Lord Stanley
Revoluccion Leader
Last time we did this list just after the WJC we included some players that were signed to contracts and on our HFNHL farm team (Subban (8), O’Regan (11), Balcers (14), Desimone (17), and Bischoff (19). Been an expansion team we only had one draft under our belts so there wasn’t much to make up a list with. We are now into year 2 with our second entry draft complete this top 20 list won’t feature anybody that already has an HFNHL contract. Our previous list also sees two graduates Alex Tuch (2) and Mackenzie Weegar (16) have both been signed to contracts and are not longer considered prospects. Also gone from that very first list is Elias Pettersson (1) as he was traded for a package of picks and prospects. Ian Mitchell (9) and Filip Westerlund (10) also traded. Now that we are entering year two, we will start to see some real graduations from the list as well as some consistency and not so many new players from trades.
1: Kailer Yamamoto (New)
He was acquired as part of the package that sent our first every entry draft pick Elias Pettersson to Anaheim. He surprised everyone and made the Oiler out of training camp getting into 9 games he had 3 assists before being sent back to junior. He did have a somewhat disappointing WJC but when he returned to Spokane he tore up the WHL and finished the year with 21 goals and 43 assists in 40 WHL games. He’s motivated to make the Oilers out of camp again and ride shotgun to McDavid.
2: Barrett Hayton (New)
He ended up getting drafted 5th overall to Arizona in the NHL, which was a shock to us and probably many others considering consensus top 3 pick Filip Zadina was still on the board. We are thrilled that he went that high and to hear that other NHL clubs were targeting him inside the top 10. We expect that he’ll be heading back to the OHL where his offence should really take off this year in the Soo. The pick we used to pick him was acquired as part of the package for Peterson.
3: Owen Tippett (New)
Acquired in a trade this offseason. Tippett made the Florida Panthers out of training camp and spent 7 games in the NHL before being sent back to junior. Tippett was a surprise omission from the Canadian world junior team, we don’t think they will pass on him again if given the opportunity to select him this time around. Tippett went on to score 36 goals and add 39 helpers in 51 games with Mississauga. After his junior season was finished he player 5 games in the AHL where he had a goal and an assist. He’s done all he can at the OHL level and unfortunately can’t be sent down to the AHL this year, so it will be interesting to see if he crack the Panthers lineup this year for a full season.
4: Joel Farabee (New)
He was our first pick at this years entry draft 12th overall. He ended up going to the Flyers int he NHL draft 14th overall. He’s got a good skill set and tireless worker. He tore it up this past season with the US national team development program, and he now heads to Boston University. He needs to add some muscle to his frame but he’ll have lots of time for that as he develops in the NCAA alongside some of our other prospects.
5: Jacob Larsson (New)
Acquired at the HFNHL entry draft for the 34th pick overall which turned out to be Alexander Alexeyev. For us and the Flames we will both be watching these two players very carefully over the next few years. Larsson made the NHL Ducks out of training camp two years ago for a 4 game stint before being loaned back to his Swedish club. Last year was spent receiving from knee surgery and as a result Larsson was passed over for some callus so that he could focus on developing and receiving properly. In 50 AHL games Larsson had 16 points, he put up 8 of those points in his final 17 games of the year. We think there is a strong possibility that Larsson sticks in Anaheim this year and a year from now he won’t be on this list.
6: Shane Bowers (3)
For a player with questionable offensive upside he really produced at Boston University this past season. He was second in Freshman scoring and first in goals, ahead of players like Casey Mittelstadt, Ryan Poehling and Brady Tkachuk in both categories. Bowers put up 17 goals and 15 assists in 40 games for a team that struggled. Heading into his second year of NCAA competition we expect that Bowers offensive game will continue to develop.
7: Maxime Comtois (4)
He had a rough draft year and as a result fell to the 2nd round after being considered a top 10 pick at one point. Much like Bowers there were questions about his offensive game, but he had a monster year in the QMJHL and with team Canada at the WJC even after suffering a nasty injury early in the season. He scored 44 goals and 41 assists in 54 games with Victoriaville finishing in the top 5 scorers for the QMJHL. While with Canada at the WJC he put up 6 points in 7 games. He would need a monster camp to start the year with Anaheim in the NHL, we think he’ll go back to the Q and represent Canada one more time at the WJC.
8: Daniel Sprong (New)
It feels like Sprong has been around forever, but he’s just 21 years old and last year was his first full professional season. He was a point per game player in the AHL posting 65 points in 65 games which included 35 goals. Sprong has had stints in the NHL including last year for 8 games, but he got sent back to work on his defensive game. This should be the year that Sprong sticks in Pittsburgh. Acquired along with Tippett this offseason.
9: Andreas Johnsson (New)
Acquired in a trade early in the season. Johnson a former 7th round draft pick has taken a long steady path towards the NHL. It finally all came together for the Swede this year. He played most of the season in the AHL where he produced at a point per game 26 goals and 28 assists in 54 games before getting called up to the Leafs for the rest of the regular season and playoffs. He played mostly in a 3rd and 4th line role while with the big club fitting in nicely. Once the Leafs were eliminated Johnsson rejoined the Marlies for the AHL playoffs and he dominated posting 24 points in 16 playoff matches on his way to winning calder cup MVP. We fully expect Johnsson to stick with the NHL club next year where some fans are clamouring for him to play on the top line with Auston Matthews.
10: Serron Noel (New)
Our 3rd first round pick from the just passed entry draft. He fell to the 2nd round in the NHL draft where the Florida Panthers snagged him. Noel has the makings of a future NHL power forward. It’s going to take time though for him to get there. He put up 53 points in 62 games with Oshawa in the OHL this past year and had a decent performance at the U18’s. We expect him to be back in the OHL working on his game and hope to see a big leap forward in production. We used the 2nd first rounder acquired int he Pettersson trade on him.
11: Jonathan Tychonick (New)
He played in the BCHL this past season to keep his NCAA eligibility. In 48 games the swift skating defender had 47 points and added another 17 points in 11 playoff games. Tychonick was at some points during the year considered to have a shot at being drafted late in the first round. He ended up going in the middle of the 2nd 48th overall in both the HFNHL and NHL. He’s headed to North Dakota this season where he will get to work on his defensive game.
12: Stelio Mattheos (7)
We netted Mattheos with a 3rd round pick in our first entry draft and almost immediately started receiving trade inquires on him (mostly from Columbus). We resisted the urge to move Mattheos, mainly because we weren’t sure what we got with him. He was a highly regarded prospect heading into the WHL but hadn’t meet the expectations yet. He finally broke out this past season finishing in the top 10 scorers for the WHL 90 points including 43 goals in just 68 games with Brandon. We will be hoping for more of the same this year from Mattheos as he works towards the professional ranks.
13: Tyler Parsons (New)
Heading into this season Parsons was considered an elite goaltending prospect. Another player we acquired in the Pettersson trade. However he really struggled this season in his pro debut and some of that shine has worn off perhaps. Part of the problem was he is in a system that had quite a bit of goalie depth and also suffered lots of injuries resulting in Parsons being up and down between the ECHL and AHL all year long. It must be hard for a young goalie to bounce back and forth never getting used to surroundings or having the same coaches for any prolonged period of time. We will be hoping for a bounce back this year and hope to see Parsons higher up the list next year or when we do mid season rankings after the WJC.
14: Julien Gauthier (5)
Former first rounder that had questions surrounding his offensive upside. He didn’t really do anything this season to answer those questions putting up 25 points in 65 games during his professional debut. One thing did remain consistent is the believe that he has a pro level goal shot scoring 16 goals on just 112 shots for a shooting percentage of 14%. He’s always been a high percentage shooter though. This coming season should provide some answers as to what Gauthier will eventually be. Will he show that he can be a top 6 guy or is he going to be a 3rd line guy that can provide some goals?
15: Luke Martin (13)
He was a 3rd round pick for us in last years entry draft. Martin finished his 2nd season in the NCAA with Michigan. He’s a big 6 foot 4, 216 lbs shutdown defender that skates well. He’s never going to put up points from the blue line, but as long as he can prove his skating is good enough and he recovers pucks in his own end of the ice that won’t be a problem.
16: Givani Smith (12)
The season didn't end on the best note for Givani. He was suspended after flipping off the Soo greyhounds bench after a game in the OHL playoffs. I personally am not worried about it, there is no place for racism except for apparently Trumps White House unfortunately. The Kid received death threats and had to have security personnel in the Soo for game 7 which he couldn’t play in due to the suspension. Smith will head to the professional ranks this upcoming season where he will take some time to develop. He plays a power game which up to this point has provided huge regular season numbers. However come playoff time when size and toughness still matter his numbers rise.
17: Cam Hillis (New)
We picked him in the 3rd round of this past entry draft. He’s small but plays a big mans game never afraid to back down from anybody. Hillis also possesses good skill and is expected to really raise his production level this year in Guelph, where he was already a point per game player in his first year of OHL action.
18: Ty Emberson (New)
Played for the US National team development program this past season. He wasn’t one of the big flashy names (Wilde, Miller, or Samuelsson), but he was maybe the most consistent defender on the team. He didn’t put up huge offensive numbers thats not his game, he’s more of a steady stay at home type. He might have been the US best defender at the U18’s which boosted his stock. He’s headed to Wisconsin this season to continue his development.
19: Patrick Harper (6)
We drafted Harper in the 4th round of last year entry draft after was a point per game player with BU in the NCAA and made the US WJC team. Harper was off to a good start to the year posting 21 points in 20 games this year and again making the US WJC team where he had 4 points in 7 games. He however suffered an injury and never got into another game last year. He’s a smaller skilled player and returns to BU this year where we will see what he can do with a full healthy season. We suspect he’ll be in the running for the honey baker award this year and re-establish himself as a really good prospect.
20: Riley Sutter (New)
A 3rd round pick for us at this years entry draft. He’s a Sutter so hockey is in his blood. This year in Everett Sutter had 53 points in 68 games and added another 19 points in 21 playoff games. He’s a big power forward that’s going to need time to develop which is the case with most power forwards. He’ll head back to Everett this year where we hope to see a jump in production and maybe on this list.
Honorable Mentions: Dennis Busby, Dmytro Timashov, Kasper Bjorkqvist, Tyler Inamoto, Dennis Gilbert, Marcus Westfalt.
In my opinion this list really opens up at 15, and any of the players listed in the honourable mentions could potentially slot in over other players ranked from 15 down. Two of the players mentioned here were ranked inside teams top 10’s in the most recent Future Watch issue done by the hockey news after the WJC.
With just one full season and two entry drafts behind us, I think we’ve done a really good job of acquiring picks and prospects to build the expansion Knights with. At forward we have a ton of depth obviously especially with goal scoring wingers. In all likelihood we need to find a 1C, I like Hayton and clearly so did a couple NHL clubs, but can he be a 1C? I’m not so sure about that, more likely that he’s an elite 2C. Defenders…. Where are they, we are really lacking defence prospects, of course trading away Mitchell and Westerlund doesn’t help. This lack of defence is part of the reason we pulled off the trade for Larsson. Also part of the explanation for the lack of defenders is that we just pick who we think is the BPA at the draft regardless of position. If needed we can always deal from a position of strength later on to fill the need. Goalies well we have Parsons who we are hoping bounces back, but we haven’t drafted one yet. In fact I’ve avoided goalies mostly since draft Jack Campbell 9th overall back in 2010, my very first HFNHL entry draft running the Hurricanes. He’s proof that goalies are just to unpredictable although he seems to be back on track at 26 years old and should be the Kings backup this year. Also since drafting Campbell I’ve had plenty of goalies on my draft lists they just seem to always get picked a little earlier then I have been willing to grab one. Maybe next year I’ll draft my first goalie in probably 5 or 6 years. I believe Eamon McAdam was my last goalie pick back in 2013 while running the Hurricanes.
1: Kailer Yamamoto (New)
He was acquired as part of the package that sent our first every entry draft pick Elias Pettersson to Anaheim. He surprised everyone and made the Oiler out of training camp getting into 9 games he had 3 assists before being sent back to junior. He did have a somewhat disappointing WJC but when he returned to Spokane he tore up the WHL and finished the year with 21 goals and 43 assists in 40 WHL games. He’s motivated to make the Oilers out of camp again and ride shotgun to McDavid.
2: Barrett Hayton (New)
He ended up getting drafted 5th overall to Arizona in the NHL, which was a shock to us and probably many others considering consensus top 3 pick Filip Zadina was still on the board. We are thrilled that he went that high and to hear that other NHL clubs were targeting him inside the top 10. We expect that he’ll be heading back to the OHL where his offence should really take off this year in the Soo. The pick we used to pick him was acquired as part of the package for Peterson.
3: Owen Tippett (New)
Acquired in a trade this offseason. Tippett made the Florida Panthers out of training camp and spent 7 games in the NHL before being sent back to junior. Tippett was a surprise omission from the Canadian world junior team, we don’t think they will pass on him again if given the opportunity to select him this time around. Tippett went on to score 36 goals and add 39 helpers in 51 games with Mississauga. After his junior season was finished he player 5 games in the AHL where he had a goal and an assist. He’s done all he can at the OHL level and unfortunately can’t be sent down to the AHL this year, so it will be interesting to see if he crack the Panthers lineup this year for a full season.
4: Joel Farabee (New)
He was our first pick at this years entry draft 12th overall. He ended up going to the Flyers int he NHL draft 14th overall. He’s got a good skill set and tireless worker. He tore it up this past season with the US national team development program, and he now heads to Boston University. He needs to add some muscle to his frame but he’ll have lots of time for that as he develops in the NCAA alongside some of our other prospects.
5: Jacob Larsson (New)
Acquired at the HFNHL entry draft for the 34th pick overall which turned out to be Alexander Alexeyev. For us and the Flames we will both be watching these two players very carefully over the next few years. Larsson made the NHL Ducks out of training camp two years ago for a 4 game stint before being loaned back to his Swedish club. Last year was spent receiving from knee surgery and as a result Larsson was passed over for some callus so that he could focus on developing and receiving properly. In 50 AHL games Larsson had 16 points, he put up 8 of those points in his final 17 games of the year. We think there is a strong possibility that Larsson sticks in Anaheim this year and a year from now he won’t be on this list.
6: Shane Bowers (3)
For a player with questionable offensive upside he really produced at Boston University this past season. He was second in Freshman scoring and first in goals, ahead of players like Casey Mittelstadt, Ryan Poehling and Brady Tkachuk in both categories. Bowers put up 17 goals and 15 assists in 40 games for a team that struggled. Heading into his second year of NCAA competition we expect that Bowers offensive game will continue to develop.
7: Maxime Comtois (4)
He had a rough draft year and as a result fell to the 2nd round after being considered a top 10 pick at one point. Much like Bowers there were questions about his offensive game, but he had a monster year in the QMJHL and with team Canada at the WJC even after suffering a nasty injury early in the season. He scored 44 goals and 41 assists in 54 games with Victoriaville finishing in the top 5 scorers for the QMJHL. While with Canada at the WJC he put up 6 points in 7 games. He would need a monster camp to start the year with Anaheim in the NHL, we think he’ll go back to the Q and represent Canada one more time at the WJC.
8: Daniel Sprong (New)
It feels like Sprong has been around forever, but he’s just 21 years old and last year was his first full professional season. He was a point per game player in the AHL posting 65 points in 65 games which included 35 goals. Sprong has had stints in the NHL including last year for 8 games, but he got sent back to work on his defensive game. This should be the year that Sprong sticks in Pittsburgh. Acquired along with Tippett this offseason.
9: Andreas Johnsson (New)
Acquired in a trade early in the season. Johnson a former 7th round draft pick has taken a long steady path towards the NHL. It finally all came together for the Swede this year. He played most of the season in the AHL where he produced at a point per game 26 goals and 28 assists in 54 games before getting called up to the Leafs for the rest of the regular season and playoffs. He played mostly in a 3rd and 4th line role while with the big club fitting in nicely. Once the Leafs were eliminated Johnsson rejoined the Marlies for the AHL playoffs and he dominated posting 24 points in 16 playoff matches on his way to winning calder cup MVP. We fully expect Johnsson to stick with the NHL club next year where some fans are clamouring for him to play on the top line with Auston Matthews.
10: Serron Noel (New)
Our 3rd first round pick from the just passed entry draft. He fell to the 2nd round in the NHL draft where the Florida Panthers snagged him. Noel has the makings of a future NHL power forward. It’s going to take time though for him to get there. He put up 53 points in 62 games with Oshawa in the OHL this past year and had a decent performance at the U18’s. We expect him to be back in the OHL working on his game and hope to see a big leap forward in production. We used the 2nd first rounder acquired int he Pettersson trade on him.
11: Jonathan Tychonick (New)
He played in the BCHL this past season to keep his NCAA eligibility. In 48 games the swift skating defender had 47 points and added another 17 points in 11 playoff games. Tychonick was at some points during the year considered to have a shot at being drafted late in the first round. He ended up going in the middle of the 2nd 48th overall in both the HFNHL and NHL. He’s headed to North Dakota this season where he will get to work on his defensive game.
12: Stelio Mattheos (7)
We netted Mattheos with a 3rd round pick in our first entry draft and almost immediately started receiving trade inquires on him (mostly from Columbus). We resisted the urge to move Mattheos, mainly because we weren’t sure what we got with him. He was a highly regarded prospect heading into the WHL but hadn’t meet the expectations yet. He finally broke out this past season finishing in the top 10 scorers for the WHL 90 points including 43 goals in just 68 games with Brandon. We will be hoping for more of the same this year from Mattheos as he works towards the professional ranks.
13: Tyler Parsons (New)
Heading into this season Parsons was considered an elite goaltending prospect. Another player we acquired in the Pettersson trade. However he really struggled this season in his pro debut and some of that shine has worn off perhaps. Part of the problem was he is in a system that had quite a bit of goalie depth and also suffered lots of injuries resulting in Parsons being up and down between the ECHL and AHL all year long. It must be hard for a young goalie to bounce back and forth never getting used to surroundings or having the same coaches for any prolonged period of time. We will be hoping for a bounce back this year and hope to see Parsons higher up the list next year or when we do mid season rankings after the WJC.
14: Julien Gauthier (5)
Former first rounder that had questions surrounding his offensive upside. He didn’t really do anything this season to answer those questions putting up 25 points in 65 games during his professional debut. One thing did remain consistent is the believe that he has a pro level goal shot scoring 16 goals on just 112 shots for a shooting percentage of 14%. He’s always been a high percentage shooter though. This coming season should provide some answers as to what Gauthier will eventually be. Will he show that he can be a top 6 guy or is he going to be a 3rd line guy that can provide some goals?
15: Luke Martin (13)
He was a 3rd round pick for us in last years entry draft. Martin finished his 2nd season in the NCAA with Michigan. He’s a big 6 foot 4, 216 lbs shutdown defender that skates well. He’s never going to put up points from the blue line, but as long as he can prove his skating is good enough and he recovers pucks in his own end of the ice that won’t be a problem.
16: Givani Smith (12)
The season didn't end on the best note for Givani. He was suspended after flipping off the Soo greyhounds bench after a game in the OHL playoffs. I personally am not worried about it, there is no place for racism except for apparently Trumps White House unfortunately. The Kid received death threats and had to have security personnel in the Soo for game 7 which he couldn’t play in due to the suspension. Smith will head to the professional ranks this upcoming season where he will take some time to develop. He plays a power game which up to this point has provided huge regular season numbers. However come playoff time when size and toughness still matter his numbers rise.
17: Cam Hillis (New)
We picked him in the 3rd round of this past entry draft. He’s small but plays a big mans game never afraid to back down from anybody. Hillis also possesses good skill and is expected to really raise his production level this year in Guelph, where he was already a point per game player in his first year of OHL action.
18: Ty Emberson (New)
Played for the US National team development program this past season. He wasn’t one of the big flashy names (Wilde, Miller, or Samuelsson), but he was maybe the most consistent defender on the team. He didn’t put up huge offensive numbers thats not his game, he’s more of a steady stay at home type. He might have been the US best defender at the U18’s which boosted his stock. He’s headed to Wisconsin this season to continue his development.
19: Patrick Harper (6)
We drafted Harper in the 4th round of last year entry draft after was a point per game player with BU in the NCAA and made the US WJC team. Harper was off to a good start to the year posting 21 points in 20 games this year and again making the US WJC team where he had 4 points in 7 games. He however suffered an injury and never got into another game last year. He’s a smaller skilled player and returns to BU this year where we will see what he can do with a full healthy season. We suspect he’ll be in the running for the honey baker award this year and re-establish himself as a really good prospect.
20: Riley Sutter (New)
A 3rd round pick for us at this years entry draft. He’s a Sutter so hockey is in his blood. This year in Everett Sutter had 53 points in 68 games and added another 19 points in 21 playoff games. He’s a big power forward that’s going to need time to develop which is the case with most power forwards. He’ll head back to Everett this year where we hope to see a jump in production and maybe on this list.
Honorable Mentions: Dennis Busby, Dmytro Timashov, Kasper Bjorkqvist, Tyler Inamoto, Dennis Gilbert, Marcus Westfalt.
In my opinion this list really opens up at 15, and any of the players listed in the honourable mentions could potentially slot in over other players ranked from 15 down. Two of the players mentioned here were ranked inside teams top 10’s in the most recent Future Watch issue done by the hockey news after the WJC.
With just one full season and two entry drafts behind us, I think we’ve done a really good job of acquiring picks and prospects to build the expansion Knights with. At forward we have a ton of depth obviously especially with goal scoring wingers. In all likelihood we need to find a 1C, I like Hayton and clearly so did a couple NHL clubs, but can he be a 1C? I’m not so sure about that, more likely that he’s an elite 2C. Defenders…. Where are they, we are really lacking defence prospects, of course trading away Mitchell and Westerlund doesn’t help. This lack of defence is part of the reason we pulled off the trade for Larsson. Also part of the explanation for the lack of defenders is that we just pick who we think is the BPA at the draft regardless of position. If needed we can always deal from a position of strength later on to fill the need. Goalies well we have Parsons who we are hoping bounces back, but we haven’t drafted one yet. In fact I’ve avoided goalies mostly since draft Jack Campbell 9th overall back in 2010, my very first HFNHL entry draft running the Hurricanes. He’s proof that goalies are just to unpredictable although he seems to be back on track at 26 years old and should be the Kings backup this year. Also since drafting Campbell I’ve had plenty of goalies on my draft lists they just seem to always get picked a little earlier then I have been willing to grab one. Maybe next year I’ll draft my first goalie in probably 5 or 6 years. I believe Eamon McAdam was my last goalie pick back in 2013 while running the Hurricanes.
