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NHL draft watch: Players rising, falling in Central Scouting’s final list
To the surprise of no one, Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel topped NHL Central Scouting Service’s final 2015 draft ranking. There were, however, some eyebrow-raisers beyond the two phenoms. Some prospects saw their draft stock spike while others were on the other end of the spectrum.
Here is a look at some of Central Scouting’s notable risers and fallers.
Rising
Travis Konecny, centre, Ottawa 67’s (OHL) – Konecny has seen his stock fluctuate throughout his draft year quite a bit. He was ranked surprisingly low at 26 among North American skaters in CSS’ mid-term rankings even though some scouts regarded him as a potential top 10 pick earlier in the year. He fittingly jumped up to 14 in the scouting organization’s final ranking. It seems to be a fair spot for an undersized (5-foot-10, 176-pounds) sniper who scored at over a point-per game (68 points in 60 contests) and possesses oodles of skill.
Noah Juulsen, defence, Everett Silvertips (WHL) – The 6-foot-1, 180-pound Juulesen has steadily boosted his draft ranking in his sophomore season. He’s went from a potential mid-round pick to a possible second-rounder to now a player in the conversation of the first round as he was bumped up from 38 to 22 by CSS. He has bloomed into a solid two-way defender who can be an impact player in all three zones, especially in the offensive end (52 points in 68 games).
Vince Dunn, defence, Niagara IceDogs (OHL) – Jumping up from 53 to 32, the Lindsay, Ont., native was rewarded for how he scored at over a point-per-game pace (35 points in 33 matches) in the last three months of the season. He has developed into a typical offensive rearguard who is known to kick-start his OHL club’s transition out of their own zone. Another testament to how his development curve is in the right direction is how he was invited to the CHL’s Top Prospects Game earlier in the year.
Anthony Beauvillier, wing, Shawinigan Cataractes (QMJHL) – Beauvillier’s smaller 5-foot-10, 181-pound stature is becoming less of a deterrent because of the numbers has put up. He wrapped up his season with 42 goals and 94 points just 67 games, which is a 61-point improvement from his rookie year. Furthermore, he has earned praise for his high energy, drive to the net and leadership abilities. All of the above is why CSS jumped the Sorel, QC., native up from 49 to 33.
Gabriel Carlsson, defence, Linkoping Jr. (SWE) – The lanky 6-foot-4, 183-pounder became CSS’ top International blueliner and best Swedish prospect, moving up four spots to second among overseas skaters. The 18-year-old, who notched seven points in 34 games for Linkoping Jr., has the makings of a promising shutdown defenceman, but his lack of offensive abilities puts his potential in a box.
Falling
Nick Merkley, wing, Kelowna Rockets (WHL) – Of all the players who dropped, Merkley, who fell from 13 to 23, was one of the biggest surprises. The elite playmaker finished the year with 20 goals and 90 points in 72 matches while spending 79 minutes in the sin bin. He is undersized at 5-foot-11, 187-pounds; however, he plays as if he were three inches taller with a chip on his shoulder. In addition, he does benefit from playing alongside elite talents like Josh Morrissey and Leon Draisaitl, but it’s not as though it’s a one-way street.
Jordan Greenway, wing, USA U-18 (USHL) – The Postdam, NY., native’s towering 6-foot-5, 223-pound stature is hard to overlook. He has the size to develop into a special power-forward if he can hone other parts of his game. The reason he dropped from 22 to 47, though, is that his development isn’t as far along as some scouts projected it to be earlier in the year. Offensively, for example, he failed to score at a point-per-game pace with nine goals and 37 points in 44 contests.
Adam Musil, centre, Red Deer Rebels (WHL) – Musil’s 6-foot-3, 208-pound frame, edgy style of play and hockey bloodlines should ensure that he will hear his name called in Florida within the first three rounds. Only mustering 10 more points, 15 goals and 39 points in 66 games, than his rookie season hurt his odds of going in the second round, though. It seems to be a big contributor in why Central Scouting dropped him from 32nd to 61st in its list.
Jeremy Bracco, wing, USA U-18 (USHL) – The electrifying Boston College commit fell from 36th to 60th even though he finished the year with an impressive 26 goals and 75 points in 56 games on the USA U-18 squad. He did not produce, however, as much offensively in the latter half of the season as the beginning of the year. He notched 37 points in first 20 games and 23 in his last 20. But regardless of where the 5-foot-9, 173-pounder is selected, he’s one of the more intriguing prospects of the draft because of the combination of his flashy skill, elusiveness and elite play-making abilities.
Oliver Kylington, defence, Farjestad (SWE) – Kylington dropped from CSS’ top International skater of the draft to sixth and third among defencemen. He remains an excellent skater who possesses top-end skill, but there are concerns surrounding his strength and at times he has had some positional issues.
Kelly Friesen is a Buzzing the Net columnist for Yahoo! Sports. Follow him on Twitter @KellyFriesen
