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Top-20 des meilleurs espoirs
GOLDEN SEALS DE LA CALIFORNIE
Analyses de Scott Wheeler de The Athletic.
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| 1- Kent Johnson Centre 19 ans 6'1 168 lbs Repêché 9ie au total en 2021 par Californie.  |
" It’s no secret that I’m high on Kent Johnson. If I were to rank the top prospect of all 32 teams into a 1-32 list, he’d be in the conversation for second after Owen Power and almost certainly in the top five. He’s got some quirks. His skating can kick out from a standstill and he’s got a thin, wiry build that he has struggled to add muscle. But Johnson has just about everything else you look for in a first-line player and he’s one of a small number of drafted prospects in the sport who I believe has the potential to be a true star in the game if it all comes together for him. He’s dynamic with the puck on his stick, both in his ability to pull and drag pucks through his wide stance and in his knack for pulling up into a more stilted position to handle the puck just inches away from his skates in traffic. When I went to Ann Arbor in November to watch the Wolverines play, he went from a quiet first few shifts to having the puck on his stick all night. It was the same in Calgary this summer at Hockey Canada’s summer showcase, too. There, he also played centre instead of the wing (which has played almost exclusively in college) while painting that same offensive flair (which concluded with five goal-creating plays in the finale of camp). His ability to dance with the puck and manufacture offence as a playmaker in possession is elite. When he’s under pressure, he doesn’t have to play through much contact because of how effortlessly he makes soft little plays through the triangles of sticks and into space for himself to skate onto (the kind that can shock a crowd with his craftiness when it looks like he’s stuck in a phone booth without options). I was impressed again, in Edmonton, when he played a quicker game early on at the world juniors, too. That’s something (trying to make one too many moves) that he has been criticized for so it was nice to see him pushing the tempo and moving pucks a little faster. I’ve also seen progress in his one-timer this year, which with continued reps and practice could give him another weapon in his arsenal. The reality is he consistently makes difficult plays at speed, his hands and his feet flow effortlessly together (and often out of sync to lose defenders), there are few young players in the sport who can draw defenders to them and make a play to the backside as he does, he’s a PP1 lock, and there’s just a breeziness and elusiveness about his game that captivates. I’m also not honestly worried about his competitiveness or engagement either. He’s not going to be a checker or a go-to D-zone guy, and there are going to be moments in games where he fades, but he’s also going to find the highlight reel and produce. The Blue Jackets need guys who can do the latter. I think he was the perfect pick. I thought this from a recent chat with Michigan associate coach Bill Muckalt put it succinctly: “Kent’s magic. I think he’s one of the best players in college hockey now. He’s a phenomenal talent.” " |
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| 2- Cayden Primeau Gardien 22 ans 6'3 203 lbs Repêché 110ie au total en 2017 par Californie.  |
" The results at the NHL have been mixed thus far but Prime has really begun to establish himself on that bubble between a No. 2 and a No. 3 with his increasingly steady play in the AHL following his decorated two-season NCAA career. And because it feels like he has been around forever, it’s easy to lose sight of how young he still is so it’s worth reminding of his August birthday. Primeau is a powerful, athletic goalie who plays sharp angles on his challenges and has the natural ability needed to recover to make difficult second stops or stick with dekes to make stops with his feet. There are certainly times when he plays a little too aggressively and would be better served sitting a little deeper in his net so that he’s not pushing himself out of position when the play changes direction. He also lets the odd low-danger shot squirt through his body. But he has a strong track record, size, and clear talent. And after being criticized as a younger goalie for being a little too laid-back in the net, he has made progress there to battle through traffic and fights for loose pucks on scrambles. I don’t think he looks like he’s going to be a starter at this stage, but I still see a good NHL goalie/package. " | ||
| 3- Samuel Poulin Ailier Droit / Ailier Gauche 20 ans 6'2 214 lbs Repêché 24ie au total en 2019 par Californie.  |
" Poulin’s adjustment to the pro level has proven to be a bit of a slow burn, revealing at least some small deficiencies in his skating and pace of play. I still think he’s going to be a middle-six NHL winger all told, though, and it’s important to understand that he doesn’t turn 21 until the end of February, so it’s not as though he has to make the jump this year. He’s got desirable size and strength, which keeps him over pucks and allows him to take some pumps when he’s driving off the wall. He’s also got versatile skill to his game which combines quietly quick hands with surprising softness to his touch. As he gets more comfortable and confident inside the pressures and speed that comes with the pro game, that power-finesse blend will again begin to showcase itself. He was never going to be a star but I still see a contributing NHL player. " | ||
| 4- Gabriel Vilardi Centre 22 ans 6'3 201 lbs Repêché 11ie au total en 2017 par Californie.  |
" Vilardi’s a player I’ve always had time for and one I’m surprised the Kings haven’t had more for truthfully. He’s 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, but he’s more than just the puck-protection centre you’d expect at a glance of his listed height and weight. He’s not a power-forward type, preferring instead to calculate his way around the ice. The things that make him effective aren’t the attention-grabbing kind. He’s not an explosive skater. He’s not a natural scoring threat. He’s not the dynamic, creative, puck-on-a-string type. He’s just a well-rounded offensive player who understands how to use spacing to make plays in a variety of ways. He’s got impressive skill, with a threatening hashmarks shot and good hands one-on-one with goalies or in traffic, but he’s also able to take the puck off the wall and make plays to the interior with his puck control skill out wide to his body. He’s the kind of player who doesn’t have a star quality but impacts a game and produces just the same as players his age who do. I enjoy watching him navigate out there and I think he belongs in the NHL (which is supported by his results and his makeup). I wonder if because he’s not what you maybe imagine out of a player who looks like him, whether that has created conflict and frustrations with the coaching staff (which, again, I would likely argue has more to do with archetypes and bias than his merits as a player). " | ||
| 5- Connor Zary Centre 20 ans 6'0 179 lbs Repêché 19ie au total en 2020 par Californie.  |
" It’s easy to look at the slow start to the season that Zary had (when he posted just two points in his first nine games), measure it against Pelletier, and forget that Pelletier’s results are unusually impressive for players their age, Zary is younger, and Zary’s track record before this season was as impressive or more (including a decent first showing in the AHL last year). But I thought he started to turn the corner into the Christmas break and he has had a fine year on the whole. He’s an average-sized, average-skating player with above-average tools across the board and a determined disposition. I like the way he wins back pucks along the walls and then makes quick plays low-to-high out of a short carry. I like his middle-lane drive and his willingness to go to the guts of the ice and push tempo. And while his skating has made doing that at the same level and pace as he did in junior a little more challenging in the AHL, I actually think his footwork through his crossovers and speed in transition aren’t concerns at all (though his forward pushes do have a bit of hitch), in part because he keeps himself moving and pushes himself to his limits. He’s not as dominant an on-puck carrier as you might expect out of a forward who produced like he did in junior, but his skill can flash in shorter sequences into give-and-gos and he’s still a deft stickhandler in traffic. He’s the kind of player where when he’s feeling it, playing between checks, and getting touches, the puck just seems to find him in dangerous areas to create chances. And even when the points aren’t falling, he’s consistent shift-to-shift. I still see upside as a contributing top-nine forward despite some of the growing pains he has encountered this season. " | ||
| 6- Justus Annunen Gardien 21 ans 6'4 209 lbs Repêché 73ie au total en 2018 par Californie.  |
" Annunen has played to mixed results these last two years (some of which can be linked to the two teams he has played behind, especially last year’s unusually leaky Karpat team), but the promise he has shown at various points in his career, combined with the tools he possesses and his 6-foot-4, 200-plus pound frame, keep him relevant potential NHL goalie (even if it’s much more likely he’s a backup/1B at this point than anything else). Annunen plays an aggressive, challenging style built around good post-to-post, high-to-low power, sound rebound control, and quick hands. He needs to learn to control his movements better to avoid pulling off of his line with those strong pushes, though. Continued work to be more compact could take him to the NHL level and prevent more stoppable pucks from finding holes that shouldn’t be there. " | ||
| 7- Ty Dellandrea Centre / Ailier Droit 21 ans 6'0 194 lbs Repêché 21ie au total en 2018 par Californie.  |
" Dellandrea’s progression has been (predictably, I would argue) a little slow considering where he was picked. But he’s still a legitimate young player with real NHL upside, even if that upside doesn’t look like what you’d expect out of a No. 13 pick. He plays to the inside, he keeps himself engaged and involved in the play in all three zones, he’s an able penalty killer and his skating has shown marked improvement this season so that he’s able to put defenders on their heels a little more when he attacks. I like his shot from the mid-to-high slot more and more (he’s got a balanced stance and can pick his spots in the net when he’s got time, even if he’s not a powerful shooter). He’s got good hands in tight around the net, too. But his game lacks a defining trait and he’s likely a bottom-six piece as a result. " | ||
| 8- Jared McIsaac Défenseur 21 ans 6'1 192 lbs Repêché 37ie au total en 2018 par Californie.  |
" It has been nice to see McIsaac playing consistently this season! And after everything he’s been through with his shoulder and the scare in Traverse City, it’s impressive that he still has a realistic path to the NHL. He has always been an excellent defender. He rarely misreads odd-man rushes or coverage. He’s a strong skater with a sturdy build who sticks with opposing carriers off the rush and rarely bites on fakes, maintaining a steady gap and playing physically when he needs to. There are times when he caves under pressure or looks like he’s processing the game a little too slowly, but he moves the puck clean and flat, his wrister is hard and, above all else, he’s reliable. He’ll be good organizational depth if he can stay healthy and he’s still got one more year on his ELC after this one so the clock isn’t yet ticking on any kind of decision on his NHL future or waiver wire status. " | ||
| 9- Benoit-Olivier Groulx Centre / Ailier Gauche 21 ans 6'2 194 lbs Repêché 32ie au total en 2018 par Californie.  |
" Following an excellent junior career where he established himself as one of the QMJHL’s most versatile players, Groulx is beginning to carve out a niche for himself at the pro level as a bottom-six two-way specialist who can play a checking role and penalty kill but has some skill. Groulx’s a superb defensive player who is almost always in perfect position, dominates in the faceoff circle, finishes his checks, keeps his feet moving, and excels at manufacturing offence on the penalty kill — regularly winning races, lifting possession on steals, and jumping into holes to intercept passes and push pace in transition. But he’s also a multi-talented offensive player with a dangerous close-range wrist shot, good sense around the net, quick hands, and above-average playmaking instincts. Groulx’s skill doesn’t have the flair required to be a big offensive creator or PP1 guy at the next level, but he finds ways of getting to the home plate area off the cycle to make things happen. I’d want him on my team. " | ||
| 10- Bode Wilde Défenseur 21 ans 6'3 192 lbs Repêché 31ie au total en 2018 par Minnesota.  |
" Wilde has all of the raw makings teams covet in defencemen. He’s big, he’s athletic, he’s strong through his stride and over his stick, he’s a righty, he’s got a threatening shot, and he’s got unusually soft hands for his size. But he’s going to waste it all because he doesn’t have the game between the ears on the ice and he’s made a name for himself (even before the COVID stuff of this season) as a tough to deal with off of it. " | ||
| 11- Ryan Ufko Défenseur 18 ans 5'10 181 lbs Repêché 89ie au total en 2021 par Californie.  |
" Don’t let the height (5-foot-10) fool you. Ufko plays bigger than he looks, with a sturdy frame and a willingness to play the body or engage in bumps/physical engagements. That has helped him make the jump to the college level relatively easy this year (he’s third on UMass in scoring as I write this and has held his own defensively as a freshman who has been asked to do a lot). He has continued to play his aggressive style to impose himself as a trailing shot threat. And while he’s not a super dynamic on-puck player or flashy skater despite his high point totals, he’s both talented and effective. His puck-moving starts with the quick decisions he makes to advance play up ice, his efficient puck management, and how fast he plays without being super fast himself. Here’s his former Chicago Steel teammate Matt Coronato’s take on Ufko: “He’s a physical guy on the back end, he’s great on the power play, he moves pucks quick, and he’s got great awareness. He loves to throw the body around (too).” And here’s another one of those teammates, Mackie Samoskevich: “He’s so smart with the puck, he’s so smart defensively. And he’s a great leader by example.” " |
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| 12- Josh Doan Ailier Droit 19 ans 6'1 183 lbs Repêché 41ie au total en 2021 par Californie.  |
" After undergoing a huge growth spurt in the USHL with the Chicago Steel in advance of his second-round selection as an overager in 2021, Doan, who is now 6-foot-2 and 176 pounds with more room to fill out, has really found himself as a freshman at Arizona State, where he has immediately become one of ASU’s top forwards. He plays hard, gets to the guts of the ice, works on the forecheck, never strays from his defensive responsibilities, always seems to be in good position, has better feel inside the offensive zone than I gave him credit for in Chicago, and has come a long, long way in the last two years. He’s got useful bottom-six forward written all over him with the right development and the proper time spent in college (three or four years). " | ||
| 13- Jack Bar Défenseur 19 ans 6'2 194 lbs Repêché 121ie au total en 2021 par Californie.  |
" Bar’s freshman year has been a bit of a mixed bag and I won’t believe in the upside of his raw tools forever, but for now, they slot him here. The first time I saw Bar play was four years ago with the York Simcoe Express while I was working on a story on a young Quinton Byfield. Back then, he was a talked-about top minor hockey player in the province who towered over his peers and actively joined the rush. Then he made the decision to go the college route instead of the OHL one and I made the trip from Toronto to my hometown of Aurora to watch him a few more times with St. Andrew’s College, where he emerged as a top defenceman on the prep school circuit and gave off the same vibes. Then last season, after he was meant to play for the Penticton Vees in the BCHL, he joined a loaded Steel team for this pandemic season instead and was asked to play a bit of a different role (one that, I think, reduced his touches and plateaued his progression offensively). Bar’s boots can look a little heavy out there but he’s actually a good skater for his size and he can really shoot the puck when he looks to attack. His 6-foot-3 size and handedness are obviously appealing. And while he’s not the most aware player, the package is there and I expect him to benefit from the time college provides. " | ||
| 14- Logan Mailloux Défenseur 18 ans 6'3 212 lbs Repêché 25ie au total en 2021 par Californie.  |
" Before I jump into the Canadiens ranking, I think it’s important that I say that Mailloux is not included in the numbered list and explain why that is. The reality is that I haven’t watched him play much since I learned what happened last year. I didn’t make time to go back over his tape in the third-tier HockeyEttan and I haven’t made time for him since his return to action in London in early January. I use a pair of scouting services called SportContract and InStat to do my job here, both of which allow me to watch the shifts of one player at a time when I do my video review. So, if I’m not watching a game live in person, or live online/on TV, I’m almost always focussing on one player at a time in my video sessions. The truth is that when I’ve made time to watch the Knights this season, I’ve chosen to watch his teammates, both drafted (like Predators prospect Luke Evangelista) and undrafted (like 2022 prospect Isaiah George). While I’ve seen Mailloux play during recent sessions for this project, he has never been where my attention is. So there’s that: I just don’t have much that’s new or insightful to say about his game. Then there’s the reason why I haven’t spent time on him and the honest answer is because I’m not comfortable evaluating him in a hockey context because I’m not sure if he warrants it. I think it’s important that I’m transparent in my work here and that’s just where I’m at on it. I don’t know if the work he has done is sincere, I don’t know if he has truly learned from his actions or made proper amends for them, and I can’t say when, how, or if I’ll feel any differently about it. Frankly, the OHL’s decision to release their statement on his reinstatement at 3:30 p.m. on December 29, right as the hockey world was wrapped up in the cancellation of the world juniors, didn’t help me to feel any more confident about that work or his reform either. " |
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| 15- Cam Hillis Centre 21 ans 5'9 174 lbs Repêché 75ie au total en 2018 par Vancouver.  |
" Hillis was a highly entertaining OHL player who was always going to face challenges as he tried to progress up levels. He’s got a natural ability to carry the puck and make plays through seams. His offensive zone elements look easy and airy, with quick hands, light and agile edgework, and an ability to manipulate his feet and body in unison to shape passes and problem-solve under pressure. Hillis has always been one of the 2000-born age group’s most talented puck handlers and passers, utilizing fakes, drags, and feathery touch to play with a ton of finesse (off his forehand and backhand). But even with good speed, his slight frame held him back at the junior level and the same has been true so far at the pro level, where struggles to score and get to the inside. " | ||
| 16- Ivan Morozov Centre 21 ans 6'1 196 lbs Repêché 49ie au total en 2018 par Californie.  |
" After Sochi acquired Morozov from SKA on the last day of the KHL transfer period on Dec. 27, Morozov has taken on a huge role as his new KHL club’s top centre, playing 18-22 minutes a game in all situations. He has been contending for a spot on the Russian national team for the Beijing Olympic Games (a team he has been rumoured to be in line to make after centring the Russians’ third line at world championships in Latvia and playing again for the senior men’s team at the Channel One Cup in December). Morozov is a pro-sized two-way centre who excels in the faceoff circle (often pushing 60 percent), can control the cycle game, and then has the puck protection skill to take pucks off the wall, attack through holes, and play in the offensive zone. He stays around the puck and has the talent to make things happen all over the ice. He’s got the makings of a versatile NHLer if he and the Golden Knights can work something out. " | ||
| 17- John Farinacci Centre 20 ans 6'0 190 lbs Repêché 104ie au total en 2019 par Californie.  |
" Farinacci’s young career has followed an unusual path. He played prep school hockey, he spent some time with the U.S. NTDP, he spent some time in the USHL, he captained the Hlinka team, he committed to Harvard, he had a strong freshman year at Harvard (in what was really his first taste of top-level hockey), his sophomore year was cancelled, he returned to the USHL, he played well at the 2021 world juniors, and then he returned back to Harvard for his second year of hockey in his third year of schooling. And since he has been back, he has looked like a kid who lost a year and hasn’t taken a step forward. He’s a versatile player who can simplify his game and play to the dirty areas around more talented linemates, or hang onto the puck and make his fair share of plays when he needs to be more of a focal point. In either role, play tends to gravitate to the slot when he’s on the ice. My worry is about his ceiling. He’s got good hands cutting side-to-side, beating defenders one-on-one with a quick pull of the puck through his feet to draw them past him. I’m a fan of the way he tracks and reads possession without the puck, which will help him drive defensive results and put together consistent shifts at the pro level even if he doesn’t become a primary contributor offensively. But he’s not the strongest, fastest, or most talented player in the world and he probably tops out as a role player as a result. " | ||
| 18- Connor Dewar Centre 22 ans 5'10 183 lbs Repêché 109ie au total en 2018 par Californie.  |
" Dewar has really begun to grow on me. For a while, I wondered what he might be at the next level. He has always had skill (without having an abundance). He has always played hard (with limitations due to his 5-foot-10 frame). He skates well. He tracks well. He’s always involved. But I questioned whether he was talented enough to create offence at his size at the NHL level. And I also questioned whether he was scrappy enough or played with quite enough pace to become a depth guy. And while I still have questions about the former, he has shown the latter may really be in the cards because of his style and approach. " | ||
| 19- Karl Henriksson Centre / Ailier Gauche 20 ans 5'9 174 lbs Repêché 72ie au total en 2019 par Californie.  |
" Here’s the thing about Henriksson: It feels like he’s going nowhere. Here’s the other thing about Henriksson: It’s easy to forget, given how good he was in junior with Lucas Raymond and how long it feels like he has been around, that he’s still 20 (he’ll be 21 in a couple of weeks). The first thing is becoming harder and harder to look past for the second, though. And while he’s a better player for Frolunda this year than he was last year and his modest increases in offensive counting stats and on-ice results reflect that, his average ice time is actually settled down a minute from last year’s 12:34. I actually quite like watching Henriksson play. He’s excellent in give-and-go sequences, zipping around the ice to use space and make quick decisions with the puck. He’s agile from a standstill, he can build speed through his edges and on stops and starts, and he can play through seams as a passer. But a propensity to filter his game to the perimeter at the pro level continues to raise concerns about whether he’s talented enough to translate up levels at 5-foot-9, especially because his shot isn’t threatening beyond the low slot. And I don’t know whether there’s something more going on than I realize but his game in my last couple of viewings didn’t look anything like the one he was playing at the start of this season (I was very impressed by his play in early viewings this season). " | ||
| 20- Jayden Struble Défenseur 20 ans 6'0 194 lbs Repêché 43ie au total en 2019 par Québec.  |
" Struble’s a better player and prospect than his counting stats suggest might suggest at a glance when you consider his presence on the ice, his age (though he’s already a junior, he only just turned 20 in September) and the role injuries (to his ankle, groin and knee) have played in his career to this point. His raw talent and physical attributes both pop, with a sturdy frame, a powerful skating stride that allows him to play with a lot of speed, quick hands in puck protection one-on-one, and a shot that rips off his blade. When he gets moving, he’s tough to slow down and stop. And he provides major value defensively when he’s dialled in because of how strong he is in board battles and his physicality (though I’d like him to take fewer penalties than he does because he can be mean without necessarily searching for it). There are still times when he can try to do too much and he needs to slow down instead of relying on his instincts, but there are a lot of pro attributes there and it’s not hard to imagine him becoming a third-pairing guy who gives a group of seven defencemen a different element. " | ||
| Mentions honorables: |
- Luke Tuch (LW) |