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Prospect Notes: Draft Rankings, 2021 Memorial Cup, McKay

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If you were perusing the NHL Central Scouting draft lists when they came out yesterday and wondered how exactly the North American and International skaters compared, Sam Cosentino of Sportsnet has you covered. The draft analyst released his latest ranking of the top prospects eligible for selection in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, led as always by Alexis Lafreniere.

Some of the other rankings, however, differ significantly from the Central Scouting lists. Of note is Jake Sanderson, who while fourth among North American skaters on one list, comes in seventh among the same group on Cosentino’s. If you want a riser, how about Dylan Holloway, who Cosentino believes is a top-10 talent despite his ranking of #12 among North American skaters by Central Scouting.

  • Many of the players drafted this year will be competing in the CHL’s 2020-21 season, trying to earn their way to the Memorial Cup tournament. They may have to wait a little longer, as Bob McKenzie of TSN reports that the CHL is considering pushing back the schedule for the 2021 Memorial Cup into June of next year to give them a little bit of wiggle room should the start of the season be delayed. McKenzie notes that the tournament will be held in either Oshawa or Sault Ste. Marie, though that decision has not yet been made.
  • Kirby Dach will have a familiar face at Chicago Blackhawks training camp after the Rockford IceHogs signed Riley McKay to an AHL contract for 2020-21. McKay, 21, played with Dach on the Saskatoon Blades in 2018-19, racking up 149 penalty minutes as one of the toughest players in the Western Hockey League. Undrafted, he’ll try to carve out a role for himself in the minor leagues, while still surely watching his teammates’ backs.

Frederik Dichow Coming To North America

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After a year playing in Sweden for the Malmo Redhawks organization, Montreal Canadiens draft pick Frederik Dichow will test his game on North American soil. The Danish goaltender has committed to the Sudbury Wolves of the OHL for the 2020-21 season. Sudbury owned his CHL rights after selecting him 41st overall in the 2019 Import Draft.

Notably, Dichow says he spoke with Buffalo Sabres prospect Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen about the Sudbury organization:

I am super excited and can’t wait to get to Sudbury. After the draft last year, Ukko-Pekka reached out to me and let me know it is a great place to play and develop. I look forward to meeting the coaches and all my new teammates. I hear the fans and support are awesome in Sudbury and I want to help the Wolves win.

Luukkonen spent the 2018-19 season with Sudbury for his first taste of North American hockey and ended up being named the OHL’s Most Outstanding Player after posting a .920 save percentage in 53 games. Though the 19-year old Dichow isn’t quite as well-regarded as a prospect, he will try to follow in Luukkonen’s footsteps as a dominant presence between the pipes.

The Canadiens spent the 138th overall pick on Dichow in 2019, the 12th goaltender off the board. His huge 6’5″ frame is imposing in the net, though he still has plenty to work on moving forward. Montreal has not yet signed the young goaltender to an entry-level contract, but still have time to wait and assess his development next season.

Adam Fantilli Commits To USHL’s Chicago Steel

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In a move that may have NHL ramifications down the line, Adam Fantilli has signed with the USHL’s Chicago Steel for the 2020-21 season. The 15-year old forward was expected to be the first-overall selection in the OHL draft had he decided to stay in Canada and play in the CHL. His brother Luca Fantilli will be joining him, after the Steel picked him in the USHL Phase II Draft.

Already standing 6’2″ 181-lbs, Adam Fantilli is a blue-chip prospect for the 2023 NHL entry draft. Though there is obviously plenty of time for things to change between now and then, choosing to head the USHL route also may impact his draft and professional path.

Remember, players selected out of the CHL cannot play in the AHL until their age-20 season, something that already frustrates clubs with outstanding youngsters. There is also the fact that Luca Fantilli is committed to the University of Michigan to consider, given the propensity for USHL players to follow the college route.

Obviously he will be a player to watch moving forward, but the North Bay Battalion will have to move in a different direction. That’s who owns the first-overall pick in next month’s draft, scheduled to be held on April 4th.

WHL Designates Connor Bedard With First Ever Exceptional Player Status

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Exceptional player status in the CHL is only declared for those elite 15-year-olds deemed worthy of joining the major junior ranks a year early. Exceptional player status has been granted five times in the OHL – John Tavares, Aaron Ekblad, Connor McDavid, Sean Day, and Shane Wright – and just once in the QMJHL – Joe Veleno – but never before in the WHL. That is, until today. Just one day after the WHL was forced to make the disappointing announcement that the remainder of their season had been canceled, tonight they made the exciting revelation that for the first time exceptional player status has been awarded.

The lucky 15-year-old-to-be is Connor Bedard of North Vancouver, British Columbia. Bedard played this season with the U-18 team of West Vancouver Academy in the Canadian Sports School Hockey League. In 36 games, Bedard recorded a whopping 43 goals and 84 points. He led the league in both categories by a significant margin and contributed on nearly 50% of his teams total goals on the year. While Bedard is still undersized at 5’8” and 165 lbs., he is still four years away from his draft year and will spend all of that time in the WHL growing his already-impressive skills in addition to growing physically.

The WHL Bantam Draft is set for April 22, 2020 and Bedard is now expected to be the prize at No. 1 overall. The 2020 WHL Bantam Draft Lottery is scheduled for tomorrow, Wednesday March 25 and will determine the order of the first six selections of the draft. In the running for the top spot are the the Swift Current Broncos, Moose Jaw Warriors, Tri-City Americans, Prince George Cougars, Regina Pats, and Red Deer Rebels. Just one will end up fortunate enough to land the first ever “exceptional” player in league history.

CHL Cancels Playoffs, Memorial Cup

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The Memorial Cup, a junior hockey trophy that has been awarded every year for more than century, will be dormant this season. The CHL has decided to cancel the rest of their playoffs and championship tournament in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. The tournament was scheduled for May in Kelowna, British Columbia but will not be possible.

The CHL, made up of the Ontario Hockey League, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and the Western Hockey League, had canceled the rest of the regular season recently but held out hope until today that a playoff would be possible. This new update means that for many NHL prospects, the season is over. For many others who won’t be transitioning to the professional ranks, their competitive hockey careers will end without a chance to hoist the trophy or even compete for their various league championships.

In terms of NHL impact, it also means that scouting staffs will not get a chance to see draft-eligible players in the high stress atmosphere of the playoffs. Those best-on-best tournaments are often where final decisions are made about a player’s upside, and draft rankings are solidified. Without the U18 World Championship, CHL or USHL playoffs, scouts will be armed with much less information this time around.

It also obviously comes as an ominous sign for the future of the 2019-20 NHL season, which still seemingly hangs in the balance. The league today issued an updated FAQ that suggested they are still hoping to restart a training period after 45 of the CDC’s recommended 60 days with no gatherings of more than 50 people, but things are still changing rapidly as more information comes out.

Minnesota Wild Sign Adam Beckman, Damien Giroux

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The Minnesota Wild have started out this week with a couple of contracts, signing both Adam Beckman and Damien Giroux to three-year entry-level deals. Both players were mid-round picks by the Wild and are coming off outstanding seasons in the CHL.

In fact, Beckman’s performance may have quickly jumped him up the Minnesota prospect rankings. The 18-year old forward recorded 48 goals and 107 points for the Spokane Chiefs, leading all Western Hockey League skaters in both categories. Originally selected 75th overall in 2019, it’s easy to imagine him going much higher if teams had known how his offensive game was going to explode.

Obviously that doesn’t mean he’ll be an impact player at the NHL level, but the fact that Beckman has another year to dominate CHL competition before even being eligible for AHL play should be quite exciting for Wild fans. He’ll surely be an invitee should this year’s Summer Showcase happen, and should have a chance to compete for a spot on Team Canada at the World Juniors.

That’s not to take anything away from Giroux, who had an excellent season as the captain of the Saginaw Spirit. The 20-year old center scored 44 goals—good enough to tie for sixth in the OHL—and 75 points in just 61 games. Selected in the fifth round of the 2018 draft, his offensive production has steadily increased to the point where the Wild at least believe he’s worth of a contract slot.

Giroux’s deal will kick in next season when he will likely be assigned to the AHL, while Beckman’s will slide forward another year—unless he somehow makes the NHL roster and plays in ten games.

OHL, WHL, USHL Announce Cancelations

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After the QMJHL canceled the remainder of their regular season yesterday, it was expected that the other two member leagues of the CHL would do the same. Today, both the WHL and OHL have announced that they will cancel their remaining games. Interestingly, they have used different tactics to determine the final standings. While the WHL used points percentage, it seems as though the OHL instead has taken the standings through the first 61 games of the season.

It’s not just the CHL that have decided to move on from the regular season either. The USHL has also canceled the rest of the 2019-20 season and playoffs, while the NAHL took that step yesterday.

Though the CHL has left some hope to resume for the playoffs at some point, it does seem unlikely at this point. The Memorial Cup, which was set to be held in May, is also in danger thanks to a provincial recommendation to cancel all sporting events involving more than 50 people until June.

The end of the junior season means draft eligible players have even less time to impress potential NHL organizations, or continue to develop their skills for the future.

Snapshots: Timelines, Juniors, College Signings

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It sounds like many NHL players are as restless as the average hockey fan while waiting for the season to resume. The panel on TSN’s Insider Trading outlined a return to action timeline that a group of players has been developing and will submit to the NHLPA, which includes playing the rest of the regular season games in late July.

A plan like this would obviously be exciting for fans as hockey would be played throughout the summer, but there would be an incredible amount of logistics to be worked out. Part of the reasoning behind the plan may also be financial in nature, as players want the league to recoup all of their potential gate revenue in order to not get dinged with even higher escrow numbers than expected. None of the timelines being discussed have any legs at this point, given how there is so much uncertainty there still is on when the season could be allowed to resume. Remember however, that deputy commissioner Bill Daly was clear when speaking with Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic recently that the league does not intend on shortening the 2020-21 season if they can help it, at least in terms of games played.

  • The QMJHL has canceled the remainder of their regular season, meaning playoff seeding will be based on points percentage should it resume at some point. That same move is expected by the WHL according to Bob McKenzie of TSN, with the OHL also discussing their future tomorrow on a conference call. McKenzie suggests that the CHL playoffs at this point are a “long shot” and also notes that the Memorial Cup, which was originally set to start on May 22nd, is scheduled in a province that recently mandated no sporting events with more than 50 people could take place before June.
  • While college free agents continue to sign with NHL organizations, there is some concern rising around the league that some teams are gaining an unfair advantage in negotiations according to Andy Strickland of Fox Sports Midwest. Strickland suggests that some teams may find it more difficult to pay out bonus money to college and European signings while in a suspended league state, noting the difference in cash flow between organizations like the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers. It’s not clear however what would be done to stop teams from negotiating, especially when any contract signed would likely be ticketed to start with the 2020-21 season.

AHL, CHL Temporarily Suspend 2019-20 Seasons

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March 16: The AHL has advised its clubs that the league will not resume before May. Like the NHL, they have now recommended that players return to their primary residences.

March 12: As expected, and like the NBA G-League did last night following the NBA’s decision, the American Hockey League will also temporarily suspend their 2019-20 season. The AHL will follow the lead of the NHL who paused their season earlier today, with hopes of resuming at some point down the road.

The CHL will also temporarily suspend their season, after a meeting between leadership of the OHL, WHL and QMJHL according to Bob McKenzie of TSN. The USHL and NAHL suspended their seasons earlier today.

It is not clear if the leagues will return at the same time as the NHL, but for now there will be no high level professional hockey nor any major junior hockey played in North America.

Prospect Notes: Draft Rankings, Foote, Brodeur

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The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler has released his midseason draft prospect ranking (subscription required), where he takes a detailed look at the top 31 prospects while also ranking the second round. It won’t surprise you that Alexis Lafreniere is at the top, though the rest of his first round comes with some surprises.

One of those may be Jake Sanderson, who is the lone American-born player in the top-31. Sanderson sits at No. 25, making it quite a weak draft for the United States (especially compared to last year’s loaded class). The piece has enough information for you to spend an afternoon picking apart, especially as draft picks are swapped over the next several days.

  • The Kelowna Rockets of the WHL have made a change behind the bench, releasing former NHL defenseman Adam Foote from his duties as head coach. This is almost unheard of for a team to do just before they host the Memorial Cup, but with Kelowna sitting with a losing record obviously they felt a change should be made. Foote’s son, Nolan Foote, just had a big change in his career path as well after being traded from the Tampa Bay Lightning to the New Jersey Devils. He’ll have to chase that Memorial Cup without his dad looking over his shoulder.
  • Another famous hockey name is in the news today, as Jeremy Brodeur has signed with the Sheffield Steelers of the EIHL. Son of legendary NHL goaltender Martin Brodeur, the 23-year old netminder went undrafted and played last season in the ECHL.

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