Just as a heads up, my WHL rankings are now live:
#1 - Sam Reinhart - Kootenay Ice - C - R - 6'1 - 183
Reinhart excels due to having unparalleled hockey sense in relation to the rest of the 2014 NHL Draft class. Has the innate ability to both speed up the game and slow it down. Vision is his next best asset, as he plays with what seems like 360-degree vision and the ability to execute perfect passes through traffic, under pressure. Foot speed and skating is still an area that can be improved upon, with it taking some decent strides already over the last two seasons. He doesn't shoot the puck overly hard but has a quick release and very good accuracy. Still much more of a passer than finisher, but his shot is another area that has slowly improved as time has gone on. He commands respect both on and off the ice and is extremely disciplined on the ice. He has the tools to be a leader at the next level, maybe even a future NHL captain. I don't think he matches up extremely well when compared with your "typical" 1st overall calibre prospects over the last few years, but he's still a legit talent due to his unparalleled ability to think his way around the ice and then put those smarts into action in the form of both offensive and defensive production.
NHL Style Comparison: Right-handed Henrik Sedin
Top End NHL Potential: #1 Centre, near a point per game, captain, NHL All-Star
Pick Prediction: 2nd overall to Buffalo
#2 - Leon Draisaitl - Prince Albert Raiders - C - L - 6'1 - 209
Draisaitl has arguably the most raw talent of any WHL prospect for the 2014 NHL Draft. From my viewings, his best asset is his vision. He has a great ability to slow the play down and set up linemates with super feeds on either the forehand or backhand, with his backhand sauce being something to sit back and marvel at. That ability to slow down the play has been seen as a knock by some, as he tends to attempt to slow the pace down constantly, instead of showing an ability to play in a faster environment. His skating is also another area of concern as he's got a choppy, ugly stride. I think that's definitely an area of concern, but has been an area that many players have improved upon in the past. He really had a great second half of the season, putting the Raiders on his back and shrugging off a sub-par appearance at the World Juniors for team Germany. He also put together a strong performance for Germany at the World Championships, proving that he can look pretty good on the ice against some NHL talent, despite his skating concerns. Overall I think he might have the most potential of any WHL player in the draft and I wouldn't be shocked if a team took him in the top 3 picks.
NHL Style Comparison: Anze Kopitar
Top End NHL Potential: #1 Centre
Pick Prediction: 3rd overall to Edmonton
#3 - Nikita Scherbak - Saskatoon Blades - RW - L - 6'2 - 174
Scherbak is a gifted Russian winger that led the Saskatoon Blades and WHL rookies in scoring this past season. He's got a full arsenal of offensive tools at his disposal including a "heavy" wrist shot with a quick release and some very adept vision and passing ability. He excelled all season at making the players around him better despite not having a ton of help offensively in Saskatoon, especially in the 2nd half of the year. His skating isn't a strength, but it's not a huge weakness either. His top gear is just fine, but he does tend to be a bit slow out of the gate due to having a low and long stride. He has shown the ability to play physical, whether it being taking a hit to make a play or finishing his check when needed, although that part of his game does come with some inconsistency. He's got a high hockey IQ and shows the ability to arrive at the right place at the right time in offensive situations. He comes from an athletic background as his father is a former soccer player, his mother a basketball player, while his sister plays tennis. Throughout the year I heard many rumblings that NHL teams liked him more than Draisaitl, but that was before Leon turned things up in a big way in the second half of the year. There's still many things to like about this player and my jaw wouldn't hit the floor if a team took a shot at him in the top 15 selections.
NHL Style Comparison: Evgeni Malkin
Top End NHL Potential: Top 6 winger
Pick Prediction: 15-25 overall
#4 - Jake Virtanen - Calgary Hitmen - LW - R - 6'1 - 210
Virtanen is the top "power forward" that the WHL has to offer for the 2014 NHL Draft. He's got good size, is a powerful skater, can play physical and has one of the best shots in the draft. He's got a heavy shot, it's accurate and he has a great release. He's a former 1st overall pick in the Bantam Draft by the Hitmen and has developed nicely since that time. But, he doesn't come with a few flaws. I've noticed some major consistency issues in his game over the last few seasons. He can go through stretches of games where he is easily the best player on the ice and also go through stretches where he goes completely off the radar. His willingness to engage physically has also been a noted area of inconsistency for me. His overall compete and character would be an area that I would point to when justifying my ranking of him, which is somewhat lower than where some others would have him. But, when he wants to he can dominate, and that type of skillset will surely attract many NHL teams. He scored 45 goals this season for Calgary while also being a complete standout at the Under-18's for Canada this spring. He battled through injury late in the year before going under the knife to fix a shoulder problem. That issue will be weighed by NHL clubs come draft time, but likely won't hurt his stock too much.
NHL Style Comparison: Right-handed Evander Kane
Top End NHL Potential: First line winger, top 15 NHL goal scoring candidate each season
Pick Prediction: 6-10 overall
#5 - Haydn Fleury - Red Deer Rebels - D - L - 6'3 - 198
Fleury is an extremely smooth-skating blueliner for the Red Deer Rebels. He's got great size and as mentioned, his skating stride is easily his best asset. He's got great balance and power in his stride, making his mobility around the ice seem absolutely effortless. He passes the puck well, powerfully and accurately. He's got a solid shot from the point, although this would be an area that a player in his offensive mold can always improve. His defensive game did improve over the course of this season and that culminated in a solid two-way performance for Team Canada at the World Under-18's this spring. He's not an overly physical player, but he's fairly smart in his positioning, benefits from having a long reach and also has the skating ability to stay with faster and smaller players while in his defensive zone. Next year he should be among WHL defensive leaders in points per game and will also compete for a spot on the Canadian World Junior team. He's one of the top defencemen available in the 2014 NHL Draft and I fully expect him to be taken in the 10th overall range.
NHL Style Comparison: Jay Bouwmeester
Top End NHL Potential: #2 defenceman, first unit PP guy
Pick Prediction: 8-12 overall
#6 - Conner Bleackley - Red Deer Rebels - C - R - 6'1 - 195
Bleackley is the extremely well-rounded and talented captain of the Red Deer Rebels. He's a very smart player with a high-end level of hockey IQ, poise and leadership. His offensive game really developed this year, going from 18 points last year to 68 in 2013-14, including 29 goals. His offensive game is highlighted by both the ability to create plays and finish them, with his wrist shot release being extremely good. He plays like a true captain with a physical, rugged and gritty edge to his game. The main weakness that I have seen in his game has been his skating, which actually isn't that bad. He's not the most fleet of foot but doesn't show many flaws in his stride, making it an area that should improve with hard work and instruction. There might be some more concerns regarding his overall offensive potential, which is the main reason why I would have him behind Virtanen, although I wouldn't be shocked to see Bleackley end up as the better pro in 7-10 years. Depending on which team takes him, he might actually end up being a guy that can be converted to the right-wing if necessary.
NHL Style Comparison: Right-handed Gabriel Landeskog
Top End NHL Potential: Top 6 forward, NHL captain
Pick Prediction: 20-25 overall
#7 - Travis Sanheim - Calgary Hitmen - D - L - 6'3 - 189
Sanheim burst onto the scene this season with Calgary and steadily improved as the year went on. He went from being a "who is this guy?", as a 9th round WHL bantam pick, to a player that has a chance at being taken in the 1st round of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. Truly impressive growth for a player. Sanheim seems to be the total package. He's got the size, the skating ability, the hands, the shot, the hockey smarts and the willingness to engage physically and defensively. There's a lot to like. He steadily rose on my board as the season went on, really opening my eyes when I finally got to see him live a few times in February where he was aggressive, making great pinches and creating all over the ice. He might be the player in this draft who has shown the strongest development in the second half of the season, capping it off with a great showing at the World Under-18's, where he put up 6 assists in 7 games while playing hard minutes in all situations. I would rank him as a kid who slots into the 30-45th overall range, but he's a prime candidate to go earlier than that. The fact that this draft is light on top-end defencemen should further cement him as a surefire top 40 pick come the end of June.
NHL Style Comparison: Ryan McDonagh
Top End NHL Potential: #2 defenceman who plays PP and PK
Pick Prediction: 25-35 overall
The rest:
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