Internal rankings discussion among Future Considerations scouts is providing plenty of heated discussion.
It’s also producing more changes on the draft board as prospects eligible for the 2016 NHL Draft continually leave their mark, prompting progression towards sorting out which belongs where.
But for the time being, there’s no change up top.
At the top of Future Considerations’ February ranking, ZSC Lions forward Auston Matthews remains as the consensus top pick for the draft.
However, the next two picks have been where the debate has been.
The Puljujarvi vs. Laine debate is where we as a group have been split almost evenly down the middle, but with a fraction more on the Jesse Puljujarvi side of the ledger. That is, until this month, where a few European scouts switched their tune after some recent viewings showcasing the dominance that Patrik Laine possesses.
“I believe that Laine should be ahead of Puljujarvi,” Swiss based evaluator Dennis Schellenberg said. “In my opinion, Laine is the only player who could challenge Matthews’ top spot. His shot is very close to Matthews’ elite shot, and Laine’s skating has improved a lot this season, too.”
The change doesn’t suggest a distinct separation between Laine and Puljujarvi, though. The margin between the two remains razor thin.
There’s other movement in the top-10, too.
Those in Quebec have lobbied for a name in particular to rise — Cape Breton Screaming Eagles forward Pierre-Luc Dubois.
Dubois has always come highly regarded, but has really turned it up after being cut from the Team Canada at the World Junior Evaluation camp in December.
“The 6-foot-3 center has begun to solidify himself as the best 2016 NHL Draft prospect in the QMJHL,” Future Considerations’ Scott Wheeler said. “Dubois’ versatility and ability to excel as a passer and a shooter make him one of the more exciting prospects in the draft class. He’s generating a lot of shots without sacrificing his game as a playmaker. There’s lots to like.”
| Rank | Player | Team | League | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Auston Matthews | ZSC | NLA | C | 6'2" | 195 |
| 2 | Patrik Laine | Tappara | Liiga | RW | 6'4" | 205 |
| 3 | Jesse Puljujarvi | Karpat | Liiga | RW | 6'4" | 195 |
| 4 | Jakob Chychrun | Sarnia | OHL | D | 6'2" | 215 |
| 5 | Matthew Tkachuk | London | OHL | LW | 6'1" | 195 |
| 6 | Alexander Nylander | Mississauga | OHL | RW | 6'1" | 180 |
| 7 | Clayton Keller | NTDP U18 | USHL | C | 5'10" | 170 |
| 8 | Pierre-Luc Dubois | Cape Breton | QMJHL | LW | 6'3" | 200 |
| 9 | Julien Gauthier | Val-d'Or | QMJHL | RW | 6'4" | 225 |
| 10 | Mikhail Sergachyov | Windsor | OHL | D | 6'3" | 205 |
| 11 | Michael McLeod | Mississauga | OHL | C | 6'2" | 190 |
| 12 | Olli Juolevi | London | OHL | D | 6'2" | 180 |
| 13 | Tyson Jost | Penticton | BCHL | C | 5'11" | 190 |
| 14 | Dante Fabbro | Penticton | BCHL | D | 6'0" | 190 |
| 15 | Kieffer Bellows | NTDP U18 | USHL | C | 6'0" | 195 |
| 16 | Charlie McAvoy | Boston U | NCAA | D | 6'0" | 210 |
| 17 | Luke Kunin | U of Wisconsin | NCAA | C | 6'0" | 195 |
| 18 | Jake Bean | Calgary | WHL | D | 6'0" | 175 |
| 19 | German Rubtsov | Russia U18 | MHL | C | 6'2" | 175 |
| 20 | Logan Brown | Windsor | OHL | C | 6'6" | 225 |
| 21 | Max Jones | London | OHL | LW | 6'3" | 205 |
| 22 | Vitali Abramov | Gatineau | QMJHL | LW | 5'9" | 170 |
| 23 | Samuel Girard | Shawinigan | QMJHL | D | 5'10" | 160 |
| 24 | Tyler Benson | Vancouver | WHL | LW | 6'0" | 205 |
| 25 | Riley Tufte | Blaine HS | USHS | LW | 6'5" | 205 |
| 26 | Rasmus Asplund | Färjestad BK | SHL | C | 5'11" | 175 |
| 27 | Alex DeBrincat | Erie | OHL | RW | 5'7" | 160 |
| 28 | Carl Grundstrom | MODO | SHL | LW | 6'0" | 195 |
| 29 | Chad Krys | NTDP U18 | USHL | D | 5'11" | 185 |
| 30 | Libor Hájek | Saskatoon | WHL | D | 6'2" | 185 |
| 31 | Nathan Bastian | Mississauga | OHL | RW | 6'4" | 205 |
| 32 | Pascal Laberge | Victoriaville | QMJHL | C | 6'1" | 165 |
| 33 | Brett Howden | Moose Jaw | WHL | C | 6'2" | 195 |
| 34 | Kale Clague | Brandon | WHL | D | 6'0" | 175 |
| 35 | William Bitten | Flint | OHL | C | 5'10" | 170 |
| 36 | Jordan Kyrou | Sarnia | OHL | C | 6'0" | 180 |
| 37 | Carter Hart | Everett | WHL | G | 6'1" | 175 |
| 38 | William Knierim | Dubuque | USHL | RW | 6'3" | 205 |
| 39 | Logan Stanley | Windsor | OHL | D | 6'7" | 220 |
| 40 | Tage Thompson | U of Connecticut | NCAA | RW | 6'5" | 185 |
| 41 | Tim Gettinger | Sault Ste. Marie | OHL | LW | 6'5" | 205 |
| 42 | Sam Steel | Regina | WHL | C | 5'11" | 175 |
| 43 | Taylor Raddysh | Erie | OHL | RW | 6'2" | 205 |
| 44 | Boris Katchouk | Sault Ste. Marie | OHL | LW | 6'1" | 180 |
| 45 | Maxime Fortier | Halifax | QMJHL | RW | 5'10" | 175 |
| 46 | Dillon Dube | Kelowna | WHL | C | 5'10" | 180 |
| 47 | Adam Mascherin | Kitchener | OHL | C | 5'9" | 205 |
| 48 | Cam Dineen | North Bay | OHL | D | 5'11" | 185 |
| 49 | Frédéric Allard | Chicoutimi | QMJHL | D | 6'0" | 175 |
| 50 | Sean Day | Mississauga | OHL | D | 6'2" | 225 |
| 51 | Lucas Johansen | Kelowna | WHL | D | 6'1" | 175 |
| 52 | Matt Filipe | Cedar Rapids | USHL | C | 6'2" | 200 |
| 53 | Jonathan Dahlén | Timrå IK | Allsvenskan | C | 5'11" | 175 |
| 54 | Joey Anderson | NTDP U18 | USHL | RW | 5'11" | 190 |
| 55 | Ryan Lindgren | NTDP U18 | USHL | D | 5'11" | 200 |
| 56 | Jesper Bratt | AIK | Allsvenskan | LW | 5'10" | 170 |
| 57 | Adam Fox | NTDP U18 | USHL | D | 5'10" | 185 |
| 58 | Luke Green | Saint John | QMJHL | D | 6'0" | 190 |
| 59 | Victor Mete | London | OHL | D | 5'9" | 175 |
| 60 | Otto Somppi | Halifax | QMJHL | C | 6'1" | 180 |
| 61 | Dennis Cholowski | Chilliwack | BCHL | D | 6'1" | 170 |
| 62 | Josh Mahura | Red Deer | WHL | D | 6'0" | 180 |
| 63 | Michael O'Leary | Dubuque | USHL | RW | 6'2" | 195 |
| 64 | Markus Niemeläinen | Saginaw | OHL | D | 6'5" | 190 |
| 65 | Noah Gregor | Moose Jaw | WHL | C | 5'11" | 180 |
| 66 | Jack Kopacka | Sault Ste. Marie | OHL | LW | 6'2" | 190 |
| 67 | Zach Sawchenko | Moose Jaw | WHL | G | 6'0" | 180 |
| 68 | Jacob Moverare | HV71 J20 | SuperElit | D | 6'2" | 200 |
| 69 | Evan Fitzpatrick | Sherbrooke | QMJHL | G | 6'3" | 220 |
| 70 | Janne Kuokkanen | Kärpät U20 | Jr. A SM-liiga | C | 6'1" | 175 |
| 71 | Connor Bunnaman | Kitchener | OHL | C | 6'2" | 205 |
| 72 | Vladimir Kuznetsov | Acadie-Bathurst | QMJHL | LW | 6'2" | 210 |
| 73 | Max Lajoie | Swift Current | WHL | D | 6'1" | 185 |
| 74 | Dmitri Sokolov | Sudbury | OHL | LW | 6'0" | 220 |
| 75 | Vladislav Sukhachyov | Chelyabinsk | MHL | G | 5'11" | 190 |
| 76 | Cameron Morrison | Youngstown | USHL | C | 6'2" | 205 |
| 77 | Tim Wahlgren | Modo J20 | SuperElit | C | 6'0" | 180 |
| 78 | Otto Makinen | Tappara U20 | Jr. A SM-liiga | F | 6'1" | 180 |
| 79 | Tyler Parsons | London | OHL | G | 6'1" | 185 |
| 80 | David Bernhardt | Djurgarden J20 | SuperElit | D | 6'3" | 190 |
| 81 | Andrew Peeke | Green Bay | USHL | D | 6'3" | 210 |
| 82 | Jacob Cederholm | HV71 J20 | SuperElit | D | 6'3" | 185 |
| 83 | Linus Weissbach | Frolunda J20 | SuperElit | LW | 5'9" | 155 |
| 84 | Mikhail Berdin | Russia U18 | MHL | G | 6'2" | 165 |
| 85 | Benjamin Gleason | Hamilton | OHL | D | 6'0" | 175 |
| 86 | Brandon Gignac | Shawinigan | QMJHL | C | 5'11" | 175 |
| 87 | Dylan Wells | Peterborough | OHL | G | 6'2" | 185 |
| 88 | Matt Cairns | Georgetown | OJHL | D | 6'2" | 190 |
| 89 | Eetu Tuulola | HPK | Liiga | RW | 6'2" | 225 |
| 90 | Evan Cormier | Saginaw | OHL | G | 6'3" | 200 |
| 91 | Aapeli Rasanen | Tappara Jr. | Jr. A SM-liiga | C | 6'0" | 195 |
| 92 | Jordan Stallard | Calgary | WHL | C | 6'2" | 190 |
| 93 | Egor Korshkov | Yaroslavl | KHL | RW | 6'4" | 185 |
| 94 | Henrik Borgstrom | HIFK Jr. | Jr. A SM-liiga | C | 6'3" | 175 |
| 95 | Filip Gustavsson | Luleå HF J20 | SuperElit | G | 6'2" | 185 |
| 96 | Trent Frederic | NTDP U18 | USHL | C | 6'2" | 205 |
| 97 | Linus Lindström | Skellefteå AIK J20 | SuperElit | C | 5'11" | 165 |
| 98 | Max Zimmer | Chicago | USHL | LW | 5'11" | 185 |
| 99 | Ty Ronning | Vancouver | WHL | RW | 5'9" | 165 |
| 100 | Oskar Steen | Färjestad BK J20 | SuperElit | C | 5'9" | 185 |
STOCK TRADING
Halifax forward Maxime Fortier has also impressed with his constantly dangerous offensive game for a thinned out Mooseheads roster.
“He’s n the biggest by size, but one of the biggest by heart,” evaluator Simon Rouillard said. “Fortier really starts to stand out at the Super Series, with his grit, his speed and his ability to change the momentum of a game. Fortier is now the cornerstone of the Mooseheads’ offense, with the departure of Timo Meier. Underestimated because of his small frame, Fortier has to prove he can play with anybody else at the next level.”
One guy specifically has made a big impact to the point of him moving up our draft board considerably in Ontario. Hamilton defenseman Ben Gleason has been impressive since an early season trade from London, but his game has continually impressed with each of our views.
“Gleason has really taken off,” noted Ontario head scout Daniel Deschenes. “He has been standing out and leading the charge for a young Bulldogs team over the last month and has really impressed me. He has been chipping in offensively, registering nine assists in 13 games and has been peppering the net with shots form the backend and off the rush. Not afraid to drive the play and use his speed to his advantage. Gleason is someone I’ve moved up my rankings the last few weeks thanks to his exciting play with the puck, smooth and mobile skating, and great vision on the breakout.”
Out West, there have been two guys of note, one moving up and another falling down the draft board. Forward Jordy Stallard of Calgary has caught the attention of our evaluators with his improved play all season for the Hitmen.
“Stallard has continually improved this year and has shown an offensive dimension that I didn’t know he had,” Western head scout Zenon Herasymiuk said. “He doesn’t light up the highlight reel with dazzling plays, but he is smart off the puck and can use his length and mobility to attack the net and weave through traffic while maintaining possession. He plays a versatile game, has projectable size, can play center and wing, and he doesn’t take a lot of short cuts. Despite being one of the older players available, he has shown to be a bit of a late bloomer who just scratching the surface of his ultimate upside.”
On the flip side Simon Stransky, an offensively gifted winger with Prince Albert, has been pilling up points but has left us continually wanting more after most viewings.
“If he had the drive to match his offensive skill he would be right in the mix with the top guys in the WHL,” scout Justin Froese said. “Stransky disappears when he faces adversity more often than not and I simply don’t think his smarts and flash can cover up his waning impact when times are tough. Not a lover of his skating, and find him soft. He would be mistake to take higher unless he figures out some things first.”
There’s some growth south of the border, too. Muskegon center Rem Pitlick has impressed Future Considerations’ Jake VanBesien during recent play.
“Pitlick has taken his sophomore year in the USHL by the horns,” VanBesien said. “He is a pure playmaking forward that has greatly matured over the past year, is much bigger physically, and moves around the ice with more speed and power. Being on the statistically worst team at this point of the season and still managing to lead the entire league in scoring speaks for itself. In my last viewing of him, he was exceptionally hard to contain in the offensive zone, often weaving in and out of defenders with ease. I believe that with the season that Pitlick is having this year, he is definitely making a case for himself.”
There’s a shuffle in Europe, too.
Our Mikael Hedberg has been continually impressed with Farjestad center Oskar Steen as a guy who might surprise people in a few years’ time.
“Steen has had a good season in Superelit so far, and recently got to start playing games with the SHL-team,” Hedberg said. “After a slow start, Steen has been very good when he was put on a line with Joel Eriksson-Ek and fellow 2016 draft-prospect Rasmus Asplund. He has been playing well, despite his lack of size.”