Prospect Info: 2020 NHL draft.

[Frk It]

One good update:

https://thehockeywriters.com/2020-nhl-draft-rankings-january-fisher/

1) Alexis Lafreniere (LW, Canada, Rimouski QMJHL)
2) Lucas Raymond (RhW, Sweden, Frolunda SHL)
3) Quinton Byfield (LhC, Canada, Sudbury OHL)
4) Tim Stutzle (LC/LhW, Germany, Adler Mannheim DEL)
5) Alexander Holtz (RhW, Sweden, Djurgardens SHL)
6) Jamie Drysdale (RhD, Canada, Erie OHL)
7) Marco Rossi (LhC, Austria/Switzerland, Ottawa OHL)
8) Anton Lundell (LhC, Finland, HIFK Liiga)
9) Yaroslav Askarov (G, Russia, SKA-Neva St. Petersburg VHL)
10) Cole Perfetti (LW/LhC, Canada, Saginaw OHL)

It's a pretty good list, I think it's a little too reactionary to the WJC tournament though. I have also considered putting Raymond at #2. But Byfield is just too promising for me as the top center in this class. It seems like Perfetti was punished for not participating in the WJC, which is dumb. I like him better than several guys ranked ahead of him.

 

[Frk It]

Outside the potential 1st rounders, any targets? Late round flyers?

What say you.

I remember being really impressed with Mitchell Miller at the Hlinka last year. I think he was a forward who was converted to defense if I'm remembering right. Looks like he hasn't done too much in the USHL this year, but I thought he had a really good set of tools.

Other than that, I think Carter Savoie is very intriguing. Surprised he has no hype given he is the brother of a high profile prospect and having a productive year. This was shared over on the prospect board, kind of cool: https://www.futurescopehockey.com/post/prospect-report-carter-savoie

 

[Hen Kolland]

It's a pretty good list, I think it's a little too reactionary to the WJC tournament though. I have also considered putting Raymond at #2. But Byfield is just too promising for me as the top center in this class. It seems like Perfetti was punished for not participating in the WJC, which is dumb. I like him better than several guys ranked ahead of him.

I do believe he had Raymond at #2 before the WJC as well. Seems he’s just a believer

 

[Frk It]

I do believe he had Raymond at #2 before the WJC as well. Seems he’s just a believer

This is worth a watch. Beats the best goalie in this draft a bunch in this video too (which guys like Caufield have struggled to do)

 

[Hen Kolland]

This is worth a watch. Beats the best goalie in this draft a bunch in this video too (which guys like Caufield have struggled to do)

Preaching to the choir here, I think he’s deserving of the hype. He’s my #2 at this point, because I think the comparison to Marner or Panarin are both pretty strong, and they are both equipped with skill sets we just don’t have.

The one thing we can’t do up front is maintain possession and pull defensive systems apart at 5 on 5 or the powerplay in the offensive zone. He’s not cut from the same cloth as our north-south players who seem apprehensive to navigate the center of the ice with the puck on their stick. That’s one thing that I think Raymond is capable of doing better than most in the draft class. He does the opposite of the in zone curl that our forwards do on the entry. He will take a pass along the half wall while skating away from the net, and then make that quick cut to the center of the ice and he’s just so confident in being able to create in those moments.

 

[Frk It]

So Marco Rossi has 66 points in 28 games. Is there a reason he’s not in the conversation for us at 4?

I think we might be sleeping on him. I wouldn’t be surprised if some NHL teams had him rated higher than we do. I could see Rossi and Holtz being guys some teams have in that 3-5 range.

 

[raymond23]

I think we might be sleeping on him. I wouldn’t be surprised if some NHL teams had him rated higher than we do. I could see Rossi and Holtz being guys some teams have in that 3-5 range.

I haven't watched a second of him but his numbers are out of this world.

 

[Red Stanley]

This is worth a watch. Beats the best goalie in this draft a bunch in this video too (which guys like Caufield have struggled to do)

Looks like a pretty complete offensive package from that video. We desperately need high-end playmakers. That wrist shot is a pinpoint laser. Impressed with his forecheck/takeaways, too.

 

[ricky0034]

I haven't watched a second of him but his numbers are out of this world.

it'll be interesting to see where he ends up

he's got a lot of negatives against him between his size,later birthday,not really having a ton of room to physically develop already being at 179 lbs for his 5'9" etc but at some point that level of production kinda speaks for itself too

i'm pretty confident he won't really compete for the 1st spot with Lafreniere having great production too,less knocks against him,and the year he had last year but beyond that he could pretty much go anywhere between like 2nd and 10th and I wouldn't be shocked at this point

 

[Marky9er]

it'll be interesting to see where he ends up

he's got a lot of negatives against him between his size,later birthday,not really having a ton of room to physically develop already being at 179 lbs for his 5'9" etc but at some point that level of production kinda speaks for itself too

i'm pretty confident he won't really compete for the 1st spot with Lafreniere having great production too,less knocks against him,and the year he had last year but beyond that he could pretty much go anywhere between like 2nd and 10th and I wouldn't be shocked at this point

Rossi has a dominant team around him. You have to take the numbers with a grain of salt. They're not carrying him or anything like that, I don't mean it to be any kind of knock...I simply mean playing with older guys like Hoefenmayer and Keating is boosting the stats naturally. If he was on a poor team he'd probably still be near 2 ppg, but Ottawa is so dominant just look at their goal differential vs Sudbury's goal differential. Byfields 63 points in 32gp is equally impressive or better considering the overall teams.

I love Rossi. He's small but Yzerman himself was a small kid out of the OHL. I think Rossi looks pretty solid, and a lot of his success is through his ability to receive hard passes and make precise passes of his own. IMO his skill looks to project well for the NHL, and size isn't really a concern for me. I think he goes 5 through 8 but should be considered carefully at 3/4. I've read opinions about his floor being elite 3rd line C. I don't want to anoint him a 90 point top 6 C, but I don't think its out of the question.

“Marco does a lot of good things on the ice,” said 67’s coach André Tourigny. “He has to create offence, but he creates a lot of possession, too. We possess the puck a whole lot when Marco’s out there. He wins draws. After one period, we had won nine faceoffs — he had won six of those. He helps defensively, he plays well in his zone, he wins draws, he’s really good on breakouts and he distributes the puck really well, so he helps on many fronts.”

Whether or not we draft this guy (I expect it's a little unlikely) I think Austen Keating is going to be a possible signing for Yzerman.

 

[lilidk]

Is Rossi next Datsyuk , time will tell , but that's how I see him

 

[Killerjas]

Outside the potential 1st rounders, any targets? Late round flyers?

What say you.

William Wallinder, he is the real deal

 

[Marky9er]

Is Rossi next Datsyuk , time will tell , but that's how I see him

I have been trying not to say that.

 

[Frk It]

William Wallinder, he is the real deal

I’ve heard some feel he is the 2nd best D in this draft, so I think it’s a long shot he would go outside the 1sr round.

 

[lilidk]

 

[Marky9er]

William Wallinder, he is the real deal

He's a potential first rounder, though. We'd have to get him 32.

For me the interesting players are the overage guys like Gogolev. I don't think OA prospects will be going top 50 based on Brett Leason from last year. Scooping up those guys with 3rd or 4th round picks would be decent.

 

[DatsyukToZetterberg]

Outside the potential 1st rounders, any targets? Late round flyers?

What say you.

2nd: William Villeunve, Luke Evangelista, Justin Sourdif, Ryan Francis, Brett Berard
3rd: Thomas Bordeleau, Charlie Desroches, Emil Heineman, Carter Savoie, Michael Benning, Yevgeni Oksentyuk (D+1), Pavel Gogolev (D+2)
4th+: Juuso Maenpaa, Yegor Stepanov (D+2), Maxim Marushev (D+3), Jacob Dion, Ilya Solovyov (D+2), Miguel Tourigny, Adam Wilsby (D+2), Calle Spaberg Olsen, Alexander Pashin

Of these guys my favorites are Luke Evangelista, he has excellent ES production and is right on the cusp of the 1st imo; Ryan Francis, he has excellent production and should be a mid to late 1st; Alexander Pashin, a small and dynamic Russian forward who is playing very well in the MHL, I'd take him as early as the late 1st, but I'd expect him to fall to the 4th or later; Yegor Stepanov, another small forward who is playing well in the VHL and has numbers that are similar to CBJ prospect Kirill Marchenko and better than VEG prospect Ivan Morozov; and lastly Maxim Marushev, another Russian that is having the best U-21 season in the VHL with 18 goals and 16 assists in 28 gp, I think he's worth a late 2nd but he'll probably still be available in the 5th.

Edit: I forgot to include Benjamin Baumgartner (D+2) in the 4th+ picks section. He's having an incredible season in the NLA and while it is his D+2 the production is fantastic for an U20 player, he also led the WJC A tournament in scoring if you care for that sort of thing. He's definitely someone that will fall and I think would be worth a selection anywhere from the 3rd and onward.

I remember being really impressed with Mitchell Miller at the Hlinka last year. I think he was a forward who was converted to defense if I'm remembering right. Looks like he hasn't done too much in the USHL this year, but I thought he had a really good set of tools.

Other than that, I think Carter Savoie is very intriguing. Surprised he has no hype given he is the brother of a high profile prospect and having a productive year. This was shared over on the prospect board, kind of cool: https://www.futurescopehockey.com/post/prospect-report-carter-savoie

I love Savoie and have him in the late 1st to early 2nd, I think that link did a great job of outlining his strengths and showing why he should be in the 1st. His production this year is fantastic and is better than Holloway's from last year. Savoie is playing with two very good overage players, both are '99s, though I'm not sure how much that helps him giving he has been productive at every level. If he goes after pick 45 I think the team that selects him will have gotten excellent value.

 

[Barry Amsterdam]

Between the top 4 draft picks we’re getting a stud. I’m sure I’m in the minority but I’d take all 4 over kakko last year.

 

[deca guard]

https://thehockeywriters.com/2020-nhl-draft-risers-january/

 

[DatsyukToZetterberg]

Between the top 4 draft picks we’re getting a stud. I’m sure I’m in the minority but I’d take all 4 over kakko last year.

I think you could make an argument for the the top 4 or 5 prospects over both Hughes and Kakko. I think as of now you can say that Lafreniere would definitively go ahead of both and it would then be some combination of Byfield, Hughes, Kakko, Rossi, Stutzle, and Ramyond. For me, I think given what the players did in their draft seasons it would be Lafreniere, Byfield, Rossi, Hughes, Stutzle, Kakko, Raymond.

So long as we can get a pick in the top 5 I'll be happy this year. I think all 5 of Lafreniere, Byfield, Rossi, Stutzle, and Raymond have elite player upside and in a lot of ways it's similar to 2013 or 2015 where almost all the top 5 had top line player upside. I'm really envious of the Sens and their two picks as the worst they can do is hold #6 and #10, though it's unlikely that both picks fall that far.

 

[Frk It]

I think you could make an argument for the the top 4 or 5 prospects over both Hughes and Kakko. I think as of now you can say that Lafreniere would definitively go ahead of both and it would then be some combination of Byfield, Hughes, Kakko, Rossi, Stutzle, and Ramyond. For me, I think given what the players did in their draft seasons it would be Lafreniere, Byfield, Rossi, Hughes, Stutzle, Kakko, Raymond.

So long as we can get a pick in the top 5 I'll be happy this year. I think all 5 of Lafreniere, Byfield, Rossi, Stutzle, and Raymond have elite player upside and in a lot of ways it's similar to 2013 or 2015 where almost all the top 5 had top line player upside. I'm really envious of the Sens and their two picks as the worst they can do is hold #6 and #10, though it's unlikely that both picks fall that far.

Based strictly on draft season there is no way more than 2 players in this draft go ahead of Hughes and Kakko. You guys are using their rookie season to diminish what they were as prospects here for sure.

 

[Marky9er]

Byfield quietly had 2g3a for a 5 point night last night.

 

[DatsyukToZetterberg]

OHL Prospects: Midseason Top 50 for the 2020 NHL Entry Draft

Brock has posted his updated OHL top 50. The top 5 is:

1. Quinton Byfield
2. Jamie Drysdale
3. Macro Rossi
4. Cole Perfetti
5. Jack Quinn

I thought what he had to say about Rossi was interesting given the discussion we're currently having about him.

But his skating has improved a lot this year, and he is showing a more complete and creative skill set than I had originally given him credit for. There may not be a better player in the OHL below the hash marks. The way that he controls the wall is exciting to watch. He may not be the biggest kid at 5'9, but his strength and balance are exceptional. He is very difficult to knock off stride. Additionally, his agility is exceptional, especially with the puck, which showcases just how good his hands are. Like Byfield, Rossi often draws multiple defenders down low, drawing penalties or creating open lanes in the slot. Rossi's shot has improved a ton this year too; his release much quicker and explosive...Throw in the fact that Rossi is also a terrific two-way player who anchors Ottawa's penalty kill and is on the ice late in the third period protecting leads, and you have a player with very few weaknesses now.

 

[Marky9er]

https://thehockeywriters.com/2020-nhl-draft-risers-january/

Was actually just reading the same article and I was going to post it because many LHD in the discussion. Andrae, Sanderson, Viro, O'Rourke, Kuznetsov(hm).

Also, interesting sleeper pick in the hm section Brady Burns. Small skilled guy who should be available later on could be a worthwhile project.

 

[DatsyukToZetterberg]

Based strictly on draft season there is no way more than 2 players in this draft go ahead of Hughes and Kakko. You guys are using their rookie season to diminish what they were as prospects here for sure.

I'd have to disagree. Look at what Kakko did in the Liiga in his draft year and look at what Hughes did in the USHL. Can you really say that what Kakko or Hughes did is more impressive than Rossi or Byfield are doing right now? I would have 0 issue if we took Rossi or Byfield 1st overall, assuming they can continue their level of play, that's how well they have played this year. Hughes slotting in as the 4th player is no fault of his own, but a reflection of the incredible seasons Rossi, Byfield, and Lafreniere are having. Stutzle or Kakko is a toss up, but I defer to the player that has a chance to play C at the NHL level.

As of now we have Lafreniere having the best DY season since Crosby in the QMJHL and Rossi and Byfield are having seasons that are behind only McDavid in the OHL. It's not a slight to the players nor far fetched to suggest that all 3 would or could go ahead of Kakko/Hughes in a hypothetical mixed draft situation. They're having some of the best draft year seasons in their respective leagues over the past decade.