whl bantam draft rankings 2023

Hes a natural scorer and creator, but hes also got plus vision and deft touch (though I wouldnt say his creativity is necessarily a strength). The annual Western Hockey League bantam draft coming on May 7 will be full of mixed emotions for hundreds of Grade 9 kids in Western Canada and parts of the United States. Hes also not fast despite his strength, although he has made progress in his skating and does at times look powerful in straight lines. Riley Heidt C, Prince George Cougars, 5-foot-11. So far, his offense has only improved, even considering the increased competition. I think hes going to be a star regardless. His production has been disappointing so far this year, but his talent as a high-skill puck carrier is still clear.Otto Stenberg scores his first SHL goal and point! Adam Fantilli is an absolute monster with the puck, with the skill, skating, and strength to beat defenders no matter how they attack him. . Ritchie is the complete package. close. Hes a big winger whose game really fit right from the get-go on North American ice, quickly establishing himself as a a go-to player in all-situations for the Giants (even though he was an underager, Slovakia was playing him a ton early on in the world juniors, too). His consistency, effort, speed, and skill make him a coachs dream even though he doesnt have the dynamic offensive qualities of some of his peers. Hes a big, strong, sturdy, athletic net-driven winger with slick puckhandling skill one-on-one and a balanced skaters stride. Hameenaho has the strength and stick skills to not just battle well, but win puck battles and keep possession alive for his team. Oliver Bonk, RD, London Knights (OHL), 48. About 2023 Draft Nhl Prospects . He has struggled in spurts with the pace required of centres at higher levels (whether that be last summers world juniors, or the pro game, he could stand to get and play a little quicker) and some scouts worry about his consistency at five-on-five, but he has shown important progress on that front and showed well at this winters world juniors at evens. Connor Levis, RW (Kamloops) (Maksim Konstantinov / SOPA Images / LightRocket via Getty Images), how strong the 2022 draft class was for Slovakia. He stays on pucks, hes got good instincts and takes smart routes around the ice, hes sound positionally, he applies pressure off of the puck and comes up with possession despite not being very physical, and he just always seems to be involved in positive things inside the offensive zone. Hes got time to put it all together given his summer birthday, too. Its impossible not to. 2022 WHL Prospects Draft Results - First Round #1 - Medicine Hat Tigers Name: Gavin McKenna Position: Forward Hometown: Whitehorse, Yukon Team: Rink Hockey Academy Kelowna U18 Prep Stats: 35 GP - 23G-42A-65 points #2 - Tri-City Americans Name: Jackson Smith Position: Defence Hometown: Calgary, Alta. He projects as a pass-first playmaking centre with a middle-six floor, first-line potential, and clear PP value (in multiple roles, too, because hes great around the net and below the goal line but can also run it from the flank). Id like to see him go past effective and really take over more, but he makes his fair share of plays, hes a sub-.500 teams leading scorer, and it does feel like he has middle-six centre written all over him. And while he may not be a driver on a top-six line, its not hard to imagine him as a first- or second-line playmaker who makes finishing plays off of a drivers work and does damage on PP1. Hes a multi-dimensional forward who has quick acceleration, can handle the puck at speed and change tempos in control, can shape play by opening up his hips to go heel-to-heel, thrives in traffic, is a dual shot-pass threat, plays one step ahead of the game in possession, supports the play effectively, problem-solves as well as anyone in this class (in an age group that is full of intelligent playmakers), works his tail off off the puck to keep his energy up (he plays heavier and scrappier than he looks, too), and sets the pace for his line (whether by picking it up or slowing it down to use his creativity). 1 or No. Note: Though I consult scouts, coaches, general managers, team staff, and agents in building my draft boards, the following evaluations are strictly my own. The show will also include the unveiling of WHL Divisional Award Winners and All-Star Teams for the 2021-22 WHL season. Perron is so agile that his lack of size and strength dont often hinder his game, however he will need to develop a bit of a physical game (like Logan Stankoven) if he wants to grow into his full potential as a top-six forward in the NHL. Leonard is a prospect thateveryonelikes. He passes the eye test. Sign up for EP Premium to create your own ranking. Hes got impressive shooting mechanics given how long his stick is, and regularly pulls pucks into his feet to change his angle face-up against goalies. He is very intentional with his routes, offensively and defensively, which should help him stick at the centre position long term. Hes always moving. Jakub Vrna (F) NHL. On February 5, 1992, the Rebels selected Mike McBain as their first player in the Bantam Draft. Auston Matthews had Patrik Laine, Jack Hughes had Kaapo Kakko, and Alexis Lafreniere had Quinton Byfiled, its hard for top prospects to separate themselves from the pack but Bedard has done just that.WELCOME TO THE BEDARD SHOW! He has shown a knack for making big plays at big moments. 2023-2024 relegation player stats for Erste Liga, including top goal scorers, most games played, PPG leaders and more. Kalan Lind, C/LW, Red Deer Rebels (WHL), 46. 2023 NFL Mock Draft . Perron, who didnt go the popular prep school route in Western Canada, was a terror in Manitobas minor hockey ranks who stepped right into the titanic Steel last season and immediately flashed his skill with the puck, producing 48 points in 63 games to earn USHL All-Rookie Second Team honours. He can get a little ahead of the play, and hes got work to do on his game defensively if he doesnt want to get hemmed in at the next level, but those are things you live with with a talent as singular as his. Im not sure there has ever been a player Connor Bedards age in the history of hockey who has been able to shoot the puck like he can. He can score from mid range consistently with his low-kick wrister, hes got an ability to protect the puck and shade in and out of coverage, hes got a dangerous curl-and-drag wrister, and hes comfortable in traffic. Hes got a great release. Hes a marvel, with legit 50-goal upside at the next level. His consistent game-to-game impact, whenever Ive sat down to do watch the 2005s at the NTDP on tape, has struck me as well. However, his offensive production has left much to be desired, leaving many questions about if he will have much offense to provide in the NHL someday. Add in the strength and power that comes with his physically mature frame, an ability to drive and shed contact when he gets bumped, and a defensive conscience, and theres more than just a hands-shot-worker skill set. He was theCHL Rookie of the Year (on 34 goals). 4 and has had a tremendous age-adjusted season between his play with Orebro in the SHL and at the world juniors (where he was one of Swedens top forwards despite playing sick), even considering his December 2004 birthday and a year after playing to virtually two points per game at the J20 level (he looked good in an important role as a top-nine centre for Sweden at U18 worlds before an injury kept him out of their medal round run to a gold medal, too). Hes a crafty handler who hangs onto pucks to spin away from pressure, attacks in and out of crowds, makes plays into space for himself, and can comfortably make plays through layers to others. I have questions about his talent level, though. He excels in puck battles, whether along the boards or in front of the net, even against grown men in Finland. Western Hockey League. Adam Gajan, G, Green Bay Gamblers (USHL), 55. I wondered if my thoughts were altered by the late start and had an effect on how I viewed. Brayden Yager has been talked about in the public scouting sphere for nearly as long as Connor Bedard, being drafted third overall in the 2020 WHL Bantam Draft and winning the CHL Rookie of the Year award last year on the back of a remarkable 34-goal, 59-point rookie season. Hes a slick one-on-one player. Denver Barkey, C (London) Priority Draft 10 months ago 44 players were selected by the 22 WHL member Clubs in Wednesday's U.S. And while he creates a lot off the rush, he also has the finer skills to play the flank on the power play, create inside the offensive zone, finish from mid-range (hes got a nifty release) and dice up coverage. Increasingly, Ive been impressed by his agility in and out of breaks and cuts (his skating is a real asset for him and particularly impressive through his edges and crossovers, though he can get going the length of the ice too). Yager is a prospect that I fully expect to still be drafted very early on draft day, I just havent been that impressed with his game this year. 2022-2023 regular season player stats for CSDHL 13U, including top goal scorers, most games played, PPG leaders and more. Scott Ratzlaff, G (Seattle) He sustained an injury during the World Juniors that has kept him out of play for a while, but hopefully he can return to dominating the WHL soon. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. He is a very intelligent offensive player and can make these great reads and plays at full speed. The bantam draft allows for the orderly transfer of players to WHL Protected Player Lists (PPL) from the bantam ranks (13-14 year-olds). The biggest arguments against him are his size and skating, since a 5-foot-10 winger often needs to be an above average skater to make an impact in the NHL and Cristall is not quite there. He could suffer from the Russian factor, but the lack of top-end defensive prospects and his impressive offensive toolset leads me to believe hes got a good shot at being drafted in the top-20. Hes unafraid to try things and has the skill to execute difficult plays. Mike Glemser (F) Germany3. The big question with Dvorsky for a while was whether or not hed be a centre or a winger long term. WHL News. He can run the wall or the point on the PP, effortlessly picking coverage apart and feathering pucks through seams. After playing on Russias Hlinka Gretzky team twosummers ago, But played to a point-per-game level in the MHL as one of its top 2005s last season and began his draft year on a tear in the MHL, scoring 11 goals in his first 15 games of the season before earning a mid-October promotion to the KHL for the first time (he has since scored his first two pro goals and has bounced between the KHL and MHL). If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. He profiles similarly to David Jiricek physically, but with a more defensive tilt to his game. Gauthier, the No. Mikhail Gulyayev is an intelligent offensively minded defenseman who has found moderate success in the top Russian pro leagues this year while dominating the Russian junior circuit whenever he plays against his peers. The Scouting News. Then he got back in late February and after a pointless return put up two goals on six shots in his second game back. WHL Behind The Scenes - 2023 Road to Nashville. Its powerful when it needs to be and light and adjustable when it needs to be. There has been a lot of hockey since my. Carlssons ability to find and make space off the puck is also impressive for such a young player playing against grown men. 2002 Rankings. This top 64 is made up of 46 forwards, 17 defencemen and one goaltender. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. From my first live viewing of him two Octobers ago in St. Catharines when he looked like the Generals most talented forward in just the second game of his OHL career, to his four-goal, seven-point series in Oshawas six-game first-round defeat against the Frontenacs, to his Hlinka performance this summer, to my most recent live viewings of him both in Oshawa and in Langley at the CHL Top Prospects Game, Ritchie has consistently impressed me. Nicknamed Big Rig when he was at the program, Stramel is a heavy but not doughy kid whoseathletic, muscular build jumps out at you right away. Calgary, Alta. The WHL Bantam Draft is an annual outing, in which the Club's of the Western Hockey League select players who have graduated from bantam. His ability to make plays offensively both off the rush and inside the zone (where hes got slick skill in traffic, great instincts off of the puck, and a lunch-pale approach) also gives me a lot of confidence that hell continue to progress. He has the potential to change the trajectory of an NHL franchise and will likely score a ton of goals along the way. Sports Apr 22, 2020 Winnipeg Ice select B.C. . He draws tons of attention in the offensive zone and is great at making smart plays under pressure to help open teammates up to make their jobs easier. And after how good he looked as an underager at U18 worlds in Germany last April, nobody has been surprised by his near goal-per-game breakout this season (in fact, I wrote I wont be surprised if he challenges Smith and Moore on the stat sheet this year while providing all of the energy that he does in my preseason ranking). He provides a ton of offense in transition as well as in the offensive zone where he seems to create scoring chances at will. Hes got superb vision and ranks among the best in the class at dissecting coverage as a passer. Stenberg is never the biggest guy on the ice, but hell drop a shoulder and push his way to the dangerous areas of the ice without hesitation. He plans things out on the ice at speed and then finds ways to make his desired play. ), a quick move into a pass, a sudden stop-up, or an attacking cut. Before the season began, many people saw Otto Stenberg as a top-10 prospect for this draft following his incredible performance for Team Sweden at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. . Updated hourly, with analysis, commentary and features from hundreds writers worldwide, our articles are read over 5 million times every month. Eventually, when the points pile up like they have, and they happen making the kinds of plays that he does, you cant ignore them. One of the USHLs most talented players, Perron got off to a hot start, was briefly halted by an eight-game December stretch that saw him register justone assist, and has really turned it back on to play his best hockey of late. Four 2005-born standout defenders in the CHL, Breaking down four top 2005 forwards in the WHL, Six WHL Players from the 2021 Draft selected outside of the Top-10 whove had early success, The Five Star Hockey Show: 2023 Canada Winter Games Preview, Western Canada Ramblings: NHL and WHL Draft, The Checklist: 2008-born Manitoba players in the WAAA U15, January 2023 WHL Draft Ranking update | Top-80, January Top-80 2023 OHL Draft Ranking Update, Final Thoughts: John Reid Memorial Tournament 2023, 10 Puck Touches: Day Three and Four 2023 John Reid Memorial Tournament, 10 Puck Touches: Day Two, 2023 John Reid Memorial Tournament, 10 Puck Touches: Day One 2023 John Reid Memorial Tournament, The Checklist: Seven 2008-born Western Canadian Players to Watch, 14 2008-born Defensemen profiles from Sask First Top-160, 2022 WHL Draft Review: From Prince George to Winnipeg, 2023 NHL Draft: Breaking down the WHL Defensemen in the CHL Top Prospects game. Still, I would argue hes been a more consistent offensive player for Moose Jaw this season than Kraken prospect Jagger Firkus has been, while playing an off-puck game that is inarguably stronger than Firkus (he has also been a dangerous penalty killer and is decently-strong in the faceoff circle). He has a great shot, but more often than not he scores goals because he slipped his defender and managed to find the space and time necessary to score a goal. NHL Draft History 2021 Draft Rankings: Final 65-96 (May) Enter Player 2021 NHL Draft Rankings: Final 65-96 (May) Steve Kournianos | 5/25/2021 | [hupso] 1-32 | 33-64 | 65-96 | 97-128 | 129-160 | 0 replies Stanley Cup Playoffs: Round 1 Notebook (East and Central Divisions) 2021 Draft Rankings: Final 97-128 (May) Few centers in junior hockey enter their draft year as well-rounded as Nate Danielson. Name. Hes strong. It has been a few rough age groups for Russian defencemen but Gulyayevs got a chance to flip the script. Charlie Stramel, C, University of Wisconsin (NCAA), 34. During every draft cycle there are a handful of prospects who are 5-foot-10 or shorter who get a ton of praise in public scouting circles before unceremoniously sliding on draft day. William Whitelaw, C, Youngstown Phantoms (USHL), 56. Ive said it before and Ill say it again: Bedard can do things with the puck that nobody else in the sport can replicate. Oscar Fisker Molgaard, C (HV71) A few of the players who have moved up substantially on this board are Zach Benson, Oliver Moore, and Colby Barlow.

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