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Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Penguins Draft Prospect Profile: Logan Hensler
Credit: University of Wisconsin Athletics With the 2025 NHL Entry Draft approaching fast, POHO and GM Kyle Dubas and the Pittsburgh Penguins have their work cut out for them. Since the Penguins have a total of 30 picks over the next three drafts, including 11 this year - which could reduce to 10 if the conditional first-round pick from the New York Rangers defers to 2026 - there will be plenty of opportunity for the Penguins to add impact players. Of their 11 picks in 2025, six of them are in the first three rounds. Advertisement After the results of the draft lottery on May 5, the Penguins will officially select 11th overall, dropping down two spots from where they originally were at ninth. As such, we have compiled a list of potential draft prospects that should fall around the Penguins' selection. We recently profiled center Jake O'Brien, forward Victor Eklund, defenseman Kashawn Aitcheson, center Brady Martin, center Roger McQueen, and right wing Justin Carbonneau. Next up? Right defenseman Logan Hensler. Penguins Drop Two Slots In NHL Draft, Will Pick 11th Overall Penguins Drop Two Slots In NHL Draft, Will Pick 11th Overall In past draft lotteries, the Advertisement Pittsburgh Penguins have seen their fair share of luck. Logan Hensler Aug 2, 2024; Plymouth, MI, USA; Sweden's forward David Granberg (27) battles for the puck with USA's Logan Hensler (18) during the third period of the 2024 World Junior Summer Showcase at USA Hockey Arena. (Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images) DOB: Oct. 14, 2006 (Age 18) Position: Defenseman Shoots: Right Height: 6-foot-2 Weight: 196 pounds Team: University of Wisconsin (NCAA) In most mock drafts and projections, the defense position isn't particularly deep this year. However, that doesn't mean there aren't some hidden gems right around where the Penguins will be drafting at 11. And Logan Hensler should be one of the names on their wishlist. The right-side defender's stats may not jump out on the scoresheet - he registered just two goals and 12 points in 32 games with the University of Wisconsin Badgers in his rookie season - but he's certainly got all of the tools to become a threat on both sides of the puck. He's got size at 6-foot-2, 196 pounds. He's mobile, agile, and smart with the puck. He defends well, he skates well, and he's good with his stick. Advertisement Even though there are some question marks around his offensive production, Hensler's defensive game is already quite rounded out, and it's something that should earn him a role at the NHL level as a shutdown defender, at the very least. His gap control, stick work, and ability to get the puck out of danger in the defensive zone are all pluses. Hensler played for Team USA in the World Junior Championship this season alongside Cole Hutson, and the Woodbury, Minn. native notched an assist in seven games leading up to Team USA's gold medal at the event. Even though his name may not be as big as others like potential no. 1 pick Matthew Schaefer, and, even, Kashawn Aitcheson, Hensler projects as a reliable shutdown defenseman at the least, which is something the Penguins need. And there is potential for a much higher ceiling because of his mobility. Advertisement There are still ways for him to improve his game in terms of physicality and offensive zone awareness, but nonethless, he's a reliable defender. The only potential trouble with the Penguins selecting Hensler at 11th overall is that he reads as more of a "safe" option. While "safe" isn't necessarily a bad thing, there are other talents around this area that could reap higher reward. While Hensler's floor is low, the chances of him reaching his ceiling - despite all the tools being there - are a bit lower. So, if he is available at 11, the Penguins should consider risk v. reward. Penguins Draft Prospect Profile: Kashawn Aitcheson Penguins Draft Prospect Profile: Kashawn Aitcheson With the 2025 NHL Entry Draft approaching fast, POHO and GM Kyle Dubas and the Advertisement Pittsburgh Penguins have their work cut out for them. Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ducks 2023 Second-Round Pick Signs ELC
Sep 14, 2023; Irvine, California, USA; Anaheim Ducks prospect Carey Terrance looks on during Ducks Rookie Camp at Great Park Ice. Mandatory Credit: Derek Lee-The Hockey News The Anaheim Ducks have another prospect under contract after 2023 second-round pick Carey Terrance (drafted 59th overall) signed his entry-level contract (ELC) on Wednesday afternoon. A speedy forward capable of playing both down the middle and on the wing, Terrance is currently captain of the OHL's Erie Otters, who advanced to the second round of the OHL Playoffs on Sunday. Terrance has not played since Feb. 14, when he crashed into the endboards and had to be stretchered off the ice. He has been practicing in a non-contact jersey alongside fellow injured teammate and potential 2025 first overall pick Matthew Schaefer recently, but neither has been deemed ready to return yet. Advertisement "Just being more consistent game-to-game," Terrance said in September regarding what he wanted to focus on. "Game-to-game, just preparing myself the same way every game, getting my sleep. It's a long junior season and with the travel, it's pretty hard sometimes. There's no excuse to get your mind and body right and be more consistent." Aug 3, 2024; Plymouth, MI, USA; USA's forward Carey Terrance (10) body checks Canada's defenseman Zayne Parekh (2) during the second period of the 2024 World Junior Summer Showcase at USA Hockey Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images Terrance was named to Team USA for the 2025 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and helped them win their second consecutive gold medal. Playing in a bottom-6 role, Terrance utilized his speed and tenacity to be an effective checking forward while also contributing as a penalty killer. It was Terrance's second time being named to the World Juniors roster, though he didn't appear in a game in 2024. "It was awesome," Terrance said. "To come back home with a gold medal is amazing. I had a different role on the team (in 2024), but I took advantage of it. I learned a lot from the older guys like Cutter (Gauthier) and (Rutger) McGroarty, guys like that who are really good players. It was a really good time." Advertisement "Carey's a very reliable player," Gauthier said. "I played with him at World Juniors and the (World Junior) Summer Showcase the summer before. Just a great person as well. He's fun to have in the locker room, great guy off the ice. He works really hard and he's super reliable." "I love to play in all situations. Playing the PK, playing power play, last-minute face-offs. (I) have that kind of versatility in my game and I can bring that to any team. - Carey Terrance on taking pride in being able to fill any role for the team Terrance was also named to Team USA's World Junior Summer Showcase roster, where he faced off against fellow Ducks prospects Lucas Pettersson (Sweden) and Beckett Sennecke (Canada). 2024 Ducks draft pick Austin Burnevik was also on the U.S. roster. "Summer showcase was great," Terrance said in September. "You had some returners that were coming in, so some guys that you're familiar with. I was used all over (in different roles) and I think come Christmas time (for 2025 World Juniors), I'm gonna have a big role with the team. I'm excited for it." Advertisement An emphasis for Terrance during his offseason training was getting bigger. Adding more weight to his frame in combination with his speed will allow him to be an even bigger force on the forecheck than he already is. Terrance's ELC begins with the 2025-26 NHL season, meaning he'll finish out the 2024-25 season with Erie before transitioning to the AHL next season as a 20-year-old. There's always a chance that he could break camp with the Ducks with a good showing during training camp, but the adjustment from junior hockey to the pro level can be difficult for some. There is no need for the Ducks to rush Terrance, especially as he currently recovers from a long-term injury.
New York Times
28-01-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Anaheim Ducks are No. 12 in 2025 NHL prospect pool rankings
Welcome to Scott Wheeler's 2025 rankings of every NHL organization's prospects. You can find the complete ranking and more information on the project and its criteria here, as we count down daily from No. 32 to No. 1. The series, which includes in-depth evaluations and insight from sources on nearly 500 prospects, runs from Jan. 8 to Feb. 7. Advertisement The Ducks have in essence swapped out graduates Cutter Gauthier and Olen Zellweger for newcomers Beckett Sennecke and Stian Solberg since last year's ranking. I'd consider that a wash and yet they're slotted a few spots lower. That's in part because some other teams' pools have improved but it's also worth noting that I felt the pools ranked from 6-12 this year were all tightly bunched. The Ducks' group would sooner move up than down and I debated them in the top 10. 2024 prospect pool rank: No. 5 (change: -7) GO DEEPER NHL prospect pool rankings 2025: Scott Wheeler evaluates all 32 farm systems Sennecke is a high-skill individual player with length (up over 6-foot-4 now) who last year, after an up-and-down start to his draft season, became a game-changer after the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game and finished on an emphatic note with an excellent playoff performance with the Gens, regularly pulling people out of their seats. This season, he has followed that up by becoming one of the leading scorers in the OHL. He's one of the most exciting pure-skill prospects in the sport. One of the more productive rookies in the OHL in his 16-year-old year, Sennecke was a standout on a young Oshawa team two years ago, earning Second All-Rookie Team honors and playing both wings successfully (he's a right-handed shot but often played the left wing with would-be Avalanche draft pick Calum Ritchie, although he has played mostly right wing since). He looked a little skinny when I first went to see him play two years ago, and he has still looked that way in repeat viewings in Oshawa, Moncton (where I know scouts were keen to watch him closely at the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game and where I thought he was one of White's most noticeable players with the puck and worked hard, which was the start of a positive trend in his game), Plymouth for the World Junior Summer Showcase and Ottawa for Canada's selection camp for the World Juniors (where I thought he played really well and deserved to win a job on the team), but that's driven by a growth spurt that sprouted him up and his room for physical growth is exciting now. Advertisement His stride and shot, which both lacked power at 16, have also made clear progress. His release, which has always been naturally quick, now has some oomph, and his skating has really smoothed out and is an asset now, which has helped his dynamic rush game. Sennecke can definitely handle the puck. He's got extremely soft hands and confidence on it, even under pressure spinning and weaving off the wall or attacking right into defenders with his stick skill — regularly finding his way out of tough spots and traffic with craft and creativity. The puck just sticks to him. He also moves well in control, side-stepping checks and sticks nicely. He's impressively dexterous and does a good job catching bad passes and handling the puck in his feet. But he does have a habit of playing one-on-one a little too much at times, which has frustrated some at times but also more often thrills in sequences of skill on the puck. He'll dangle past a defender multiple times a game, but also sometimes turn the puck over trying to be a hero when there are better plays. There are also times when he needs to empty the tank on the backcheck, but he has made more of an effort to finish his checks and battle through contact over the last 12 or so months (his flat games are fewer and fewer now and I've seen more and more games where he has battled and competed). He has legitimate high-end talent on the puck and his feet and stick move in and out of unison to shade away from opposing reach-ins niftily. He also sees through coverage well and — when he's not so focused on making the individual play — can really pass it through gaps in coverage. He's still got some work to do and some development in front of him, but the potential reward could be one of the more skilled tall wingers in the NHL. With a little more muscle and maturity, his game could continue to take off. He's still got some work to do to win more battles and round out his game defensively but he has made important strides on both fronts in the last 12 months and he's got first-line talent. BECKETT SENNECKE OH MY GOODNESS 😱 The @AnaheimDucks' third overall pick in 2024 makes not one but TWO disgusting skate to stick moves here. (🎥: @Oshawa_Generals) — NHL (@NHL) December 7, 2024 A player I've long had a lot of time for, Luneau was the first pick in the 2020 QMJHL draft and looked like a surefire first-rounder through the Youth Olympics (where he was an alternate captain) and into his strong rookie season in the QMJHL (where he won the league's defensive rookie of the year award). And while it took him some time to get back to that status after a knee procedure cost him the summer, preseason and first three games of the regular season in his draft year, he hit his stride in the second half of his post-draft season, was the QMJHL's defenseman of the year two years ago and was clearly the league's most complete defenseman by a long shot (logging huge all-situations minutes and driving offense in a big way while playing a matchup role against the opposition's best). Last year, in his rookie pro campaign, I thought he looked like a stud in the AHL and NHL early on, and he was clearly a cut above all of Canada's other defensemen in practices and the Red-White scrimmage in Oakville for World Junior Selection Camp before a serious infection hospitalized him and derailed his season (he would have been Canada's No. 1 D and changed the look of that World Juniors team in Gothenburg). This year, though he hasn't made the full-time jump to the NHL that I think he was on track to make by now pre-infection, Luneau has responded nicely from the lost time and has played big minutes for the Gulls in the AHL (he's averaging over 22 and often playing 25-plus). Luneau's game isn't dynamic in the obvious sense, but he's a balanced and smooth-skating (without being explosive, something some scouts worried about but I've often argued is closer to a real strength than anything else) right-shot defenseman who can run a power play, is a plus-level passer, has developed his shot into a real weapon and reads the play at as high a level as just about any defenseman in his age group (with and without the puck at both ends). His skating has really looked very comfortable, flexible and smoothed out when healthy over the last couple of seasons. He plays a poised and polished two-way game that lends itself to driving play. And while he's a high-floor (he should be a strong third-pairing guy at minimum) type, I think he's got second-pair upside if he can stay healthy. His size (6-foot-1, about 200 pounds), maturity, roundedness and discreet offensive game and skating have put him, when healthy, on a path toward becoming an efficient, all-purpose, two-way guy. He has proven he can control play and log significant all-situations minutes. Prior to this year, Solberg was a tricky one as a player who had, pre-draft, played exclusively in Norway at both a junior and then pro level that seldom produces talent. But he has also played the better part of the last five (!) seasons against men. And after excellent playoffs for Valerenga and an even better showing playing first-pairing minutes against NHLers for Norway's national team at men's worlds, his stock was at its highest (he was the biggest riser on my board in the second half of the season) as the draft arrived. He also then signed with Farjestad in the SHL, where, split between Sweden's top pro level and the Champions Hockey League, he has registered double digits in points as a teenage defenseman and has played to positive defensive results. (The more I watched Norway's pro level last year, the more I found it to be of higher quality than I thought, too, which does help with my comfort level about his projection.) Advertisement His game has some real identity and form to it at an early age as well. One of the most competitive prospects in the sport, Solberg plays really hard and firm on both sides of the puck, with a mean, strong, physical presence that has seen him make life hard on opposing players whenever he has played against his peers internationally and even against men in Norway and Sweden. He's really physical in man-to-man coverage, sometimes too much so. It's tough to take him one-on-one and then he can skate the other way, though he can also be a little too eager on that front. His reads and decision-making need some tightening at times, as he can be sloppy/turnover-prone, but his game has grown more mature as time has gone on, leaving me less concerned about his brain. He's also a strong skater and advanced athlete with an athletic 6-foot-2 build that is already over 200 pounds and is really strong/sturdy. Players with his makeup — a hard-nosed, highly engaged defenseman with good size/athletic tools who's shown enough offense — are always going to be valuable. His style should really work on North American ice/in the North American game when he eventually comes over, too. I see a potential second-pair ceiling/third-pair floor as a hard-to-play against D with some secondary offense that gives the Ducks' future blue line something different from Olen Zellweger and Pavel Mintyukov. I thought about ranking him No. 2 here. Pettersson is a well-liked player in the 2006 Swedish age group who has played well and worn a letter for the national team, was the first draft-eligible player to play in an SHL game last season and really saw his counting stats increase in the second half of last year at the J20 level to get picked No. 35 (he ranked almost exactly there at No. 36 on my board as well). He had a bit of a slow start at U18 worlds last spring but I thought he got better as the tournament progressed and re-emerged as one of Sweden's top forwards (he played significant minutes, was among their leading scorers and was robbed several times and hit multiple posts, preventing better production but still finishing with eight in seven on a team-high 26 shots). This year, he has played predominantly at the pro level, splitting time between the SHL (where he has played limited minutes) and HockeyAllsvenskan on loan to Östersunds (where he has played important minutes and has been quite productive for an 18-year-old). Though he didn't make the Swedish World Junior team, he was in the mix and I expect him to be an important part of next year's team in Minnesota. He considered joining the Saginaw Spirit in the OHL this year after they drafted him in the CHL Import Draft as well but ultimately decided to honor the remaining year on his contract with MoDo (though I do wonder if he'll come over and play for the Spirit next year, which I think could be good for him). Pettersson's a smart and well-rounded two-way center who has some talent and understands how to get the most out of his game. He's a good skater (maybe a very good one). He's a patient player who protects and shields pucks well, waiting for his linemates to play off him so that he can put them in good spots and win his shifts. He makes decisions quickly on the ice and shoots it quickly when he gets it in good spots, with an accurate snap shot and a confident one-touch shot. He's got great hands and an ability to delay and hesitate on defenders, freezing them off the rush so that he can cut past and gain an advantage. He also uses his fairly fast skating to apply pressure and force turnovers, intercept passes and create breaks for himself. Plus, he's a capable penalty killer. I'm a fan and while I debated ranking him a spot or two lower here, I believe he's got third-line contributor potential with the right development. Sidorov has really grown on me in the last year and has become a real riser. He scored 65 goals and 111 points in 82 combined regular season and playoff games in the WHL last year, finishing tied for fourth in goals in the regular season with 50 and leading the playoffs with 15 in 16 games with Saskatoon to play his way onto the Eastern Conference's First All-Star Team in the WHL. I wanted to see how it translated at the pro level before I jumped fully on board, as he was a dangerous shooter and chance-creator in junior but he wasn't a perfect player by any means and gave a lot back defensively. This year, though, after making the jump to the AHL, Sidorov has seen his minutes steadily increase. He started the year playing 11-12 minutes per game for the Gulls and is now playing 18-20 as a go-to forward for them offensively as a 20-year-old rookie. He hasn't been a liability off the puck either and his effort level and tenaciousness have both been quite present in his game. He's got a lightning-quick release, extremely quick hands, he's dangerous on the flank on the power play going downhill into his snapper/curl-and-drag and he's a good enough skater to create with them. I could see him follow the path that NHLers like Eeli Tolvanen, Daniel Sprong, Pavel Dorofeyev and Morgan Frost did to slowly become a secondary skill guy/PP2 type in a middle six. Smith, like Solberg, was another tricky one pre-draft who has begun to crystallize over time. Last year, before the Ducks drafted him in the third round, Smith had a very productive rookie season on a decent Everett team after starting the year in a very limited role as he worked his way back to game action following a lost season the year prior to shoulder surgery. He eventually led their D in points with 49 points in 75 combined regular-season and playoff games and featured prominently on the power play. Throughout the year, he showed legitimate skill, making some high-end plays. But even though his role grew as the season went on, he never actually played a particularly big one for the Silvertips, averaging 15-16 minutes in the playoffs. This year, though, he has really taken an important step in his responsibility to become a top player on one of the top teams in the WHL. And while the Silvertips evenly distribute their time on ice across their top four D, he does narrowly lead that group at just under 24 minutes per game (and often closer to 30 of late). He's also playing at just below a point per game to excellent defensive results. Smith's a 6-foot-2 defenseman with plenty of tools to continue to build up. He's creative and confident. Defensively, he plays an upstanding, physical game that has slowly become more polished and still has some developmental potential. He's got a pro frame and he's a strong athlete who moves well. There's clear talent and a pro makeup and I think he's got a chance to climb into the NHL conversation in time. After an up-and-down couple of years, this has been a really positive one for him. I thought the third round was a little high for Hinds back in 2021, given his track record and the work he would have to do to add some finesse and feel to his game offensively, but he looks kind of exactly like what you'd hope a third-round draft pick would look like now. Advertisement He was an outstanding QMJHL defenseman who exceeded expectations and worked from an expected No. 5-7 role at the World Juniors into a No. 4 one by the tournament's end. As a rookie pro last year, he handled a top-six job in the AHL well from what I saw. And as a sophomore this year he has emerged as a go-to five-on-five player and penalty killer for the Gulls, playing 20 minutes per game. He's got two-way value as a defender who can break up plays or skate the puck up ice. He's got an excellent stick defensively. He can really skate north-south to play in transition as a transporter through neutral ice or trackback to get into position and catch opposing skaters. He's also 6-foot-3 with more room still to add muscle (while already being naturally strong). He probably tops out as a third-pairing guy and there might be an outcome where he's just a No. 7/8 D but his softer skills are more B-grade now (they're never going to be strengths) and he has tended to steer play and drive results across levels. Without looking like a high-end prospect earlier in his career, he's now a comparable player to some in his age group who did because he makes stops, he's got length and he can skate (which is more and more what teams are looking for in their depth D). I'll be interested to see if he can become an NHL option for the Ducks given they already have Mintyukov, Zellweger and Luneau with Solberg on the way (plus Jackson LaCombe now established), but I could see him getting a call at some point and being ready to play. Massé was the first forward taken in the QMJHL's 2022 draft (No. 3) and lived up to the selection (which wasn't the consensus choice at the time), playing to nearly a point per game and nearly 30 goals as a 16-year-old and the leading goal scorer (second in points) on a young Chicoutimi team to win the CHL's rookie of the year award. He also had five goals and six points in five games at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup the summer between his 16-year-old year and his draft year. He hasn't taken a pronounced step forward since, though. He has earned high praise from around the QMJHL, however. Last year, though his production only took a modest step, he scored 36 goals and led Chicoutimi in scoring by 15 points with 75 points in 67 games. At U18 worlds, he played more limited minutes but played well in them (I think it had more to do with the way a couple of other lines really clicked than him) and still managed to be productive. I thought he had one of the better performances on a thinner Team Red up front at the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game, too. This season, though he missed a chunk of time in October and November due to an ankle injury, Massé has been Chicoutimi's most productive player when he's been in the lineup, especially in the goal column. Massé possesses a natural and versatile shot and above-average skill across the board. But it's the completeness of his game that stands out for a player his age. He can penalty kill, he'll go to the dirty areas and make plays around the net, he battles and he's just a well-rounded player who stays around it and goes to the right spots, whether that's swinging to the wall to pick up cycled pucks before defenders do or popping out into the slot at the right time. With continued work on his below-average skating (his pace will determine whether he's just a good mid-level pro or actually has a path to the NHL), he'll have a chance to be an NHL player. He reminds me a little of recent, well-rounded QMJHL draft picks such as Dawson Mercer and Zach Dean, though I think he has more skill than the latter did at the same age and doesn't have the pace that the former did. Gaucher is a big, strong kid who can really build a head of steam (his feet can look heavy early in his acceleration patterns but when they even out and he gets going, he's quite fast) and push through the middle of the ice in transition or attack off the wall inside the offensive zone. At the junior level, there were games where he really imposed himself and just looked bigger and stronger than everyone else, combining his ability to drive with and without the puck to wreak havoc. Though his statistical profile doesn't pop, Gaucher has been an important part of good teams, winning two World Junior golds with Canada and a QMJHL title and Memorial Cup with the Quebec Remparts. As one of the youngest full-time players in the AHL last season, he also played to solid results and looked like a pro in my viewing. He hasn't taken a step in his second AHL season this year, though, and is still playing bottom-six minutes with the Gulls. Gaucher has some secondary finishing ability but he has found it harder to create his own looks against men. He'll play to the middle lane and jump defenders to the inside, but he can also rip a puck in from midrange. Now it's just about getting the puck on his stick more. I see all of the pro tools that scouts loved in him pre-draft. He's also good in the circle, on the forecheck, on the cycle, in front of the net and on the penalty kill because of his heaviness and skating. He lacks touch, though (he bobbles pucks and his hands can look rigid). All told, I still think he can become a solid fourth-line forward (he can play center and wing), but he needs to continue to develop his soft skills and find a way to play a bigger offensive role at the AHL level first. Advertisement An excellent skater, Terrance's statistical profile doesn't jump out at you but if you look a little deeper you realize that his 30 goals and 47 points both led the low-scoring Otters in scoring two years ago, and that led them in goals again last season despite going to the World Juniors with Team USA (which, while he was an extra, was a nice nod to him as an 18-year-old). He also didn't look the least bit out of place on the second line alongside a really strong core group of 2005s and 2006s at the national program when he was the only non-NTDP skater on USA's team for U18 worlds in Switzerland two springs ago and played well at his second World Juniors in a depth/speed role for them as part of this year's gold medal-winning team. That he hasn't taken a step offensively in Erie (where he's now the Otters' captain) this season does make me question whether he's going to provide enough offense to translate the rest of his appealing makeup beyond the AHL, though. That the Ducks haven't signed him yet suggests they may have the same questions as well. Terrance has legit straight-line speed in races and covers ground quickly on the backcheck and forecheck. It's fun to watch him get after it and drive down ice because he's just such a smooth skater. He doesn't have great hands when he really gets going, but his athleticism puts him on or around the puck often and allows him to be opportunistic, and he does show some skill when he slows down. I like his effort level. He's a good penalty killer. He can get out in transition a couple of times a game. He can play center or the wing. His speed also allows him to beat defenders wide or lose them on cutbacks along the cycle. While I've seen signs of creativity and vision, the development of his playmaking into a more consistent element could be the difference between an AHL future and any chance of becoming a call-up option/fourth-liner who adds the desired speed to a line. After a superb post-draft season in HockeyAllsvenskan (which won him the league's top young player award and was even more impressive because of how much better he was than his tandem partner Mattias Pettersson) four seasons ago, Clang's jump to the SHL three seasons ago as a teenager with Rogle was also a success. His numbers in the last two and a half seasons, though, have hovered around .900 in the SHL and then the AHL. He progressed up levels quickly and the 2022-23 Rogle team and 2023-25 Gulls haven't been strong teams in their leagues, which has contributed to the blasé numbers. Clang can get himself into trouble occasionally with how active he is in the net, pulling himself off his lines at times. He can look a little old-times with a bit of a kicking style, too. But he's really quick on his feet (without being explosive through his pushes), he makes a lot of recovery saves, he's competitive in the net, he stays with pucks and he's got good hands. When he plays compact, he's tough to beat. With the right coaching/development, I think he'll become a No. 2 or No. 3. Pastujov is a player with undeniable talent but divergent opinions on his game. I see clear gifts and sense offensively and a dual-threat player who is equally as capable of making the play that leads to a goal as he is at finishing the play himself. Some scouts see a skating kink and mediocre acceleration and top speed and worry about his ability to make good on his talent. Last year, his rookie pro season was a tough one to evaluate because he missed rookie camp and main camp due to injury and then suffered a lower-body injury which kept him sidelined for two months from late November to late January. In my viewings, he actually had some nice moments when healthy (including an assist in his season debut and a hat trick coming out of the injury). This year, the Ducks then started him in the ECHL and it got me wondering if they'd stopped viewing him as a potential NHL option for them someday. But after tearing it up in Tulsa, he has been the Gulls' leading scorer since returning to the AHL, rejuvenating his outlook. His skating does continue to need work but I don't think it's ever been as big an issue as it has often been made out to be (in the public or private sphere) and he has made important progress. He's an inventive playmaker who can do a lot with the puck, he's got excellent touch through feet and sticks and into space (which reduces the need to be fast). He also mixes in fakes and stutter steps to create transition separation or go inside-out on defenders. He can run a power play and hold pucks, he's dangerous around the net because of his ability in tight spaces and he's a superb passer through bodies who can slow the play down and dictate with his poise or speed it up with his ability to quickly react to openings in coverage. Mix in a statistical profile that has suggested legit prospect (first as one of the top scorers in his age group at the national program and then with a junior-finishing 117 points in 76 combined regular-season and playoff games two years ago), no issues with work ethic (his competitiveness isn't a strength but he engages himself enough for me), a defensive game that has come a long way, and there's reason to be optimistic that he's at least talented enough to become a AAAA guy. There's a risk he becomes just a tweener, though. While he's more talented than some of the players in front of him here, his ranking reflects the lack of a natural NHL role for him. I could eventually see him playing some games when the NHL club has a skill guy go down and wants a little more offense from a call-up. Myatovic turned a lot of scouts into fans in his draft year while playing up and down the lineup with a stacked Thunderbirds team that won the WHL title (and mostly down it once they loaded up) by still managing to score 30 goals. Last year, on a low-scoring and rebuilding team, he then played huge minutes (averaging over 20 per game as a forward) to just under a point per game. He missed three months with a lower-body injury and got banged up a couple of more times, resulting in a disjointed post-draft season. This year, as a rookie in the AHL, he's still learning the league and figuring out how he can impact play, though he has looked more comfortable alternating. Advertisement His statistical profile isn't glossy but he's got plus-level size (6-foot-3 with a frame that he has added lean muscle mass to, raising his playing weight to 199 pounds), skating (he's a very smooth straight-line skater) and work ethic and there is a belief that despite being on the 'older' side (he was a late '04 in a predominantly '05 draft), he's still early in his development. He's the kind of player who can play with a variety of linemate types and in a variety of roles and still be successful because of his toolsy, smart game. I'm not sure he's got NHL talent but his game is projectable in other ways and there are some who believe he's got the makings of a reliable useful bottom-six player. And though No. 33 was a little high for me on draft day, he was a player other teams had ranked in that range. Burnevik has had a positive progression in the two seasons since he went undrafted out of the NTDP. He was always a useful bottom-six player at the program but he has taken a couple of important steps since then. Last season, he made the smart decision to go to the USHL and scored 40 goals (second in the league) and 71 points (tied for seventh) as Madison's leading scorer by 18 points. This season, he has also made an immediate impact at St. Cloud State, playing his way onto the first line and top power-play unit and producing just under a point per game as a freshman so far. That earned him a spot on USA's gold medal-winning World Junior team, though he wasn't much of a factor for them. Burnevik's a 6-foot-4, 200-pound winger who stays around it, finds ways to get his stick onto chances inside the offensive zone, has some decent puck protection skill out wide to his body and has good feel around the net and off both of his forehand and his backhand on the cycle/in the slot. His skating is a limiter, though, and while he's competitive enough it's not a defining quality of his game. He's relevant as a prospect and worth following but will have to learn to play with more pace in order to give himself an opportunity to be more than just a middle-of-the-road pro. Suchanek's a 6-foot-1, 185-pound goalie who was repeatedly passed up in the draft but eventually earned a pro deal with the Ducks organization for last season after grabbing people's attention with his excellent play at the 2023 World Juniors in Halifax and Moncton (where he led the Czechs to a silver medal, led the tournament with a .939 save percentage and was named to the tournament all-star team — he was also on my ballot) and strong back-to-back seasons with Tri-City in the WHL. Last year, after performing well both in the ECHL and AHL, he then turned that pro deal into an entry-level contract. I think he was going to be the guy in San Diego this year before he underwent surgery for a ruptured ACL in September, essentially costing him his season because of the six-to-eight-month timeline that comes with it. I still felt he deserved a mention here, though. Suchanek's game is all about staying with pucks. He's mobile but he's ultra-competitive and fights to get to second and third chances or hold firm on scrambles. He plays a challenging, aggressive style to play sharp angles and relies on his feet and his battle level to recover. I think he's got what it takes to become a solid No. 3 goalie but there's no telling if the lost time this year will set him back. As always, each prospect pool ranking is broken down into team-specific tiers in order to give you a better sense of the proximity from one player — or group of players — to the next. The Ducks' pool is divided into three tiers: 1, 2-3, 4-15+. Considered but not ranked were goalies Damian Clara (who is a comparable prospect to Clang for me but has had a difficult year), North Bay forward Ethan Procyszyn, Rimouski forward Alexandre Blais (who was on my draft board last year and will get to play in the Memorial Cup this year), Gulls forwards Jan Mysak (an old favorite of mine) and Coulson Pitre and Gulls defensemen Noah Warren and Rodwin Dionicio. (Photo of Beckett Sennecke: Chris Tanouye / Getty Images)
New York Times
27-01-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Calgary Flames are No. 13 in 2025 NHL prospect pool rankings
Welcome to Scott Wheeler's 2025 rankings of every NHL organization's prospects. You can find the complete ranking and more information on the project and its criteria here, as we count down daily from No. 32 to No. 1. The series, which includes in-depth evaluations and insight from sources on nearly 500 prospects, runs from Jan. 8 to Feb. 7. Advertisement The Flames have turned over a lot of prospects, graduating Matt Coronato, Connor Zary and Dustin Wolf and aging out Jakob Pelletier — the four players who made up the core of their pool for years — in the last year. But the injection of one of the most talented young players in the sport in Zayne Parekh, plus the addition of a 10-pick 2024 class that included two selections in each of the first three rounds and some internal growth from some others has kept their pool strong. 2024 prospect pool rank: No. 15 (change: +2) GO DEEPER NHL prospect pool rankings 2025: Scott Wheeler evaluates all 32 farm systems Parekh is one of the most talented prospects in the sport and has the potential to be an offensive game-changer. He might even be in a special tier offensively. Two seasons ago, despite playing in just 50 of Saginaw's 68 games after missing three weeks due to injury from the end of February into March and another couple for the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge (where he scored three goals and five points in seven games as the highest-scoring defenseman on the fourth-place-finishing Canada Black), he still broke the OHL's all-time goals record by a U17 defenseman, scoring 21 times. An OHL Cup All-Star and first-round pick into the OHL before that, Parekh then became the most talented offensive defenseman in junior hockey last year, winning the CHL's defenseman of the year award and scoring and producing at an all-time great draft-year rate, breaking the 30-goal and 90-point mark as the leading scorer on the Memorial Cup hosts by more than 20 points. He was extremely impactful against the three best teams in the CHL at the Memorial Cup, playing big minutes to help the Spirit to the championship. Though he missed some playoff games due to an upper-body injury, he was still a difference-maker for Saginaw in the postseason. He got off to a slow start this season after a very short summer due to the Memorial Cup, the draft, development camp, rookie tournament and the World Junior Summer Showcase, but he has excited again recently and is back on track for another 30-goal and 90-plus point season. He plays an aggressive and natural offensive style that looks to attack off the line into the slot or even the front of the net or below the goal line. He'll also regularly involve himself in the rush, much like a winger does, driving down the wall in control to look to challenge defenders and attack into his shot or create an odd-man rush. He's extremely confident on offense and opening up his feet (where necessary) around the zone without going to his heel-to-heel by default. He's got great hands and a casual-looking skating posture (he's got excellent feet crossing over and falling onto his heels, but does lack pull-away speed in straight lines going forward), which he uses to carry pucks with a visual ease and beat the first layer of pressure to get to his spots. When the puck arrives on his stick, it just seems to stop and glue to him through his movements — a very rare quality that almost makes him look lackadaisical with the puck because it's settled so easily into his pocket and upright stance. He likes to roam, but he's also learning to pick his spots better and his head is constantly on a swivel to identify where he is in relation to his teammates. When he plays freely, which is almost always, you're drawn to him whenever he touches the puck because he's always a threat to make something happen and he sees and identifies plays early. He protects the puck extremely well with players leaning on him, escaping situations you wouldn't expect him to and often avoiding contact with deft little pre-planned plays (though he'll also take a hit to make a play). He's got great footwork and edges to manipulate across the line and stop up along the boards to change directions or maintain gaps. Advertisement And I also believe he defends at a high enough level to be given free rein to go out there and be himself offensively. Though his defense has been a common criticism among scouts at times, I'd argue he's got a great stick (which is long and which he hides really well until an opportunity to be disruptive presents itself) and reads the play a high, high level in anticipation. I've liked what I've seen from him on the penalty kill, and even though he definitely doesn't play a physical style and can get exposed for not being hard enough in engagements, I think he's made important progress in his own zone and he's also become a very chippy/mouthy/pest-like player (though his lack of discipline at times can get him in trouble). There are times when his posture will look disengaged and upright, and you'd like him to really get low and battle, but he's playing to win pucks with his stick and does so quite well (he's never going to be a staunch defender). Add in that he's a very good communicator (he's constantly talking on the ice), has passes that are almost always tape-to-tape and perfectly flat, an ability to draw penalties escaping pressure as well as just about anyone in the draft class (he's never in trouble) and a want to have the puck and make a difference, and there's a very high-end package. If he can defend at a reasonable level in the NHL (which I believe he'll be able to) he's got star power. Gridin got off to one of the hottest starts in North American junior hockey as an import in the USHL last season and continued to produce all year, leading the USHL in scoring as a draft-eligible with 83 points in 60 games. That's pretty uncommon for a draft-aged player and is usually reserved for first-round locks. I didn't quite have him there (he ranked No. 38 on my final board) but the Flames did (they drafted him No. 28) and he then made the move from Muskegon to Shawinigan (after Val d'Or dealt him there at the opening of the QMJHL season). Though he got off to a bit of a slower start in the Q, his production has since taken off. He's the Cataractes' leading scorer and he has driven a lot of offense himself while playing to very good on-ice results. Gridin's got a desirable makeup, including a pro build and developing athleticism, skill on the puck and a quick, NHL look to his release. He can play a north-south direct game and an east-west one with a little more poise. He regularly tries and pulls off difficult plays on the ice. He has shown he can snake his way out of trouble or play pucks through or past defenders, but he can also play off his linemates as more of a quick-strike option. Part of that is a credit to his ability to think and adapt quickly on the ice (I've seen him lift his head from a pass reception and make a number of instinctual, no-panic plays under immediate pressure in a split second). He's got good size and good enough skating. He has also taken positive steps away from the puck to round out his game, though some question whether he has enough of a B game/brain and he can come and go. I think he's got upside as a potential middle-six/PP2 winger who adds offense and skill to a line. Honzek was on one of the steeper ascents in the 2023 draft when he suffered a leg injury in Slovakia's second game of the World Juniors which sidelined him through the middle third of it. Then, during a promising showing at Flames camp, he suffered an abdominal injury which sidelined him until December to start his post-draft season, only to return and break his nose, requiring a full face mask. In between, he played in his third and final World Juniors in Gothenburg and was good but not dominant. The story was similar with the Giants in his final season of junior last season, too: he has played to about a point per game and good on-ice results on a below .500 team without putting up gaudy totals or really cementing himself as someone who could create his own offense in bulk without much help. This season, though, his game has predictably fit better at the pro level surrounded by players who he can play off and complement, resulting in decent rookie results in the AHL and some time in the NHL. Honzek's a big forward (he has played more wing than center but can and has played both) whose game really fit right from the get-go on North American ice, quickly establishing himself as a go-to player in all situations for the Giants en route to being named captain (he was also an alternate captain for Slovakia in Gothenburg). He skates well for his size (6-foot-3), he's got good hands and dexterity, he's got great feel and sense for the pressures that exist on the ice and he's by all accounts a great teammate and kid who is coachable and pays attention to the details of the game. He gets onto pucks, tracks pucks off them, wins battles, holds onto pucks along the wall, will go to the front of the net, excels on the penalty kill and has good positioning and awareness. There are times when he's holding it with his back turned to the defender inside the offensive zone where I'd like to see him keep his feet moving instead of coming to a glide with it but he still protects it really well even at a slower pace. Advertisement There's a lot of belief out there that he's going to be a well-rounded middle-six NHLer and while I don't think he has a high offensive ceiling I could see him becoming a really well-rounded 40-something point forward. Brzustewicz was a star in minor hockey growing up who really returned to that form last season after a bit of a winding road. He spent two years at the program playing with kids from the draft class in front of him due to his birthday (though he missed almost all of his U17 year due to a shoulder injury suffered before his time there had barely started), and decommitted from the University of Michigan to play his draft year in the OHL so that he could get more game action. That season, he led Kitchener's defense in scoring and turned me into a believer, finishing 40th on my ranking but going 75th to the Canucks. In his post-draft season, he then found another level altogether as one of the most productive D in junior hockey last year, regularly showcasing his high-end smarts, above-average skill and high-end spatial awareness on the ice to finish with 101 points in 77 combined regular-season and playoff games. His rookie season in the AHL this year hasn't stood out or followed the same trajectory but he's had a respectable year for a 19/20-year-old defenseman, averaging a little more than 17 minutes per game and running one of the Wranglers' power-play units while holding his own at five-on-five. Brzustewicz is a mobile and strong kid who has worked hard to fill out his frame (the lost season helped with that), defends the rush effectively and is now getting to show that he has always had more offense to his game than his production at the program (where players like Seamus Casey and Lane Hutson were awarded greater opportunities offensively after his injury) showed. He walks the line well, he's comfortable, poised and patient in control of the puck in all three zones and he will take and execute on what's given to him. He plays and reads the game very tactically — he's one of those players who makes the right calls with the puck pretty much whenever he has it and sees and processes the game at an advanced level. He's also a strong athlete who impressed in testing at the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game, was a high-end skater coming up and has been a better skater throughout (even when he lost half a step after the injury) than I think most gave him credit for. He has become more and more active in transition. He can comfortably play his off-side. His on-ice intelligence gets high grades for how methodical and pinpoint accurate his execution is in the offensive zone. His head is always up and he's comfortably beating the first layer of pressure to make his plays even if he's not a dynamic creator who will break multiple ankles in a sequence. He projects as a smart, offensively inclined but defensively capable No. 4-5 in the NHL. Morin has been one of the best defensemen in the QMJHL over the last three seasons for the Wildcats. That began two years ago with him leading the Wildcats in scoring with 72 points and QMJHL defensemen in goals with 21 (he also generated the third-most shots by a defenseman with 213, or 3.2 per game) before capping off his draft year with a sensational 17-in-12 playoff run where he was the driving force on the team in all areas. It continued as a good team's No. 1 D while playing to a point per game last season. And it has continued again this year on a Moncton team favored to win the QMJHL title. Though he hasn't played the 28 minutes per game he played in his draft year the last two seasons as the team's blue line got deeper and that has contributed to his production plateauing around a point per game, his 23 minutes per game in each of the last two seasons has still led the Wildcats in both. He plays a highly involved game built around good-though-not-elite skill, an NHL shot, a confidence and calm with the puck in all three zones, above-average skating (though I wouldn't call it a strength and it can look a little upright at times) and a sound understanding of when and where he can impact play. He outlets the zone well, joins and supports the play effectively and reads and anticipates well. Defensively, his game is also competitive enough, engaged and won't be a hindrance up levels even if it's not a standout quality that's going to define him. Though he doesn't produce his points in a super flashy way and doesn't project as a true top-end defenseman at either end, his precision, decent athleticism/frame, overall skill and shooting and execution give him top-six aspirations as an offensively inclined two-way defenseman and potential PP2 quarterback. He should be in the mix for QMJHL defenseman of the year at season's end and then turn pro in the AHL next year. An offensive defenseman in the truest sense, Poirier has been a fascinating — and at times polarizing, though less so now — study over the years because of the style he has played. Two seasons ago, he had a very positive rookie year in the AHL, registering a combined 49 points in 78 regular-season and playoff games while earning enough trust from the Wranglers coaching staff to immediately get out in those offensive situations after a strong camp. Last season, he was off to a torrid start with seven points in four games before a severe skate laceration on his arm suffered in Abbotsford in October sidelined him for months. Before his AHL career, he was one of the most gifted defensemen in the QMJHL and finished it with a big performance in Saint John's Memorial Cup win. This year, after a bit of a slow start, his offense has returned in the last few months. Advertisement Poirier has had his fair share of doubters in the hockey world but has worked hard (to promising results, I'd argue) to pull back on his all-offense game while still staying defiantly true to himself. His game is always going to be defined by his brilliance in the offensive zone. He can make good defenders look silly one-on-one, power his shot past goalies from long range, and spin off pressure to create spacing for himself and his teammates. His aggressive approach to the position comes with its drawbacks, but those are fewer and fewer. He has learned to cheat for his offense less. He has learned to attack without support less. He has learned not to try to do it all himself as often (though there are still moments where he tries to take over and either pulls a play out of his hat or tries to beat one too many guys and turns it over). But he has still played true to himself, trying things on any stage, using his NHL wrister and booming slap shot to look to score, handling the puck a lot and beating layers of pressure with shoulder shakes. I'm a believer that not all six defensemen on an NHL team have to look or play the same way to build a competitive team, and I think there's a role for Poirier as a third-pairing guy at five-on-five and PP2 specialist. He's got clear NHL power-play upside today. As he gets the rest of his game to a trustworthy enough level and continues to work on some of his tendencies, I think there's a role for him on an NHL club at some point with the right partner (a more cautious one) and the right coach. He also doesn't have the size concerns (he's 6-foot-1 and built strong and stocky) that many other defensemen with his skill set do. The clock is starting to tick, though, and I did consider slotting him a little lower here. A fourth consecutive player on the list who projects as an offensively inclined depth defenseman with PP2 value, I debated ranking Brzustewicz, Poirier, Morin and Mews in any order and it'll be fascinating to see which one of them can emerge as a potential future PP2 type behind Parekh. Mews is a player of varied opinions that scouts weren't quite sure what to make of ahead of last year's draft, but is someone I slotted as a late-first/second-rounder when the Flames drafted him early in the third round. The No. 7 pick in the 2022 OHL Priority Selection, Mews played an important role on one of the best teams in the OHL as a rookie two seasons ago and was a top prospect coming up. His draft year was up and down and a learning experience that included a lot of coaching, but he still finished near a point per game. He has also been a staple of Canada's blue lines in his age group across three different events now — first in a standout showing as the captain of the otherwise disappointing Canada White at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, tying for the team scoring lead with eight points in six games; then in another strong performance at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, again leading Canada's defense in scoring; and finally last spring as a PP quarterback and more of a contributor than a top player on a blue line that was more by-committee at U18 worlds (he did hit a couple of posts and was probably owed more on the stat sheet). There were times last season when he looked sloppy and unsure of himself (or like he was reluctant to play his style with the 67's), though more so early on than in the second half (I actually think he made some important progress in the second half of last year). During that, some softened their outlook on him. This season, he has been one of the top offensive defensemen in the OHL and has really looked more like himself after a trade from Ottawa to Sudbury. I still like how his game could translate up levels, especially with a team that involves their D, and I know there are others who agree, but he's going to have to hit some important checkpoints and prove it to people with the Wranglers and Flames along the way. Mews is an athletic, right-handed shot who is capable (keyword) of consistently driving and tilting play from the back end. When he's at his best, he dictates play by regularly looking to activate into the rush or off the line to use his skill and playmaking ability from the back end. He's capable of defending hard, too (though sometimes I think he's working harder than he is effectively). But he has struggled at times with his positioning and seems to get beat one-on-one or on misreads a little too often (everything, as one scout said to me, is just a little too 'chaotic' with him at times). He's actually a good skater, too, so those things should be happening a little less than they do. I love his attack and take-instead-of-give mentality offensively, and it's complemented by NHL skill, an NHL shot and an ability to execute against coverage and pressure to the middle third of the ice (he's an impressive slot passer). His business inside the offensive zone, jumping in and out of the play, will occasionally catch him in a bad spot, but can also really impact play and offense when his team needs it. He's still got some learning to do on how to mitigate risk and when to push or hold but he has shown more signs that he's learning how to apply his game. His NHL projection will be determined by the consistency of his reads and choices (there are times when he can wait too long to move his decisions with the puck and others where he'll move it too quickly, which speaks to immaturity in his game but also maybe confidence). I understand the concerns some have but remain intrigued. He has the tools and talent. A force in the BCHL two years ago, Suniev broke 50 goals and 100 points between the regular season and the playoffs with Penticton, while playing a fair chunk of the season on their second line away from would-be Hurricanes first-rounder Bradly Nadeau and his brother Josh. He then followed that up with a really strong freshman season in which he finished second among forwards in scoring at UMass after Harvard dropped his commitment due to visa issues (which he got sorted in time to attend the scouting combine and play in college last season after being denied entry into the U.S. when he played at SAC and in the BCHL). He has had a really strong sophomore season this year as well, moving to above a point per game and creating more of his own looks at NCAA pace. Advertisement Outside of slowish feet, Suniev is the complete package as a player. He's got pro size already. His wrister and one-timer both rip off his blade. He handles the puck and attacks at defensemen and into the slot with confidence. He can play on it or off coverage, complementing different types of linemates with similar effectiveness and fit. He's good along the wall and on the power play. He just looks like a pro-quality player when he's out there. He's the real deal and a player I believe may even have middle-six upside if he can continue to get a little quicker (he has made some progress there this year). I debated ranking him a spot or two higher and ranked him higher than where he was picked ahead of the draft (a second-rounder all day for me, but he went in the third). I'm sure Kerins was disappointed to be in the ECHL instead of AHL in his first pro season two years ago, but it was good for him and helped set him up for the success he's had the last two years as he has emerged as a really good story for the Flames organization. It afforded him the opportunity to find out what makes his game work at the pro level and he hasn't looked back. He made the jump to solid top-nine AHLer smoother last year than it would have been had he played in the AHL the year prior and he really built on that this season, going from a good top-niner to a legit top player in the AHL and NHL call-up who hasn't looked the least bit of place. Before turning pro, Kerins became a really nice story in junior as well as a hardworking, well-rounded sixth-round pick whose skill game came a long way to turn him into one of the OHL's top players. In his last season in the OHL, he finished second only to Stars standout and first-round pick Wyatt Johnston in OHL scoring, and you don't register 118 points in an OHL campaign by accident. As I've written over the years, I think there were signs that Kerins' rise was coming in his strong underlying results in the OHL in his draft year. (His five-on-five primary production rates have always signaled that he was a better prospect than where he was drafted.) He has opened up his plane of sight to develop his playmaking, consistently placing pucks from the outside to the inside with the right timing and weight for his teammates to pounce. He has learned to execute quicker and hold when spacing allows. He has always played an effective north-south, give-and-go, opportunistic, around-the-slot game with a quick catch-and-release shot. Though he's not the biggest, strongest, most puck-skilled or hardest-shooting kid, he makes a lot of little plays around the ice and knows how to operate and play off his linemates. At 5-foot-10/11 and without dynamic quality there was wonder if would top out as a good AHLer but he has looked for some time now like he's going to find a way to stick around in the NHL and the last couple of weeks with the Flames have certainly pointed in that direction as well. I thought about ranking him higher here. Sergeyev's results across three levels in the last five years speak for themselves. After getting drafted out of the NAHL (a league I don't tend to watch as part of my routine unless I'm made aware of a player worth watching), Sergeyev won USHL goaltender of the year (stealing the net from Washington Capitals draft pick Chase Clark and never looking back) and then immediately became a good tandem goalie as a freshman in college two years ago at UConn. After playing again in a tandem at UConn last year, the second time with undrafted goalie Ethan Haider, Sergeyev transferred to Penn State this year where he has been the starter and played to a save percentage above .920. He's got the size (6-foot-4, 195 pounds) and I like his control of it and athleticism (he's got some power and quickness). I like his technical ability. So the foundation is there. He has also worked to get into better shape. I don't see any real red flags in his game anymore and while he's not a sure thing/one of the league's true top goalie prospects, he's got a chance to become a No. 2/3. After an excellent draft year that included success across four different levels (two junior, two pro), Stromgren's post-draft season three years ago was more of an up-and-down one that left scouts wanting more. Two seasons ago marked a nice bounce-back, though. After scoring a hat trick in his first game of the year with Rogle's junior team, he joined Brynas' SHL team and stuck as a regular before making the jump to the AHL. As a rookie with the Wranglers last season, he played mostly in a depth role (averaging about 13 and a half minutes per game), though his role really grew as the season went on, rising from 11 minutes to 18-20 near the end of the year. This season, that important role has continued and he has been one of the Wranglers' better forwards. Stromgren's a 6-foot-3 winger with skill that has begun to consistently reveal itself at the AHL level. Despite his size, he doesn't play the game you might expect, either. He'd rather play around you or shoot through you than push into you. He's comfortable with the puck on his stick, which helps him carry the puck over the line and make plays in transition. I don't think he's ever going to be a driver on an NHL line, but he's got a chance to be a complementary depth scorer with continued development. There's an outcome where he just tops out as a top-six AHLer/call-up option rather than carving out a specific NHL role but I wouldn't be surprised by either outcome. This year has been a really positive one. Advertisement Basha impressed me last season, both early on while playing on a line with Cayden Lindstrom before his injury and in the second half when he continued to manufacture offense on his own in Lindstrom's absence as a real driver (though there were stretches in the second half where some felt his play tailed off, he was also dealing with a lower-body injury). He also grew a couple of inches to get to 5-foot-10/11, which helps. He just looked really good, very consistently. This season, he was named an alternate captain and got off to a good but not great start with the Tigers before being sidelined indefinitely at the end of December with a lower-body injury. Basha's a good but not great skater (his skating has come a long way in the last two-to-three years) who gets off the mark quickly and attacks in short bursts but isn't a burner. And while he has quick hands, he doesn't hold onto the puck too long (a common problem for players with his skill set), instead using a two-touch shot or a quick handle into a deft pass back against the grain to make the majority of his plays on the puck. His patience then becomes a utility rather than a crutch, only going to it when he needs to and relying on quick reads the rest of the time. He's an extremely competitive player who has a real willingness to forecheck, play through bumps and fight for positioning and possession, with skill and tenaciousness in the dirty areas. He also plays the game with a bit of a chip on his shoulder and can get under guys' skin. He makes plays under sticks and through feet and into space, he thrives moving off the puck in and out of give-and-gos and he has good skill. I've really liked watching him play. There are questions about whether he's going to top out as a good second-line AHLer rather than a complementary middle-six NHLer with some skill and drive, though, and the injuries in consecutive seasons are going to make it harder on him. A heavy (6-foot-1, about 200 pounds), strong winger who grew on scouts as last season went on, Battaglia led the Fronts in goals with 31 and finished second in points with 65 in 67 games in his draft year to get drafted at the end of the second round. He ranked No. 83 on my board when the Flames took him No. 62 but he was trending in that direction and it didn't come as a surprise. He has followed it up this season by taking another step to become one of the more productive forwards in the OHL as well, showing more of the offense that made him a top player in minor hockey. His skating needs to improve if he's going to play in the NHL, but I know he's made it a priority in the last couple of offseasons, he's got some straight-line power once he gets going, and there is a lot else to like. He's a volume shooter who protects pucks really well off his hip, gets off the wall and under defenders, possesses an NHL-level hard shot that can beat goalies from distance, has good offensive instincts and plays with good feel and patience inside the offensive zone despite not being the quickest from a standstill. If he's developed properly, he might become a secondary scorer in a third-line role. He's got the size and the talent/shot and I thought about ranking him a little higher here. Kuznetsov's a player I was lower on than most in his draft year. He then had an up-and-down couple of years post-draft, leaving college too early to turn pro, struggling in the AHL and ending up in junior with the Sea Dogs, where he won the Memorial Cup. In time, though, he has figured it out in the AHL and become a really positive defender for the Wranglers (he has played to really strong defensive results this year in particular). He's a strong skater for 6-foot-5, which limits some of the challenges players his size often face in transition. His upside is uninspiring and I question whether he's talented enough to play under pro pressures despite his pro build/some pro attribute in how he defends, but he looks like he's going to settle in as a No. 7-8 D who can step onto a third-pairing and defend well. I like his stick and his ability to take on tougher matchups, and while I wasn't sure for a time if the skills of dexterity, touch and poise were NHL quality, they've progressed to passable and he has learned to snuff out more plays defensively with his stick and length. He is what he is but has made enough progress that he's probably going to get a second NHL call-up at some point. Misa is an excellent skater and was the Steelheads' leading scorer last year and one of the leading assists men in the OHL. He was a predictable standout in testing at the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game and at the Scouting Combine last year as well. He's also 5-foot-10, born in November 2005 and is in his fourth season in the OHL. Still, he has been very productive again this year despite spending much of the year playing away from the top line of Porter Martone and Carson Rehkopf in Brampton. Advertisement Misa wins races and can create with his feet, regularly beating his man wide and getting a step on defenders for partial breaks (he rounds corners particularly fast and tight). He's not the biggest kid, and the knocks on him in his first two years in the league were that he needed to use his speed to get to the middle third of the ice more and play with a more competitive edge. He has made noticeable progress on both fronts in the last couple of years to score more (including a recent hat trick) and has become more of a play-driver at both ends. He sees the ice well and processes the game quickly even at speed, which can sometimes be a problem for faster skaters. I like the way he jumps into gaps and creates quick looks. He's starting to play into the guts and find his way out more, making better choices about when to go wide and when to drive into teams, push them back and make the kick-out play. And when he's feeling it, he has the puck a lot and passes it well to the weak side of coverage. His player type sometimes has a tougher time going from AHLer to full-time NHLer, but I like his skating-vision-sense combo enough that I felt he warranted a mention here. As always, each prospect pool ranking is broken down into team-specific tiers in order to give you a better sense of the proximity from one player — or group of players — to the next. The Flames' pool is divided into three tiers: 1, 2-3, 4-15+. Also considered but not ranked were Vancouver Giants forward Jaden Lipinski, Niagara University standout freshman and reigning OJHL MVP Trevor Hoskin (who was the final cut but will be on this list next year if he keeps at it) and Wranglers defenseman Artyom Grushnikov (who lacks offense but has the length and skating to potentially become a No. 8-9 D who plays some games). (Photo of Zayne Parekh: Michael Miller / ISI Photos / Getty Images)
