Kubota CHL / NHL Top Prospects Game - Meet Team Red

Kubota CHL / NHL Top Prospects Game – Meet Team Red

By Chris Wahl March 22, 2022

Led by head coach Jeff O’Neill, Team Red for the 2022 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game is headlined by Kingston Frontenacs star centre Shane Wright, the projected first-overall selection in the upcoming NHL Draft. Here is a closer look at the full lineup:

Forwards

#49 | RW | Maxim Barbashev | Moncton Wildcats

86th ranked North American skater on NHL Central Scouting’s Midterms

NHL Central Scouting: Good size winger who brings a physical element to the game … finishes his checks and provides a good forecheck game for his team … good overall skating skill … can generate deceiving speed … at his best down low in the offensive zone … good at protecting the puck and generating offense around the net … good net drive game and tough to handle when he keeps his feet moving … good puck skill and shooting ability … quick release shot and has a good net front game, tipping pucks and picking up rebound opportunities … type of player who can be used in all game situations … power play and penalty killing.

#73 | C | Luca Del Bel Belluz | Mississauga Steelheads

11th ranked North American skater on NHL Central Scouting’s Midterms

NHL Central Scouting: High-end offensive centreman … responsible player that can be used in all situations … good speed and skating ability … excellent hands and puck skills … elite puck protection and puck management … strong hockey IQ … elite vision and playmaking ability … creative player … attacks with the puck and has 1-vs-1 ability to flat-out beat defenders … takes puck into high traffic areas in order to be dangerous … high-pace player that drives the rush and can set up teammates for chances … one of the biggest surprises this year that just gets better and better … high-end upside and unlimited ceiling.

#42 | RW | Josh Filmon | Swift Current Broncos

51st ranked North American skater on NHL Central Scouting’s Midterms

NHL Central Scouting: Displays quick speed especially in tight quarters … good vision and playmaking abilities … protects the puck well with good body positioning – a threat on 5-on-5 along with specialty team units … responsible in his own end … creates open space to use his quick release … a good stutter step to elude defenders.

#88 | C | David Goyette | Sudbury Wolves

35th ranked North American skater on NHL Central Scouting’s Midterms

NHL Central Scouting: Excellent skater with high-end speed and strong edges … uses his skating to his advantage … attacking style player with the puck that can turn rushes into highlight reel worthy plays … very slippery with the puck and hard to check … great set of hands and puck skills … high-end vision and playmaking ability … executes high-end plays at high pace … game breaking talent and ability.

#7 | C | Jordan Gustafson | Seattle Thunderbirds

43rd ranked North American skater on NHL Central Scouting’s Midterms

NHL Central Scouting: Highly competitive player that plays a strong two-way game … brings a strong skill game that allows him to play in all situations … the type of player coaches rely on late in games to protect a lead or to try to tie things up … good skating stride … generates good speed and quickness to win races and pressure defenders … a proven scorer and play-maker already in the WHL.

#19 | C | Hunter Haight | Barrie Colts

47th ranked North American skater on NHL Central Scouting’s Midterms

NHL Central Scouting: Excellent, fluid skater with a smooth stride and top gear … good combination of skill and smarts … two-way player that can be counted on in all situations … strong puck carrier that can attack with speed and can be slippery to handle … very good puck distributer and playmaking ability … strong work ethic and motor … good shot and accuracy … he is a player that has pro upside written all over him.

#16 | C | Fraser Minten | Kamloops Blazers

34th ranked North American skater on NHL Central Scouting’s Midterms

NHL Central Scouting: Good size forward with a high hockey IQ … can play both centre and the wing … the type of player that can excel in all situations and that coaches will rely on heavily … plays key minutes in all situations on a very strong Kamloops team … very good skater with a strong stride … plays a really strong possession type of game and can control the puck very well in traffic … excellent playmaker with vision and strong passing skills … quick release on his shot and has shown he can score.

#14 | C | Matthew Poitras | Guelph Storm

23rd ranked North American skater on NHL Central Scouting’s Midterms

NHL Central Scouting: Determined player that has an impact every game … excellent work ethic and motor … strong skater with a relentless style of play … impacts the game in all situations … very good puck management … attacks with the puck and has the playmaking ability and vision to make things happen at high pace … very good hockey sense … plays just as well away from the puck … excellent stick and anticipation to create turnovers and giveaways … he does a lot of subtle things that go unnoticed but contribute to team success … his game will translate very well to the pro level.

#93 | C | Matthew Savoie | Winnipeg ICE

3rd ranked North American skater on NHL Central Scouting’s Midterms

NHL Central Scouting: Very strong skater with a quick step along with exceptional acceleration … creates separation in all areas with his speed … displays excellent edges to elude the opposition … very good offensive abilities … good vision along with high-end playmaking abilities and soft hands … has a quick release from either side … difficult to contain … can dominant a power play … can be a game changer on most nights … consistent in his overall game.

#13 | RW | Matthew Seminoff | Kamloops Blazers

50th ranked North American skater on NHL Central Scouting’s Midterms

NHL Central Scouting: Highly competitive winger that has really good hands … a proven scorer in the WHL … bigger and stronger this year and is even harder to handle below the dots … quick on pucks … quick hands … fearless type of player that will go into traffic for a scoring chance or to pounce on a rebound … very strong work ethic and a great motor … plays in all key situations and is a leader on his team.

#51 | C | Shane Wright | Kingston Frontenacs

1st ranked North American skater on NHL Central Scouting’s Midterms

NHL Central Scouting: Excellent all-around player … contributes to all areas of the game … team captain and leader … plays heavy minutes in all situations and excels … unselfish and makes his teammates better … exceptional hockey IQ … high-end offensive talent … plays a two-way game with winning habits … NHL shot and release … the type of player you can build a team around … Team Canada World Junior player … potential to be a star in the NHL.

#17 | C | Danny Zhilkin | Guelph Storm

27th ranked North American skater on NHL Central Scouting’s Midterms

NHL Central Scouting: Exceptional skater that plays a strong two-way game … can play and excel in all situations … quickness to create space for himself … agility and puck skills to beat defenders 1-on-1 … strong shooter that can finish in multiple ways … great release … control, vison, and creativity with the puck … strong attacking speed maneuvering through heavy offensive zone traffic … can make plays at a high pace … quick play ability … strong pro upside.

Defence

#5 | D | Michael Buchinger | Guelph Storm

36th ranked North American skater on NHL Central Scouting’s Midterms

NHL Central Scouting: Consistent player that plays a solid two-way game every night … excellent skater with speed and mobility in all directions … competes hard and plays physical … smart defender that uses positioning and a great stick to his advantage … smart puck mover that is decisive and makes the right play quickly … he has playmaking ability from the back end … used on both special teams and can be relied on in all crucial game situations … the type of defenceman you want on your team and know you are going to get a winning effort from every night.

#75 | D | Jorian Donovan | Hamilton Bulldogs

39th ranked North American skater on NHL Central Scouting’s Midterms

NHL Central Scouting: Excellent size, skill, skating combination on the back end … strong skater and mobile player … well-balanced player that impacts on both sides of the puck … strong positional player … good hockey IQ … physical ability and competitor … sees the ice and is calm to sort it out with the puck and find the right option … good puck mover, good shot, and offensive instincts … strong all-around game … high ceiling.

#4 | D | Isaiah George | London Knights

42nd ranked North American skater on NHL Central Scouting’s Midterms

NHL Central Scouting: Exceptional skater that makes it look effortless … speed and edges are standout … strong two-way, modern-day defenceman … excellent retrievals and escape to pull away from checkers … very good puck mover … strong transition player … ability to lead or jump up and create odd man rushes … mobile on the point and has a good shot through to the net … sound defensively … special teams player that can be counted on in all situations.

#15 | D | Kevin Korchinski | Seattle Thunderbirds

20th ranked North American skater on NHL Central Scouting’s Midterms

NHL Central Scouting: High-end offensive defenceman … very skilled and can generate scoring chances in all situations … excellent on the power play, creating time and space at the offensive blue line … walks the line effectively to create passing and shooting lanes … creative player with the puck that is difficult to defend … good size combined with good mobility and quickness allows him to be a strong defender as well … his game continues to grow and evolve with each outing … he is the type of defenceman that can play big minutes in all situations

#12 | D | Maveric Lamoureux | Drummondville Voltigeurs

15th ranked North American skater on NHL Central Scouting’s Midterms

NHL Central Scouting: Solid all-around skater with a 6-foot-7 frame … impressive fluidity with his skating for a player of his size … good mobility with backward stride … good defensive instincts and will play a physical-type game … tough to play against … good progress made with his puck management … good, clean, hard passes … he can generate chances from the back end with accurate puck movement … solid defenceman with size and skating skill with a potential high ceiling once he reaches full maturity.

#24 | D | Ty Nelson | North Bay Battalion

25th ranked North American skater on NHL Central Scouting’s Midterms

NHL Central Scouting: High-energy defenceman that plays a power game … strong skater that has great acceleration which benefits his game in all areas of the ice … exceptional special teams player … puck mover that sees layers and can push the pace with hard tape-to-tape passes … very good vision and puck skills … excellent transition defenceman that can rush the puck or join the play as a trailing threat … he has a cannon of a shot … compete level is off the charts … shows up every night and plays a consistent game

Goaltenders

#31 | G | Reid Dyck | Swift Current Broncos

26th ranked North American goaltender on NHL Central Scouting’s Midterms

NHL Central Scouting: Big presence … he plays a positional style … when angled and positioned properly, there is not a lot of room for shooters … he moves efficiently throughout the crease … very good butterfly coverage (good leg extension while sealing the ice) … smart reading the plays … shows good lateral quickness … does a good job of absorbing shots off the ice … efficient and quick post-to-post play … recovers quickly when down in butterfly … does a good job of sealing the short side on bad angle attempts … competes very hard (never gives up on a puck) … solid goalie prospect with further development.

#30 | G | Ivan Zhigalov | Sherbrooke Phoenix

2nd ranked North American goaltender on NHL Central Scouting’s Midterms

NHL Central Scouting: Big presence in the net … very calm, confident presence … not a lot of wasted movements in his game … strong and powerful lateral pushes … very smart at reading the play … excellent butterfly style (very tough to beat down low) … very good overall crease movements … solid foot work and agility with control and quickness … quick feet and pads … quick reflexes and recovery skills … he covers the post quick and efficiently … very good battle and compete in his crease … has very good pro potential.