108 CHL Players to Watch for 2018 NHL Draft
(Photo Credit: Ty Smith – Larry Brunt)
108 players from the Canadian Hockey League have been listed among NHL Central Scouting’s October ‘Players to Watch’ list for the 2018 NHL Draft which takes place June 22-23 in Dallas, TX.
The 108 players includes 48 from the Ontario Hockey League, 33 from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, and 27 from the Western Hockey League.
Eleven skaters received an ‘A rating’ which indicates a first round candidate.
Each league had ‘A’ ranked representatives, with the OHL featuring six, the QMJHL including four and the WHL with one.
The OHL’s top ranked talent includes forwards Barrett Hayton of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, Ryan McLeod of the Mississauga Steelheads, Andrei Svechnikov of the Barrie Colts, Akil Thomas of the Niagara IceDogs and defencemen Evan Bouchard of the London Knights and Ryan Merkley of the Guelph Storm.
The first overall pick of the 2017 CHL Import Draft, Barrie’s Svechnikov has drawn particular interest from scouts having been a prominent talent in Russia for years.
“Svechnikov plays a responsible game without the puck, has a strong stride with good top-end speed, good instincts at reading the play to set up or be open for chances,” Dan Marr, director of NHL Central Scouting told NHL.com’s Mike Morreale. “He also has an excellent finishing touch to bury his chances.”
The QMJHL’s ‘A’ ranked talent includes a trio of Halifax Mooseheads in Czech forward Filip Zadina along with defencemen Benoit-Olivier Groulx and Jared McIsaac. Saint John Sea Dogs centreman Joe Veleno also received an ‘A’ rating.
Another prominent European talent, Halifax’s Filip Zadina has turned heads early this season.
“Zadina is adapting quickly and putting up points,” NHL Central Scouting’s Troy Dumville told Morreale. “He’s a smart player with very good puck skills, vision and finish around net.”
The WHL’s lone ‘A’ ranked skater is defenceman Ty Smith of the Spokane Chiefs, a former first overall WHL Bantam Draft choice.
21 skaters and five goaltenders received a ‘B rating’ which indicates second/third round candidates while 67 skaters and four goaltenders received a ‘C rating’ which indicates fourth/fifth/sixth round candidates.
The London Knights lead the way with five players included in the rankings while the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, Chicoutimi Sagueneens, Halifax Mooseheads, Mississauga Steelheads, Oshawa Generals and Ottawa 67’s trail close behind with four each.
89 CHL players were selected in the 2017 NHL Draft including 14 players chosen in the first round.
NHL CENTRAL SCOUTING CHL ‘PLAYERS TO WATCH’ – OCT. 3, 2017
| A | MCLEOD | RYAN | MISSISSAUGA | OHL | C |
| A | BOUCHARD | EVAN | LONDON | OHL | D |
| A | THOMAS | AKIL | NIAGARA | OHL | C |
| A | SVECHNIKOV | ANDREI | BARRIE | OHL | RW |
| A | HAYTON | BARRETT | SAULT STE. MARIE | OHL | C |
| A | MERKLEY | RYAN | GUELPH | OHL | D |
| A | ZADINA | FILIP | HALIFAX | QMJHL | RW |
| A | VELENO | JOSEPH | SAINT JOHN | QMJHL | C |
| A | GROULX | BENOIT-OLIVIER | HALIFAX | QMJHL | LW |
| A | MCISAAC | JARED | HALIFAX | QMJHL | D |
| A | SMITH | TY | SPOKANE | WHL | D |
| B | CHISHOLM | DECLAN | PETERBOROUGH | OHL | D |
| B | HOLMES | HUNTER | FLINT | OHL | C |
| B | FOUDY | LIAM | LONDON | OHL | C |
| B | MCSHANE | ALLAN | OSHAWA | OHL | C |
| B | NIZHNIKOV | KIRILL | BARRIE | OHL | RW |
| B | RIPPON | MERRICK | MISSISSAUGA | OHL | D |
| B | KOOY | JORDAN | LONDON | OHL | G |
| B | INGHAM | JACOB | MISSISSAUGA | OHL | G |
| B | BAHL | KEVIN | OTTAWA | OHL | D |
| B | DELLANDREA | TY | FLINT | OHL | C |
| B | NOEL | SERRON | OSHAWA | OHL | RW |
| B | KURASHEV | PHILIPP | QUEBEC | QMJHL | C |
| B | BERNARD | XAVIER | DRUMMONDVILLE | QMJHL | D |
| B | DOBSON | NOAH | ACADIE-BATHURST | QMJHL | D |
| B | FORTIER | GABRIEL | BAIE-COMEAU | QMJHL | LW |
| B | BOUCHARD | XAVIER | BAIE-COMEAU | QMJHL | D |
| B | GRAVEL | ALEXIS | HALIFAX | QMJHL | G |
| B | MACDONALD | ANDERSON | MONCTON | QMJHL | LW |
| B | RODRIGUE | OLIVIER | DRUMMONDVILLE | QMJHL | G |
| B | ZAVGORODNY | DMITRI | RIMOUSKI | QMJHL | LW |
| B | MANDOLESE | KEVIN | CAPE BRETON | QMJHL | G |
| B | SUTTER | RILEY | EVERETT | WHL | RW |
| B | ALEXEYEV | ALEXANDER | RED DEER | WHL | D |
| B | BURZAN | LUKA | MOOSE JAW | WHL | C |
| B | ADDISON | CALEN | LETHBRIDGE | WHL | D |
| B | WOO | JETT | MOOSE JAW | WHL | D |
| C | HANCOCK | KEVIN | OWEN SOUND | OHL | LW |
| C | DHILLON | STEPHEN | NIAGARA | OHL | G |
| C | BOOMHOWER | SHAW | MISSISSAUGA | OHL | LW |
| C | KEYSER | KYLE | OSHAWA | OHL | G |
| C | LEUFVENIUS | HUGO | SARNIA | OHL | LW |
| C | LYLE | BRADY | NORTH BAY | OHL | D |
| C | NYMAN | LINUS | KINGSTON | OHL | RW |
| C | LEVIN | DAVID | SUDBURY | OHL | C |
| C | CLARK | KODY | OTTAWA | OHL | RW |
| C | BUSBY | DENNIS | FLINT | OHL | D |
| C | ROBERTSON | CARTER | OTTAWA | OHL | D |
| C | STRATIS | PETER | OTTAWA | OHL | D |
| C | EVERETT | CALEB | SAGINAW | OHL | D |
| C | GROSS | NICO | OSHAWA | OHL | D |
| C | LALONDE | OWEN | GUELPH | OHL | D |
| C | GOGOLEV | PAVEL | PETERBOROUGH | OHL | RW |
| C | VALLATI | GIOVANNI | KITCHENER | OHL | D |
| C | ROBERTS | CONNOR | HAMILTON | OHL | C |
| C | MCMASTER | ADAM | NORTH BAY | OHL | C |
| C | DUNKLEY | NATHAN | KINGSTON | OHL | C |
| C | DOUGLAS | CURTIS | BARRIE | OHL | C |
| C | DAMIANI | RILEY | KITCHENER | OHL | C |
| C | MOSKAL | BILLY | LONDON | OHL | C |
| C | DUDAS | AIDAN | OWEN SOUND | OHL | C |
| C | HILLIS | CAMERON | GUELPH | OHL | C |
| C | GRONDIN | MAXIM | SAGINAW | OHL | C |
| C | MALIK | ZACK | SUDBURY | OHL | D |
| C | REGULA | ALEC | LONDON | OHL | D |
| C | CORCORAN | CONNOR | WINDSOR | OHL | D |
| C | JENKINS | BLADE | SAGINAW | OHL | LW |
| C | DER-ARGUCHINTSEV | SEMEN | PETERBOROUGH | OHL | C |
| C | ALEXEYEV | YAROSLAV | SHERBROOKE | QMJHL | LW |
| C | VESTERINEN | SAKU | CHARLOTTETOWN | QMJHL | D |
| C | CRETE-BELZILE | ANTOINE | BLAINVILLE-BOISBRIAND | QMJHL | D |
| C | BEAUDIN | NICOLAS | DRUMMONDVILLE | QMJHL | D |
| C | GROLEAU | JEREMY | CHICOUTIMI | QMJHL | D |
| C | BOUTHILLIER | ZACHARY | CHICOUTIMI | QMJHL | G |
| C | POIRIER | WILLIAM | SAINT JOHN | QMJHL | LW |
| C | GROUCHY | MATTHEW | CHARLOTTETOWN | QMJHL | RW |
| C | MCQUAID | CHRIS | ROUYN-NORANDA | QMJHL | D |
| C | KOTKOV | VLADISLAV | CHICOUTIMI | QMJHL | LW |
| C | DAJCAR | TOMAS | QUEBEC | QMJHL | D |
| C | DUCHARME | JUSTIN | ACADIE-BATHURST | QMJHL | LW |
| C | HOUDE | SAMUEL | CHICOUTIMI | QMJHL | C |
| C | COXHEAD | ANDREW | QUEBEC | QMJHL | C |
| C | KHOVANOV | ALEXANDER | MONCTON | QMJHL | C |
| C | ELEMENT | SHAWN | BAIE-COMEAU | QMJHL | C |
| C | SOKOLOV | EGOR | CAPE BRETON | QMJHL | LW |
| C | MCCORMICK | ADAM | CAPE BRETON | QMJHL | D |
| C | LAFFERIERE | MATHIAS | CAPE BRETON | QMJHL | RW |
| C | JOHNSON | ISAAC | TRI-CITY | WHL | LW |
| C | PECKFORD | RYAN | VICTORIA | WHL | LW |
| C | GRICIUS | JAKE | PORTLAND | WHL | C |
| C | ROMAN | MILOS | VANCOUVER | WHL | C |
| C | HARTJE | CHASE | MOOSE JAW | WHL | D |
| C | PATTERSON | MAX | SWIFT CURRENT | WHL | RW |
| C | STOTTS | RILEY | SWIFT CURRENT | WHL | C |
| C | BARTEAUX | DAWSON | RED DEER | WHL | D |
| C | LEPPARD | JACKSON | PRINCE GEORGE | WHL | LW |
| C | REINHARDT | COLE | BRANDON | WHL | LW |
| C | FOCHT | CARSON | TRI-CITY | WHL | C |
| C | DALEY | CAIDEN | BRANDON | WHL | C |
| C | WOUTERS | CHASE | SASKATOON | WHL | C |
| C | NIELSEN | TRISTEN | CALGARY | WHL | C |
| C | ZUMMACK | ELI | SPOKANE | WHL | C |
| C | ZAMULA | YEGOR | REGINA | WHL | D |
| C | FARREN | MICHAEL | SASKATOON | WHL | RW |
| C | POPOWICH | TYLER | VANCOUVER | WHL | C |
| C | ZAZULA | LUKE | KAMLOOPS | WHL | D |
| C | SCOTT | TODD | VANCOUVER | WHL | G |
| C | ZABRANSKY | LIBOR | KELOWNA | WHL | D |
For more information including full ‘Players to Watch’ lists visit nhl.com.
