Inside the CHL
By Aaron Bell
The NHL Draft is just under five months away but don’t expect that any of the Canadian Hockey League’s top rated prospects are spending much time thinking about it these days.
The BMO CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game is in the books and teams are bearing down for the final push of the regular season and that means that the pro scouts are out in full force making notes on the players they hope will help make their teams better down the road.
The NHL’s Central Scouting staff pegged Kingston Frontenacs forward Sam Bennett as North America’s top prospect in the mid-term rankings released three weeks ago. Leon Draisaitl of the Price Albert Raiders was second followed by Aaron Ekblad of the Barrie Colts, Sam Reinhart of the Kootenay Ice and Michael Dal Colle of the Oshawa Generals.
Here’s how the top five prospects are handling the limelight of what many consider the most important year in a young hockey player’s career.
Sam Bennett, Centre, Kingston Frontenacs
The second year pivot has already built dramatically on his impressive sophomore season with the Frontenacs and leads the team with 28 goals and 72 points through 44 games this year. His coaches are likely most impressed by his big turn-around in the plus-minus category. After posting a minus-2 rating in 60 games last season, Bennett has a team-best plus-29 this year. He has at least one point in all but one of his past 29 games.
Leon Draisaitl, Centre, Prince Albert Raiders
Draisaitl is leading the Raiders with 22 goals and 64 points in 44 games and is inching his way towards the WHL’s top 10 scorers this season. The big forward scored in his return from representing Germany at the World Juniors but then went nine games without a goal before busting out of that slump with a highlight-reel hat trick against Swift Current on Tuesday. He’s recorded a point in all but nine games he’s played this season.
Aaron Ekblad, Defence, Barrie Colts
Ekblad has already established himself as a blue line star in the CHL even though he doesn’t turn 18 until Friday. The Colts’ captain has upped his offensive production this season and has 17 goals and 38 points in just 38 games. He made a dramatic return from the World Juniors when he scored four goals and added an assist against the Frontenacs in his second game back. He’s added three more goals in the past four games and looks poised to keep that trend going.
Sam Reinhart, Centre, Kootenay Ice
It’s safe to say that Reinhart didn’t suffer any letdown after returning from the World Juniors. The Kootenay captain has at least one point in each of the eight games he’s played since returning in January. He has racked up nine goals and 20 points in that span and 25 goals and 70 points in 41 games this season. Reinhart has off-the-charts hockey IQ and it was on display in full force in his five point night against Saskatoon on Tuesday.
Michael Dal Colle, Centre/Left Wing, Oshawa Generals
Big things were expected of Dal Colle when Oshawa made him the seventh overall pick in the 2012 OHL Priority Selection but even the Generals’ management are likely surprised that the sophomore is their leading scorer this season with 32 goals and 73 points in 51 games. Scouts love his size (6-2, 171 lbs) and grit and his ability to play in all three zones. He started the season with a bang – scoring four goals and seven points in his first two games and racked up 25 points in 13 games in November.
The 2014 NHL Draft takes place June 27-28 in Philadelphia. A total of 146 CHL players were listed by NHL Central Scouting in their midterm rankings released in January, while 101 CHL players were selected at the 2013 NHL Draft last year in New Jersey.