Big Hype Prospects: Lysell, Hutson, Thomas, Robidas, 2023 Draft
Welcome to PHR’s Big Hype Prospects series. Like the MLB Trade Rumors series of the same name, we’ll be taking a regular look at the performances of top prospects from across the hockey world. We’ll look at drafted prospects who are rising, others who are struggling, and prospects for the upcoming draft who are notable.
Four Big Hype Prospects
Fabian Lysell, RW, Boston Bruins (Providence, AHL)
7 GP 2G 7A 9pts
The consequence of the Bruins organization’s relentless pursuit of their second Stanley Cup victory since 2011 is that the team has been left with precious few prospects who can be confidently projected as future impact players, meaning players who fill top-six roles in a forward corps or a top-four role on defense. Winning is always the first priority, so there are few Bruins fans who would reasonably complain about the level of success the team has experienced in the past decade, but that still leaves the franchise in an unclear long-term position.
Lysell, the team’s first-round pick in 2021, has performed so well early this season that he seems to be cementing himself as far and away the Bruins’ most talented prospect. After a 2021-22 campaign in the WHL that was strong, (but maybe not the above-and-beyond dominant type of season that someone such as Dallas Stars prospect Logan Stankoven had) most believed that the AHL would serve as the first true test of Lysell’s young career. Playing against men at an elite professional level can be extremely challenging for many prospects, and quite a few struggle to translate their junior scoring numbers to the pro game, where generating offense can require a different approach.
Lysell has not struggled whatsoever. Playing next to a creative offensive dynamo in Georgii Merkulov and a capable veteran AHL scorer in Vinni Lettieri, Lysell has burst out the gates with nine points in his first seven games. He has shown an advanced ability to deceive defenders and utilize his blazing speed in order to create time and space with the puck. He looks in line to have a big year in Providence, and if he keeps this up it’ll be difficult to imagine him skating anywhere else but on one of the Bruins’ scoring lines next season.
Lane Hutson, LHD, Montreal Canadiens (Boston University, NCAA)
7 GP 3G 5A 8pts
Despite a draft year where he was arguably the best, most dynamic defenseman in the U.S. National Team Development Program, Hutson fell all the way to the back of the 2022 draft’s second round, where he was snagged by the Montreal Canadiens.
Why? Because there aren’t many defensemen in the NHL who stand under five-foot-ten, and Hutson is measured between five-feet-eight and five-feet-nine inches tall. Hutson’s diminutive stature and lack of elite separation skating ability pushed him down NHL draft boards, and some believed that Hutson would not be able to remain an impact defenseman at a more challenging and physically demanding level of hockey.
So far, Hutson has aced that test. With eight points in seven games, Hutson has led the Terriers to an 11th-place ranking in the most recent ranking poll. He has been the same dynamic, pace-pushing offensive generator out of the back end that he was at the USNTDP, and his effort level on defense has not waned. He was recently named the Hockey East Defender of the Month, and could make teams who passed on him sweat if he continues to excel in his first collegiate campaign.
Akil Thomas, C, Los Angeles Kings (Ontario, AHL)
7GP 4G 2A 6pts
As mentioned in Lysell’s section, there are some prospects who score exceedingly well at the junior level and then have trouble translating those numbers into production as a professional. For the past two seasons, former OHL star Akil Thomas looked like one of those players.
In his rookie AHL campaign, Thomas showed some promise, scoring 26 points in 40 games, but there were still some issues in his game that needed to be worked out. Thomas underwent double shoulder surgery and struggled immensely upon his return. He scored just 13 points in 40 games, and as a 22-year-old his prospect stock seemed to have declined sharply since his days as an elite junior player.
This season, Thomas seems to be repairing his standing in a Kings prospect pool that looks highly competitive. Playing on a line with fellow 2018 draftees Aidan Dudas and Tyler Madden, Thomas will be a player to watch this season to see if he has sorted out how to be an impact offensive player as a professional. While the Kings have many other prospects vying for NHL call-ups, don’t be surprised if Thomas finds a way to make his NHL debut this season if he can keep up this level of scoring.
Justin Robidas, C/RW, Carolina Hurricanes (Val d’Or, QMJHL)
12 GP 9G 13A 22pts
Similar to Hutson, Robidas is a prospect whose physical shortcomings cost him in the draft process. After a point-per-game season in the QMJHL, Robidas was drafted in the fifth round of the 2021 draft, 147th overall. Robidas’ speed, motor, and overall work ethic have been his best traits, but his five-foot-eight height is something that gives many evaluators pause when considering his pro projection. Since his draft day, though, Robidas has far outperformed his fifth-round billing.
He was named the captain of the Foreurs last season and impressed with a 30-goal, 82-point campaign. So far this year, Robidas has picked up where he left off. Robidas has scored nine goals and 22 points in just 12 contests, and he looks likely to finish among the top scorers in the QMJHL.
Sure, Robidas’ offensive game can often lack a deceptive or manipulative element to it, meaning he might struggle to be an impact scorer as a professional. Still, Robidas’ development into a junior league star gives more confidence to his projection as a potential bottom-six forward who endears himself to coaches and fans alike with his work ethic, leadership, and tantalizing speed.
A Look to the Top of the 2023 Draft
Regina Pats forward Connor Bedard has attracted most of the attention when it comes to next year’s NHL draft, and for good reason. Bedard is arguably the most talented draft prospect since Connor McDavid was an Erie Otter, and Bedard’s play has lived up to the hype so far this season. But the attention paid to Bedard shouldn’t distract from the fact that the top end of this draft looks stacked in terms of raw talent.
Take Adam Fantilli, a forward now playing for the Michigan Wolverines. Before this season, Fantilli was in the conversation as the second, third, or fourth-best prospect in the draft according to most outlets.
Now, Fantilli has begun the year scoring at a historic pace and has firmly seized the mantle of “best prospect not named Bedard” in this year’s class. On a Wolverines team loaded with top prospects, Fantilli has scored 18 points in just eight games. He’s been scoring at a pace reminiscent of Jack Eichel‘s 71-point draft year, and could end up like Eichel as a number-one caliber talent who goes number-two behind a once-in-a-generation star.
Looking beyond Fantilli, there are some other prospects who are surging in the early part of this season. Swedish center Leo Carlsson has burst out the gates early on this year, scoring 11 points in 15 SHL games for Orebro. That scoring pace is at the moment higher than the legendary Henrik Sedin‘s 34-point draft campaign all the way back in 1998-99. Carlsson’s prospect profile would land him in the conversation for the number-one pick in most draft years, but this year he may not even be selected in the top three.
Unlike most years, finishing in the league’s last-place spot this season might be something fans of downtrodden franchises come to celebrate. Based on the league’s new lottery rules, a last-place finish would secure a club a top-three pick in the draft, meaning the team would be guaranteed, at the very least, Carlsson or Russian phenom Matvei Michkov. (assuming Bedard and Fantilli are selected first and second)
Getting that sort of guarantee, the chance to draft a player who could potentially be the face of their franchise for an extended period of time, might just be worth the pain of a nightmarish last-place season. Based on how each of those four players has started off their 2022-23 campaigns, it seems that even teams at the bottom of the standings will have something special to look forward to.
Riley Sheahan Clears Waivers
Oct 31: Sheahan has cleared waivers and was assigned to the Rochester Americans. In his place, the team has recalled Jeremy Davies to give them another defenseman while they continue to deal with injuries on the back end.
Oct 30: The Buffalo Sabres have made a roster move today, placing veteran center Riley Sheahan on waivers, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Sheahan was activated off of injured reserve by Buffalo on October 18 and has not yet skated in a game this season.
Sheahan, 30, signed in Buffalo this summer, receiving a one-year, two-way $950k/375k deal to serve as a depth center for the Sabres. A 2010 first-round pick, Sheahan spent 2021-22 as a member of the inaugural Seattle Kraken team, getting into 69 games and scoring 17 points.
A veteran of over 600 NHL games, Sheahan’s placement on waivers is somewhat surprising, as he’s played in just four AHL games since 2013-14. That being said, though, at this stage of his career Sheahan is likely more of a team’s fifth center than a regular bottom-sixer. As Bleacher Report’s Joe Yerdon notes, it’s possible that this waiver placement could be in order to add extra flexibility to move Sheahan at a later date.
In any case, the Sabres will hope that Sheahan clears waivers and that they can stash their useful veteran center with the AHL’s Rochester Americans.
Snapshots: Johnston, Coyotes Arena, Foligno
The Dallas Stars are off to a flying start to begin their 2022-23 season. The team is 5-3-1 and first in the Central Division. Among multiple major factors contributing to their strong play has been the emergence of Wyatt Johnston. The Stars’ 2021 first-round pick tore the OHL apart last season and has started his NHL career with four points in nine games, which ranks him just outside the Stars’ top-five forwards in scoring.
Today, we have an update on Johnston. Since Johnston was an OHL player, the Stars had a nine-game window to decide if they would return Johnston to his OHL team and let his entry-level contract “slide” for another season before he would (presumably) make his full NHL debut next season. Per Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek, the Stars won’t be going that route with Johnston. Instead, Johnston is going to stay with the Stars and potentially be a full member of the team for the duration of the 2022-23 season.
Some other notes from across the NHL:
- Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports reported today that the Arizona Coyotes’ arena and entertainment district plan, the one they proposed to the Tempe, Arizona City Council, will likely be referred to a referendum, meaning the decision on whether to accept the plan will be deferred to and voted on directly by voters. Morgan also notes that “there is also the potential for litigation from any number of parties, including Sky Harbor International Airport, the City of Phoenix, the Goldwater Institute, or local citizens groups.” The Coyotes just began their stay at their current home, Arizona State University’s Mullett Arena, and will have to hope that their plans for a new arena are accepted via a referendum in order to make concrete progress to a more suitable long-term home.
- The Minnesota Wild have announced that forward Marcus Foligno will not play in tonight’s game due to an upper-body injury. Foligno has three points in eight games this season. His health will be something for Wild fans to monitor as the team, who currently boast a 3-4-1 record, looks to find stronger footing early in this campaign.
Seth Jones Out Three to Four Weeks With Thumb Injury
The Chicago Blackhawks’ blueline will be without its best player for the next few weeks. The Blackhawks have announced that defenseman Seth Jones will miss the next three to four weeks due to an injury to his right thumb. Per head coach Luke Richardson, Jones injured his thumb blocking a shot in yesterday’s game.
This news comes as the Blackhawks have gotten off to a surprisingly strong start. The team is 4-3-1, an impressive early-season record for a squad most expected to spend most of this season in the basement of the NHL standings.
Jones’ play has helped Chicago get off to this quality start. The 28-year-old defenseman has four assists in eight games and has registered 25:14 time-on-ice per game, more than five minutes higher than the next-most-utilized player. Four of those minutes per night come on the penalty kill and nearly four have come on the power play. He’s been an all-situations defenseman for Richardson, who will now need to find a new way to fill that heavy workload.
The Blackhawks’ defense beyond Jones is shaky. Connor Murphy and Jack Johnson each play over 19 minutes per game, and it’s possible that one or both of these players sees their ice time rise to above 20 minutes per game in Jones’ absence. This injury certainly isn’t ideal for the Blackhawks, especially with number-one goalie Petr Mrazek still sidelined.
Still, it’s an early test of the team’s mettle that will at the very least provide an opportunity for others to make more of a mark on the Blackhawks’ season than they might have been able to with Jones healthy.
West Notes: Saad, Hughes, Bear, Studnicka
The St. Louis Blues are in a rocky stretch of their season at the moment. After getting off to a 3-0 start, the Blues have stumbled and are now 3-4 and second-to-last in the Central Division. Injuries haven’t played a major role in the team’s lackluster performance, but St. Louis could still nonetheless certainly stand to get healthier. Forward Brandon Saad has skated in just three games this season, and the Blues have to be hoping that he can return to health soon.
Despite the fact that he has not been placed on injured reserve, it doesn’t look as though Saad will be returning any time soon. As The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford reports, Saad hasn’t been practicing due to an upper-body injury, and per Blues head coach Craig Berube, he’s “still a ways away.” Saad is an important contributor to the Blues’ all-around game, and the 24 goals and 49 points he scored last year is certainly the sort of production St. Louis could use right now.
Some other notes on Western Conference teams:
- The Vancouver Canucks’ defense has been ravaged by injuries so far this season, although their situation has begun to improve. As noted by The Athletic’s Thomas Drance, top defenseman Quinn Hughes was back on the ice with his teammates today at practice. Hughes has missed Vancouver’s last four games with a lower-body injury, but could be returning soon. The American blueliner has five assists in five games this year and had 68 points in 76 games last season.
- The Canucks have been busy on the trade market as of late, acquiring center Jack Studnicka from the Boston Bruins and defenseman Ethan Bear from the Carolina Hurricanes. Drance reports that both Bear and Studnicka are on the ice today at practice. Bear and Studnicka have played just one NHL game combined so far this season, so it will be interesting to see how coach Bruce Boudreau chooses to deploy them to begin their Canucks careers.
Latest On San Jose Sharks Team Direction
Despite hiring a new front office and new head coach, this season has started off as more of the same for the San Jose Sharks organization. The Mike Grier/David Quinn era is off to a 3-8-0 start, leading many to wonder if the organization’s original goal to return to contention with their current core remains a realistic possibility. It now seems that the Sharks’ front office might agree with that sentiment, as TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reported on TSN’s Insider Trading program reports that the Sharks have “let it be known that they are willing to listen on pretty much every player on their roster” other than Tomas Hertl.
This presents an interesting situation for San Jose, as while the team might be interested in dealing anyone on their current roster, the realities of their roster construction present some unique challenges. First and foremost, the players that San Jose might be most interested in dealing, players such as veteran defensemen Erik Karlsson and Marc-Edouard Vlasic, might be the most challenging for Grier to trade. Both Karlsson and Vlasic have full no-movement clauses and therefore would have full control over any trade destination.
Additionally, Karlsson’s cap hit is $11.5MM and Vlasic’s is $7MM. In an environment where most teams are struggling with salary cap space, Grier could find constructing a suitable trade involving both players to be quite the challenge.
Another factor complicating Grier’s ability to complete a significant reconstruction of this Sharks roster via trade is the lackluster performance of many of the Sharks’ players.
Vlasic, for example, is now an offseason buyout candidate and far removed from the capable defensive defenseman he once was. Karlsson, who has had a strong start with 11 points in 11 games this year, has dealt with major injury troubles in recent years, the sort of injury issues that would make any interested team think twice about acquiring him.
Beyond just Karlsson and Vlasic, the Sharks have other veterans that may be of some more interest to other clubs, such as James Reimer or Kevin Labanc, but a deal for either might not be the sort of franchise-altering move Grier seems to be pondering.
There is one player who fits the bill as both a major asset to be shipped out and also a player who might actually be realistically tradeable: Swiss power forward Timo Meier. Meier is a pending restricted free agent who is precariously close to hitting unrestricted free agency. Should the Sharks choose to forgo signing Meier to a long-term extension, trading him would be the most sensible option.
While Meier has had a brutal start to this season with just five points in 11 games, he scored 76 points in 77 games last season and would in all likelihood fetch a major compensation package in return in any trade deal.
Regardless of whether Grier ultimately finds a way to make a franchise-altering trade or not, LeBrun’s report makes it clear that Grier is contemplating significant changes in San Jose. For a club that could be going through its fourth consecutive season without a playoff berth, those sort of major changes could be exactly what the Sharks need.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Minnesota Wild Waive Dakota Mermis
October 29: Mermis has cleared waivers and is cleared to head to Iowa, according to Chris Johnston of TSN and NorthStar Bets.
October 28: The Minnesota Wild have placed defenseman Dakota Mermis on waivers, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.
The move was necessitated by Mermis’ return to health from an injury he suffered in the preseason. He had been on the team’s injured reserve list, and now that he’s healthy he must clear waivers in order to be sent to the AHL.
Mermis, 28, is an undrafted defenseman who has fashioned a nice career for himself as a depth defenseman. The former London Knight made his professional debut for the Springfield Falcons of the AHL in 2015-16, and then moved on to the Tucson Roadrunners and Arizona Coyotes organization after that season. In Arizona, Mermis’ development accelerated, and by his second season there he had even earned his first NHL call-up.
Now a member of his third NHL organization, Mermis has 25 NHL games played on his resume. He spent most of last season with the Wild’s AHL affiliate in Iowa, and will now head back to Des Moines to begin his 2022-23 season.
Last year Mermis had a healthy 24 points in 59 games and this year should resume his role as a valuable veteran contributor for the Wild’s top minor league affiliate.
Lukas Klok Clears Unconditional Waivers; Contract With Coyotes Terminated
October 29: According to Chris Johnston of TSN and NorthStar Bets, Klok has cleared unconditional waivers and will have his contract with the Coyotes terminated.
October 28: Lukas Klok‘s short time playing professional hockey in North America seems to have come to an end. As reported by Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, Klok, a member of the Arizona Coyotes organization, has been placed on unconditional waivers for the purpose of mutual contract termination.
Fellow Czech blueliner Michal Kempny recently took this route to head overseas rather than remain in the AHL with the Coachella Valley Firebirds, and now Klok is following suit.
Klok, 27, was signed by the Coyotes this summer off the back of a successful KHL season. Klok spent 2021-22 with Nizhnekamsk Neftekhimik and scored 31 points in 44 games, which was just a point off of the team lead.
The six-foot-one blueliner had spent the two seasons before that playing for Lukko Rauma in the Finnish Liiga. He also has four seasons of Czech pro experience under his belt, and first popped onto the radar in North America playing for the USHL’s Youngstown Phantoms in 2013-14.
Klok’s current club, the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners, will be without Klok now (assuming he clears these unconditional waivers and has his contract terminated) but likely have the defensive depth to make up for his absence. Klok hadn’t registered much of an impact in four AHL games and the Roadrunners (who are 3-1 so far to start their season) should be able to manage to fill his vacated role moving forward.
Ottawa Senators Recall Dillon Heatherington
The Ottawa Senators have announced that defenseman Dillon Heatherington has been recalled from the team’s AHL affiliate, the Belleville Senators. This recall comes after it was revealed earlier today that top-pairing defenseman Artem Zub will be out for one to two weeks with an upper-body injury.
Heatherington, 27, has become a bit of a journeyman since he was drafted 50th overall at the 2013 draft by the Columbus Blue Jackets. After a solid career with the WHL’s Swift Current Broncos, Heatherington turned pro in the Blue Jackets organization and spent parts of three seasons playing for their AHL affiliates. He was then sent to the Dallas Stars in a trade for Lauri Korpikoski, and he made his NHL debut as a member of their organization.
After a 2019-20 season that did not include any call-ups to the main squad in Dallas, Heatherington left North America to continue his pro career with Barys Nur-Sultan of the KHL. He spent year there before being signed by the Senators, and last season he played in a depth role, getting into 45 games at the AHL level and nine NHL games.
With this call-up, it seems that the well-traveled Heatherington is in place to get some more NHL games under his belt. It’s likely that veteran defenseman Nick Holden will enter the lineup in Zub’s place, but now that Heatherington is on the roster it’s possible he gets a look as well.
The Senators are 4-3-0 at the moment and are looking to endure some early injury troubles and keep pace in an extremely competitive Atlantic Division.
Boston Bruins Recall Jakub Lauko
The Boston Bruins have announced a roster move today, calling up forward Jakub Lauko from their AHL affiliate, the Providence Bruins.
Lauko, 22, was sent to Providence a few days ago and now returns having not played in a game for the AHL squad. Lauko has gotten into four games for the Bruins this season and has one assist.
A third-round pick at the 2018 NHL draft, Lauko has impressed so far this season and should be one of the Bruins’ depth forwards/priority call-ups this year.
Before this season, Lauko had spent parts of three seasons paying his dues as a hard-working two-way player in Providence. Lauko’s scoring numbers took a bit of a dive last season, going from 19 points in 23 games in 2020-21 to 16 points in 54 games in 2021-22. But his speed, energy level, and work ethic remained despite that drop in production. It’s those traits that have earned him this call-up, and will likely be the reason that he gets chances in the NHL moving forward.