Wheeler: The Top 50 drafted NHL prospects ranking, 2018...
1. Rasmus Dahlin, LHD, 18 (Buffalo Sabres — 1st overall, 2018)
This wasn’t up for debate. As good as the trio of players who follow him on this list really are, I believe Dahlin has the ability to become the best defenceman in the world, taking the mantle from Erik Karlsson in the process. I don’t love the term ‘generational talent’ but that would make him one. Dahlin can break a game open offensively as a shooter, passer, and handler, and he can impact it at a high level defensively (a newer development) with his gap control and an emerging physical game. Dahlin has some of the best puck skills I’ve ever seen for a player his age, let alone a defenceman. His game will take him as far as he wants it to. For more on what makes Dahlin so special, read my stylistic breakdown of his game
here.
4. Casey Mittelstadt, C, 19 (Buffalo Sabres — 8th overall, 2017)
Casey Mittelstadt is that rare mix of already-incredibly-talented and yet still super, super raw. I rarely leave a viewing in awe of young players anymore, but I remember feeling that way after watching Mittelstadt play in the 2016-2017 All-American Prospects Game at the start of his draft year. He was, in a game with players like Kailer Yamamoto and Jason Robertson, peerless. And he has just exploded ever since. Today, he’s more of a playmaker than a passer. There are spurts in games where he looks like he can create scoring chances at will and we got a brief taste of that in his end-of-year stint with the Sabres. He’s going to be a terror at the NHL level within a year or two.
This is from The Athletic.