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NHL Central Scouting Releases Final 2019 Rankings

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The NHL Central Scouting has released their final rankings for the 2018 Entry Draft, listing the best prospects in both North America and the rest of the world. Though Jack Hughes is still expected to be taken with the first-overall pick, Kaapo Kakko is giving him a run for the top spot while the rest of the top ten is anyone’s guess.

At this year’s Draft Lottery, the New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers and Chicago Blackhawks were able to secure the top three selections. The full draft order can be found here. These scouting lists will help to inform who your team might have a chance at, though obviously anything can happen. The top-5 North American and International skaters are listed below:

North America:

  1. Jack Hughes, USA U-18, NTDP
  2. Bowen Byram, Vancouver Giants, WHL
  3. Kirby Dach, Saskatoon Blades, WHL
  4. Alex Turcotte, USA U-18, NTDP
  5. Dylan Cozens, Lethbridge Hurricanes, WHL

International:

  1. Kaapo Kakko, TPS, Finland
  2. Vasily Podkolzin, Neva St. Petersurg, Russia
  3. Victor Soderstrom, Brynas, Sweden
  4. Ville Heinola, Lukko, Finland
  5. Philip Broberg, AIK, Sweden

While Hughes and Kakko leading their respective lists doesn’t come as much of a surprise, there are some interesting other rankings to be found. Byram’s rise to the second spot for North America is sure to draw plenty of attention, as he passes over his WHL rivals in Dach and Cozens from the midterm ranking. Byram has had an incredible season for the Giants with 71 points in 67 games and offers real first-pairing NHL upside. Arguably the best defenseman available in the class, he won’t have to wait long to hear his name on draft day.

Not to be outdone, undersized defenseman Heinola jumps up several spots from the midterm after a similarly excellent season in Finland. Though the doesn’t have the eye-popping point totals that Byram does—Heinola scored 14 points in 34 games—the fact that he recorded a regular shift in a professional league is impressive enough. Add that to a World Junior gold medal and things have gone quite well for the left-handed defenseman this season. He could potentially be the second defenseman off the board if his stock keeps rising.

Central Scouting also released their rankings for the top goaltenders, but there is no doubt that Spencer Knight leads the way at the position. The USNTDP netminder has a chance to be one of the highest selected goaltenders in several years, and should go at some point in the middle of the first round.

Rosters Announced For U18 World Championship

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The rosters for both Team USA and Team Canada have been released for the upcoming U18 World Championship, and they include some top prospects set to be drafted this summer. Jack Hughes is the obvious name to watch on the American squad, but several of his teammates from the USNTDP are also sure to turn heads. The full U.S. roster is as follows:

G Spencer Knight
G Cameron Rowe

D Domenick Fensore
D Drew Helleson
D Case McCarthy
D Henry Thun
D Alex Vlasic
D Marshall Warren
D Cam York

F John Beecher
F Matthew Beniers
F Matthew Boldy
F Cole Caufield
F Judd Caulfield
F Sean Farrell
F Michael Gildon
F Jack Hughes
F Owen Lindmark
F Patrick Moynihan
F Landon Slaggert
F Trevor Zegras

Several other players including Zegras, Caufield, Knight and York are all considered potential first-round selections, making this U18 squad a powerhouse in the upcoming tournament. The team will be looking for their 11th gold medal in the event, the most by any country. John Wroblewski will be the head coach.

Meanwhile, Canada is also putting together an impressive group of prospects but unfortunately will not have potential first-overall pick Alexis Lafreniere available. That’s because Lafreniere is still in the QMJHL playoffs with Rimouski and could go all the way to a Memorial Cup. Instead the focus will be on potential top-five pick Dylan Cozens and several other 2019 draft-eligibles. The full pre-competition roster is as follows:

G Taylor Gauthier
G Dylan Garand
G Jonathan Lemieux

D Braden Schneider
D Kaedan Korczak
D Thomas Harley
D Michael Vukojevic
D Jamie Drysdale
D Lukas Cormier
D Daemon Hunt

F Brayden Tracey
F Keean Washkurak
F Nathan Legare
F Mavrik Bourque
F Jamieson Rees
F Alex Newhook
F Ryan Suzuki
F Dylan Cozens
F Connor Zary
F Peyton Krebs
F Hendrix Lapierre
F Jean-Luc Foudy
F Jacob Perreault

The Canadian team does not appear on paper to be as dominant as their American counterparts, but anything can happen in a short tournament. The group will be coached by Brett Gibson, and could invite more players from the CHL as teams are eliminated.

The tournament begins on April 18th in Sweden.

2019 NHL Draft Lottery Results

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The ping pong balls have been drawn and the first 15 picks of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft are set. The league conducted its annual Draft Lottery tonight and the big winners were the New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers, and Chicago Blackhawks. The Devils, with an 11.5% chance of winning the No. 1 overall selection, did just that and astoundingly will have their pick of the class for the second time in three years. New Jersey won the draft lottery in 2017 and selected Nico Hischier and will have the chance to add another elite talent this year. This continues the almost comical lottery luck that has followed Taylor Hall in his career, moving from Edmonton to New Jersey. The Rangers held a 7.8% chance of moving up to the second overall pick and in this specific draft class were very lucky as well, as their consolation prize will be the second of two elite players at the top of the draft board. This will also be the first time in the modern draft era that New York selects within the first three picks. The Blackhawks may have a more difficult choice facing them at No. 3, but aren’t complaining after jumping from No. 12 into the top three, a move that had just a 3% chance of happening. Chicago has been a dynastic franchise this decade and will look to return to greatness by adding one of the draft’s top talents. Altogether, these three teams all moving up in this order was a result that had just a 0.027% chance of occurring.

Following the lottery results, the odds for which were set by the final league standings for non-playoff teams, the first half of the first round will play out as follows:

  1. New Jersey Devils
  2. New York Rangers
  3. Chicago Blackhawks
  4. Colorado Avalanche (from Ottawa Senators)
  5. Los Angeles Kings
  6. Detroit Red Wings
  7. Buffalo Sabres
  8. Edmonton Oilers
  9. Anaheim Ducks
  10. Vancouver Canucks
  11. Philadelphia Flyers
  12. Minnesota Wild
  13. Florida Panthers
  14. Arizona Coyotes
  15. Montreal Canadiens

The biggest loser of the night has to be the Colorado Avalanche, who fall out of the top three spots despite having a 49.4% chance of winning at least one of the those picks. This is the second time in just three years that Colorado has entered the lottery with the best odds at No. 1, only see three teams win the lottery and pass them up. In 2017, it was again the Devils who stole their top pick. After swindling the Ottawa Senators, it seemed the Avs were destined to cash in, but instead end up with the worst-case scenario. The Los Angeles Kings also have to be unhappy with the results, as the team slides from their second-to-last finish to the fifth overall pick. The Kings desperately could have used an injection of elite young talent next season and may not end up with an immediate contributor at No. 5. While they didn’t have the best of odds, the Vancouver Canucks are undoubtedly still disappointed in missing out on an opportunity to pair Jack Hughes with older brother Quinn Hughes, the team’s first-round pick in 2018 who already made a splash in his first few pro games down the stretch, or to at least make a top-three selection in front of the home crowd.

The younger Hughes, who was actually in attendance at tonight’s lottery event, has of course long been considered the likely top pick this spring and should start getting used to the idea of playing in New Jersey. The U.S. National Team center is considered a high-end play-maker already and turned down a scholarship to the University of Michigan earlier this season, knowing that he could be an impact player immediately in the NHL. As for the fit with the Devils, Hischier has already climbed atop the depth chart at center, but New Jersey will soon be able to boast amazing youth and depth down the middle with the addition of Hughes. Finnish winger Kaapo Kakko has pressured Hughes to be the top pick this year, but many still see him as a close second. The Rangers won’t mind, as Kakko is an extraordinary offensive talent who will score goals and throw his body around right away in the NHL. Kakko could become a major star in the New York market with his flashy goal-scoring ability and will certainly have the opportunity to play a major role right away. At third overall, there are many options for the Blackhawks, but the early expectation based on organizational depth would be a skilled forward like Vasili Podkolzin or Alex Turcotte. Chicago already has several promising young defensemen in the pipeline and can now add an elite forward to their growing young core of Alex DeBrincat, Dylan Strome, and Brendan Perlini. Now relegated to the No. 4 pick, the Avalanche will still undoubtedly get a strong player, just as they did two years ago with Cale Makar, if not an immediate contributor in the top remaining prospect on their board. A player like big Canadian center Dylan Cozens would fit in nicely with what Colorado is building.

Now that the order is set, the next step is the draft itself. Everyone may have their projections, but only the day of will reveal the actual futures of these teams and players. This year’s draft is set to take place in Vancouver beginning on June 21st, a day that New Jersey, New York, and Chicago are now much more excited for. Stay tuned.

2019 NHL Draft Lottery Odds

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The regular season has ended, but for those 15 teams who missed the playoffs the wait won’t be long for the first exciting event of the off-season. The 2019 NHL Entry Draft may be more than ten weeks away, but the league has moved this year’s NHL Draft Lottery up several weeks to this coming Tuesday, April 9th, before the postseason even begins. With the final league standings in place after yesterday’s results and the teams with ping pong balls to be selected now set, here are the odds for the No. 1 overall pick in this years draft:

31st – Colorado Avalanche (from Ottawa Senators): 18.5%

30th – Los Angeles Kings: 13.5%

29th – New Jersey Devils: 11.5%

28th – Detroit Red Wings: 9.5%

27th – Buffalo Sabres: 8.5%

26th – New York Rangers: 7.5%

25th – Edmonton Oilers: 6.5%

24th – Anaheim Ducks: 6.0%

23rd – Vancouver Canucks: 5.0%

22nd – Philadelphia Flyers: 3.5%

21st – Minnesota Wild: 3.0%

20th – Chicago Blackhawks: 2.5%

19th – Florida Panthers: 2.0%

18th – Arizona Coyotes: 1.5%

17th* – Montreal Canadiens: 1.0%

It’s important to note that while the odds at winning the first overall pick are listed, there are lottery selections for each of the first three picks in the draft with each team’s odds increasing proportionally after each selection starting with first overall. The prize this year for Tuesday night’s lucky winner is expected to be U.S. National Team Development Program center Jack Hughes, an elite play-making pivot who has been wowing scouts for years. The consolation prize of picking second is not too shabby either; Finnish scoring winger Kaapo Kakko has closed the gap on Hughes and is also considered an elite talent. The No. 3 pick is finally where there will be some intrigue in June. Many feel Russian winger Vasili Podkolzin will be the pick, but a team may opt for a different style of forward like Canadians Dylan Cozens and Kirby Dach or Hughes’ teammate Alex Turcotte, while a D-needy club could reach for promising defender Bowen Byram. 

The NHL Draft Lottery will be nationally televised by NBC Sports, Sportsnet, and TVA beginning at 8pm ET on Tuesday. As opposed to last year, when the lottery took place over two separate sessions during playoff game intermissions, the event will return to being an independent hour-long show. Tune in to see who the big winner could be this year and how the top of the first round will look in this year’s draft.

New York Rangers Sign Jake Elmer

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Friday: The Rangers have announced that they have agreed to terms with Elmer on an entry-level contract.

Thursday: The New York Rangers are “closing in” on an interesting junior player, reports TSN’s Bob McKenzie. The Rangers are expected to sign forward Jake Elmer of the WHL’s Lethbridge Hurricanes to an entry-level contract. The New York Post’s Larry Brooks adds that it will be a three-year deal beginning next season. Elmer has 38 goals and 78 points in 66 games this season.

While it has been a breakout season for Elmer, it hasn’t always been so easy for the 20-year-old winger. Elmer struggled to stick in the WHL early on, playing just 20 games over two seasons with the Regina Pats while spending more time in the junior-A AJHL. A trade moved him to the Kootenay Ice ahead of the 2016-17 season where he finally found consistent play time, but still lacking production. A second deal sent him to Lethbridge last year, where he has finally grown into a consistent scorer. However, after recording just 37 points last season, no one could have predicted that he would more than double that total this year. Playing next to presumptive 2019 top-ten pick Dylan Cozens, Elmer’s game has taken on a whole new level, as he leads the Hurricanes in goals and is third in points.

Yet, Elmer is still a player with a chip on his shoulder. He will undoubtedly again face doubts as he enters the pro level, but the hard-working right wing has defied expectations to this point and will look to continue that trend. Elmer is highly likely to spend time in the minors with the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack, but there is certainly an avenue for him to see action in New York sooner rather than later. Currently, Jesper Fast is the only right-handed winger on the Rangers’ roster and none of the right-shot wings in the pipeline were drafted any higher than the fifth round besides 25-year-old Steven Fogarty. There’s an argument to be made that upon signing his ELC, Elmer will immediately become the Rangers’ top right wing prospect with the only real competition coming from another undrafted free agent, Ville Meskanen. It’s a great fit for Elmer and New York can only hope that the available opportunity only further advances his competitive nature and the upward trajectory of his development.

Snapshots: Mock Draft, Arizona State, Jokinen

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Itching for the NHL Entry Draft already? Several fan bases are, as many teams are beyond a reasonable shot at the postseason as the unofficial second half of the season begins. After a recent rash of mid-season draft rankings were published, NHL.com writers Adam Kimelman, Mike Morreale, and Guillaume Lepage tried their hands at a mock draft of the first round for the upcoming draft. They did not conduct a lottery simulation nor did they try to predict how the playoffs would unfold, so the mock is strictly the current standings inverse. However, each of the trio made their own selections and interesting trends can already be spotted. Of course, all three had the Colorado Avalanche, using the Ottawa Senators’ first-rounder, taking U.S. National Team Development Program phenom Jack Hughes first overall. Regardless of who picks first, Hughes is the unanimous pick to go No. 1 in any scenario. There was also a consensus for Finnish winger Kaapo Kakko going second to the New Jersey Devils and Russian winger Vasili Podkolzin going third to the Los Angeles Kings. However, there was not much agreement the rest of the way. Western Hockey League centers Dylan Cozens and Kirby Dach and USNTDP forwards Alex Turcotte and Trevor Zegras went early for all three writers, but no two agreed on the fit for any one team. There was also dissent over the first defenseman taken and where, as Kimelman placed Swedish rearguard Philip Broberg at No. 6 to the New Jersey Devils, while Morreale and Lepage had Canadian blue liner Bowen Byram going No. 7 to the Florida Panthers or No. 8 to the Edmonton Oilers, respectively. One of the biggest surprises was Morreale’s selection of wunderkind goaltender Spencer Knight to the Panthers. While many consider Knight to be the best draft-eligible goalie prospect in some time, no keeper has been taken in the top ten since Carey Price in 2005. The other two writers had Knight at No. 14 to Colorado and No. 24 to the Vegas Golden Knights. Later in the round, opinions differed greatly on OHL defenseman Thomas Harley and hyped overage forward Brett Leason as well. There is still a lot to be decided about the upcoming draft board, not to mention the draft order and the impact of trades, but it is interesting to get a good look at this point in the season as the picture becomes more clear for both the teams and prospects.

  • Arizona State University continues to make waves this season in college hockey. In just their fourth year of existence as an NCAA program, ASU is currently ranked No. 17 in the country and could push for a spot in the NCAA Tournament. As AZ Central’s Jeff Metcalfe writes, the play of forward Johnny Walker and goalie Joey Daccord is making all of the difference and beginning to draw national attention. After blanking the immensely talented Boston University Terriers 3-0 on Saturday night, Walker’s two tallies put him in the NCAA lead for goal scoring, while Daccord’s shutout was his NCAA-best seventh of the year. Daccord, 22, was a seventh-round pick of the Ottawa Senators back in 2015 out of Cushing Academy and it is beginning to look like the Sens’ late-round waiver on the long-term project could pay off. Daccord is a junior and could be enticed to turn pro this off-season if Ottawa hopes to avoid him becoming a free agent after another year. Walker, 22, went undrafted as a Phoenix native playing in the NAHL and is only a sophomore at ASU. However, that won’t stop NHL teams from trying to pry him away from college to get a look at his near goal-per-game pace at the pro level. A tournament run by Arizona State would only further amplify the status of these unlikely heroes of the collegiate campaign.
  • Veteran forward Jussi Jokinen has been unable to find NHL employment this season. The fact is somewhat amazing considering Jokinen played in 14 or more games with four different NHL teams last season. The well-traveled 35-year-old signed a PTO with the Detroit Red Wings this summer, who would have become his tenth different NHL team, but it did not pan out and no one else has come calling. Finally, Jokinen has decided to move on. Finnish reporter Pasi Tuominen reports that Jokinen is set to sign with Karpat of the Liiga in his native Finland for the remainder of the season. Jokinen will be a valued mentor for top NHL prospects like Rasmus Kupari (LAK) and Aleksi Heponiemi (FLA) while with Karpat and may even lead the first-place team to a championship. Regardless, it is highly likely that Jokinen’s days in the NHL are done. The well-liked and respected forward leaves a great legacy behind him in North America, but will surely continue to play overseas for a few years to come.

 

Jack Hughes, Kaapo Kakko Lead Central Scouting Mid-Season Lists

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With the 2018-19 NHL season more than half over, the league’s Central Scouting Bureau has released their rankings of the best draft-eligible prospects from around the world. These players are eligible to be selected in just a few months at July’s draft in Vancouver, and two familiar names lead the way. Central Scouting breaks their lists into the top North American and International skaters and goaltenders, not directly comparing the groups. The top names from each are as follows:

North American Skaters:

  1. C Jack Hughes, USA National Team Development Program
  2. C Kirby Dach, Saskatoon Blades, WHL
  3. C Dylan Cozens, Lethbridge Hurricanes, WHL
  4. D Bowen Byram, Vancouver Giants, WHL
  5. C Alex Turcotte, USA National Team Development Program

International Skaters:

  1. RW Kaapo Kakko, TPS, Finland (Liiga)
  2. RW Vasili Podkolzin, SKA St. Petersburg, Russia (MHL)
  3. D Philip Broberg, AIK, Sweden (Allsvenskan)
  4. C Ilya Nikolaev, Yaroslavl, Russia (MHL)
  5. D Victor Soderstrom, Brynas, Sweden (SHL)

North American Goalies:

  1. Spencer Knight, USA National Team Development Program
  2. Hunter Jones, Peterborough Petes, OHL
  3. Mads Sogaard, Medicine Hat Tigers, WHL

International Goalies:

  1. Pyotr Kochetkov, Ryazan, Russia (MHL)
  2. Samuel Hlavaj, Slovakia U20, Slovakia*
  3. Hugo Alnefelt, HV71, Sweden (Jr.)

Hlavaj recently joined the Lincoln Stars of the USHL. 

CHL/NHL Top Prospect Game Invitees Announced

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January 16: Dylan Cozens and Kirby Dach have been named captains for the two teams. Both players are expected to go in the first handful of picks in the upcoming draft.

December 13: One of the most interesting events of the year when it comes to draft-eligible prospects is the annual CHL/NHL Top Prospects game. For the game, every NHL franchise helps select the 40 players they would like to see compete from across the entire CHL, giving them better insight as the entry draft approaches. Almost every player that takes part in the game ends up selected a few months later, many of them in the first round.

The showcase will be held on January 23rd in Red Deer, Alberta. The full roster includes:

G Colten Ellis (Rimouski Océanic)
G Taylor Gauthier (Prince George Cougars)
G Hunter Jones (Peterborough Petes)
G Mads Sogaard (Medicine Hat Tigers)

D Samuel Bolduc (Blainville-Boisbriand Armada)
D Bowen Byram (Vancouver Giants)
D Billy Constantinou (Kingston Frontenacs)
D Thomas Harley (Mississauga Steelheads)
D Artemi Kniazev (Chicoutimi Saguenéens)
D Vladislav Kolyachonok (Flint Firebirds)
D Kaedan Korczak (Kelowna Rockets)
D Jake Lee (Seattle Thunderbirds)
D Nikita Okhotyuk (Ottawa 67’s)
D Matthew Robertson (Edmonton Oil Kings)
D Lassi Thomson (Kelowna Rockets)
D Michael Vukojevic (Kitchener Rangers)

F Nikita Alexandrov (Charlottetown Islanders)
F Maxim Cajkovic (Saint John Sea Dogs)
F Joe Carroll (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)
F Graeme Clarke (Ottawa 67’s)
F Dylan Cozens (Lethbridge Hurricanes)
F Kirby Dach (Saskatoon Blades)
F Nolan Foote (Kelowna Rockets)
F Matvey Guskov (London Knights)
F Dillon Hamaliuk (Seattle Thunderbirds)
F Arthur Kaliyev (Hamilton Bulldogs)
F Peyton Krebs (Kootenay ICE)
F Raphaël Lavoie (Halifax Mooseheads)
F Brett Leason (Prince Albert Raiders)
F Nathan Légaré (Baie-Comeau Drakkar)
F Connor McMichael (London Knights)
F Sasha Mutala (Tri-City Americans)
F Jakob Pelletier (Moncton Wildcats)
F Samuel Poulin (Sherbrooke Phoenix)
F Jamieson Rees (Sarnia Sting)
F Nick Robertson (Peterborough Petes)
F Ryan Suzuki (Barrie Colts)
F Philip Tomasino (Niagara IceDogs)
F Josh Williams (Medicine Hat Tigers)
F Oleg Zaytsev (Red Deer Rebels)

Most notable among the roster is a group of forwards all vying for spots in the top-10 during June’s draft. Dylan Cozens, Kirby Dach, Raphael Lavoie, Peyton Krebs and Ryan Suzuki could all creep into the top third of the first round, though obviously nothing is set at this point. Others like Nolan Foote and Arthur Kaliyev could easily leapfrog up the draft board with a strong showing in this event and the second half of the CHL season.

On defense, all eyes will be on Bowen Byram who is starting to establish himself as a potential franchise player on the blue line. The Vancouver Giants defender has 25 points in 29 games and has been considered well ahead of his age group defensively since making his WHL debut in 2016-17. For fans already looking forward to the June festivities, this event is must-see action.

Snapshots: Entry Draft, Pietrangelo, Tarasenko

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As teams start to fall out of the playoff race and accept their fate for the 2018-19 season, fan interest in the upcoming draft class increases. While everyone knows about sensational forward Jack Hughes and his incredible offensive upside, the rest of the group of incoming talents gets far less media coverage. Sportsnet’s Sam Cosentino today gives us a look at his top-31 rankings at this point, and there is plenty of talent to discuss.

While Hughes, Kaapo Kakko and Dylan Cozens find themselves near the top of the list once again (though this time with Vasily Podkolzin taking over the third spot), the most interesting name may just be Brett Leason. Twice undrafted, the 19-year old Leason may very well find himself on the top line for Team Canada at the upcoming World Junior Championship given his explosion this season. Now standing 6’4″, Leeson is the prototypical late bloomer and has recorded 28 goals and 64 points in just 31 games for the record-setting Prince Albert Raiders of the WHL. It will be fascinating to see if a team decides he’s worth a first-round pick this time around, after missing out on him the last two Junes.

  • Fans all around the league have been drooling over the idea of Alex Pietrangelo being on the trade market since Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet mentioned his name earlier this month, but it’s still hard to imagine the St. Louis Blues selling their captain at this point. Even so, Pietrangelo is mentioned again in Elliotte Friedman’s latest 31 Thoughts column, as the scribe speculates that the defenseman was involved in trade talks surrounding William Nylander and the Toronto Maple Leafs. Friedman doesn’t posit that Pietrangelo will get dealt this season, but does end with this summary: “the fact Pietrangelo’s name got out there indicates the Blues are willing to do it.”
  • Speaking of the Blues willingness, Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic clarified some things in a response to a Twitter question, explaining that though GM Doug Armstrong hasn’t put up a proverbial for sale sign, other clubs are “under the impression that [he] would consider trading anyone, including [Vladimir] Tarasenko.” Trading Tarasenko would seem like madness to many, but just today Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription required) indicated that “all bets are probably off” for the Blues and that you likely can’t rule out anything at this point. St. Louis sits 28th in the NHL and have scored just 82 goals in 29 games.

Prospect Notes: Rookies, Kyrou, ISS Rankings

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After several years of incredible rookies stepping right into the NHL and making huge impacts, this year looks like it will be no different. Young players all around the league have huge expectations, and Corey Pronman of The Athletic (subscription required) took to ranking those who can qualify for this year’s Calder Trophy. Pronman leads things off with Vancouver Canucks phenom Elias Pettersson, and puts another 67 in order before mentioning some other potential call ups.

Pettersson of course is coming off an incredible season in the SHL in which as a teenager he led the entire league in scoring with 56 points in 44 games. That production didn’t slow down in the playoffs, where he scored another 10 goals in 13 games and was named playoff MVP (after already taking that honor during the regular season as well). A World Junior silver was outdone by his World Championship gold, making his one of the most successful seasons ever by a junior-aged player. He’ll try to continue that impressive stretch with a debut for the Canucks this evening.

  • Another name on Pronman’s list, though a little further down is Jordan Kyrou, who will make his debut with the St. Louis Blues tomorrow night. GM Doug Armstrong spoke with reporters including Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic, and explained that while he expected Samuel Blais and Robert Thomas to push for spots in camp, Kyrou was the one who really impressed and “opened their eyes.” If today’s practice lines are any indication, Kyrou will start on a line with Jaden Schwartz and Brayden Schenn to start the year, and incredible opportunity for the 20-year old winger as he starts his professional career.
  • Looking ahead to draft season, ISS Hockey has released their Top 31 prospects for the 2019 Draft and like everyone else have Jack Hughes in the top spot. Hilariously the scouting service still has Hughes listed at 5’1″ 152-lbs—he’s actually more like 5’10” 170 lbs—but that didn’t stop them from putting him ahead of Kaapo Kakko and Dylan Cozens. The race for second overall seems to be on between those two forwards, but there are several names that could push to get into the conversation before long.

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