CAPITALS
Classement de l’an dernier : 1er
Classement NHL: 1er
Gradués; Anthony Cirelli, Jake DeBrusk, Troy Terry, Matthew Highmore, Phillippe Myers
1. Rasmus Dahlin, D, Buffalo-NHL
April 13, 2000 | 6-foot-2 | 205 pounds
Tier: Special LNHV2 player
Skating: 55
Puck Skills: 70
Physical Game: 55
Hockey Sense: 65
Dahlin has been one of the top teenage defensemen in modern NHL history, with 0.68 points per game (projecting to 56 points in 82 games) as a 19 year old this past season. His skill level is incredible. You see any time he touches the puck that he is a threat with the way he can stickhandle through traffic. The spectacular flashes haven’t been there in the NHL as often as the SHL but he can still dazzle. He’s an incredibly imaginative offensive player who has the potential to be a top-scoring defenseman for many years. Dahlin is a good but not explosive skater, more relying on great edgework and good top speed to be elusive. I don’t know if he’s ever going to be truly elite defensively due to the fact he’s not this big, hard, extremely mobile defender. I do think with his 6-foot-2 frame, good feet and his great IQ, he will be good enough defensively to get the most out of his special offensive gifts. I’d like to see Buffalo take the reins off him a bit, and have him attack with the skill and confidence he did when he was younger.
2. Robert Thomas, C, St. Louis-NHL
July 2, 1999 | six-foot | 187 pounds
Tier: Elite/high-end bubble
Skating: 55
Puck Skills: 65
Physical Game: 50
Hockey Sense: 60
Thomas had a successful second season, posting 40 points in 66 games and playing significant minutes for a top team as a 20 year old. Thomas is a dynamic player, with the confidence and skill with the puck to break open a shift with his puckhandling. He can make skilled plays at full speed, showing good skating ability to go with his great hands. Thomas is a highly-creative playmaker as well as puckhandler, who played the flank on the power play and showed the ability to hit tough passing lanes. He can make quick plays and plays under pressure. He’s not that bulky or tall and isn’t a top two-way option, but Thomas is highly competitive, gets after pucks and to the net, and I think down the line as he matures he will be a strong all-around LNHV2 forward to go with his offense, although you’d like to see him put a few more pucks in the net.
3. Bowen Byram, D, Vancouver-WHL
June 13, 2001 | 6-foot-1 | 194 pounds
Tier: High-end LNHV2 player
Skating: 65
Puck Skills: 55
Physical Game: 50
Hockey Sense: 60
Shot: 60
Byram didn’t dominate the WHL like I thought the No. 4 overall pick would, but he was still awesome in most games I saw. Byram is a unique and fantastic skater. He has great speed to lead a rush, and exceptional agility and edgework to evade checks and dance around the offensive zone. He’s a skilled player who moves the puck very well, but the skill doesn’t jump off the page like his skating does. Byram has a very good wrist shot, and often tries to use his skating to open up lanes to make a play or pick a corner. Defensively some scouts criticize him, but I’ve always found him to be a solid defender who is physical and uses his skating to contain rushes.
4. Matthew Boldy, LW, Boston College-Hockey East
April 5, 2001 | 6-foot-2 | 194 pounds
Tier: High-end/very good bubble
Skating: 50
Puck Skills: 65
Physical Game: 55
Hockey Sense: 60
Boldy didn’t put up big numbers as a freshman, but I still thought he looked very promising and was a driver on one of the best teams in college hockey. He’s dangerous whenever he has the puck on his stick. Boldy has tremendous creativity to go along with loose, quick-twitch hands and the ability to pull pucks around and through checkers with ease. He’s a great playmaker who makes creative plays and does so with pace. He’s a big forward who is not overly physical, but does not shy away from making a hard drive to the net and can use his frame to maintain possession. Boldy’s only issue is his average footspeed, which will be a challenge as he advances to the LNHV2 but he’s so skilled that I think he can be a very good LNHV2 player in spite of his skating.
5. Kirill Marchenko, LW, SKA-KHL
July 21, 2000 | 6-foot-2 | 181 pounds
Tier: High-end/very good bubble
Skating: 55
Puck Skills: 60
Physical Game: 55
Hockey Sense: 60
Marchenko had a successful season, putting up big numbers in Russia’s second-tier league, being a top player at the world juniors, and then playing well for SKA in the KHL. He is a player who has a lot of the tools you look for in a hockey player. Marchenko is big, he is a powerful skater, and he is full of skill. He can make top defenders miss consistently with his puckhandling. His playmaking stood out to me more than ever this past season. Marchenko showed an ability to make plays with pace, find seams and create a lot of chances versus good teams. He’s not a perfectly well-rounded player off the puck, but he is powerful and can win battles versus men. He has a trmendous toolkit and continues to develop well, looking like an excellent second round pick. Columbus fans will have to wait on him as he is signed with SKA through the 2021-22 season.
6. Nils Lundkvist, D, Lulea-SHL
July 27, 2000 | 5-foot-11 | 174 pounds
Tier: High-end/very good bubble
Skating: 55
Puck Skills: 55
Physical Game: 40
Hockey Sense: 65
Lundkvist had a great 19-year-old season in the SHL, setting the record for most points by a teenage defenseman in that league. Lundkvist’s offensive explosion was a mild surprise even to his biggest advocates in the NHL scouting community, but speaks to how good a puck-mover he is. His brain is fantastic. Lundkvist’s head is always up looking to make a play, often finding seams at a high rate, and making excellent outlet passes. He can run a power play due to his great vision, but his shot popped last season as well, more than I’ve seen before, making him a threat inside the blue line. Lundkvist is not the biggest defenseman, but he defends well due to good, albeit not great, feet and his great brain allowing him to kill a lot of rushes. The straight forward skating stride is powerful, but the stride technique in itself is unorthodox.
7. Jordan Kyrou, RW, St. Louis-NHL
May 5, 1998 | six-foot | 174 pounds
Tier: Very good LNHV2 player
Skating: 60
Puck Skills: 60
Physical Game: 45
Hockey Sense: 60
Kyrou had a strong second pro season, again being a top player in the AHL and looking more comfortable in the NHL during his time up. He looks like he should be a player. He’s a tremendous skater, he has a lot of skill, he can make and finish plays, he’s not undersized and he’s been highly productive for years. On his best shift, where he’s barreling down the wing with speed and making skilled plays with pace, he looks like a for-sure top-six forward. He has a half-wall game where he can find lanes too. The compete level in his game has been come and gone over the years but I thought he did a better job this past season of showing effort off the puck, and getting to the middle of the ice. I still see a player who is going to score in the LNHV2 and help a team’s power play.
8. Alex Barre-Boulet, LW, Syracuse-AHL
May 21, 1997 | 5-foot-10 | 170 pounds
Tier: Very good LNHV2 player
Skating: 55
Puck Skills: 65
Physical Game: 30
Hockey Sense: 60
Shot: 60
Barre-Boulet was one of the top players in the AHL for the second straight season. He’s a player whose skill level stands out instantly when you watch him. He’s able to make unique plays with the puck, showing extremely quick hands and a high level of offensive creativity. He sees the ice very well and sets up a lot of chances with pace. He can pass the puck at a high level, but also has a great shot, with the ability to pick corners from mid-distance with a very quick wrist shot. Barre-Boulet was undrafted because he’s undersized and lacks dynamic speed, which are fair criticisms. There are numerous small, not that quick forwards with skill who never get out of the AHL. I think he will make it because the skill is elite, and he’s a competitive player.
9. Calen Addison, D, Lethbridge-WHL
April 11, 2000 | 5-foot-10 | 181 pounds
Tier: Very good LNHV2 player
Skating: 65
Puck Skills: 55
Physical Game: 30
Hockey Sense: 65
Addison has been a top defenseman in the WHL for the last few seasons, being a first team All-Star last season and was the PP1 quarterback for Canada at the world juniors in their gold medal effort. He is a player with a lot of offensive talent, particularly due to his great skating and playmaking abilities, which are both among the very best for defensemen in junior. His skating is both explosive and elusive allowing him to make checks miss with his quickness. He gets the puck up the ice quickly due to his great speed and vision. Addison is a very creative passer who can make unique plays and does so with pace. He’s not the biggest defenseman at 5-foot-10 and scouts question how good a defender he’ll be in the LNHV2 due to his so-so ability to win battles versus bigger players.
10. Nils Hoglander, LW, Rogle-SHL
Dec. 20, 2000 | 5-foot-9 | 190 pounds
Tier: Very good LNHV2 player
Skating: 55
Puck Skills: 70
Physical Game: 35
Hockey Sense: 55
Hoglander had a fine second SHL season, seeing his ice time fluctuate with good flashes in the league. His world juniors were excellent as one of the top overall players in that tournament. He’s easy to identify on the ice when he has the puck. Hoglander’s skill level is special, and gives defenders a very hard time with how elusive he is with the puck and how he easily he dekes through sticks and legs. He’s a competitive player, who attacks so well due to his skill and how he competes for pucks even as a 5-foot-9 player. He arguably gets too chippy and needs to learn how to play that way as a small guy, but not go over the line. He’s a good skater, not that fast, but he is very slippery with his edgework and skill.
11. Nathan Legare, RW, Baie-Comeau-QMJHL
Jan. 11, 2001 | six-foot | 205 pounds
Tier: Legit LNHV2 player
Skating: 50
Puck Skills: 55
Physical Game: 45
Hockey Sense: 65
Shot: 70
Legare had a very strong camp with the Penguins. He then scored 35 goals and led the QMJHL in shots on goal. Inside the blue line Legare is dangerous. He will be able to help a pro power play because of his skill, but especially his high-end vision and his elite shot. He can pick corners from anywhere on the ice with a hard, accurate wrist shot and one-timer. Legare is also a creative passer who can find seams at a high rate and make plays under pressure. Scouts’ main concern with Legare is his skating. I’ve seen progression in that area. It’s still not a strength, but the stride seemed smoothed out from his draft season. He’s a bulky winger who is hard on pucks and competes well.
12. Patrik Puistola, LW, Tapaara-Liiga
Jan. 11, 2001 | six-foot | 165 pounds
Tier: Legit LNHV2 player
Skating: 50
Puck Skills: 60
Physical Game: 45
Hockey Sense: 60
Puistola bounced around between four pro clubs in Finland. He was just OK at the Liiga level, showing great flashes. His skill and goal-scoring ability define him. Puistola can make pro defenders miss with his great hands and is always a second away from a highlight-reel play. He’s not a very physical player, but he scores a lot by going to the net and showing great ability to knock in shots and second chances. He can score, but he also makes top-end passes frequently and his creative puck game translates to his playmaking. Puistola’s main hangup is his mediocre stride which has led to his struggles at the top Finnish level where he can’t get around defenders like he can at the junior level.
13. Morgan Geekie, C, Charlotte-AHL
July 20, 1998 | 6-foot-3 | 192 pounds
Tier: Legit LNHV2 player
Skating: 45
Puck Skills: 55
Physical Game: 55
Hockey Sense: 60
Shot: 60
Geekie had another great season in the AHL, including a successful brief call-up to Carolina and appearing in eight postseason games. Geekie is a forward with size who can make plays and finish them at a high level. He has a hard shot that can score from mid-range. He has the patience and vision to find seams in the offensive zone. He works hard to win pucks and makes plays in the hard areas. A lot of things about his game are impressive except for his skating. His stride has good flashes but there are also times it breaks down and looks slow. I think despite the skating he can make it because he has so many other positive elements, but the pace of the LNHV2 will be a challenge.
14. Nikita Alexandrov, C, Charlottetown-QMJHL
Sept. 16, 2000 | 5-foot-11 | 185 pounds
Tier: Legit LNHV2 player
Skating: 50
Puck Skills: 50
Physical Game: 50
Hockey Sense: 60
Shot: 60
Alexandrov didn’t put up big point totals in the QMJHL, but when I talk to scouts and coaches about him he’s a player they appreciate a lot for how detailed and competitive he is. He’s not one who lacks skills and creativity though. Alexandrov shows great touch with the puck, and creates chances for his teammates very well with his vision and small-area skills. He also has a very good shot and can score from range. He has the puck game to create from outside, but Alexandrov gets a lot of value from how well he plays between the dots and around the net-front area, getting his nose dirty often. His footspeed is the main flaw in his game and he will struggle to get past LNHV2 defenders, so you hope his hustle makes up for that
LNHV2 POTENTIAL
Connor Ingram, G, Milwaukee-AHL: Ingram was one of the top goalies in the AHL for Milwaukee following a trade from Tampa where there was some internal conflict. Ingram is a very intelligent goalie, showing great calm in the net, being efficient with his movements and making a lot of great reads. He’s not that big though, and his lateral quickness is just fine, making me wonder how his game will translate to the LNHV2.
Samuel Ersson, G, Brynas-SHL: Ersson is a very intelligent and efficient goalie with a sharp glove hand who was brilliant in the 2019 season in the Allsvenskan and at the world juniors. He’s not that big or quick, though, so he had a tougher time in the SHL in 2020.
Dominick Fensore, D, Boston University-Hockey East: Fensore is a tremendous skater who has skill and moves the puck very well. He’s super tiny though (5-foot-7, 150 pounds) and while the offense is good, I question if it’s so good that it’ll overcome his likely defensive deficiencies at the pro level.
Joseph Duszak, D, Toronto-AHL: Duszak is intriguing because of his skill level and his great offensive hockey sense. I question at his size and skating if he’ll be able to defend in the LNHV2, but his puck game makes him relevant.
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Clarence S. Campbell 2005-06
Coupe Stanley 2005-06
Lady Bing 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11
La vie c'est comme le hockey, si tu lances pas au net, tu scoreras pas!
Sam 26 Sep - 6:14
