2017 Prospect Update: Patrick, Liljegren, Hischier
Amazingly, the 2017 NHL entry draft is now less than five months away, and teams are starting to really dig into their draft boards to find that next superstar talent. The draft is an odd one this year, since the top two players have faced injury and inconsistency and didn’t take part in the World Juniors at all.
Nolan Patrick is still the consensus top talent and should go first overall, but has missed a huge chunk of his season due to injury. He make a triumphant comeback in early January with a four-point night, and is about to take part in the top prospects game tomorrow. The centerman from Winnipeg has 17 points in 11 games this season for the Brandon Wheat Kings, and will have front offices drooling over him come this summer.
An interesting connection is that of Kelly McCrimmon, who is now the assistant general manager in Vegas and was the GM in Brandon when Patrick made his debut. The Golden Knights have a chance in the lottery equal to that of the third-last place team, giving them a real chance to make him their franchise’s first selection. While his season hasn’t gone the way one had hoped, his stock hasn’t fallen nearly enough for him to be challenged for the top spot – yet.
That second spot is becoming a bit more contested though, with Timothy Liljegren not being the lock he once was thought as. The Swedish defenseman that some say has a ceiling as high as Erik Karlsson struggled in the first division before being loaned down to Timra. While this by no means hinders his development, with the explosion of a few other names it’s no guarantee that he goes second. Like Jesse Puljujarvi last season, if a team believes they have a bigger need a different position Liljegren may drop a spot. Anyone that gets him will be excited, as he can do everything on the ice and should be a star in the league for a long time.
With the top two prospects out of the World Junior’s, the stage was open for other names to impress scouts and perhaps vault themselves into the discussion at the tops of draft boards. Nico Hischier did just that, showing the world that he should be considered as one of the very top prospects in the world. Some draft boards likely already have him ahead of Liljegren, and his play for the Halifax Mooseheads hasn’t changed that. With 68 points in 40 games as a rookie, Hischier only turned 18 three weeks ago and is already a dominant centerman. He’ll undoubtedly set the record as the highest-drafted Swiss player ever, topping Nino Niederreiter‘s fifth-overall selection.
One more name to keep an eye on is Owen Tippett. The young forward is currently second in the OHL with 36 goals and has elite scoring senses from anywhere in the offensive zone. He is flying up draft boards and may even make it into the top five by the year’s end. Though he plays the wing, he may even jump over center ice prospects like Casey Mittlestadt and Gabriel Vilardi, both of whom are projected for the top-10.
What To Watch For: AHL All-Star Game, CHL Top Prospects Game
Once all the All-Star festivities in Los Angeles have died down on Sunday, hockey fans will be left facing the worst kind of Monday: one without NHL action. However, those with an eye on the future, interested in watching some future NHL All-Stars, will be happy to know that all is not lost. Both the American Hockey League (AHL) All-Star Game, featuring the best of the best of those on the cusp of being NHL regulars, and the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) Top Prospects game, showcasing the top 40 2017 draft-eligible prospects across the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and Western Hockey League (WHL), are set to take place on Monday night. Here is a preview of what to watch for in these two talented contests:
The AHL All-Star Game, in the same mold as the NHL’s new model, includes a skills competition on Sunday night and a 3-0n-3 tournament between divisional squads on Monday night. Many current NHL stars got their start in the minor leagues and found All-Star-caliber success before taking advantage of their opportunities at the next level, and 2017 should be no different. So who are the future phenoms participating? Though he has yet to be demoted by the Pittsburgh Penguins, it is expected that Jake Guentzel will get to participate in the All-Star game and no player has had quite the impact that Guentzel has in 2016-17. Not only an All-Star, but also a first-year pro, Guentzel has made the transition from the NCAA to the AHL (and NHL) a seamless one. After scoring 46 points in 35 games for the University of Nebraska-Omaha a year ago, Guentzel has an almost identical 42 points in 33 games in the AHL this season. A player in a similar position is Guentzel’s Atlantic Division teammate Zane McIntyre of the Boston Bruins. McIntyre was promoted to the backup in Boston due to his amazing AHL success and has yet to be demoted, but is likely to get his chance to shine at the All-Star game. McIntyre is 10-0 in AHL play this season, with a league-best .951 save percentage and 1.41 goals against average in 12 appearances. The other Atlantic Division goalie, and Guenztel’s actual teammate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton is Tristan Jarry, who has a .920 SV% and 2.22 GAA in 26 games. Yet another member of the stacked Atlantic team is the Philadelphia Flyers’ Jordan Weal, who has 42 points in 38 games. Outside of the Atlantic, St. Louis Blues prospect Kenny Agostino leads the AHL with 40 assists and 57 points for the Chicago Wolves. The 24-year-old is working hard for another shot at the NHL and will get the chance to further show what he can do at the All-Star game for the Central squad. Danny O’Regan of the San Jose Barracuda, who has gotten a chance to play in a few games this season for the team down the hall, trails only Guentzel in rookie scoring with 36 points in 32 games, while recent Arizona Coyotes call-up Christian Fischer sits in third with 32 points in 31 games and will join him on the Pacific Division team. Finally, keep an eye on defenseman Matt Taormina of the Syracuse Crunch, a Tampa Bay Lightning prospect who leads all AHL blue liners in points and will be dangerous for the North Division unit. The AHL All-Star game brings together the best players who are just an injury or slump away from making a difference in the NHL and it promises to provide a lot of skill and exciting action.
For those looking even further into the future, especially fans of teams with strong lottery chances in this year’s NHL Entry Draft, the CHL Top Prospects Game is for you. Featuring the best players in the CHL, the conglomerate of the three league’s that provide the majority of NHL talent, the All-Star game of sorts guarantees to provide an insight into at least 20 upcoming first-round picks. The game features Team Don Cherry and Team Bobby Orr, comprised of randomly selected players within NHL Central Scouting’s top 40 prospects. Captaining Team Cherry, and getting his first chance at real spotlight after missing much of the early season, is presumptive #1 overall pick Nolan Patrick. The big center has 17 points in 11 games for the Brandon Wheat Kings, but his limited action hasn’t stopped many from naming him the best available player. He’ll be joined by Owen Tippett of the OHL’s Mississigua Steelheads, the top-scoring draft-eligible player in the OHL, historically the best of the three leagues. Another OHL star and suspected top-ten pick, Gabriel Vilardi of the Windsor Spitfires, will skate with team, as will Maxime Comtois of the QMJHL’s Victoriaville Tigres, ranked No. 15 by Central Scouting. Rounding out the squad is defenseman Callan Foote, son of former NHLer Adam Foote and one of the top defenseman available in 2017. Team Bobby Orr will be headed up by Swiss star Nico Hischier, who excelled at the World Juniors and has kept it going with the QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads to the tune of 67 points in 39 games. Hischier’s alternate captains will be center Michael Rasmussen of the WHL’s Tri-City Americans, who has flown up the rankings to No. 6 overall, and another top blue line prospect, big Nicholas Hague, also of the OHL’s Steelheads. Other WHL superstars Cody Glass of the Portland Winterhawks and Nikita Popugaev of the Moose Jaw Warriors round out a deep forward group, while the OHL Spitfires’ goalie Michael DiPietro in net presents another potential first-rounder. There will be no shortage of action in this contest, the best option to see top draft prospects prior to their selection in June.
Nolan Patrick Tops NHL Central Scouting’s Midterm Rankings
Despite battling injuries for much of the season, Brandon Wheat Kings center Nolan Patrick remains in the top slot on NHL Central Scouting’s Midterm Rankings.
Patrick missed 35 games with an upper-body injury, but has 13 points in eight games this season. He also missed Team Canada’s World Junior camp. While Patrick remains the clear top choice, he’s not considered a generational talent like Connor McDavid; Patrick is more in the range of a player like Eric Staal, who was the second-overall pick in 2003.
The list behind Patrick have been much more fluid than the top spot among North American Skaters. Here’s the top-five skaters:
1. Nolan Patrick (WHL)
2. Nico Hischier (QMJHL)
3. Gabriel Vilardi (OHL)
4. Owen Tippet (OHL)
5. Casey Mittlestadt (Minnesota High School)
I’ve previously written about Hischier’s ascent up the list after a great World Juniors. Hischier has 31 goals and 63 points in 37 games with the Halifax Mooseheads, where he is on loan from Switzerland. That gives the team that drafts him the option to play him in the AHL while not burning a year of his entry-level contract.
Vilardi is a prototypical big right-handed center with the Windsor Spitfires. He has 34 points in 26 games this season. Tippet is a big, fast, and skilled sniper, perhaps the best pure scorer in the draft. He has 34 goals and 57 points in 41 games with the Mississauga Steelheads this season. Mittlestadt is considered a big-game offensive player. While he’s a little more of an unknown, as he plays high school hockey, he’s committed to the University of Minnesota for next season.
Meanwhile, former top International skater Timothy Liljegren fell to seventh on NHL CSS’ list after missing time with mono. Liljegren is two-way right-handed defenseman, though its difficult to project a defenseman’s offensive ability based on SHL numbers with that league’s seeming unwillingness to hand out second assists.
TSN’s Bob McKenzie noted that the North American bureau did not devalue Patrick while he was out with a long-term injury, while the overseas bureau did drop Liljegren. Here’s the top-five International Skaters; all men are forwards:
1. Klim Kostin (KHL)
2. Elias Pettersson (SHL-2)
3. Lias Andersson (SHL)
4. Kristian Vesalainen (SHL)
5. Martin Necas (CZE)
Kostin is “big, strong, mobile, and has a good understanding of the game,” according to NHL Director of European Scouting Goran Stubb. Kostin has bounced around between different clubs this past fall, but is still highly rated based on his “dynamic” skill. Over in Sweden, Pettersson is the leading scorer of his Swedish-2 team with 27 points in 27 games.
The top goaltenders are Keith Petruzzelli of Muskegon in the United States Hockey League (USHL) and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen of HPK in the Finnish junior league.
Pair Of Major OHL Trades Made Ahead Of Deadline
The Ontario Hockey League’s trade deadline comes down at noon Eastern time on Tuesday, January 10.
There have been a few notable names on the move, including a pair of Oshawa Generals: Anthony Cirelli and Mitch Vande Sompel. The Generals are known to make big trades, having previously traded John Tavares and Michael Dal Colle.
Cirelli had seven points in seven games for Team Canada at the recent World Juniors. He has 34 points in 26 game for the Generals this season. Cirelli is heading from the Generals to the Erie Otters to play with Team Canada teammates Dylan Strome and Taylor Raddyish, as well as Blackhawks’ second round pick Alex DeBrincat. Cirelli was a third-round pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2015. According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, the Generals will acquire six draft picks (three second-round picks, a fourth-round pick, and two conditional sixth-rounders, all ranging from 2018 to 2024) and 2018 NHL Draft prospect Allan McShane for Cirelli. The Otters hope to make some noise in the OHL playoffs and hopefully win a Memorial Cup, something they weren’t able to do with Connor McDavid (who is actually still eligible to play for the Otters, despite leading the NHL in scoring).
The roving defenseman Vande Sompel is heading to the powerhouse London Knights. The Knights are the reigning Memorial Cup Champions. Vande Sompel is a third-round pick of the New York Islanders, and was signed to an NHL contract back in October. He has 37 points in 37 games this season, and has 158 points in 188 OHL games overall. The Generals acquire 2017 NHL Draft prospect defenseman Ian Blacker and a handful of draft picks, according to Jeff Marek.
Another notable name in the OHL who is thought to be available is Mitchell Stephens. Stephens, like Cirelli, is a Tampa Bay prospect who played well for Canada at the World Juniors. Stephens has 28 points in 22 games with the Saginaw Spirit, where he serves as captain. The 33rd-overall pick in the 2015 draft had five points in five games for Canada at the World Juniors.
Nico Hischier Making Case For Top Selection
Electrifying Swiss prospect Nico Hischier is making quite the case to be selected first overall in the 2017 NHL Draft.
Hischier started the year outside the top-ten on Bob McKenzie and Craig Button’s lists, and 26th on International Scouting Service’s list. His play has been nothing short of spectacular so far this season, moving him up the majority of lists. Hischier has 23 goals and 48 points in 31 games for the Halifax Mooseheads, his first year in the QMJHL. In November, Sportsnet ranked Hischier the sixth best prospect in the 2017 draft class.
The shifty center was by far the best player for the Swiss team at the World Juniors, where he scored four goals and added three assists in five games. After Monday’s quarter-final loss to the USA, the American coach, Bob Motzko, called Hischier the best player he’s seen in the tournament.
Hischier has previously been labelled the “Swiss Connor McDavid,” though he doesn’t encourage the comparison. The Hockey News’ Ken Campbell quoted Hischier as saying “I don’t try to listen to this. I mainly try to focus on the hockey and have fun and keep working hard.”
Should Hischier continue his dynamite play, he could challenge Nino Niederreiter for the highest-drafted Swiss player in NHL history. Niederreiter was selected fifth-overall back in 2010. The 2017 draft is unlike previous years where there’s no franchise player like McDavid, Jack Eichel, Auston Matthews, or Patrik Laine. Only Nolan Patrick, Timothy Liljegren, and Gabe Vilardi appear to be locks in the top-five, and even then, not necessarily in that order. There’s plenty of room for Hischier to move past Niederreiter’s slot and make draft history.
Snapshots: Outdoor Games, Devils, Dubois
News and notes from around the NHL this evening:
- NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman announced today that the NHL expects to hold three outdoor games next season, reports ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun. The NHL is already exploring Ottawa as one potential site given the city hosted the first ever NHL hockey game—something the NHL wants to commemorate in its 100th anniversary. Montreal and Columbus also deserve serious consideration as they remain the most prominent and climate-ready locales yet to host an outdoor game. The expansion Vegas Golden Knights may garner some consideration if the NHL wants to give the franchise some supplemental exposure.
- The New Jersey Devils are without both Travis Zajac and Jacob Josefson tonight against the Boston Bruins. Both forwards are out with undisclosed illnesses. Zajac leads the Devils in scoring with 8G and 16A in 37 games. Josefson, however, only has 2A in 16 games. Finally, defense prospect Steve Santini makes his NHL debut tonight. Santini is scoreless in 15 games for the Albany Devils so far this season.
- Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Pierre-Luc Dubois was demoted off of Canada’s top line at the World Junior Hockey Championships prior to tonight’s Quarter-Final game against the Czech Republic, reports Scott Wheeler. The 3rd overall pick in 2016 has 0G and 4A in the tournament so far, but has not impressed the Hockey Canada coaching staff. Dubois is having an excellent year in the QMJHL, scoring 6G and 12A in 20 games so far this season. The top line now consists of Colorado Avalanche prospect Tyson Jost, New Jersey Devils prospect Blake Speers, and Arizona Coyotes prospect Dylan Strome.
Brandon Wheat Kings’ Nolan Patrick Returns To Ice
In the upcoming entry draft, there are a couple of players who are considered locks to be in the top few picks. One of them has only played six games this season, yet remains the consensus number one option.
Nolan Patrick, the Brandon Wheat Kings’ superstar center, has been out since the early part of the season after re-aggravating the area that needed surgery in the summer. Patrick had sports hernia surgery after Brandon was eliminated from the playoffs, and admittedly came back a little early.
Though he hoped to have been ready for the World Juniors, he missed that deadline and is now just trying to work his way back to help Brandon this season. He got another step closer to that today as he took the ice just after practice. He’s skated on an off for a while now, testing the injury at times with varied results.
As Perry Bergson of the Brandon Sun has said for a while, the rumors of Patrick not reporting back to the Wheat Kings were fabricated. While the team may still consider a trade of the young superstar – the team is 18-15 and a long way from winning a Memorial Cup – he will return to the team soon.
It’s an odd year for draft prospects, with Patrick basically absent all year and Timothy Liljegren, the expected second pick, struggling before being loaned to the lower Swedish league just yesterday. After those two, the field opens up to players like Maxim Comtois, Gabriel Vilardi and Nico Hischier, among others.
For Patrick, getting back on the ice won’t do much for his draft stock, but it would do loads for his development. Missing the majority of your draft year is never good for any prospect looking to make an impact in the NHL right away. Hopefully he’ll be back lighting up rinks very soon.
Vegas Golden Knights At The World Juniors
Even though the Vegas Golden Knights don’t start playing until 2017-18, doesn’t mean they haven’t already started to scout the young talent throughout the game. With the World Junior Championships underway in Toronto, the team has sent several scouts to the tournament to watch the collection of under-20 talent. While some are still draft-eligible, and some are under contract with teams around the league, it’s a wonderful opportunity to scout the best of the best all at once. Dan Marrazza of NHL.com caught up with the Golden Knights’ Assistant Director of Player Personnel Bob Lowes to get his take on the tournament.
It isn’t just the draft eligible players. It’s other team’s drafts, guys that are already picked. I think it’s a really good tournament for our staff to see both of those groups of players, and to get a good handle on it going forward for our organization.
While the team will have a chance in the draft lottery this summer (equal to that of the third worst team in the league), something that is often ofterlooked is that they’ll also have the third pick in each subsequent round regardless of where they fall in the lottery. That gives them some strong picks even as the rounds go later, when the lesser-known teams at the tournament will have talent available. On Denmark, who has shocked the world by defeating both the Czech Republic and last year’s winner Finland:
Obviously, they’re having some success, so it makes you take notice a little bit more. It makes you look at a guy that’s maybe slipped through the draft, if he’s draft eligible, and saying: ‘this kid’s doing it on the world stage against some of the best competition in the world.’
Lowes points out that there have been breakout stars at the tournament before, referencing Nino Niederreiter of Switzerland and Oliver Bjorkstrand of Denmark as players who greatly improved their draft stock at the tournament. While obviously the top names of the tournament are often well scouted prior, or even already drafted, it’s a big deal to see under-the-radar guys on this big of a stage. As Lowes puts it:
Performance here goes into a player’s overall profile. You wouldn’t just base it on this tournament, but it is an important part of the development of a player. It’s just a really good snapshot of the possible potential of that player.
The preliminary round ends today with the quarter-finals starting on Monday. Before they do though, Finland will need to fight for it’s tournament life in the relegation round on Monday morning against Latvia.
Western Notes: Jost, Dano, Coyotes
When the Colorado Avalanche picked Tyson Jost 10th overall this year out of Penticton, they knew he was headed to the NCAA. After all, Jost played in the BCHL, an NCAA breeding ground because they retain eligibility unlike the CHL. But now it sounds like it will be one-and-done for Jost at the University of North Dakota.
Mike Chambers of the Denver Post writes in his latest column that Jost will sign after his freshman season concludes and may even make his NHL debut this season. The 18-year old center has 18 points in 17 games for the Fighting Hawks, and is starring for Canada at the World Juniors. For a team that is starved for something positive this year, the development of Jost is something to look forward to. He will likely slot in full time next season with the club, especially if one of their other young forwards is moved out between now and then.
- After head coach Paul Maurice told us yesterday that Marko Dano would be out at least a few weeks, he clarified the diagnoses today. Dano will miss eight weeks with his lower-body injury, keeping him out until just before the trade deadline. The former first-round pick (by Columbus in 2013) has 10 points in 28 games this year, a solid pace for the 22-year old. He’ll have another setback now though as he misses more time. Jets fans will have to wait jut a little bit longer to see his potential come to fruition.
- The Arizona Coyotes will watch two of their prized prospects battle it out today in the Canada-USA World Junior game. Clayton Keller and Dylan Strome each lead their respective teams in scoring at the tournament, and will be big parts of the Coyotes in the future. While Strome got a taste of the NHL this season before heading back to Erie in the OHL, Keller has been starring as a freshman at Boston University all year. 15 points in his first 10 games in the NCAA it won’t be long until he jumps to the AHL. Both top-10 picks, the Coyotes have a bright future in this tournament.
Snapshots: Bickell, Alumni, Finland
Bryan Bickell opened up to Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun Times and other reporters tonight for the first time since his announcement that he has multiple sclerosis, a disease that attacks the nervous system and can cause a wide array of debilitating symptoms. For anyone, the diagnosis would be life-shattering, but for Bickell it came at least as an explanation.
Before I was, like, frustrated in my game and things. But you’re relieved, knowing how I was feeling. Something wasn’t right. … The circumstances kind of suck, but to have it known — knowing you can move on is the biggest thing.
Bickell is determined to get back to the NHL, despite having to undergo intravenous drug treatments monthly. He’s obviously no where near returning, but is taking it one step at a time.
It’s going to take steps. It’s not a sprint, it’s going to be a marathon, and it’s going to take some time to get things right, ideally, to get me back on the ice. That’s what I’m hoping for. … It could be a month, it could be a couple months to get back on the ice.
We wish Bickell well on his recovery, and hope he makes it back to the NHL sooner than later. Here are some other notes from around the league:
- Outdoor games are becoming something of a regularity in the hockey world, with the Maple Leafs and Red Wings set to square off this Sunday in Toronto, and the World Juniors announcing that Canada and the USA will play outside at next year’s tournament in Buffalo. The AHL is getting in on the action, as the Ontario Reign (the Kings’ affiliate) and the Bakersfield Condors (Oilers) will play an outdoor game on January 7th. The teams will have an alumni game the day before, featuring a long list of NHL greats. Wayne Gretzky, Kevin Lowe, Luc Robitaille, Rob Blake and even Bernie Nicholls will play in the event, making it one not to miss if you live in the San Joaquin Valley.
- Amazingly, Team Finland will have to play in the relegation round at this year’s World Junior Championships, despite winning the tournament last year. It’s the first time in the history of the even that a defending champion will have to fight to stay in the event. With the Swiss team beating Denmark today in a shootout, Finland was guaranteed a last place finish in their group. In a surprising move, the team has fired head coach Jukka Rautakorpi and his three assistants mid-tournament. Jussi Ahokas has taken over the coaching duties.