The NHL is on an Olympic break, but prospects around the world are continuing to grow.
Player development is an ongoing process. A player’s draft year is one of the most integral of their career because it so often shapes the perspectives of scouts, general managers and fans alike. Until these players reach the NHL, the picture they paint in their draft year is often the only one people will remember.
With so many of the best prospects in the world entering the stretch run of their season, they have begun to showcase what kind of players they are. Let’s look at the picture the top prospects have painted to this point and what trait each of them is most going to be known for as we head toward June’s NHL draft.
Top 10 NHL draft players
1. Frolunda (Sweden) left wing Ivar Stenberg
Stenberg’s draft year will be remembered for his incredible scoring pace in the Swedish League, where he is on pace to break the league scoring record for a draft-eligible player. It will also be remembered for his impressive performance at the World Junior Championship, where he improved as the tournament went on, leading Sweden to a gold medal. Stenberg has painted a very complete picture.
2. Penn State (NCAA) left wing Gavin McKenna
As much as McKenna has taken some strides on the ice since the world juniors, the most unfortunate thing that will be remembered about his draft year is the incident outside of a bar where he allegedly broke someone’s jaw and now faces three charges, none of which have been proven in court to this point. He’s painted some beautiful pictures on the ice with his elite-level skill and puck handling, but so much of that has been overshadowed by this off-ice incident.
3. Boston University (NCAA) center Tynan Lawrence
Lawrence’s season will be remembered in two parts: his injury-filled yet dominant start to the USHL season and the process-driven yet underwhelming production at the NCAA level. The process has been there. Lawrence has continued to showcase his speed, skill and intelligence away from the puck, and he’s generated very good underlying results. The production hasn’t followed, however.
4. North Dakota (NCAA) defenseman Keaton Verhoeff
Verhoeff’s growth at the NCAA level might be the defining factor of his season. He’s built upon his skill and IQ to play a strong two-way game. When he was at the World Junior Championship, he started outside of the lineup and ended up looking like one of their better all-around defenders. Verhoeff’s game has become more complete as the season has gone on, and that will be what people remember about his draft year.
5. Jukurit (Finland) defenseman Alberts Smits
Without a doubt, Smits’ season will be remembered for skyrocketing up draft boards. He was outstanding at the world juniors, where he helped Latvia nearly upset Canada. He’s also participating in the Olympics with Latvia’s men’s team. On top of playing at the Liiga level in Finland, Smits has been outstanding. He’s a bit of a raw prospect, but he’s arguably the most intriguing defenseman in the class with all of the tools to be a top-tier defender.
6. Djurgarden (Sweden) center Viggo Bjorck
Bjorck has consistently proved the doubters wrong this year. He played himself into a premier role in the Swedish League. On the Swedish world juniors roster, it wasn’t Anton Frondell who was tasked with taking the big faceoffs or playing in key defensive situations. It was Bjorck, the undersized center. He’s slowly proving he’ll be the exception to the rule of teams wanting big centers. Bjorck can play down the middle at the pro level.
7. HV71 (Sweden) defenseman Malte Gustafsson
What we’ll remember from Gustafsson’s season is that when he took the step up to the SHL from Sweden’s junior level, his game improved across all three zones. Gustafsson added a physical element when playing against men instead of boys, which pairs well with his excellent mobility. He’s been a more confident puck-mover against men as well. It’s not often that a player gets better against stronger competition, but Gustafsson has done exactly that.
8. Vancouver (WHL) left wing Mathis Preston
It’s been a year of underwhelming production and missed opportunities for Preston. He hasn’t quite scored at the rate everyone expected, and when Vancouver acquired him from Spokane, he was hurt and out of the lineup. Preston has all of the offensive skill, intellect, and pace-setting speed that you could want from a forward. He generates excellent scoring chances. He just hasn’t finished those chances as often as expected.
9. Tappara (Finland) center Oliver Suvanto
The difficult part about choosing a defining moment or trait in Suvanto’s season is that his game as a whole is understated and defensively oriented. He’s a very steady center who understands his role is to support everyone across the ice. Suvanto has a good shot, and he plays a heavy game. His defining trait is that whoever drafts him will be pretty happy not to have to worry about his game.
10. Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL) defenseman Xavier Villeneuve
Villeneuve is the perfect example of how an undersized defender can be a difference-maker. With the puck, there isn’t a more dynamic blueliner in the NHL draft class. In his own end, he’s used his feet and stick to disrupt play. Once he gets the puck away from an opposing attacker, he instantly becomes an attacker himself. Villeneuve will be remembered for his dynamism and skill but also his growth as an overall player.