U17 NHL Prospects

cberry6

Registered User
Jun 14, 2018
19
7
The 2020 NHL Draft is shaping up to be an exciting one, so I have created a thread to discuss those U17 prospects already making their names heard across the hockey world.

To kick things off, I have taken a look at the U17 players out of the OHL currently in the World U17 Challenge. Quinton Byfield and Cole Perfetti (2020 NHL Draft) headline the list of great young players to watch!

World U17 Hockey Challenge: Ones to Watch
 

theslatcher

Registered User
Jan 5, 2016
7,591
5,058
Sweden
The top Swedish ones, formated likes yours, but added in GP as that's important to see:

Lucas Raymond - W - Frölunda HC J20 - 16 GP, 9 G, 11 A, 20 Pts
Alexander Holtz - W - Djurgården IF J20 - 12 GP, 8 G, 5 A, 13 Pts
Zion Nybeck - RW - HV71 J20 - 9 GP, 1 G, 8 A, 9 Pts
Helge Grans - D - Malmö Redhawks J20 - 9 GP, 2 G, 4 A, 6 Pts
Anton Johannesson - D - HV71 J20 - 3 GP, 1 G, 1 A, 2 Pts
Jesper Wallstedt - G - Luleå HF J20 - 8GP, 2.85GAA, .893 Sv% (2021 draftee)
 

Pavel Buchnevich

Drury and Laviolette Must Go
Dec 8, 2013
57,228
23,101
New York
Very weak team for the Americans, but there are some good players.

Best American prospects:

Tyler Kleven-Big shutdown D who skates very well. Defensive game is very good for a player his age, and he's a big hitter. Bland, not bad in the other two zones.

Thomas Bordeleau-The only player in the American team who can dominate a shift. Hughes, Keller, Zegras mold center. Not Hughes level, but he falls in somewhere after that around Keller/Zegras.

Dylan Peterson-Big winger who looks very impressive carrying the puck. He's 6'4 and a tremendous skater. There's skill there, but I'm not sure its an incredible amount. Consistency is an issue.

Ty Smilanic-Boring all around center. I don't see the dynamic ability to be a top flight center, but he's good at most aspects of the game, and he's a likely late first/early second level of prospect.

Others: Luke Tuch, Brock Faber, Jacob Truscott, Eamon Powell, Landon Slaggert, Matt Beniers
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: AmericanDream

Daneurism

Registered User
Nov 13, 2010
1,083
300
Odd year for american prospects. Just a couple years back, Smilanic, Schingoathe, Kirwin and Latsch were dominant players, right there with the dominant players in Ontario. Kirwin, for one, was incredibly impressive in all my bantam viewings.
 

Pavel Buchnevich

Drury and Laviolette Must Go
Dec 8, 2013
57,228
23,101
New York
Odd year for american prospects. Just a couple years back, Smilanic, Schingoathe, Kirwin and Latsch were dominant players, right there with the dominant players in Ontario. Kirwin, for one, was incredibly impressive in all my bantam viewings.

This team is missing Stranges. He might be the best American prospect for the 2020 draft. Halliday chose playing for Canada as of now over the USA. Also, more than usual of the better 2020 prospects for the USA like Rolston, Farrell, Reid, Colangelo, Miller are late year birthdays, so I don't think the 2020 draft is going to be as bad for the USA as some think. It's not going to be 2019, but I think expectations are somewhat out of whack for 2020 because of how good 2019 will be for the USA.

I don't know if there's an American whose a likely top 10 pick, but it shouldn't be any worse than 2014, which was 5 firsts with the earliest being 15th. Right now, I'd project Stranges, Rolston, Bordeleau, Kleven and Smilanic all as firsts without really having a list completed yet. I could also see some of those others like Miller, Farrell, Peterson also finding their way into the first round. This is also a year and a half out from the 2020 draft, so some players will emerge.
 

AuVetShkine

Registered User
Aug 2, 2018
54
34
The U17 Challenge is about to begin. Finland vs Sweden to start.

Games are broadcasted on the Hockey Canada site Schedule and Scores . The schedule is Atlantic Time (New Brunswick)
 

VictorLustig

Registered User
Feb 8, 2012
8,846
2,883
The top Swedish ones, formated likes yours, but added in GP as that's important to see:

Lucas Raymond - W - Frölunda HC J20 - 16 GP, 9 G, 11 A, 20 Pts
Alexander Holtz - W - Djurgården IF J20 - 12 GP, 8 G, 5 A, 13 Pts
Zion Nybeck - RW - HV71 J20 - 9 GP, 1 G, 8 A, 9 Pts
Helge Grans - D - Malmö Redhawks J20 - 9 GP, 2 G, 4 A, 6 Pts
Anton Johannesson - D - HV71 J20 - 3 GP, 1 G, 1 A, 2 Pts
Jesper Wallstedt - G - Luleå HF J20 - 8GP, 2.85GAA, .893 Sv% (2021 draftee)

I'd add Theodor Niederbach. Unfortunately he's out with a serious knee injury, hasn't played a game this season. Big loss for this national team, for me he was up there with Raymond and Holtz last season.
 
  • Like
Reactions: JimboA

Tryamkin

Registered User
May 18, 2015
8,256
4,507
Canada
The top Swedish ones, formated likes yours, but added in GP as that's important to see:

Lucas Raymond - W - Frölunda HC J20 - 16 GP, 9 G, 11 A, 20 Pts
Alexander Holtz - W - Djurgården IF J20 - 12 GP, 8 G, 5 A, 13 Pts
Zion Nybeck - RW - HV71 J20 - 9 GP, 1 G, 8 A, 9 Pts
Helge Grans - D - Malmö Redhawks J20 - 9 GP, 2 G, 4 A, 6 Pts
Anton Johannesson - D - HV71 J20 - 3 GP, 1 G, 1 A, 2 Pts
Jesper Wallstedt - G - Luleå HF J20 - 8GP, 2.85GAA, .893 Sv% (2021 draftee)
Noel Gunler is needs to be on the list. Honestly think would probably take him before Raymond.
 

canucklax

Registered User
Feb 9, 2018
540
530
Seth Jarvis is a name to follow. Got an extended taste of the WHL with 11 games played in his 15 year old year due to injuries and WJC call-ups for Portland last year. Now as a 16 year old he is Portland's 2nd line center with 8 points in 14 games and has a year to learn from Cody Glass and Joachim Blichfeld before becoming the focus of the offense next year.
 

theslatcher

Registered User
Jan 5, 2016
7,591
5,058
Sweden
I'd add Theodor Niederbach. Unfortunately he's out with a serious knee injury, hasn't played a game this season. Big loss for this national team, for me he was up there with Raymond and Holtz last season.
Would need to see him at a higher level of competition before I'd even consider to rank him with Holtz & Raymond tbh. He tore up J16 Elit but that's not a very impressive feat considering all the non-notable players who did it as well.
 

VictorLustig

Registered User
Feb 8, 2012
8,846
2,883
Would need to see him at a higher level of competition before I'd even consider to rank him with Holtz & Raymond tbh. He tore up J16 Elit but that's not a very impressive feat considering all the non-notable players who did it as well.

Niederbach was arguably the best player in TV-pucken last year IMO. He also outscored Holtz in a couple of tournaments before that. Holtz has a huge edge in terms of physical maturity but Niederbach might be a more talented player.
 

theslatcher

Registered User
Jan 5, 2016
7,591
5,058
Sweden
Niederbach was arguably the best player in TV-pucken last year IMO. He also outscored Holtz in a couple of tournaments before that. Holtz has a huge edge in terms of physical maturity but Niederbach might be a more talented player.
Holtz's physical maturity has helped him a lot yeah, but I need to see how Theodor handles himself in Frölunda at J18 & later on SuperElit before I can put him next to Holtz, Raymond, and I'll throw in Gunler too. It's too bad about his injury robbing us of that.
 

Pavel Buchnevich

Drury and Laviolette Must Go
Dec 8, 2013
57,228
23,101
New York
Assuming that Niederbach is in the same group as Gunler, Holtz and Raymond, how does Zion Nyback compare talent wise to the "big 4"?

I’ve not seen Niederbach, but Nybeck’s not the same level as those other two. Those two are potential, maybe even likely, top 10 picks. Nybeck looks more like a likely first, but more likely in the second half of the first round.
 
Last edited:

AmericanDream

Thank you Elon!
Oct 24, 2005
36,959
26,275
Chicago Manitoba
This team is missing Stranges. He might be the best American prospect for the 2020 draft. Halliday chose playing for Canada as of now over the USA. Also, more than usual of the better 2020 prospects for the USA like Rolston, Farrell, Reid, Colangelo, Miller are late year birthdays, so I don't think the 2020 draft is going to be as bad for the USA as some think. It's not going to be 2019, but I think expectations are somewhat out of whack for 2020 because of how good 2019 will be for the USA.

I don't know if there's an American whose a likely top 10 pick, but it shouldn't be any worse than 2014, which was 5 firsts with the earliest being 15th. Right now, I'd project Stranges, Rolston, Bordeleau, Kleven and Smilanic all as firsts without really having a list completed yet. I could also see some of those others like Miller, Farrell, Peterson also finding their way into the first round. This is also a year and a half out from the 2020 draft, so some players will emerge.
it is the beauty of scouting or watching players, everyone can see things differently.

I am not overly sold on Bordeleau yet, I don't really see him as a first round pick...I have been more impressed with Smilanic to be honest lol...maybe it has been the games I have been catching, but not seeing Bordeleau anywhere near the level of Hughes, Keller or Zegras yet...still a lot of hockey to watch so I will watch him more closely as we go.

I actually like Beniers a lot..he has been very impressive in the games I have seen, underrated player, works hard in all zones - your typical USNDP blueprint player...

overall this group is not as talented as the past 2-3 birth years, but definitely some top kids here to watch for plus like you said the late birthdays from 01's added here should make for another decent/solid draft for USA Hockey.
 

ijuka

Registered User
May 14, 2016
22,157
14,648
Kasper Simontaival is pretty good for Finland also. Playing with men and had 9 points in 5 games playing with the u18 team as an underager.
 

Pavel Buchnevich

Drury and Laviolette Must Go
Dec 8, 2013
57,228
23,101
New York
it is the beauty of scouting or watching players, everyone can see things differently.

I am not overly sold on Bordeleau yet, I don't really see him as a first round pick...I have been more impressed with Smilanic to be honest lol...maybe it has been the games I have been catching, but not seeing Bordeleau anywhere near the level of Hughes, Keller or Zegras yet...still a lot of hockey to watch so I will watch him more closely as we go.

I actually like Beniers a lot..he has been very impressive in the games I have seen, underrated player, works hard in all zones - your typical USNDP blueprint player...

overall this group is not as talented as the past 2-3 birth years, but definitely some top kids here to watch for plus like you said the late birthdays from 01's added here should make for another decent/solid draft for USA Hockey.

Beniers works really hard and is a good skater, but I don't see much high end skill. Watch more of Bordeleau. I think you'll see it eventually. I feel like USA hockey is spoiled after a year with Hughes, Turcotte and Zegras among smaller and more skilled types of forwards. He's not as good as those guys, but I don't think he's that far off. Doesn't look bad defensively either. I like Smilanic, as well. Definitely a good player, but his playmaking and skill is more in the average category. Saw him play today again. I like his shot more than the game I had seen previously.

The player who I think might be going under the radar is Sanderson. First time I saw him play, he looked okay. Didn't have a bad opinion of what I saw, but he didn't really stand out. Today, I thought he was great. Saw some very nice composure with the puck and more offensive ability than I thought. He can obviously skate and is a smart defensive player. Might be a two way guy.
 
  • Like
Reactions: AmericanDream

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad

-->