2013 NHL Draft Prospect Report: Jonathan Drouin

Player Bio:

Player Name: Jonathan Drouin

Birth: Marth 7th, 1995

Place of Birth: Ste-Agatha,Quebec

Height: 5'11 Weight: 185 lbs

Shoots: Left

Position:Left Wing/Center

Team: Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL)

Puck Central Draft Ranking: Number 8 (January Rankings)                   

NHL Potential: Top 6 Scoring Forward/All-Star                 

NHL Comparison: Patrick Kane/Simon Gagne


The Scoop:

I'll be the first to admit that I was hard on Jonathan Drouin at the beginning of this season and that he's clearly exceeding my expectations and expectations of most people. Drouin was ranked by most to be a mid or late first rounder and be somewhat of project but after this season many expect him to not only be in the NHL next season but making an impact. Drouin played himself into a top 6 position on a very good Team Canada World Junior team and it became very clear that he was not just relying on his Mooseheads superstar linemate, Nathan MacKinnon, and it may in fact be the other way around. He had a solid WJC tournament and he hasn't slowed down since. Drouin finished the season with 41 goals,64 assists and a total of 104 points in 49 regular season games. This season he has shown that he score goals just as well as he can set them up. Drouin is recorded as being 5'11 but when you see him live that appears to be a very generous 5'11. For a young player of his size he's very strong, weighing in at 185 lbs. Like many players who lack size, he makes up for it with a tremendous amount of skill and an incredible hockey IQ. He see's the game well which allows him to do things other players aren't capable of doing, and if you don't believe me just watch his "Shift of the Year" on YouTube, you won't be disappointed. He's capable of scoring goals because he has such a great shot but seems to look for the pass before shooting but he's also capable of driving the net so goalies should expect anything from this kid. One of my issues on Drouin heading into this season was I thought he would rely too much on Nathan MacKinnon and that would make him look better then he actually is but he has managed to play extremely well when '22' was out of the lineup. Despite his strong play I still question whether he's really as good as this season has shown because besides the handful of games that MacKinnon has been out we've only ever seen him playing with other elite talents. My opinion on Drouin has changed drastically and he has quickly become my top ranked forward in this draft, even higher than MacKinnon, but I still think he could benefit from one more year in the QMJHL and a truly dominate performance at the World Juniors. Drouin draft rankings nowadays seem to be anywhere from number one to number three but I'm not sure where he'll actually be drafted. I think it's likely he'll go in the first three picks but I'm not sure he'll unseat Seth Jones and Nathan MacKinnon as the first two picks in the 2013 NHL Draft. They've simply proved more in their young careers so far. Regardless of where he goes in the Draft, Drouin is sure to be an impact player in the NHL sooner rather than later.

Strong Points:

• Great Shot and Release
• Strong Skater

• Has Elite Vision

• Elite Level Hands

• Accurate Passer

• Good Character
• Hard To Take Off the Puck

Weak Points:

• Lacks Size

• Has Only Played One Full Season in QMJHL

Interesting Facts:

• He was the 2nd player taken in the 2011 QMJHL Draft, behind linemate Nathan MacKinnon
• He represented Canada at 2013 World Junior Championships as an underager
• He won gold with Canada at the 2012 U-18 Ivan Hlinka Trounament this past Summer

• He started the 2011-2012 season in Midget AAA, rather then joining the Mooseheads right away

• This season he was named to the 'First All-Star' team in the QMJHL

• This Season won the 'Michel Briere' Trophy as the QMJHL MVP

• This season he won the 'Mike Bossy' Trophy as the QMJHL top draft prospect

• This season he won the 'Paul Dumont' Trophy as the QMJHL top personality

Continue to follow our 2013 NHL Draft coverage by checking the site regularly or by following us on twitter 

Contact Us:

Twitter: PuckCentralHQ

Email: puck.central@gmail.com

2013 PuckCentralHQ Mock Draft 1.0

Below is the PuckCentralHQ NHL Mock Draft (1.0). The draft order was created using the standing as of March.20th at 5pm est. The way the draft worked was Trevor (Co-writer) picked, then Bradley (Co-writer) picked, and so on. Please feel free to let us know your thoughts and opinions on the Mock Draft (1.0) by tweeting us at @PuckCentralHQ!

1) Florida- Seth Jones
2) Colorado- Jonathan Drouin
3) Washington- Nathan MacKinnon
4) Buffalo- Valeri Nichushkin

5) Calgary- Aleksander Barkov
6) Philadelphia- Ryan Pulock
7) Tampa Bay- Sean Monahan
8) Nashville- Hunter Shinkaruk
9) Edmonton- Josh Morrissey
10) New York Islanders- Darnell Nurse
11) Dallas- Elias Lindholm
12) Columbus- Adam Erne
13) Phoenix- Max Domi
14) New Jersey- Nikita Zadorov
15) San Jose- Rasmus Ristolainen
16) Columbus (From New York Rangers)- Anthony Mantha
17) Toronto- Zach Fucale 
18) Carolina- Ryan Hartman
19) Detroit- Frederik Gauthier
20) Vancouver- Robert Hagg
21) Minnesota- Valentin Zykov
22) St. Louis- Mirco Mueller
23) Winnipeg- Kerby Rychel
24) Columbus (From Los Angeles)- Alexander Wennberg
25) Ottawa- Curtis Lazar
26) Boston- Bo Horvat

27) Montreal- Morgan Klimchuk

28) Anaheim- Nicolas Petan

29) Pittsburgh- Eric Comrie
30) Chicago- Spencer Martin

Contact Us:

Twitter: @PuckCentralHQ

Email: puck.central@gmail.com

Q&A With Top 2013 Prospect Eric Comrie of the Tri-City Americans

Below is the Q&A we did with one of the top Goaltender prospects in the 2013 NHL Draft. He plays for the Tri-City Americans of the WHL and represented Team Canada at the u18 tournament this past summer which won gold. As you'll read below his older brother is Mike Comrie, a former NHLer! He is currently ranked 25th by us and is the 2nd ranked goalie.

PuckCentralHQ: You and your team have had a decent year so far. In your opinion how do you think the year has gone for you personally, and for the team?

Eric Comrie: My year was a lot of fun I just tried to get better every time I stepped on the ice. It's very unfortunate my year was ended early but now I have to get ready for next season. As for our year we are a somewhat younger team and we are really starting to come together. Our coaches have been great for us this year. We continue to get better every game we play.

PC: Obviously this is your draft year so there's a lot of pressure to perform well. Did you feel any extra pressure to perform well or put any extra pressure on yourself?
EC: Of course the draft is always in the back of your head but I had a great support staff that really helped me.

PC: Do you pay any attention to your rankings or anything like that? A lot of players say they don't but it must be tempting to search at times!
EC: I don't pay attention to it mostly because nobody really knows until it's over. And I will find out on draft day what happens. All I can do is work my hardest every day and then let that stuff work its way out.

PC: Heading into this season you obviously knew it would be a big year for you. Did you prepare differently this past offseason compared to past offseasons?
EC: It was a different offseason because of the u18 tournament which was a lot of fun! It also really prepared me for the season well.

PC: How was that u18 experience for you? Do you think it helped better prepare you for the season despite limited playing time?

EC: It was great I had lots of fun during my time there. I also feel it prepared me for the season with the great coaching and practices.

PC: It must have been great being able to represent your country like that. A lot of people have you penciled in as a goalie to watch out for in the World Juniors. Is that a goal you have, to someday play for Canada at the World Junior Championships?
EC: It was a fantastic experience representing Canada it's everyone's dream. Playing in the world juniors would be unbelievable it's been a goal of mine since I was 4.

PC: You have the luxury of having a brother who's played in the NHL. How has that helped you get to where you are now? And how is he helping you deal with this very important draft year?
EC: Yes he has been huge to me not only as a brother but as a role model showing me how hard you have to work everyday if you want to make it. With the draft he is just saying what everyone is just keep working hard and things will work out.

PC: So now ill just ask some questions to help the readers get to know you a little better. What made you decide to start playing goalie?
EC: My older brothers needed someone to shoot on so they stuck me in net and used me as a target when I was about 4.

PC: Well I guess that worked out pretty good for you in the end!. Growing up what was your favourite team? And who was your favourite player?
EC: My favorite team would have been Edmonton when I was really young because of my brother and home town team. Now as I get older I have become a Montreal Canadian fan which leads to the next answer of favorite player who is Carey price.

PC: Awesome! So I just have two more questions. Which part of your game do you take the most pride in?
EC: I would have to say my work ethic I try and work my hardest every single day and focus on the process.

PC: Our final question is one we ask everyone, is there a player who you try to model your game after or used to try to play like when you were younger? And if so, how come?

EC: When I was really young it would be Martin brodeur as I got older it switched to Carey price but now I just try and play like myself and watch video of all NHL goalies and see what they do and if I could add it to my game.

PC: That's a great answer. Well that's all we have for now! Thanks so much for taking the time to do this! Best of luck to you in June!

EC: Thanks so much for including me in this! And thank you so much!

I hope you all enjoyed this interview as much as I enjoyed doing it. You can follow Eric on twitter at : @EricComrie1 and you can follow us at: @PuckCentralHQ

February Draft Rankings

 

 

 

 

 

Below is our rankings for the month of February. In remaing months leading up to the draft you can expect to see some mock draft and prospect reports, as well as other articles regarding prospects, and Junior teams. Make sure you check back each week to see what's new or follow us on twitter! (@PuckCentralHQ)

 

 

 

1- Seth Jones
2- Nathan MacKinnon
3- Jonathan Drouin
4- Aleksander Barkov
5- Valeri Nichushkin
6- Elias Lindholm
7- Sean Monahan
8- Hunter Shinkaruk
9- Nikita Zadorov
10- Adam Erne
11- Darnell Nurse
12- Max Domi
13- Rasmus Ristolainen
14- Ryan Pulock
15- Josh Morrissey
16- Frederik Gauthier
17- Zach Fucale
18- Anthony Mantha
19- Robert Hagg
20- Kerby Rychel
21- Ryan Hartman
22- Curtis Lazar
23- Bo Horvat
24- Alexander Wennberg
25- Eric Comrie
26- Andre Burakovsky
27- Nicolas Petan
28- Morgan Klimchuk
29- Anthony Duclair
30- Mirco Mueller
 

Others recieving votes:
Arturri Lehkonen
Valentin Zykov
William Carrier
Oliver Bjorkstrand

Please feel free to let us know what you think of our rankings, or give us your opinion on who should be ranked where!

 

Twitter: @PuckCentralHQ

Email: puck.central@gmail.com

Draft Rankings and Q&A With Jack Johnson

PuckCentralHQ's Rankings:

1- Seth Jones

2- Nathan MacKinnon

3- Aleksander Barkov

4- Sean Monahan

5- Elias Lindholm

6- Valeri Nichushkin

7- Hunter Shinkaruk

8- Jonathan Drouin

9- Rasmus Ristolainen

10- Adam Erne

11- Ryan Pulock

12- Robert Hagg

13- Nikita Zadorov

14- Max Domi

15- Darnell Nurse

16- Josh Morrissey

17- Anthony Mantha

18- Frederik Gauthier

19- Kerby Rychel

20- William Carrier

21- Zach Fucale

22- Ryan Hartman

23- Andre Burakovsky

24- Bo Horvat

   25- Nicolas Petan
   26- Eric Comrie
   27- Jacob de la Rose
   28- Curtis Lazar
   29- Alexander Wennberg
   30- Artturi Lehkonen

Honourable Mentions:

-Nick Sorensen
-Eric Roy
-Anthony Duclair

Interview with Jack Johnson of the Columbus Blue Jackets:
Here's a small Q&A we did with Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Jack Johnson!

PuckCentralHQ: You've been supporting the American World Junior team a lot since the tournament started, what was your World Junior experience like?


Jack Johnson: Both of my World Junior experiences were unbelievable. My first time in 2006 was in Vancouver. I've had a lot of great hockey memories in that city and the atmosphere of a WJC in a Canadian city can't be matched. It was a lot of fun and I fed off the Canada/USA rivalry, becoming public enemy #1 in Vancouver. For me personally it was a good tournament as I was named to the tournament all-star team. Unfortunately as a team we finished without a medal in 4th place. The following year was held in Sweden. I scored an OT goal against Sweden to get us to the medal rounds and then we played the epic shootout game with Canada in the semis. I went 2-for-2 in the shootout, but Jonathan Toews went 3-for-3 and won it in the 7th round for Canada. We ended up winning the bronze by beating the host Sweden. It wasn't what we set out to do, but everything was such a great experience. It was amazing to represent my country and it is a time I will never forget.

PuckCentralHQ: What advice would you give to the young players at the World Juniors right now?


JackJohnson: Go out and enjoy the experience. Play your game and try not to let the pressure get to you. It's a short tournament so anything can happen. Remember that it's an honor to play for your country and only the guys in the room with you will be able to say they represented USA at the 2013 World Junior Championships. Play with pride, respect the tradition, and go for gold!

Let us know what you think!
Tweet us at: @PuckCentralHQ

Final Team Canada Mock Rosters

Trevor's Roster:

Forwards:

J.Huberdeau*- R.N-H -M.Scheifele*
C.Hudon- R.Strome* -T.Rattie
H.Shinkaruk/- B.Jenner* -B.Ritchie
J.C.Lipon- P.Danault -T.Wilson
+N.MacKinnon/

Defense:

M.Rielly-D.Hamilton*
S.Harrington*-F.Corrado
R.Sproul-G.Reinhart
+X.Ouellet

Goalies:

J.Binnington
M.Subban
+J.Paterson

*= Returning Player
/= Draft Eligible
N-H= Nugent-Hopkins

Bradley's Roster:

Forwards:

J.Huberdeau*- R.N-H -T.Rattie
M.Scheifele*- R.Strome* -B.Ritchie
C.Hudon- B.Jenner* -J.C.Lipon
A.Camara- P.Danault -T.Wilson
+N.MacKinnon/

Defense

M.Rielly-D.Hamilton*
S.Harrington*-F.Corrado
X.Ouellet-G.Reinhart
+R.Murphy

Goalies:

J.Paterson
M.Subban
+L.Brossoit

*= Returning Player
/= Draft Eligible
N-H= Nugent-Hopkins

Team Canada (World Junior) Mock Roster 1

In the next week and a bit we'll be posting various "mock" rosters for Team Canada's upcoming World Junior Championship team. Since there's two of us we'll each post a roster and then on the final day of the selection camp, we'll post one final roster, which we believe will be the roster Canada should take to Russia. The rosters we post prior to that may not reflect exactly who we think will make the team but rather different views the team could take.

Trevor's Roster:

Forwards:
J.Huberdeau*-R.NH-R.Strome*
C.Hudon-M.Scheifele*-T.Rattie
S.Monahan-P.Danault-C.Sissons
M.McNeill-B.Jenner*-T.Wilson
+N.MacKinnon

Defense:
M.Rielly-D.Hamilton*
X.Ouellet-S.Harrington*
R.Sproul-G.Reinhart
+R.Murphy

Goalies:
M.Subban
J.Binnington
+L.Brossoit

** Please note that Colton Sissons has been ruled out of the Selection Camp due to injury.

*=Returning player from last years team
R.NH=Ryan Nugent-Hopkins

The teams first line has the ability to score at will on any team they will face in the world juniors this year and barring an injury any of the 3 could lead this tournament in points, the second line although lacking in size has the ability to score goals in bunches with averaging 1.52 ppg. The third line featuring one of the top 2013 draft prospects in Sean Monahan are more then capable of scoring goals and are no slouches on the defensive end, with Danault and Sissons on this line the team has a potential shut down unit that will have no trouble scoring goals if that's what they are required to do. The fourth line of Jenner, McNeill, and Wilson will throw their bodies around and will scare almost anyone they come barreling in on. Potential 2013 1st overall pick Nathan MacKinnon will be the 13th forward but he will play a prominent role on this team.

On the back end they will rely on Dougie Hamilton who could be the tournaments top defenceman to carry the bulk of the defensive responsibilities. Morgan Rielly, and Ryan Murphy will be expected to create things from the back end and quarterback the teams powerplay. Xavier Ouellet and Scott Harrington will be this years shut down pair and should do a fine job of that, Ryan Sproul and Griffin Reinhart can both contribute offensively and play good defence making this years defence the strongest point of the squad.

Malcolm Subban will be expected to be the starting goalie but like every year the competition will be fierce in nets and it wouldnt surprise anyone to see Jordan Binnington take over as the starter.

Bradley's Roster:

Forwards:
J.Huberdeau*-R.NH*-N.Mackinnon
M.Scheifele*-R.Strome*-T.Graovac
C.Hudon-P.Danault-B.Ritchie
A.Camara-B.Jenner*-T.Wilson
+T.Rattie

Defense:
M.Rielly-D.Hamilton*
D.Pouliot-S.Harrington*
G.Reinhart-R.Sproul
+R.Murphy

Goalies:
M.Subban
L.Brossoit
+J.Binnington

*=Returning player from last years team
R.NH=Ryan Nugent-Hopkins

The roster I created is more of a "Shot in the dark" kind of roster but if I picked exactly who I thought should make it, it would look to similar to Trevor's.

On offence a lot of the roster spots are spoken for, and there's a lot of competition for those final spots. I'll skip the obvious players like Huberdeau and RNH because we all know why they should be there. There's some question marks surrounding Tyler Graovac and his health right now but if he's healthy you'd have to think he gets some strong consideration. He's had a break out year and has been a goal scoring machine for the Ottawa 67's of the OHL. Charles Hudon might not be a "lock" but his stand out performance this summer has him getting some strong consideration. The versatile winger can play a top 6 and bottom 6 role and brings a ton of leadership to the table. Philip Danault should get some serious consideration as well. The first rounder from 2011 is a leader and strong two-way presence on the ice. Much like Graovac, the big man, Brett Ritchie is having a breakout season and should get a serious look to fill a bottom 6 role for Team Canada. He's a complete player with lots of skill. Finally Anthony Camara can complicate the scary duo of Boone Jenner and Tom Wilson. Camara is a scary presence on the ice but he can also make it happen on offence, much like Jenner and Wilson.

On the back end there's a lot of great options. Hamilton and Harrington are returning players and will pick up a lot of the slack with injured star, Ryan Murray. Morgan Rielly was a stand out this summer and should be considered a lock for Team Canada, but he will have to have a good camp because there's a lot of able players trying to take his spot. Derrick Pouliot is a long shot but the 2012 top 20 pick could snatch up a spot with a good camp. Griffin Reinhart isn't having a great year but he's a big body who can play a great defensive game. Ryan Sproul started the year hot but got injured early. Now he's back and should get a lot of consideration because of his solid game. Ryan Murphy is taking his third and final crack at Team Canada. He was a stand out this summer and would be the backbone to the Canadian power play. The staff will have to decide whether his offence first type of play is worth taking to Russia, I personally think it is.

Subban is considered the front runner for the starting job, and likely has a chip on his shoulder after getting snubbed out of an invite last year. Laurent Brossoit was sensational last season and in the playoffs but his play fell off in the Memorial Cup and he wasn't exactly a shinning star at the Summer Camp (Canada-Russia Challenge). Jordan Binnington is one of,if not the best goalie in junior hockey and should challenge for the starting job, not just the backup position.

2013 PuckCentralHQ Draft Rankings (October)

1- Nathan MacKinnon
2- Aleksander Barkov
3- Sean Monahan
4- Seth Jones
5- Elias Lindholm
6- Hunter Shinkaruk
7- Rasmus Ristolainen
8- Valeri Nichushkin
9- Ryan Pulock
10- Jonathan Drouin
11- Adam Erne
12- Robert Hagg
13- Curtis Lazar
14- Josh Morrissey
15- Max Domi
16- Hudson Fasching
17- Kerby Rychel
18- Zach Fucale
19- Ryan Kujawinski
20- Jacob de la Rose
21- J.T. Compher
22- Nikita Zadorov
23- William Carrier
24- Bo Horvat
25- Eric Roy
26- Nick Sorensen
27- Artturi Lehkonen
28- Andre Burakovsky
29- Anthony Duclair
30- Bogdan Yakimov

Honourable Mentions:
Darnell Nurse
Madison Bowey
Shea Theodore

2013 Draft Prospects to Watch For

If you're out watching some CHL games (or games in Europe) trying to get your hockey fix, here's a list of 2013 Draft eligible players in each league you should watch out for:

QMJHL:
1- Nathan MacKinnon, Center/Right Wing, Halifax Mooseheads
2- Zach Fucale, Goaltender, Halifax Mooseheads
3- Adam Erne, Right Wing, Quebec Remparts
4- Jonathan Drouin, Left Wing, Halifax Mooseheads
5- Anthony Duclair, Left Wing, Quebec Remparts
6- Nick Sorensen, Right Wing, Halifax Mooseheads
7- William Carrier, Center/Left Wing, Cape Breton Screaming Eagles
8- Anthony Mantha, Left Wing, Val-d’Or Foreurs
9- Samuel Morin, Defence, Rimouski Oceanic
10- Jeremy Gregoire, Center, Chicoutimi Sagueneens
HM:
Brandon Shea, Center, Quebec Remparts
Frederik Gauthier, Center, Rimouski Oceanic
Matthew Murphy, Defence, Val-d’Or Foreurs
Patrik Zdrahal, Center, Acadie-Bathurst Titan
Kurt Etchegary, Center, Quebec Remparts
OHL:
1- Sean Monahan, Center, Ottawa 67’s
2- Kerby Rychel, Left Wing, Windsor Spitfires
3- Max Domi, Center, London Knights
4- Ryan Kujawinski, Center, Kingston Frontenacs
5- Bo Horvat, Center, London Knights
6- Darnell Nurse, Defence, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
7- Nikita Zadorov, Defence, London Knights
8- Spencer Martin, Goaltender, Mississauga Steelheads
9- Ryan Hartman, Right Wing, Plymouth Whalers
10- Chris Bigras, Defence, Owen Sound Attack
HM:
Justin Bailey, Center, Kitchener Rangers
Jordan Subban, Defence, Belleville Bulls
Jason Dickinson, Center, Guelph Storm
Stephen Harper, Left Wing, Erie Otters
Nicholas Baptiste, Right Wing, Sudbury Wolves
WHL:
1- Seth Jones, Defence, Portland Winterhawks
2- Hunter Shinkaruk, Left Wing, Medicine Hat Tigers
3- Ryan Pulock, Defence, Brandon Wheat Kings
4- Curtis Lazar, Center, Edmonton Oil Kings
5- Josh Morrissey, Defence, Prince Albert Raiders
6- Eric Roy, Defence, Brandon Wheat Kings
7- Madison Bowey, Defence, Kelowna Rockets
8- Eric Comrie, Goaltender, Tri-City Americans
9- Morgan Klimchuk, Left Wing, Regina Pats
10- Shea Theodore, Defence, Seattle Thunderbirds
HM:
Alex Forsberg, Center, Prince George Cougars
Oliver Bjorkstrand, Right Wing, Portland Winterhawks
Connor Rankin, Left Wing, Tri-City Americans
Nicolas Petan, Center, Portland Winterhawks
Matthew Needham, Center, Kamloops Blazers
USHL:
1- Hudson Fasching, Right Wing, USA U-18
2- J.T. Compher, Left Wing, USA U-18
3- Will Butcher, Defence, USA U-18
4- Steve Santini, Defence, USA U-18
5- Ian McCoshen, Defence, Waterloo Black Hawks
6- Tyler Motte, Center, USA U-18
7- Luke Johnson, Center, Lincoln Starts
8- Michael Downing, Defence, Dubuque Fighting Saints
9- Ross Olsson, Right Wing, Lincoln Stars
10- Tyler Hill, Left Wing, Hotchkiss School
HM:
Taylor Cammarata, Center/Left Wing, Waterloo Black Hawks
Gustav Olofsson, Defence, Green Bay Gamblers
Brendan Harms, Right Wing, Fargo Force
Mike McCarron, Right Wing, USA U-18
Eddie Ellis, Center, Phillips Andover
Europe:
1- Aleksander Barkov, Center, Tappara
2- Valeri Nichushkin, Center, Chelyabinsk
3- Elias Lindholm, Center, Brynas
4- Rasmus Ristolainen, Defence, TPS
5- Robert Hagg, Defence, Modo Jr.
6- Andre Burakovsky, Left Wing, Malmo
7- Jacob de la Rose, Center, Leksand
8- Bogdan Yakimov, Center, Penza
9- Artturi Lehkonen, Left Wing, Kalpa
10- Anton Slepyshev, Left Wing, Novokuznetsk
HM:
Ville Husso, Goaltnder, HIFK Jr.
Gustav Possler, Left Wing, Modo Jr.
Marko Dano, Center, Bratislava
Viktor Crus Rydberg, Center, Linkoping Jr.
Tobias Liljendahl, Center, Djurgarden Jr.

Look for our October Draft Rankings to be posted October.15th and remember to follow us on twitter! @PuckCentralHQ

CHL Teams to Watch For

     With a potential NHL lockout looming, many of you will be looking for ways to get your hockey fix until the NHL resolves there dispute, and the best way to do that is to watch junior hockey. Most of the time it is better hockey to watch anyways, the players play for so much more and give it their all every game, the momentum can swing in just minutes and makes for a much more entertaining game. Here are the top 10 CHL teams you need to see play this year:

1- Quebec Remparts (QMJHL)

Many think the Halifax Mooseheads will be the class of the QMJHL and one of the best teams in all of the CHL but if the lockout proceeds as expected then the Remparts will for sure get their best player in Mikhail Grigorenko back and pair him with Nikita Kucherov, they have had some chemistry in the past and will surely light the QMJHL up this year, include Anthony Duclair, Adam Erne and Nick Sorensen three potential first rounders in this year’s draft and you have the makings of a powerhouse team that could be a strong contender for the Memorial Cup. 

2- London Knights(OHL)

After coming so close to winning the Memorial Cup last season the Knights will be back at it this year trying to avenge their overtime loss and show they are still a force to be reckoned with. They lost some key players after last year’s run but expect potential first rounders Max Domi and Bo Horvat to improve upon their good rookie campaigns and help counter the loss of those players, they also boast the Rupert twins on forward and Seth Griffin who had a strong campaign, combine that with Olli Maatta, Scott Harrington and another potential first rounder in Nikita Zadorov and the Knights will be an exciting team to watch.

3- Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL)

A young Mooseheads team overachieved last season based on strong play from Zach Fucale and Nathan MacKinnon, add in Jonathan Drouin who had a phenomenal playoffs, Martin Frk who should be fully recovered from a string of injuries last season, newly acquired Stefan Fournier and rock solid defender Konrad Albethauser and you have a team that should be among the most exciting in all of the CHL with the potential to dominate, expect big years from Zach Fucale, Nathan MacKinnon and Jonathan Drouin, if you get the chance to see them play they will impress you no doubt and you should see why they are considered sure fire first round picks. This will be an exciting year for Moose fans.

4- Plymouth Whalers (OHL)

Expect Plymouth to challenge for top team in the OHL along with the London Knights and the Kitchener Rangers, it would come as no surprise to see them end as the top team when you look at the talent their roster possesses. First round picks Tom Wilson, J.T. Miller, Rickard Rakell and Stefan Noesen all have the ability to score and wreck havoc on offence while playing a responsible two-way game which will be key while Matt Mahalak gets accustomed to a bigger work load after the team saw Scott Wedgewood graduate to the professional ranks. The Whalers have the skill to make a run at it this year and if all put together they could come out on top.

5- Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL)

After dominating the WHL last year the Oil Kings will get most of their championship winning squad back and will be expected to do what they did last year and earn a berth in the Memorial Cup, with first round picks Henrik Samuelsson and Griffin Reinhart coming back along with Curtis Lazar a highly touted prospect for this year’s draft the Oil Kings are in a good position to succeed. Combine that with returning veterans Michael St. Croix, Dylan Wruck, Keegan Lowe and Martin Gernat the Oil Kings will have no shortage of talent this season especially with Laurent Brossoit returning between the pipes. 

6- Portland Winterhawks (WHL)

It seems that over the past fews years the Winterhawks and the Saint John Sea Dogs have produced amazing amounts of talent and it isn’t about to stop here for the Winterhawks, with potential number one overall pick Seth Jones and Pittsburgh Penguins first rounder Derrick Pouliot, Troy Rutowski and Tyler Wotherspoon on the backend they will have no shortage of talent add in returning goalie Mac Carruth and the Winterhawks will be tough defensively. They won’t have any shortage of offensive talent either with offensive dynamo Ty Rattie coming back and youngsters Chase De Leo, Nicolas Petan and European Import Oliver Bjorkstrand they will have more than enough offence to go around.

7- Kitchener Rangers (OHL)

The Rangers will try and slug it out for top spot in the OHL this year and with newly acquired Matt Puempel teaming up with Radek Faksa, Matia Marcantuoni and Tobias Rieder the offence will be there to take a run at it. The offence doesn’t stop there however with Ryan Murphy on the point the Rangers will most likely have the leading point getter for defencemen, team him up with their rock solid goalie John Gibson and you have a strong squad that can compete with anyone. They will surely be a team you want to see if they come your town.

8- Saskatoon Blades (WHL)

The Blades will be out to prove that they belong in the Memorial Cup and aren’t only there based on the fact they are the host team. They have quite a bit of talent up front in Matej Stransky, Josh Nicholls, Lukas Sutter and newly acquired Shane McColgan who will be looking for a fresh start after seeing his point totals drop each season since he came to the WHL. Duncan Siemens who is looking to bounce back after a pedestrian post draft campaign and Dalton Thrower who will try to improve upon last year’s numbers will be integral parts of this team’s success. In goal Andrey Makarov will be playing for a shot at the next level after being passed over in two consecutive drafts and this might be his last chance to make an impression. Saskatoon isn’t a team to take lightly this season and I am sure will be overlooked repeatedly but they shouldn’t be.

9- Erie Otters (OHL)

Now not many times will you see the worst team in the CHL on a list of teams to check out but there is finally something to cheer about in Erie with the additions of Oscar Dansk and highly touted player Connor McDavid, combine them with Adam Pelech, Travis Wood and Troy Donnay on the backend, Sondre Olden, Connor Brown and Dane Fox on offence and you have a team that just might be worth checking out. The main attractions to this team are Oscar Dansk and Connor McDavid both of whom should be worth the price of admission. 

10- Windsor Spitfires (OHL)

If you get the chance to see Kerby Rychel play you better do it because the talent and size he has will make him a high coveted player in the draft, add in Brady Vail, Ben Johnson, and high draft pick Josh Ho-Sang who was highly considered one of best talents in his draft and you have a highly skilled group of forwards who should all put up good numbers. If Nick Ebert plays like the Ebert who was considered a potential top 10 pick and not the one who was a seventh round pick in this past year’s draft then you will surely get more than the price of admission from this team.

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2013 PuckCentralHQ Draft Rankings: Preseason

This is our first "ranking" for the 2013 NHL Draft. We will update our rankings each month until the NHL Draft in June.

1- Seth Jones
2- Nathan MacKinnon
3- Sean Monahan
4- Aleksander Barkov
5- Hunter Shinkaruk
6- Valeri Nichushkin
7- Elias Lindholm
8- Kerby Rychel
9- Rasmus Ristolainen
10- Ryan Pulock
11- Adam Erne
12- Curtis Lazar
13- Jonathan Drouin
14- Zach Fucale
15- Josh Morrissey
16- Anthony Duclair
17- Max Domi
18- Robert Hagg
19- J.T. Compher
20- Hudson Fasching
21- Andre Burakovsky
22- Jacob de la Rose
23- Ryan Kujawinski
24- Eric Roy
25- Bo Horvat
26- Nick Sorensen
27- Madison Bowey
28- Bogdan Yakimov
29- Nikita Zadorov
30- William Carrier

Honorable Mentions:
Artturi Lehkonen
Eric Comrie
Darnell Nurse
Morgan Klimchuk

For more information on the players or the upcoming season make sure you check back each day for new posts, and follow us on twitter for up to date tweets on the upcoming season! @PuckCentralHQ

Thoughts on the First Round of the 2012 Draft

   

Morgan Rielly was picked
5th overall to the
Maple Leafs.

 This won't be super in depth or anything but I will discuss a few things that went down tonight in the NHL Draft. Many thought the Oilers would draft for their needs, and select Ryan Murray over best available prospect Nail Yakupov but the Oilers ended up going with Yakupov after all, which in my opinion was the best move. Ryan Murray went to the Blue Jackets as expected, and the Canadians took Alex Galchenyuk as many believed he would. The next pick, which surprised some, but not us at PuckCentralHQ, was Griffin Reinhart, 4th overall to the New York Islanders. Griffin Reinhart is shaping up to be the next Ryan Suter or maybe even Shea Weber, either way, he's going to be a star someday, so that was a great pick by the Islanders. The first questionable pick of the night went to the Toronto Maple Leafs. They used their 5th overall pick to take Morgan Rielly, the all out offence, highly skilled defenceman of the Moose Jaw Worriers. They passed over Big, skilled centre Mikhail Grigorenko and big winger Filip Forsberg, which leads me to the next big story line, 10, and 11 teams passed up on these guys. Filip Forsberg went 11th to Washington Capitals, which is a steal for them and Mikhail Grigorenko was selected 12th overall to the Sabres. Now I'll back track a little bit to talk about the first and only block buster trade of the first round. The Penguins traded Jordan Staal to the Carolina Hurricanes for Brandon Sutter,Brian Dumouline, and the 8th overall pick. The Pens then used the 8th overall pick to select offensive defenceman Derrick Pouliot. In my opinion that was an off the board pick at 8 but the Pens are getting their former top prospect, Joe Morrow's defence partner, and they seem more than happy about that. They were also more than happy to see Olli Maatta fall to them at 22. There's a very good chance Maatta could be on their team next year too, so they got a steal with that pick. Calgary traded down to the 21st pick where they took highly skilled but long term project forward, Mark Jankowski. The Ottawa Senators got a gift at 15th overall when hometown kid, Cody Ceci, fell to them. On the note of gifts, Chicago received a pretty big one in Teuvo Teravainen at 19. He's a highly skilled player who many had ranked in their top 5. It's also worth noting that the Winnipeg Jets selected Jacob Trouba, a monster defenceman,Vancouver selected Brendan Gaunce, a workhorse centre for Belleville, and the Washington Capitals acquired Mike Ribeiro for a Cody Eakin and a 2nd round pick. There are a lot of big names still available tomorrow so it will be a very exciting day tomorrow as well, so make sure you follow @PuckCentralHQ for constant draft updates.

Cody Ceci was selected by his hometown team
the Ottawa Senators 15th overall.

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PuckCentralHQ Final Draft Rankings and Mock Draft

Puck Central Final Draft Rankings:

Bradley:

Teammates Nail Yakupov and Alex Galchenyuk
will surely both be top 10 picks at this years Draft.

1. Nail Yakupov
2. Alex Galchenyuk
3. Ryan Murray
4. Griffin Reinhart
5. Mikhail Grigorenko
6. Morgan Rielly
7. Filip Forsberg
8. Mathew Dumba
9. Cody Ceci
10. Radek Faksa
11. Andrei Vasilevski
12. Jacob Trouba
13. Olli Maatta
14. Zemgus Girgensons
15. Teuvo Teravainen
16. Sebastian Collberg
17. Hampus Lindholm
18. Brendan Gaunce
19. Slater KoekKoek
20. Derrick Pouliot
21. Pontus Aberg
22.Matt Finn
23.Malcolm Subban
24.Tomas Hertl
25.Brady Skjei
26.Mark Jankowski
27.Stefan Matteau
28.Tom Wilson
29.Henrik Samuelsson
30.Oscar Dansk

Honorable Mentions:

Phillip DiGuiseppe
Martin Frk
Nicolas Kerdiles
Jordan Schmaltz
Tomas Hyka

Trevor:

1. Nail Yakupov 

2. Mikhail Grigorenko 

3. Ryan Murray 

4. Alex Galchenyuk

5. Jacob Trouba

6. Griffin Reinhart

7. Filip Forsberg

8. Morgan Rielly

9. Cody Ceci

10. Radek Faksa

11. Hampus Lindholm

Puck Insider 'Trevor' has Dumba ranked
much lower than most at 14.

12. Olli Maatta

13. Zemgus Girgensons

14. Mathew Dumba

15. Teuvo Teravainen

16. Tomas Hertl

17. Derrick Pouliot

18. Andrei Vasilevski

19. Nicolas Kerdiles

20. Brendan Gaunce

21. Matt Finn

22. Sebastian Collberg

23. Slater Koekkoek

24. Stefan Matteau

25. Brady Skeji

26. Phil Di Giuseppe

27. Jordan Schmaltz

28. Ludvig Bystrom

29. Pontus Aberg

30. Dalton Thrower

Honorable Mentions:

Mike Winther

Scott Laughton

Martin Frk

Malcolm Subban

Jarrod Maidens

PuckCentralHQ Final Mock Draft:

Edmonton(Bradley)- Nail Yakupov
Columbus(Trevor)- Ryan Murray
Montreal(Bradley)- Alex Galchenyuk
New York Islanders(Trevor)- Griffin Reinhart
Toronto(Bradley)- Mikhail Grigorenko
Anaheim(Trevor)- Filip Forsberg
Minnesota(Bradley)- Morgan Rielly
Carolina(Trevor)- Radek Faksa
Winnipeg(Bradley)- Mathew Dumba

Will Cody Ceci be drafted by his
hometown'Ottawa Senators' like we
Predicted?

Tampa Bay(Trevor)- Jacon Trouba
Washington(Bradley)- Teuvo Tervainen
Buffalo(Trevor)- Hampus Lindholm
Dallas(Bradley)- Olli Maatta
Calgary(Trevor)- Zemgus Girgensons
Ottawa(Bradley)- Cody Ceci
Washington(Trevor)- Tomas Hertl
San Jose(Bradley)- Slater KoekKoek
Chicago(Trevor)- Derrick Pouliot
Tampa Bay(Bradley)- Andrei Vasilevski
Philadelphia(Trevor)- Brady Skjei
Buffalo(Bradley)- Brendan Gaunce
Pittsburgh(Trevor)- Sebastian Collberg
Florida(Bradley)- Pontus Aberg
Boston(Trevor)- Stefan Matteau
St.Louis(Bradley)- Henrik Samuelsson
Vancouver(Trevor)- Matt Finn
Phoenix(Bradley)- Tom Wilson
New York Rangers(Trevor)- Nicolas Kerdiles
New Jersey(Bradley)- Malcolm Subban
L.A.(Trevor)- Phillip DiGuiseppe

For full draft day coverage you can follow us on twitter at @PuckCentralHQ!

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Email: puck.central@gmail.com