FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CALGARY, AB – Auston Matthews of the ZSC Lions tops Future Considerations’ December ranking for the 2016 NHL Draft.
Matthews, who is expected to represent Team USA at the 2016 IIHF World Junior Championship, continues to claim the top spot in the ranking, having retained his position from Future Considerations’ Preliminary ranking. The 18-year-old Lions standout has 11 goals and 20 points in 19 games in Switzerland’s top men’s league. Matthews was also named to Team USA’s entry for the Deutschland Cup but has been unable to play after sustaining a back injury he’s since returned from.
Jakob Chychrun of the Sarnia Sting trails Matthews. Like Matthews, Chychrun has retained his spot as the highest-ranked defenseman for the 2016 NHL Draft since Future Considerations’ initial ranking. He has five goals and 22 points in 28 games for Sarnia this season, and is currently auditioning to represent Canada at the World Juniors.
Matthew Tkachuk of the London Knights is third in the ranking. Tkachuk, the son of former NHLer Keith Tkachuk, has shredded the opposition in the Ontario Hockey League, amassing 45 assists and 59 points through the first 29 games of the season.
Jesse Puljujarvi, fourth, has five goals and 12 points in 31 games for Karpat. Patrik Laine of Tappara retains his fifth spot in the ranking. Laine has eight goals and 16 points in 24 games this season.
Tkachuk, Puljujarvi and Lane are also in World Junior camps.
Here are the top-100 ranked players in Future Considerations’ November ranking for the 2016 NHL Draft:
| Rank | Player | Team | League | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Auston Matthews | ZSC | NLA | C | 6'2" | 195 |
| 2 | Jakob Chychrun | Sarnia | OHL | D | 6'2" | 215 |
| 3 | Matthew Tkachuk | London | OHL | LW | 6'1" | 195 |
| 4 | Jesse Puljujarvi | Karpat | Liiga | RW | 6'4" | 195 |
| 5 | Patrik Laine | Tappara | Liiga | RW | 6'4" | 205 |
| 6 | Julien Gauthier | Val-d'Or | QMJHL | RW | 6'4" | 225 |
| 7 | Alexander Nylander | Mississauga | OHL | RW | 6'1" | 180 |
| 8 | Clayton Keller | U.S. National U18 | USHL | C | 5'10" | 170 |
| 9 | Pierre-Luc Dubois | Cape Breton | QMJHL | LW | 6'3" | 200 |
| 10 | Dante Fabbro | Penticton | BCHL | D | 6'0" | 190 |
| 11 | Mikhail Sergachyov | Windsor | OHL | D | 6'3" | 205 |
| 12 | Tyson Jost | Penticton | BCHL | C | 5'11" | 190 |
| 13 | Michael McLeod | Mississauga | OHL | C | 6'2" | 190 |
| 14 | Olli Juolevi | London | OHL | D | 6'2" | 180 |
| 15 | Max Jones | London | OHL | LW | 6'3" | 205 |
| 16 | Kieffer Bellows | U.S. National U18 | USHL | C | 6'0" | 195 |
| 17 | Alex DeBrincat | Erie | OHL | RW | 5'7" | 160 |
| 18 | Charlie McAvoy | Boston University | NCAA | D | 6'0" | 210 |
| 19 | Tyler Benson | Vancouver | WHL | LW | 6'0" | 205 |
| 20 | Logan Brown | Windsor | OHL | C | 6'6" | 225 |
| 21 | Samuel Girard | Shawinigan | QMJHL | D | 5'10" | 160 |
| 22 | Vitali Abramov | Gatineau | QMJHL | LW | 5'9" | 170 |
| 23 | Luke Kunin | University of Wisconsin | NCAA | C | 6'0" | 195 |
| 24 | Sam Steel | Regina | WHL | C | 5'11" | 175 |
| 25 | Jake Bean | Calgary | WHL | D | 6'0" | 175 |
| 26 | Chad Krys | U.S. National U18 | USHL | D | 5'11" | 185 |
| 27 | German Rubtsov | Team Russia U18 | MHL | C | 6'2" | 175 |
| 28 | Carl Grundstrom | MODO | SHL | LW | 6'0" | 195 |
| 29 | Kale Clague | Brandon | WHL | D | 6'0" | 175 |
| 30 | Rasmus Asplund | Färjestad BK | SHL | C | 5'11" | 175 |
| 31 | Brett Howden | Moose Jaw Warriors | WHL | C | 6'2" | 195 |
| 32 | Dmitri Sokolov | Sudbury | OHL | LW | 6'0" | 220 |
| 33 | Libor Hájek | Saskatoon Blades | WHL | D | 6'2" | 185 |
| 34 | Nathan Bastian | Mississauga Steelheads | OHL | RW | 6'4" | 205 |
| 35 | Carter Hart | Everett Silvertips | WHL | G | 6'1" | 175 |
| 36 | William Bitten | Flint Firebirds | OHL | C | 5'10" | 170 |
| 37 | Riley Tufte | Fargo Force | USHL | LW | 6'5" | 205 |
| 38 | Jacob Moverare | HV71 J20 | SuperElit | D | 6'2" | 200 |
| 39 | Dillon Dubé | Kelowna Rockets | WHL | C | 5'10" | 180 |
| 40 | Pascal Laberge | Victoriaville Tigres | QMJHL | C | 6'1" | 165 |
| 41 | Jacob Cederholm | HV71 J20 | SuperElit | D | 6'3" | 185 |
| 42 | Sean Day | Mississauga Steelheads | OHL | D | 6'2" | 225 |
| 43 | Max Lajoie | Swift Current Broncos | WHL | D | 6'1" | 185 |
| 44 | William Knierim | Dubuque Fighting Saints | USHL | RW | 6'3" | 205 |
| 45 | Victor Mete | London Knights | OHL | D | 5'9" | 175 |
| 46 | Maxime Fortier | Halifax Mooseheads | QMJHL | RW | 5'10" | 175 |
| 47 | Tim Gettinger | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | OHL | LW | 6'5" | 205 |
| 48 | Taylor Raddysh | Erie Otters | OHL | RW | 6'2" | 205 |
| 49 | Markus Niemeläinen | Saginaw Spirit | OHL | D | 6'5" | 190 |
| 50 | Tage Thompson | Univ. of Connecticut | NCAA | RW | 6'5" | 185 |
| 51 | Adam Mascherin | Kitchener Rangers | OHL | C | 5'9" | 205 |
| 52 | Noah Gregor | Moose Jaw Warriors | WHL | C | 5'11" | 180 |
| 53 | Jonathan Dahlén | Timrå IK | Allsvenskan | C | 5'11" | 175 |
| 54 | Ryan Lindgren | U.S. National U18 Team | USDP | D | 5'11" | 200 |
| 55 | Josh Mahura | Red Deer Rebels | WHL | D | 6'0" | 180 |
| 56 | Boris Katchouk | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | OHL | LW | 6'1" | 180 |
| 57 | Lucas Johansen | Kelowna Rockets | WHL | D | 6'1" | 175 |
| 58 | Otto Mäkinen | Tappara U20 | Jr. A SM-liiga | F | 6'1" | 180 |
| 59 | Andrew Peeke | Green Bay Gamblers | USHL | D | 6'3" | 210 |
| 60 | Filip Gustavsson | Luleå HF J20 | SuperElit | G | 6'2" | 185 |
| 61 | Otto Somppi | Halifax Mooseheads | QMJHL | C | 6'1" | 180 |
| 62 | Jesper Bratt | AIK | Allsvenskan | LW | 5'10" | 170 |
| 63 | Vojtech Budik | Prince Albert Raiders | WHL | D | 6'1" | 190 |
| 64 | Janne Kuokkanen | Kärpät U20 | Jr. A SM-liiga | C | 6'1" | 175 |
| 65 | Cameron Morrison | Youngstown Phantoms | USHL | C | 6'2" | 205 |
| 66 | Adam Fox | U.S. National U18 Team | USDP | D | 5'10" | 185 |
| 67 | Kristians Rubins | VIK Västerås HK | Allsvenskan | D | 6'4" | 215 |
| 68 | Vladislav Sukhachyov | Chelyabinsk/National U18 | MHL | G | 5'10" | 180 |
| 69 | Oskar Steen | Färjestad BK J20 | SuperElit | C | 5'9" | 185 |
| 70 | Tobias Eder | EC Bad Tölz | Germany3 | C | 6'0" | 175 |
| 71 | Trent Frederic | U.S. National U18 Team | USDP | C | 6'2" | 205 |
| 72 | Gabriel Bilodeau | Gatineau Olympiques | QMJHL | D | 6'1" | 185 |
| 73 | Jordan Kyrou | Sarnia Sting | OHL | C | 6'0" | 180 |
| 74 | Joey Anderson | U.S. National U18 Team | USDP | RW | 5'11" | 190 |
| 75 | Filip Hronek | HK Hradec Kralove | Czech | D | 6'0" | 165 |
| 76 | Logan Stanley | Windsor Spitfires | OHL | D | 6'7" | 220 |
| 77 | Travis Barron | Ottawa 67's | OHL | LW | 6'1" | 195 |
| 78 | Givani Smith | Guelph Storm | OHL | LW | 6'1" | 205 |
| 79 | Luke Green | Saint John Sea Dogs | QMJHL | D | 6'0" | 190 |
| 80 | Tarmo Reunanen | TPS U20 | Jr. A SM-liiga | D | 6'0" | 175 |
| 81 | Eetu Tuulola | HPK | Liiga | RW | 6'2" | 225 |
| 82 | Zach Sawchenko | Moose Jaw Warriors | WHL | G | 6'0" | 180 |
| 83 | Frédéric Allard | Chicoutimi Saguenéens | QMJHL | D | 6'0" | 175 |
| 84 | Jacob Neveu | Rouyn-Noranda Huskies | QMJHL | D | 6'1" | 205 |
| 85 | Tim Wahlgren | MODO Hockey J20 | SuperElit | C | 6'0" | 180 |
| 86 | Cam Dineen | North Bay Battalion | OHL | D | 5'11" | 185 |
| 87 | Matt Filipe | Cedar Rapids RoughRiders | USHL | C | 6'2" | 200 |
| 88 | Simon Stransky | Prince Albert Raiders | WHL | LW | 5'11" | 170 |
| 89 | Mikhail Meshcheryakov | Team Russia U18 | MHL | C | 5'11" | 165 |
| 90 | David Bernhardt | Djurgarden J20 | SuperElit | D | 6'3" | 190 |
| 91 | Linus Lindström | Skellefteå AIK J20 | SuperElit | C | 5'11" | 165 |
| 92 | Yevgeni Mityakin | Avto Yekaterinburg | MHL | RW | 6'3" | 205 |
| 93 | Cole Candella | Hamilton Bulldogs | OHL | D | 6'1" | 190 |
| 94 | Adam Brizgala | HC Sparta Praha U20 | Czech U20 | G | 6'0" | 210 |
| 95 | Artur Kayumov | Team Russia U18 | MHL | LW | 5'10" | 160 |
| 96 | Jack Kopacka | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | OHL | LW | 6'2" | 190 |
| 97 | Evan Cormier | Saginaw Spirit | OHL | G | 6'3" | 200 |
| 98 | Vladimir Kuznetsov | Acadie-Bathurst Titan | QMJHL | LW | 6'2" | 210 |
| 99 | Dennis Cholowski | Chilliwack Chiefs | BCHL | D | 6'1" | 170 |
| 100 | Ryan Edquist | Madison Capitols | USHL | G | 6'0" | 175 |