Classement Organisationnel Pronman 2020 - No 20 - GOLDEN KNIGHTS

GOLDEN KNIGHTS

Classement de l’an dernier: 17e
Classement NHL: 23e
Gradués: Mathieu Joseph, Zach Whitecloud, Eric Robinson

1. Filip Zadina, RW, Detroit-NHL

Nov. 27, 1999 | six-foot | 196 pounds

Tier: High-end/very good bubble

Skating: 55

Puck Skills: 65

Physical Game: 45

Hockey Sense: 60

Shot: 60

Zadina had a better second pro season, being a quality player at the AHL and NHL levels. Zadina is a tough evaluation case, as I’ve seen the highs and lows of his game over the last five years. He’s extremely skilled and has the ability to beat pro defenders clean with his puckhandling. Zadina is known as a goal-scorer, possessing a high-end wrist and slap shot to beat goalies from range. He’s also a very good passer, though, and makes creative feeds often. He’s a good, not great skater, but can make very skilled plays on the move. In his first pro season I thought he was a very perimeter player, and while I still wouldn’t call him hard-nosed, he wasn’t as perimeter I felt last season. I do feel he is quite inconsistent though, from watching him over the years. I still think he’ll be a top-six LNHV2 forward and I still see top-line talent if he maxes out.

2. Rasmus Kupari, C, Ontario-AHL

March 15, 2000 | 6-foot-1 | 185 pounds

Tier: Very good LNHV2 player

Skating: 55

Puck Skills: 60

Physical Game: 50

Hockey Sense: 55

I don’t know what to make of Kupari. I see a player with a tremendous skill set. He has great speed and skill. He’s not small. He’s not a “hard to play against” type of player, but I wouldn’t call him soft either. As a 19 year old in the AHL he put up six goals and eight points in 27 games, not exactly great numbers and he didn’t get a chance for a second-half rebound when an injury at the world juniors ended his season. When you watched him though you saw flashes of the great talent, of the ability to make highly-skilled plays on the move and to play at a pro pace. He’ll need to learn how to make plays on the smaller ice, and to be more consistent, but even with the iffy numbers I believe too much in the skill set and what I’ve seen from him over the last few years.

3. Bobby Brink, RW, Denver-NCHC

July 8, 2001 | 5-foot-8 | 163 pounds

Tier: Very good LNHV2 player

Skating: 55

Puck Skills: 60

Physical Game: 25

Hockey Sense: 65

Brink was impressive as a freshman, scoring at a near point per game pace and being a top player for Denver. He stands out with the puck on his stick. Brink is full of skill, and offensive creativity. He makes tough plays off the flank with space, and in tight areas when he needs to improvise. He’s a fantastic passer who can create chances in bunches and projects to run a power play at the pro level. Brink has a good shot too and can beat goalies from mid-range if given space. He prefers to make a play or shoot the puck, but he has slippery skill to make plays through defenders. The puck game is unquestionable, but Brink’s detractors point to his 5-foot-8 frame and wonky skating stride. I thought his skating looked more powerful this season and he showed an ability to pull away and get around the ice well. The technique is still not great and his stride can break down and flail as often as he is able to turn defenders around. I think he’s quick enough and competes well enough to make it but debates about him rage on in NHL scouting circles.

4. Bode Wilde, D, Saginaw-OHL

Jan. 24, 2000 | 6-foot-3 | 192 pounds

Tier: Legit LNHV2 player

Skating: 55

Puck Skills: 60

Physical Game: 45

Hockey Sense: 60

Shot: 60

Wilde is a very difficult player for me to evaluate. If you wanted to argue he’s a big-time talent I could see the case. If you wanted to argue he’s a long-shot prospect I could see the case as well. The toolkit is fantastic. He’s a 6-foot-3 right-handed defenseman who can skate and has high-end skill. On his best shift, Wilde flies up the ice, dangling through opponents and creating scoring chances. His hockey sense I go back and forth on. I see him make a ton of plays, finding seams and making great outlets, but he also can be very risky with the puck so I could buy a 55 instead of a 60. His defensive play needs work though, which is partially why he didn’t stick in the AHL and was sent back to junior midseason. Even as a big, mobile defender he needs to be more consistent in that regard.

5. Jakub Lauko, LW, Providence-AHL

March 28, 2000 | six-foot | 196 pounds

Tier: Legit LNHV2 player

Skating: 60

Puck Skills: 55

Physical Game: 55

Hockey Sense: 55

Lauko had a fine first season in the AHL, although it was cut short after an injury at the world juniors caused him to miss a few months. Lauko is easy to spot on the ice, he plays the game like he’s on fire. He’s very fast, and competes very hard. He attacks the net without fear, he’s tough to play against physically and he bears down on defensemen very quickly. Lauko has skill, with flashes of high-end skill, but I haven’t seen that consistently from him. He has a very good shot too, but I didn’t see him fire it much last season. He doesn’t make many plays, which is my main concern with him. I’m open to the argument that I’m underrating his skill, but his shortened season and a lack of a world juniors left a year without full information.

6. Michael Callahan, D, Providence-Hockey East

Sept. 23, 1999 | 6-foot-2 | 196 pounds

Tier: Legit LNHV2 player

Skating: 50

Puck Skills: 55

Physical Game: 55

Hockey Sense: 60

Callahan was one of the top defensemen in his conference, showing as much offense in 2019-20 as the two previous seasons combined between college and junior. He’s a two-way defender with size and a very good brain. His speed or skill won’t dazzle, but he’s an efficient puck-mover. When I’ve seen Callahan over the years I didn’t think the way he played looked all that interesting. After last season though, where you saw a 6-foot-2 defenseman who could make stops and move the puck and skates at a fair level, I could see his game translating into becoming a good pro.

7. Logan O’Connor, RW, Colorado-AHL

Aug. 14, 1996 | six-foot | 174 pounds

Tier: Legit LNHV2 player

Skating: 60

Puck Skills: 60

Physical Game: 45

Hockey Sense: 55

O’Connor had a solid second pro season between the AHL and NHL levels. He’s not a big-time scorer but there’s enough attributes to his game to think he could help the tail-end of a lineup. He has great quickness, showing the speed and first few steps to skate with LNHV2 players. O’Connor has a lot of energy in his game, and he attacks with speed both with and without the puck. I thought his skill with the puck looked more impressive this season, showing the ability to make tough plays on the move and in traffic. I wouldn’t call him a gifted passer, and his projected game is more north/south with some PK duty.

8. Robert Mastrosimone, LW, Boston University-Hockey East

Jan. 24, 2001 | 5-foot-10 | 170 pounds

Tier: Legit LNHV2 player

Skating: 55

Puck Skills: 60

Physical Game: 40

Hockey Sense: 60

Mastrosimone didn’t light it up in college as a freshman, although when I watched him I generally liked what I saw. I think Mastrosimone is a highly-creative player with a high compete level. He makes defenders miss often with his dekes and fakes. He sees the ice very well and can find seams in the offensive zone. He has a good shot but I didn’t see it as often as we did in junior. He’s not that big, but he shows no fear attacking bigger players and mixing it up and he gets after loose pucks. Mastrosimone is a fine skater, but for a 5-foot-10 player you’d like a little more quickness in his game as he struggles to get around big, mobile defensemen.

9. Shane Bowers, C, Colorado-AHL

July 30, 1999 | 6-foot-2 | 187 pounds

Tier: Legit LNHV2 player

Skating: 60

Puck Skills: 55

Physical Game: 50

Hockey Sense: 55

Bowers had a solid rookie pro season, showing how he could transition to the pro level easily due to his skating. He’s an explosive skater, who darts around the rink and inside the offensive zone due to how easy his stride is. He’s competitive and has a lot of energy in his game. With Bowers the physical tools have never been in question, but more how much offense he brings. I see flashes of top skill and playmaking from him, but it’s not consistent. I think he has enough offense to play in a bottom-six for an LNHV2 team and make a difference on exits and entries due to his speed.

LNHV2 POTENTIAL

Kyle Keyser, G, Providence-AHL: Keyser missed most of the season due to a concussion. When healthy, I see a goalie with the quickness and the hockey sense to become an LNHV2 netminder. Even though his performance wasn’t great in the very limited time as a pro he saw, I did see the flashes of what I liked about him in his OHL days and could see him get back on the LNHV2 track with health.

Vladislav Kolyachonok, D, Flint-OHL: Kolyachonok didn’t put up big point totals, but he was a top player and minutes eater for a top offensive team in the OHL. He’s a very mobile defenseman who moves the puck well. His offensive game isn’t flashy, but he can find seams in the offensive zone and makes a good exit pass.

Blake McLaughlin, LW, Minnesota-Big Ten: McLaughlin is a highly skilled and intelligent playmaker who was leaned on at Minnesota but didn’t score that much. He could use an extra step in his skating.

Trevor Janicke, C, Notre Dame-Big Ten: Janike is a very intelligent player who can shoot the puck and competes hard, but he’s not that big or quick.

Keean Washkaruk, C, Mississauga-OHL: Washkaruk is a player with a lot of skill and a lot of energy in his game who skates well. Is his offense dynamic enough for a small player? It’s 50/50, but I think he’s talented enough to be in the conversation.

Pyotr Kochetkov, G, Podolsk-KHL: Kochetkov had a bumpy season, where it looked early on like he could be a go-to player in net for SKA. But he struggled and was traded and never really got into a long, consistent stretch of good performance. He has all the tools you want in a pro goalie between his size, quickness, intelligence and competitiveness. He reads tough passing plays very well. He makes tough saves consistently, showing the ability to keep pucks out you are sure are going in. He’ll need to be more consistent, let in fewer long-range shots and put together a full season at the KHL level.

Mikhail Maltsev, C, Binghamton-AHL: Maltsev is a big forward with pretty good hands and had a decent rookie season in the AHL. His footspeed needs an upgrade or I’d need to see him make plays more consistently to look like a real LNHV2 player.

Libor Hajek, D, Hartford-AHL: Hajek is a very mobile defenseman with size who can make a lot of stops. He has some puck-moving skill, but he has limits offensively, which will push him to move pucks at an LNHV2L level.