With the first round of the NHL Draft quickly approaching, most of the attention has been focused on the prospects at the top of the class. Players like Gavin McKenna, Ivar Stenberg, Caleb Malhotra and Keaton Verhoeff have become household names in the buildup to this year's draft.
But the second round and beyond is where the most proficient “draft and develop” organizations find talented players who develop into future NHLers. The process of mining talent later in the draft is sometimes under-appreciated or overlooked, but its importance cannot be understated.
As is usually the case, there are some prospects who I have slotted in the second round (or beyond) of my own rankings that have intriguing upside we should keep an eye on in the years to come. They have a chance to overshoot their rankings as they become professionals in North America.
Here’s a look at some players I value in the second round of the draft:
Maksim Sokolovski, 6-foot-7, 240 pounds, left shot defenceman, London Knights (OHL)
My ranking: 33rd overall
Sokolovski could end up being selected later in the first-round on Friday, but he definitely won’t last too long if he slides to Day 2. He’s a giant, shut-down prospect with a presence. In the second half of the season I noticed Sokolovski’s confidence with the puck increase and his execution making outlets followed suit. Sokolovski isn’t going to move the needle offensively, but he’s a solid skater who takes up a ton of space defensively and bites opponents physically.
Niklas Aaram-Olsen, 6-foot, 185 pounds, left shot winger, Orebro (Sweden J20)
My ranking: 36th overall
Aaram-Olsen is a goal scoring forward who plays fast. He’s a threat off the rush with the puck on his stick and has the size, and drive, to take pucks to the net. I believe Aaram-Olsen has top-six forward upside at the NHL level. If he’s paired with a playmaking centre who feeds him pucks in open ice he has a knack for finding the back of the net. Aaram-Olsen produced 20G-20A in 29 games at the J20 level. He hails from Norway.
Matias Vanhanen, 5-foot-10, 180 pounds, left shot forward, Everett Silvertips (WHL)
My ranking: 41st overall
Vanhanen was born on September 11, 2007, so he was eligible for last year’s draft but he was very young for the class and was not selected in his first-year of eligibility. There’s no chance he goes through the draft again this year. In fact, he’s a strong candidate to be selected in the second round.
Vanhanen is one of the most prolific playmakers available outside the first round. He produced 21G-66A in the regular season and followed up with 16G-16A in the playoffs and the Memorial Cup combined. At the world juniors he contributed six assists in seven games for Finland. I appreciate his vision, competitiveness and hockey sense. Vanhanen could someday evolve into a middle-six/spot-duty second-line NHL playmaker.
Ryder Cali, 6-foot-1, 214 pounds, left shot centre, North Bay Battalion (OHL)
My ranking: 49th overall
Cali is a relentless competitor who has the ability to play both centre and the wing. I project him to be a third-line forward at the NHL level. He produced 16G-20A in North Bay this year and, given his approach, should easily eclipse those marks next season. Cali plays quick, battles in the trenches, and has the commitment and hockey sense to be deployed in all situations.
Tobias Trejbal, 6-foot-4, 198 pounds, right-catching goaltender, Youngstown Phantoms (USHL)
My ranking: 52nd overall
My colleague Sam Cosentino believes Trejbal could be selected in the first-round and while I agree there’s certainly a chance, I value Trejbal in the second round of this draft class.
Trejbal is likely to be the first goaltender off the board. He’s huge in the net and gives opponents a different look with his right-catching style. Trejbal posted very impressive numbers in the USHL this season (2.12 GAA, .916SV%). I especially like his crease composure. Trejbal has a very calm demeanor. He rarely strays outside his posts, utilizing his size to front shooters in the process, and he’s a very agile skater. Trejbal is very balanced and fluid with his movements. He could end up developing into an NHL starting goaltender in the future.
Marcus Nordmark, 6-foot-1, 190 pounds, left shot winger, Djurgardens (Sweden J20)
My ranking: 55th overall
Nordmark is the most polarizing prospect in the draft for me. He was ranked inside my top 10 at one point this season, but dropped significantly in the second half.
Nordmark has top-six NHL upside. He has good size, can play with pace, and can change the momentum of the game with his offence. Nordmark produced 14G-24A in 25 J20 games in the regular season. At the U18 worlds he contributed 3G-1A, with two of his tucks coming on the power play.
The issue with Nordmark is he’s a moody competitor. I can honestly say I didn’t see him play a full 60 minutes in the second half of the year. Having said that, I can see a team stepping up on Nordmark in the second round due to his skill and their own internal belief that their player development team can coach him up to be a good pro.
Ethan Mackenzie, 6-foot-1, 190 pounds, left shot defenceman, Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL)
My ranking: 64th overall
MacKenzie burst on to the scene this year as a 2006-born prospect who has gone through the draft in the past. He was deployed in a variety of roles at the WHL level and contributed 22G-36A. He was part of Canada’s world junior squad in Minneapolis and stood out with his steady overall game while also producing 1G-2A. He pushes back adequately in the trenches, skates well and executes with the puck.
In the past, a player like MacKenzie might have fallen deeper into the draft due to the fact he is close to aging out of junior hockey, but the player development landscape has changed with CHL players now eligible for the NCAA. MacKenzie is headed to North Dakota in the fall. He will benefit from developing at one of the NCAA’s top programs and could, in time, end up slotting into an NHL roster as a middle/bottom pair, two-way defenceman.
