Prospect Notes: Raymond, Dorofeyev, McGuire

Just like fellow Swedish phenom and 2020 top prospect Alexander Holtz, Lucas Raymond has also signed an extension with his current SHL team. Raymond, considered a surefire top-five pick who could possibly even challenge to go No. 1 overall with a strong campaign, is clearly open to a developmental path that doesn’t require jumping straight to the pro level in North America. Raymond’s rookie contract with the SHL’s Frolunda HC was announced as a two-year pact, extending through 2020-21. He could conceivably return to Sweden next year for more seasoning before embracing his NHL future, if he so chooses. The NHL and SHL have a transfer agreement that allows Raymond to supercede his new deal with an NHL contract if he and the team lucky enough to draft him decide that it is the best course of action. If Raymond continues to progress this season, there could be little left for him in the SHL. He already played in ten games with the Indians last year and was one of the best players in the SuperElit top junior league. Raymond is a natural; a super-skilled two-way forward with excellent hockey IQ, he looks like the most well-rounded prospect in the 2020 draft class early on. A dynamic player in nearly every regard, Frolunda may be excited at the idea of Raymond coming back next season, but the odds are slim for the soon-to-be NHLer.

• A far more concerning extension is the one signed by Vegas Golden Knights prospect Pavel Dorofeyev this week. Dorofeyev, a third-round pick back in June, was entering the final year of his KHL contract with Metallurg Magnitogorsk. However, the league has announced that the two sides have agreed to a two-year extension, keeping Dorofeyev with the team through the 2021-22 season. Unlike with the SHL, there is no transfer agreement between the NHL and KHL and for all intents and purposes Dorofeyev is locked in with Magnitogorsk for the next three seasons. That could make it tough for Vegas to get a good read on the young forward prospect, not to mention it increases the risk that he may never make the jump to North America. Dorofeyev was a polarizing prospect in this draft class and “the Russian factor” was only on part of the differing opinions many had of him. A gifted puck-handler who plays with speed and vision, there is no questioning Dorofeyev’s skill. On that alone, some felt he was a first-round prospect. However, his lack of attentiveness to the defensive aspects of the game and some criticism of his motor and willingness to be aggressive dropped him from others’ draft boards completely. If the Golden Knights had hoped to avoid having Dorofeyev settle into the single-minded offensive style that many Russian forwards adopt, two extra years in the KHL won’t help.
• While it remains to be seen whether he develops into a legitimate NHL prospect or not, many will nevertheless be interested in following the college career of Ryan McGuire. McGuire is the son of former NHL coach and scout Pierre McGuire, who many know now for his work as analyst for NBC Sports. The younger McGuire, 17, has played two years of prep school hockey for Belmont Hill outside of Boston and has also spent some time with the USHL’s Madison Capitols. However, he’ll soon be playing at Colgate University, after recently committing to the ECAC program. Colgate isn’t exactly an NHL prospect factory, but they did produce the likes of Andy McDonald and Chris Wagner, not to mention Pierre’s NBC colleague Mike Milbury. As he enters his first season of NHL Draft eligibility, McGuire hopes to be the next NHLer out of Colgate. The small, but smart and speedy center will have name value among NHL scouts, but could use a strong season with Belmont Hill and/or Madison to show he also has the tools to be future pro.