NHL draft prospect Lawson Crouse scores his first OHL hat trick: Friday’s 3 Stars

No. 1 Star: Lawson Crouse, Kingston Frontenacs (OHL)

The big question surrounding Crouse in the 2015 draft class is whether he has enough offensive skill to be a first-line forward at the NHL level. The towering 6-foot-3, 200-pound power-forward did his best to answer that in a 5-0 win against the Kitchener Rangers. He scored a natural hat trick with two of his markers coming on the power play within the first 30 minutes of the game. It was his first hat trick at the major junior level.

Crouse, whom NHL Central Scouting Service peg as an A-list prospect, now has 12 goals and 16 points in 22 games on the year. He’s one of the more enticing prospects of the draft largely because of how his style of play has elicited comparisons to Philadelphia Flyers winger Wayne Simmonds.

Lucas Peressini turned aside everything that came his way in net with a 31-save performance. New Jersey Devils prospect Ryan Kujawinski, meanwhile, notched three helpers.

No. 2 Star: Connor Gay, Regina Pats (WHL)

The Saskatoon native netted his second hat trick on the year in a 7-3 win against the Kamloops Blazers. He got the ball rolling for Regina with the first marker of the game at the 3:30 mark as the Queen City Kids went on to score three more goals, one of which Gay helped set up, before the end of the opening frame. He went on to light the lamp in each of the remaining periods to complete his three-goal effort.

Dryden Hunt was a play-making machine against the Blazers. He notched five helpers, three of which were the first assist. The undrafted 18-year-old forward now has seven assists in his last two games.

No. 3 Star: Gabriel Slight, Shawinigan Cataractes (QMJHL)

Slight padded his stats, including his shooting percentage, as he potted a hat trick and a lone assist while only putting four pucks on net against the Baie-Comeau Drakkar. Following kicking off the night with the first goal of the game early in the opening period, the 19-year-old winger went to town on the power play. He scored twice on the man advantage and set up an Alexis D’Aoust (2G) power-play goal as the Cataractes pulled off a 7-4 win.

Honourable mention: Tristan Jarry, Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL)

The Pittsburgh Penguins second-round pick put together an outstanding bounce-back effort against the Vancouver Giants after letting in seven goals against the Brandon Wheat Kings in his previous showing. He stopped all 35 pucks that came his way, including 14 in the first period, to lead Edmonton to a 3-0 win. It was his second shutout in just five contests.

The timing of Jarry’s hot performance couldn’t be any better as Team Canada is set to announce its world junior tryout roster on Monday. The Delta, B.C., native is in the running with Tri-City Americans goalie Eric Comrie for one of the two backstopping spots.

Honourable mention: Tim McGauley, Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)

McGauley wasn’t going to let the Saskatoon Blades beat the Wheaties twice in the same week. After scoring the first goal of the game in the first period, the 19-year-old centre set up Ryan Pilon’s game-tying goal at the 19:54 mark in the third period with a slick pass. He went on to score the overtime winner just 37 seconds into the extra period.

As of late, the Wilcox, Sk., native, who was acquired by Brandon from Saskatoon in the Brayden Schenn deal, has been making it hard to overlook him on the powerhouse Wheat Kings. He has six goals and 10 points in his last four games.

Potent notables: Conor Garland (1G-3A, +1) came up big for the Moncton Wildcats in a 5-4 win over the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles… Eric Brassard stopped 29 of 30 shots as the Quebec Remparts beat the Gatineau Olympiques 3-1… Christopher Clapperton (1G-2A, +2) led the Rimouski Oceanic to a 5-3 victory against the Chicoutimi Sagueneens… Sarnia Sting puck-stopper Taylor Dupuis turned aside 28 of 29 pucks in a 2-1 victory against the Owen Sound Attack… Dallas Stars first-round pick Jason Dickinson (2G-1A, +3) lifted the Guelph Storm to a 5-3 win over the Sudbury Wolves… Carter Verhaeghe netted two goals and one helper as the Niagara IceDogs topped the Oshawa Generals 4-1… Adin Hill stopped 43 of 45 shots for the Portland Winterhawks in a 5-2 win against the Kootenay Ice… Minnesota Wild prospect Chase Lang scored twice as the Calgary Hitmen defeated the Swift Current Broncos 6-4.

Kelly Friesen is a Buzzing the Net columnist for Yahoo! Sports. Follow him on Twitter @KellyFriesen