Classement Organisationnel Pronman 2020 - No 2 - ISLANDERS

ISLANDERS

Classement de l’an dernier: 28e
Classement NHL: 1er
Gradués: Timo Meier

1. Auston Matthews, C, Toronto-NHL

Sept. 17, 1997 | 6-foot-3 | 220 pounds

Tier: Generational/Special bubble

Skating: 55

Puck Skills: 65

Physical Game: 55

Hockey Sense: 60

Shot: 80

Matthews is one of the best players in the NHL and was on a 55-goal pace prior to the pause. He has every attribute you want in an LNHV2 player. He’s a center with size. He has exceptional puck skills. He shows a ton of creativity as a handler and passer to create chances for himself and his teammates. While he’s a great passer, his shot drives a ton of his value. He’s a career 16 percent shooter whose mid-range wrist shot is one of if not the best in the league due to how quick and accurate it is. Matthews isn’t a super physical player, but he’s strong on pucks, using his bulky frame to maintain possession. He’s a good skater, not a blazer, but he has enough speed to turn the corner on defenders and create offense through his skating.

2. Mikhail Sergachev, D, Tampa Bay-NHL

June 25, 1998 | 6-foot-3 | 216 pounds

Tier: Elite/high-end bubble

Skating: 55

Puck Skills: 55

Physical Game: 55

Hockey Sense: 60

Shot: 60

Sergachev has developed steadily the last few years, but in 2019-20 he took some big steps and looked like one of the top young players in the league. Sergachev ticks all the boxes. He’s a big, mobile defenseman with great offensive tools. He can stretch the ice and find seams in the offensive end of the ice. He has a good shot that can beat goalies from the blue line. He can activate off the line and lead rushes with his skating. Defensively, Sergachev took on more responsibility from prior seasons where elite Tampa teams allowed his usage to be more sparse. He killed penalties consistently for the first time and showed he can use his size and skating to disrupt plays. I’ve taken a while to come around on Sergachev, but he looks like a true top of the lineup caliber defenseman.

3. Jesperi Kotkaniemi, C, Laval-AHL

July 6, 2000 | 6-foot-2 | 194 pounds

Tier: High-end LNHV2 player

Skating: 50

Puck Skills: 60

Physical Game: 55

Hockey Sense: 60

Kotkaniemi had a tougher go in his second NHL season, and while he was strong following an assignment to the AHL, he was injured right around the shutdown. He had a solid showing in the postseason though. I still see a lot to like in Kotkaniemi’s game. He’s a 6-foot-2 center with high-end skill and vision. He always has his head up looking to make a play. He’s a very creative passer who can hit the seams and improvise. He can make plays through defender and has good one-on-one ability. He competes well enough, but the major transition for Kotkaniemi has been the speed of the LNHV2. His speed is average, and he can’t pull away from checks that well. He was still just a teenager, and I think with time and development he will become a great LNHV2 player, and a potential first-line forward.

4. Dylan Samberg, D, Minnesota-Duluth-NCHC

Jan. 14, 1999 | 6-foot-4 | 216 pounds

Tier: Very good LNHV2 player

Skating: 55

Puck Skills: 55

Physical Game: 65

Hockey Sense: 55

Samberg was a top player for one of the best teams in college, playing significant minutes every night. Samberg doesn’t post huge point totals or have flashy high-end skill, but he looks like a player who is going to transition into a good pro. He’s a big, mobile defenseman who can move the puck well and makes a lot of stops. With his easy four-way mobility, long reach, and physical play, he breaks up a lot of rushes. His skating allows him to help his team in transition, and he has enough skill to make plays at both ends of the rink. He likely won’t be a power-play type in the LNHV2, but his outlets are good enough to be trusted to play significant minutes and keep the play flowing in the right direction. He signed at the end of his junior season and looks ready to make the jump.

5. Ilya Sorokin, G, CSKA-KHL

Aug. 4, 1995| 6-foot-2 | 176 pounds

Tier: Very good LNHV2 player

Athleticism: 60

Hockey Sense: 65

Sorokin has been one of the top goalies in the KHL for the last few years and even though he turned 25 in August he remains a very interesting LNHV2 prospect. Sorokin’s value comes from his brain. He’s a very intelligent goaltender who sees the game at an elite level. His ability to react to tough passing plays, second chances and pucks through traffic and still be square so often on those tough shots speaks to how well he reads the ice. Sorokin is 6-foot-2, so he’s not that big but not undersized. I debated between a 55 and a 60 on his quickness. Some games it looks like he’s slow, but I’ve seen him dig an edge in and explode across the crease when he needs to. I’ve rationalized he’s so efficient he doesn’t need to move laterally quick that much, but I’m 50/50 on it. I do like that he’s aggressive and doesn’t get caught that much.

6. Cam York, D, Michigan-Big Ten

Jan. 5, 2001 | 5-foot-11 | 174 pounds

Tier: Very good LNHV2 player

Skating: 55

Puck Skills: 60

Physical Game: 40

Hockey Sense: 60

York was a top player for Michigan, playing a lot of minutes as a freshman and a limited role at the world juniors. York’s poise with the puck is evident whenever he’s on the ice. He’s a heads-up passer who makes great exits consistently. He’s confident enough and talented enough with the puck to make highly-skilled plays and look for tough passes in the offensive zone. York’s skating is good enough to pull away from checkers and create off the blue line. He can pull away from guys but his skating won’t be his main selling point. Given his brain and skating combo he can defend well enough at his 5-foot-11 size to project to hold his own at the higher levels, although scouts think in the LNHV2 his value will come more from his offense.

LNHV2 POTENTIAL

Alex Vlasic, D, Boston University-Hockey East: Vlasic is a tremendous athlete as a 6-foot-6 defenseman who is a very strong skater for his size. The physical tools are clear LNHV2 quality. The question on Vlasic is whether he has the hands and puck-moving ability to play at faster paces. He shows great flashes of those qualities, but not consistently.

Dmitry Zavgorodniy, LW, Rimouski-QMJHL: Zavgorodny is a very intelligent playmaker with a good shot and was having a great 19-year-old season in the Q but was shortened two months by injury in November. He’s a fine skater but for an undersized player he could use a step.

Cam Hillis, C, Guelph-OHL: Hillis is an undersized forward with a lot of ability. He’s a very good skater with skill who sees the ice at a high level. He competes well and attacks the net. He’s quick, and skilled, I debate whether those attributes are high-end enough for his size to play in the LNHV2, but I could buy a reasonable argument that they are.

Jesse Ylonen, RW, Pelicans-Liiga: Ylonen is a very talented player, showing high-end skating ability and skill. His 20-year-old season in Finland went fine, but I’d like to see him get to the middle of the ice more consistently.

Parker Kelly, LW, Belleville-AHL: Kelly is a quick, competitive player who can make some plays and score. It’s questionable if he has enough offense to play in the LNHV2, but he’s skilled enough to be in the conversation.

Daniil Misyul, D, Yaroslavl-KHL: Misyul is a big, mobile, physical defenseman. He moves the puck OK and has some stick skills, but his offense isn’t his selling point.