Who to Watch: WHL Players Prepare for 2016 NHL Draft

The 2016 NHL Draft kicks off from Buffalo, NY tonight at 7:00 p.m. ET / 4:00 p.m. PT and there are a host of WHL players looking to reach a career milestone.

211 players will hear their names called by NHL teams between tonight (Round 1) and Saturday (Rounds 2-7). Leading the charge from the WHL is very likely Calgary Hitmen defenceman Jake Bean, ranked 15th amongst North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting ahead of the draft. Previously undrafted in the WHL Bantam Draft, Bean has skyrocketed over the past two seasons and has been projected as high as a top-10 pick this year in some rankings.

Another key WHLer to watch is Everett Silvertips starting netminder Carter Hart. Ranked 2nd amongst all North American goaltending prospects by NHL Central Scouting, it wouldn’t be unheard of to see Hart snapped up in the first round, however goalies historically start to be selected on Saturday.

In total, 54 players were ranked by NHL Central Scouting heading into this year’s NHL Draft. In addition to the standard high-end talent out of the WHL, here are a few of the more interesting names to keep an eye on this weekend:

Best Limited Viewing: Tyler Benson (Vancouver Giants)
Benson had an unfortunate year of injuries this season – he posted 9g-19a-28pts in just 30 games – but there was a time when Benson was in the conversation as a top-five pick in this year’s draft. A well-rounded, highly-touted prospect even before he entered the WHL at 16, don’t be surprised to see a team overlook the injuries given his high ceiling.

Best Small Player: Matthew Phillips (Victoria Royals)
NHL Central Scouting had the slick forward at #81 in North America in its final rankings, which was an improvement on his unranked position prior to that. TSN’s Craig Button had Phillips at 33 in his recent final rankings. Even though the game has changed, size still seems to cause concern amongst some NHL clubs, but trust the WHL’s Rookie of the Year to play much bigger than his 5-6, 137 lb frame would suggest.

Best Undrafted Prospect: Adam Brooks (Regina Pats)
Brooks, a 1996-born forward, has been passed over in the NHL Draft a few times now. Named the Pats’ captain this season, he forced NHL teams to take notice by capturing the Bob Clarke Trophy as the WHL’s Top Scorer with a 120-point (38g-82a) season. Craig Button slots him in at #53 this season and it’s not hard to see why.

Best WHL ‘Factory’ Prospects: Evan Sarthou (Tri-City Americans) / Lucas Johansen (Kelowna Rockets)
Some WHL teams just seem to produce NHL prospect after NHL prospect at certain positions. For the Tri-City Americans it’s goalies and for the Kelowna Rockets it’s defencemen. The latest prospects out of these factories are Sarthou and Johansen respectively. Sarthou, a Black Diamond, WA product, is coming off his first year as a starter for the ‘Ams and has had a good deal of international experience with Team USA. In the past two seasons, Sarthou has racked up nine shutouts.

You’d have to think Johansen is a pretty attractive prospect for NHL teams. Selecting a Kelowna Rockets blueliner has proven to be about as sure of a bet as there is, and he has the bloodlines to boot with his brother, Ryan, currently starring for the Nashville Predators. The Port Moody, BC native destroyed his freshman total of eight points this season with 49 (10g-39a) over 69 games.

Best European WHL Prospect: Libor Hajek (Saskatoon Blades)
Selected by the Blades with the second overall pick in last year’s CHL Import Draft, Hajek did not disappoint. Described as a well-rounded blueliner with an edge, Hajek has been earning rave reviews from NHL scouts all year. The Smrcek, Czech Republic product posted 26 points (3g-23a) from the back end last season to go along with 76 penalty minutes.

Best Potential Steal: Calvin Thurkauf (Kelowna Rockets)
While he barely squeaked into NHL Central Scouting’s final rankings, Thurkauf was nothing short of dominant in the Rockets’ second round series against Victoria. Hailing from Switzerland, Thurkauf seemed to develop at a rapid pace this year and looked as NHL-ready as any player at times. Expect the NHL team that snags Thurkauf to count themselves fortunate when all is said and done.

Other Notable Ranked WHL Prospects:
Connor Ingram (Kamloops Blazers) – How many highlight reel saves did he make this year?
Brett Howden (Moose Jaw Warriors) – Another Howden from the Warriors, you say?
Ty Ronning (Vancouver Giants) – Skilled, electric, and a Ronning.
Brayden Burke (Lethbridge Hurricanes) – He had an O-K year, if you like 100-point players.
Tanner Kaspick (Brandon Wheat Kings) – The WHL Scholastic Player of the Year has the smarts you need.
Colton Bobyk (Red Deer Rebels) – Has a harder shot than Happy Gilmore.
Tyler Soy (Victoria Royals) – Undrafted last year. Whoops.

NHL Central Scouting – Final Rankings
North American Skaters – WHL (46)

North American Goaltenders – WHL (8)