, and a team gets a steal.



Max Vilen

He fits the mould of defenders I really have a hard time looking over, he has size, skates well and has good defensive fundamentals. He is very good at defending in front of his net and I think he does a great job in board battles against his peers. IQ is suspect but I think he brings a lot to the table that you hope that this improves over time and he finds that next level. Really like this player.



Cole Davis

This one is a homer vote for sure, and he probably won’t be anything better than a very good OHL player but I really love his competitive nature. He is always moving his feet and trying to make a play, if he was a better skater he could be this years Easton Cowan. He may be too small to be an NHL draft selection but when I see players that play like Davis does, I can’t help but want to see a team take a chance on them with the hope they can develop like a Gallagher,



Marek Vanacker

Don’t know if this one counts, as I have seen some lists with him pretty high but this is a guy that is currently too-20 in OHL scoring yet I haven’t seen anyone but my peers talk about him. He is a great skater who is able to score consistently and has a very good motor to him. He is a guy that could be this years Rehkopf and I want to see more people talking about him.



Nathan Villeneuve

This is a player that plays on a VERY deep Sudbury team that is still scoring at a very respectable rate as a draft eligible. He is a great skater, is a responsible two way forward and has a nose for the net. He is a guy that I can see massive progression next season as a good portion of Sudbury’s offence graduates onto the next level. I think that if you look at this player though the lense of circumstance - he is playing very well. Maybe another Josh Roy situation?



Evan Van Gorp

This is a kid who signed with the Knights as a free agent and clawed his way though the lineup and is now a full time player. He is a small but a very skilled player with excellent skating ability’s. He can move really well laterally and is super dangerous if he gets the puck in the offensive zone. He has looked much better in the second time I saw him this season than the first, so confident - putting on a show on the 4th line, stick handling around veteran OHL players. The word to describe this kid with is progression because of how much I have seen of it this season,



Veit Oswald

A double reentry for the draft - I think this is the year in which we see Oswald get selected. He was fantastic at the world juniors for Germany, was one of a few that could create offence for themselves and others. And in the DEL this year, he is having one of the best U20 seasons in the history of the league. Skating and compete are the name of the game for Oswald, I can without a doubt see him carving out a bottom6 role in the NHL. He will get drafted this time,



Tarin Smith

A very good sized defender that has excellent 4 way mobility and is scoring at a very good rate as a 17 year old in the WHL. Don’t understand why he hasn’t seen more attention on public rankings. He is very formidable at both ends of the ice, has size and is a great skater. What’s not to like here?



Jan Golicic

Not enjoying the most dominant offensive season, but has gotten progressively better and more confident as the year has progressed. He is a 6’6 defender than moves well and is very punishing to play against. I think he is worth a selection at some point in the draft. He has a few good attributes, you draft him in hopes he develops the rest of his game.



HM to Sebastian Soini but i don’t think he matches your criteria OP

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Thoughts on Cole Hutson?

 

[austin63867]

Alright, I kinda wanted to chime in on this one even though I don’t post much anymore. There are a few guys I really wanted to highlight that are not getting a lot of press, some don’t even have threads on here yet but I REALLY enjoy watching them play and I hope me talking about them here can create some discourse around them and further opinions presented.



Vasili Zelenov

This is a kid that is playing for the Red Bull Juniors in Austria, the team isn’t the most high flying offensive team and is one of the top scorers on his team in a mens league. For context, the two leading scorers on his team are a couple of Finns, a 2002 born and a 2003 born. Zelenov is third in scoring as a 2006 born. He has a really good offensive skillset, is really good at creating offence off the rush and is a pretty good skater to boot. Sometimes he can be a puck hog, but honestly for a player that most likely won’t be drafted until the later half of the draft, he has some pretty good upside.



Filip Sitar

A re-entry for this years draft, Stiar I think has really good potential as a two way guy. He is a very smart kid who is able to use his vision and IQ to find teammates and create space for himself on the ice. He is a good skater who is able to create separation and beat guys to the outside and I genuinely think that he has very good potential as a two-way player in the future. Not a lot of perople are talking about him but I think there is potential he goes on the top-3 rounds, and a team gets a steal.



Max Vilen

He fits the mould of defenders I really have a hard time looking over, he has size, skates well and has good defensive fundamentals. He is very good at defending in front of his net and I think he does a great job in board battles against his peers. IQ is suspect but I think he brings a lot to the table that you hope that this improves over time and he finds that next level. Really like this player.



Cole Davis

This one is a homer vote for sure, and he probably won’t be anything better than a very good OHL player but I really love his competitive nature. He is always moving his feet and trying to make a play, if he was a better skater he could be this years Easton Cowan. He may be too small to be an NHL draft selection but when I see players that play like Davis does, I can’t help but want to see a team take a chance on them with the hope they can develop like a Gallagher,



Marek Vanacker

Don’t know if this one counts, as I have seen some lists with him pretty high but this is a guy that is currently too-20 in OHL scoring yet I haven’t seen anyone but my peers talk about him. He is a great skater who is able to score consistently and has a very good motor to him. He is a guy that could be this years Rehkopf and I want to see more people talking about him.



Nathan Villeneuve

This is a player that plays on a VERY deep Sudbury team that is still scoring at a very respectable rate as a draft eligible. He is a great skater, is a responsible two way forward and has a nose for the net. He is a guy that I can see massive progression next season as a good portion of Sudbury’s offence graduates onto the next level. I think that if you look at this player though the lense of circumstance - he is playing very well. Maybe another Josh Roy situation?



Evan Van Gorp

This is a kid who signed with the Knights as a free agent and clawed his way though the lineup and is now a full time player. He is a small but a very skilled player with excellent skating ability’s. He can move really well laterally and is super dangerous if he gets the puck in the offensive zone. He has looked much better in the second time I saw him this season than the first, so confident - putting on a show on the 4th line, stick handling around veteran OHL players. The word to describe this kid with is progression because of how much I have seen of it this season,



Veit Oswald

A double reentry for the draft - I think this is the year in which we see Oswald get selected. He was fantastic at the world juniors for Germany, was one of a few that could create offence for themselves and others. And in the DEL this year, he is having one of the best U20 seasons in the history of the league. Skating and compete are the name of the game for Oswald, I can without a doubt see him carving out a bottom6 role in the NHL. He will get drafted this time,



Tarin Smith

A very good sized defender that has excellent 4 way mobility and is scoring at a very good rate as a 17 year old in the WHL. Don’t understand why he hasn’t seen more attention on public rankings. He is very formidable at both ends of the ice, has size and is a great skater. What’s not to like here?



Jan Golicic

Not enjoying the most dominant offensive season, but has gotten progressively better and more confident as the year has progressed. He is a 6’6 defender than moves well and is very punishing to play against. I think he is worth a selection at some point in the draft. He has a few good attributes, you draft him in hopes he develops the rest of his game.



HM to Sebastian Soini but i don’t think he matches your criteria OP

Cole Davis is a good pick. Had better numbers to start the year but has still looked strong and getting chances even though he's been in a bit of a slump. Definitely someone who could go high if he closes off the year on a strong note.

Glad you mentioned Vanacker, can definitely see the Rehkopf type growth next year. He's already showing signs he's much better than his current ranking in my eyes.

Also P.S., it's funny you mention the "next Easton Cowan" because i'm writing an article on that exact topic but I have Vanacker on there instead of Davis.

 

[GermanSpitfire]

Cole Davis is a good pick. Had better numbers to start the year but has still looked strong and getting chances even though he's been in a bit of a slump. Definitely someone who could go high if he closes off the year on a strong note.

Glad you mentioned Vanacker, can definitely see the Rehkopf type growth next year. He's already showing signs he's much better than his current ranking in my eyes.

Also P.S., it's funny you mention the "next Easton Cowan" because i'm writing an article on that exact topic but I have Vanacker on there instead of Davis.

Davis has really struggled to find the net since returning from injury, but you’re right he is still making plays and showing off creativity with the puck. With better luck, his statline could look a lot better, and it will as he matures.

I can’t wait to read what you write about Vanacker, I’m interested to see your argument.

 

[LeProspector]

Thoughts on Cole Hutson?

Too small, not dynamic at all

 

[BigToe]

Noel Fransen
Jamiro Reber
Topias Hynninen

 

[Valeson81]

Ustinkov?

 

[Speyer]

Bit of a homer pick but Leon Muggli for me. I won't argue that he is a blue chip prospect or anything but he doesn't get enough credit for the season that he is currently having in my opinion. Yes he didn't have the strongest WJC but most double underagers don't even crack the roster for their respective countries anyway. I just don't get how a guy like Väisänen is consistently ranked 10-30 places above Muggli. Even most analytics guys seem to think that he is underrated at the moment.

Also from a Swiss perspective, Jamiro Reber seems generally overlooked as well. Yes his size is a concern and he needs to bring his offensive A-game more consitently. But otherwise he is easily the most talented forward the country had since Kurashev. And yet central scouting has him rated below guys like Gregory Weber, Clemens Sager and quite a few Swedish guys with better size but nowhere near the same offensive tools. The CS guys really seem to hate him, as he wasn't even on previous versions of their list.

 

[neelynugs]

couple of goalies i haven't seen a lot of talk about:

evan gardner, mikhail yegorov, ajay white.

yegorov's numbers are shite, but omaha is the worst team in the USHL so can't really
measure that. 6'4" goalie, just committed to BU.

 

[austin63867]

Noel Fransen
Jamiro Reber
Topias Hynninen

Would've said Hynninen but some scouts have him R1 and others leave him off entirely. Similar to Fransen where public scouts like him but he wasn't even mentioned by CS and all the big rankings.

 

[rt]

Surin for me.

 

[emptyNedder]

Marcus Kearsey--on the small side, but top 75 talent/IQ

 

[NoQuitInNewMexico]

Kenta Isogai? Of course I'm pretty casual and I wouldn't have anything to say about him if he wasn't Japanese. But I saw comments like maybe he gets picked in the sixth or seventh round because he's an overager - he's four months older than Andrew Cristall and the numbers are only a little worse, I'd assume he's gone by then

 

[MikeyS]

Alright, I kinda wanted to chime in on this one even though I don’t post much anymore. There are a few guys I really wanted to highlight that are not getting a lot of press, some don’t even have threads on here yet but I REALLY enjoy watching them play and I hope me talking about them here can create some discourse around them and further opinions presented.



Vasili Zelenov

This is a kid that is playing for the Red Bull Juniors in Austria, the team isn’t the most high flying offensive team and is one of the top scorers on his team in a mens league. For context, the two leading scorers on his team are a couple of Finns, a 2002 born and a 2003 born. Zelenov is third in scoring as a 2006 born. He has a really good offensive skillset, is really good at creating offence off the rush and is a pretty good skater to boot. Sometimes he can be a puck hog, but honestly for a player that most likely won’t be drafted until the later half of the draft, he has some pretty good upside.



Filip Sitar

A re-entry for this years draft, Stiar I think has really good potential as a two way guy. He is a very smart kid who is able to use his vision and IQ to find teammates and create space for himself on the ice. He is a good skater who is able to create separation and beat guys to the outside and I genuinely think that he has very good potential as a two-way player in the future. Not a lot of perople are talking about him but I think there is potential he goes on the top-3 rounds, and a team gets a steal.



Max Vilen

He fits the mould of defenders I really have a hard time looking over, he has size, skates well and has good defensive fundamentals. He is very good at defending in front of his net and I think he does a great job in board battles against his peers. IQ is suspect but I think he brings a lot to the table that you hope that this improves over time and he finds that next level. Really like this player.



Cole Davis

This one is a homer vote for sure, and he probably won’t be anything better than a very good OHL player but I really love his competitive nature. He is always moving his feet and trying to make a play, if he was a better skater he could be this years Easton Cowan. He may be too small to be an NHL draft selection but when I see players that play like Davis does, I can’t help but want to see a team take a chance on them with the hope they can develop like a Gallagher,



Marek Vanacker

Don’t know if this one counts, as I have seen some lists with him pretty high but this is a guy that is currently too-20 in OHL scoring yet I haven’t seen anyone but my peers talk about him. He is a great skater who is able to score consistently and has a very good motor to him. He is a guy that could be this years Rehkopf and I want to see more people talking about him.



Nathan Villeneuve

This is a player that plays on a VERY deep Sudbury team that is still scoring at a very respectable rate as a draft eligible. He is a great skater, is a responsible two way forward and has a nose for the net. He is a guy that I can see massive progression next season as a good portion of Sudbury’s offence graduates onto the next level. I think that if you look at this player though the lense of circumstance - he is playing very well. Maybe another Josh Roy situation?



Evan Van Gorp

This is a kid who signed with the Knights as a free agent and clawed his way though the lineup and is now a full time player. He is a small but a very skilled player with excellent skating ability’s. He can move really well laterally and is super dangerous if he gets the puck in the offensive zone. He has looked much better in the second time I saw him this season than the first, so confident - putting on a show on the 4th line, stick handling around veteran OHL players. The word to describe this kid with is progression because of how much I have seen of it this season,



Veit Oswald

A double reentry for the draft - I think this is the year in which we see Oswald get selected. He was fantastic at the world juniors for Germany, was one of a few that could create offence for themselves and others. And in the DEL this year, he is having one of the best U20 seasons in the history of the league. Skating and compete are the name of the game for Oswald, I can without a doubt see him carving out a bottom6 role in the NHL. He will get drafted this time,



Tarin Smith

A very good sized defender that has excellent 4 way mobility and is scoring at a very good rate as a 17 year old in the WHL. Don’t understand why he hasn’t seen more attention on public rankings. He is very formidable at both ends of the ice, has size and is a great skater. What’s not to like here?



Jan Golicic

Not enjoying the most dominant offensive season, but has gotten progressively better and more confident as the year has progressed. He is a 6’6 defender than moves well and is very punishing to play against. I think he is worth a selection at some point in the draft. He has a few good attributes, you draft him in hopes he develops the rest of his game.



HM to Sebastian Soini but i don’t think he matches your criteria OP

I really like what you brought up with Villeneuve and I have to ask another question, perhaps others can answer it. Which 2024 draft eligibles are playing on really good teams and not getting minutes but are still contributing? The guys who would elsewhere would produce more but aren’t because of circumstances. Those guys always fascinate me.

 

[MS]

Tarin Smith

A very good sized defender that has excellent 4 way mobility and is scoring at a very good rate as a 17 year old in the WHL. Don’t understand why he hasn’t seen more attention on public rankings. He is very formidable at both ends of the ice, has size and is a great skater. What’s not to like here?

Smith would be my call from the WHL also. Excellent skater, very good production for a 1st-time eligible defender (highest scoring 2006 defender in the WHL). But totally anonymous in terms of recognition.

Also worth noting that he plays for Everett which is one of the best developmental teams in the CHL so he's in a great situation.

 

[GermanSpitfire]

I forgot to include him, but look out for David Green. He is crushing it in the OJHL, a league that is notoriously underscouted and overlooked, provides good size and I think is only scratching the surface on what he could be.

 

[Bubbles]

Kenta Isogai? Of course I'm pretty casual and I wouldn't have anything to say about him if he wasn't Japanese. But I saw comments like maybe he gets picked in the sixth or seventh round because he's an overager - he's four months older than Andrew Cristall and the numbers are only a little worse, I'd assume he's gone by then

Andrew Cristall Feb 4 2005
Kenta Isogai Aug 28 2004

He's actually a double overager for this coming draft. He didn't do enough to get drafted in the last two drafts, but MIGHT get a look in the later rounds. Him and Cristall play nothing alike, so not sure why you'd bring him into the conversation.

Regardless, I think he might be able to carve out a career in the minors.

 

[Frk It]

Hage, Mews, Freij, Vanacker, Marques, Misa, Zether

 

[dr1234]

Marcus Kearsey--on the small side, but top 75 talent/IQ

Came here to say Kearsay as well. He’s also on a pretty low-scoring team but contributes on so much offense while also staying defensively responsible. I think there’s definitely something here.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Miguel Marques-Two way winger. Will be able to play bottom six in the NHL and has some underrated offensive ability. Could very well be a good middle six winger.

Tarin Smith-Defenseman that can really skate. He’s not the best defensively, but should be able to play a defensive shift once he bulks up and gets a little smarter with his decision making. Has decent offensive skills too for a 6’1 defenseman. Didn’t play that much last season, so this is his first full WHL seaaon. Could be a top 4 PMD, if all goes well.

Leon Muggli-Swiss players are always underrated, and Muggli is the best this year. More of a defensive defenseman, but he’s not bad with his skating or offensive game either. I think he has a good chance to be a regular NHL defenseman.

Niilopekka Muhonen-Big defensive defenseman that skates well and can move pucks. Probably doesn’t have the offensive instincts for more than a safe defensive defenseman, but he does have some decent hands for a big man and should be an NHL regular either way.

Eriks Mateiko-Latvian player, so he’s automatically underrated. He’s almost 1PPG in the Q, and wasn’t bad at the WJC. Likely not an impact NHL’er, but I think he has a good chance to be a bottom six NHL’er for a player who won’t be picked higher than late rounds.

Lucas Van Vliet-He’s like a poor man’s Cuttier Gauthier. He has a lot of upside. He started showing his potential late last season in a bigger role when other players were promoted. I thought he would’ve continued it into this season, but he had an early injury that set him back and he’s been playing catch-up. The last couple of months he’s been great, and I think has solidified himself as the 4th best 18’s NTDP forward (3rd best in 2024).

Mac Swanson-Yeah, he’s small and all. I understand that. But he has absolutely sick hockey sense and vision. He’s been an elite point producer in junior hockey and for USAH from the start of his junior career last year. His production is up there with the very best in this draft. I don’t think he’s a bad skater or soft or very perimeter or bad defensively. The obstacle is that he’s 5’7. He could still grow. His father is 5’10. He’ll be picked no higher than round 3, but I think he’ll be a top 6 winger in the NHL.

Tory Pitner-Didn’t get that much attention last year because he wasn’t putting up big totals, given he was playing a small role on the league winners. But he was the youngest guy they had playing a regular shift and did so throughout the playoffs also. This year he’s gotten more opportunity and has been one of the best defensemen in the USHL. He’s also been the best non-NTDP defensemen in his age group at every international tournament the last couple of years. He’ll probably go like round 3, but should go at least a round earlier.

Austin Baker-Very good defensive forward with NHL size and skating. He’s smart and is starting to score more this season also. I think he’ll be a good 4C in the NHL, and probably won’t be picked higher than round 3 or 4.

 

[SimGrindcore]

Evan Gardner
Harrison Meneghin
Jackson Unger

Top 3 WHL goalie with the best analytics that project NHL goalies.

Nate Misskey
Marcus Kearsey
Tarin Smith
Spencer Gill
Ben Danford
Luca Marrelli

They are all over 0,40 ppg excluding PP points in the CHL. This screams NHL dman.

 

[GermanSpitfire]

Alright, I kinda wanted to chime in on this one even though I don’t post much anymore. There are a few guys I really wanted to highlight that are not getting a lot of press, some don’t even have threads on here yet but I REALLY enjoy watching them play and I hope me talking about them here can create some discourse around them and further opinions presented.



Vasili Zelenov

This is a kid that is playing for the Red Bull Juniors in Austria, the team isn’t the most high flying offensive team and is one of the top scorers on his team in a mens league. For context, the two leading scorers on his team are a couple of Finns, a 2002 born and a 2003 born. Zelenov is third in scoring as a 2006 born. He has a really good offensive skillset, is really good at creating offence off the rush and is a pretty good skater to boot. Sometimes he can be a puck hog, but honestly for a player that most likely won’t be drafted until the later half of the draft, he has some pretty good upside.



Filip Sitar

A re-entry for this years draft, Stiar I think has really good potential as a two way guy. He is a very smart kid who is able to use his vision and IQ to find teammates and create space for himself on the ice. He is a good skater who is able to create separation and beat guys to the outside and I genuinely think that he has very good potential as a two-way player in the future. Not a lot of perople are talking about him but I think there is potential he goes on the top-3 rounds, and a team gets a steal.



Max Vilen

He fits the mould of defenders I really have a hard time looking over, he has size, skates well and has good defensive fundamentals. He is very good at defending in front of his net and I think he does a great job in board battles against his peers. IQ is suspect but I think he brings a lot to the table that you hope that this improves over time and he finds that next level. Really like this player.



Cole Davis

This one is a homer vote for sure, and he probably won’t be anything better than a very good OHL player but I really love his competitive nature. He is always moving his feet and trying to make a play, if he was a better skater he could be this years Easton Cowan. He may be too small to be an NHL draft selection but when I see players that play like Davis does, I can’t help but want to see a team take a chance on them with the hope they can develop like a Gallagher,



Marek Vanacker

Don’t know if this one counts, as I have seen some lists with him pretty high but this is a guy that is currently too-20 in OHL scoring yet I haven’t seen anyone but my peers talk about him. He is a great skater who is able to score consistently and has a very good motor to him. He is a guy that could be this years Rehkopf and I want to see more people talking about him.



Nathan Villeneuve

This is a player that plays on a VERY deep Sudbury team that is still scoring at a very respectable rate as a draft eligible. He is a great skater, is a responsible two way forward and has a nose for the net. He is a guy that I can see massive progression next season as a good portion of Sudbury’s offence graduates onto the next level. I think that if you look at this player though the lense of circumstance - he is playing very well. Maybe another Josh Roy situation?



Evan Van Gorp

This is a kid who signed with the Knights as a free agent and clawed his way though the lineup and is now a full time player. He is a small but a very skilled player with excellent skating ability’s. He can move really well laterally and is super dangerous if he gets the puck in the offensive zone. He has looked much better in the second time I saw him this season than the first, so confident - putting on a show on the 4th line, stick handling around veteran OHL players. The word to describe this kid with is progression because of how much I have seen of it this season,



Veit Oswald

A double reentry for the draft - I think this is the year in which we see Oswald get selected. He was fantastic at the world juniors for Germany, was one of a few that could create offence for themselves and others. And in the DEL this year, he is having one of the best U20 seasons in the history of the league. Skating and compete are the name of the game for Oswald, I can without a doubt see him carving out a bottom6 role in the NHL. He will get drafted this time,



Tarin Smith

A very good sized defender that has excellent 4 way mobility and is scoring at a very good rate as a 17 year old in the WHL. Don’t understand why he hasn’t seen more attention on public rankings. He is very formidable at both ends of the ice, has size and is a great skater. What’s not to like here?



Jan Golicic

Not enjoying the most dominant offensive season, but has gotten progressively better and more confident as the year has progressed. He is a 6’6 defender than moves well and is very punishing to play against. I think he is worth a selection at some point in the draft. He has a few good attributes, you draft him in hopes he develops the rest of his game.



HM to Sebastian Soini but i don’t think he matches your criteria OP

I’d like to expand on this, Jack Brauti.

He is a rookie defender in the OHL who has only gotten better, and better as the season has progressed. In his first 38 games of the season, he only managed 7 points. Since then he has been phenomenal - 12 games played and 11 points. He is such a good skater, has great poise and has a heavy shot from the blueline. As a scout, I love players like Jack - guys that continue to show progression as the season progresses and make the most out of more ice time.

Riley Patterson is another, funnily enough he plays for the the same Barrie Colts team - since the turn of the new year, he has 34 points in 24 games. He has shown great progression in his game and has really adjusted to the OHL since the new year, he is now showing what many of us thought when the Colts traded for him.