Who should your favourite Canadian NHL team be eying at the BMO CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game? It’s not an exact science, but by looking at recent pre-draft rankings and guesstimating where the Canadian teams will be picking based on the current standings and trends, here are some names for fans to follow on Thursday night.
Catch the BMO CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game live at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT on Sportsnet, Sportsnet 590 The Fan and Sportsnet 960 The Fan. Also, watch along on sportsnet.ca with a live stream of the ref cam and highlights as they happen.
Be sure to follow @SNetJunior for live tweets, including scouting takes on all the players.
Montreal Canadiens
Should pick around 20-25
Organizational need Goal-scoring has been a long-term problem for the Habs, who don’t have a true top-flight forward beyond left winger Max Pacioretty. The team has a good prospect pool, but nobody stands out as a can’t-miss star. It will be harder to find late in the first round, but picking up somebody who can help lead the offence would really help the Canadiens.
Plausible fit It might be a reach where Montreal is, but right winger Daniel Sprong of the Charlottetown Islanders is a very intriguing possibility.
Winnipeg Jets
Should pick around 17-22
Organizational need The easy answer as recently as a year ago would have been goaltending, but the emergence of Michael Hutchinson is changing that. Winnipeg has done a great job at the draft table in recent years, most notably snagging Jacob Trouba ninth overall in 2012. The Jets are likely in “best available player” mode, but could look to bolster an offence that’s squarely middle of the pack.
Plausible fit Jansen Harkins, an offence-oriented centre from the Prince George Cougars.
Vancouver Canucks
Should pick around 14-19
Organizational need The Canucks haven’t drafted a defenceman in the first round since taking the late Luc Bourdon 10th overall in 2005. So while the team has still-young players Chris Tanev and Luca Sbisa in the mix, as well as 21-year-old Frank Corrado seemingly on the way, this might be a good time to snatch a skilled blueliner. The clock is obviously ticking on the Sedins, too, so a forward with skill (never a bad idea, really) could be a priority, too.
Plausible fit Offence-minded Jeremy Roy, a blueliner for the Sherbrooke Phoenix.
Calgary Flames
Should pick around 11-16
Organizational need If we say big bodies, will you think Brian Burke has taken control of our keyboard? We all know the Flames’ president of hockey operations prefers broad players, and that just happens to be what Calgary could use more of on the flanks. Right now its top offensive wingers are tiny Johnny Gadreau and undersized Jiri Hudler, which makes for tough going in the beefy Western Conference.
Plausible fit Hulking winger Lawson Crouse would be a dream, but he’ll likely be long gone when it’s Calgary’s turn to pick. Six-foot-one right winger Timo Meier of the Halifax Mooseheads might be a more realistic target.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Should pick around 8-13
Organizational need With high-end picks Morgan Reilly and William Nylander coming into the fold since 2012, the Leafs have a couple building blocks on both the blueline and up front. That said, Nylander is on the slight side, so a player with some heft wouldn’t be a terrible idea.
Plausible fit The way things are going right now, the Leafs may well be in a position to draft Crouse. If not, Kelowna Rockets centre Nick Merkley—not overly tall, but weighs 191 lb.—is worth a look.
Ottawa Senators
Should pick around 7-12
Organizational need The Senators started this week ranked 19th in the league in both goals-per-game and goals-against, so they could use help everywhere. Right winger Curtis Lazar, having just worn the “C” for the triumphant Canadian team at the world juniors, figures to be a big presence up front for years. Perhaps the Sens should look at a defenceman who can help balance out a blueline where captain Erik Karlsson averages roughly seven more minutes of ice per game than anyone else on the corps.
Plausible fit Ivan Provorov, a Russian blueliner having an outstanding rookie season with the Brandon Wheat Kings.
Edmonton Oilers
Should pick around 1-3
Organizational need The Oilers’ most pressing needs are goaltending and defence, but that will be a moot point if the team is drafting first overall for the fourth time in the past six years. When a player like centre Connor McDavid is available, you take him and worry about everything else later.
Plausible fit Unless the Oilers really get it together down the stretch, the only guy from this game who could be wearing their colours next year is McDavid. If the Oilers end up picking outside the top three, there aren’t any D-men in this game who will go that high, but Dylan Strome might be a match as a six-foot-three pivot.