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Sami · 02-19-2019, 05:29 AM

The S47 Top 22 Prospects

The S46 Prospect Showcase is not completely finished yet but with the S46 SMJHL coming tonight it is time to look at the Top Prospects in this year's draft. For our rankings we took into account the on ice and the off ice performances of all the draft eligible prospects to come up with the ultimate rankings that hopefully influence all the GM's so that our Mock Draft will generate a lot of TPE's later. But we'll see. But enough with the yada yada, let's start with our No. 22!

Nr. 22 - Cullen Gray - Left Wing

On ice: Cullen Gray finished the S46 Prospect Showcase regular season with a respectable 20 points in 20 games which puts him in the middle of the pack if you look at all the forwards. He had the best +/- rating on his team with a very solid +9. In the playoffs he scored 3 goals in 3 games but could not help his team make the Finals. Still a very respectable performance that should land him a spot in the Top 20 in tonight's draft.

Off ice: Cullen Gray isn't very outgoing so this might me a problem leading up to the draft. We still didn't hear a lot about him in the media so this is a concern. We saw a few nice graphics with his name on it so maybe there is some buzz around him but honestly, Gray has to step up here. He is reliable regarding his training and activities around the league.

Outlook: This was a very close pick. Basically his on ice performance is the reason he made the Top 22. He needs to step up his off ice performance or else this pick will make us look back.

No. 21 - Spencer MacLean - Center

On ice: The first center of our list finished the regular season for the Vipers with 17 points in 20 games which is very solid. He had a very impressive showing at the dot though with 58% faceoffs won. His +/- is concerning though as he only was a +3 which is second to worst on his team.

Off ice: Spencer MacLean dous his updates but he needs to be in the media more. Way more. Or else his might fall out of the Top 22. In fact, if we don't hear about him in the media until tonight, he very well could be out of the Top 30. So: Wake up Spencer!

Outlook: If he starts to be more active off the ice, he could become on of the better Centers in the SMJHL next season.

No. 20 - Gunnar Petrov - Left Wing

On ice: The Left Wing for the Wranglers finished the regular season in the S46 Prospect Showcase with solid 17 points in 20 games. More impressive was his goal scoring, with 11 goals he was tied for the 4th place in the tournament goal scoring. In the playoffs however he did not score a goal and only two assists in 3 games and could not lead his team to the Finals.

Off ice: He is a solid worker off the ice and the media had some nice tidbits about him. He does his training and has one of the nicest equipment when it comes to prospects right now. His contributions so far should land him a spot in the Top 20. There is a concern though because a few years ago he was considered a top prospect in the game before he vanished. So look out GMs.

Outlook: There is no doubt in my mind that Petrov right now is a Top 20 prospect. It is important for him to continue his off ice work the way he has. Looking at the past there might be a problem with his long term activity though.

No. 19 - Harry Carpet - Goalie

On ice: His 89.1 SV% in the S46 Prospect Showcase tournament is nothing to write home about. In fact he had the best Save Percentage in the whole tournament though. This might speak volumes about this year's goaltenders but still, he was the best of the bunch and he lead his team, the Vipers, to the Finals.

Off ice: He is very active off the ice although he was announced as a prospect not too long ago. This might be a good thing though as he is now in the heads of the scouts. Maybe he needs to look for better equipment though which will help him in the SMJHL next season.

Outlook: Could become the best goaltender this year so watch out for Harry Carpet. He will become the best goaltender if he continues his off ice work. Still, he should be a pretty safe bet for at Top 20 spot in tonight's draft.

No. 18 - Julio Tokolosh - Right Wing

On ice: Tokolosh had a disappointing showing on the ice for the Wranglers in the S46 Prospect Showcase. He scored 16 points in 20 games with only 4 goals and was a pretty bad -5. He then only had one point in 3 games in the playoffs.

Off ice: It it the off ice work that Tokolosh has done that could land him a spot in the Top 20. There were some nice graphics seen of him and honestly, he looks like a cow. You can't go wrong with a guy who looks like a cow. Still needs to be more in th media.

Outlook: Pretty safe for a Top 20 spot but needs to get more attention from the media. Which is crazy because this guy literally looks like a cow.

No. 17 - Seemu Telanne - Right Wing

On ice: He did not appear in the Prospect Showcase and I don't know the reason for that. He looks like a pretty solid player though.

Off ice: There isn't much buzz around him in the media but his name speaks for himself. He doesn't need to do much to be considered one of the premier prospects in the game. He is working pretty hard off the ice and is always doing his training. So he might be a pretty safe pick.

Outlook: Should be a safe bet for a Top 20 pick. He needed to do a little more though to be considered Top 5. With his lacking exposure to the media, he won't reach that though.

No. 16 - Lex Peters - Center

On ice: Peters had a tough time for the Blazers in the S46 Prospect Showcase, scoring only 12 points in 20 games. Not very good if you are a forward. He also was a -2 for the regular season while pretty much everyone around him was a +. Ouch.

Off ice: Peters is very active off the ice and already made a name for himself in the media. He wasn't announced as a prospect until very recently so I think he is in the heads of the scouts right now. Did a lot of good stuff off the ice so far.

Outlook: Needs to continue his hard work off the ice. If he does he could be a steal. Right now, No. 16 could be a little bit high but we'll see.

No. 15 - Khan Smeb - Defense

On ice: The first defenseman on our list is an offensive defenseman who scored a very, very measly 5 points in 20 games for the Stingrays. Is it absolutely safe to say that it wasn't his on ice performace that landed him the No. 13 spot on our list.

Off ice: Smeb stems from a very successful hockey family and thus his name was around since he was a young kid. He doesn't need to do much to be high on everyone's list. He could have been way higher though if for a little bit more hard work off the ice.

Outlook: Could be the best defenseman of the draft at the end of the day. Right now, he is middle of the pack. No. 15 seems to be very realistic if not for a GM who is looking at name and past accomplishments only.

No. 14 - Tony Ford - Defense

On ice: The second defenseman on our list is an offensive defenseman as well and he had a much better showing than Smeb. He scored incredible 19 points in 20 regular season games and followed this up with 2 points in 2 games in the playoffs. Watch out for Tony Ford.

Off ice: Not announced as a prospect until very recently, he already established this cringe worthy love relationship with his fellow defenseman on the Vipers. I don't want to imagine what is going on in their locker room but oh well. Tony Ford is very active around the league and this will land him a spot in the Top 20. I don't think that he has a shot at Top 10 though. Change my mind.

Outlook: Already one of the best defensive prospects and he is still a very raw talent. So watch out for Tony Ford.

No. 13 - Sami Raanta - Center

On ice: Sami Raanta finished the regular season with 20 points in 20 games which is very respectable. He won 51% of his faceoffs which is okay. Still, he was one of the better Centers in the tournament for sure.

Off ice: Seems to be pretty active and always does his work off the ice. Had some media exposure, too. The young fin from Lappland could turn some heads.

Outlook: Definitely has the chance to become a first line center one day. Top 10 could be possible, too as he garnered some interest from GMs already.

No. 12 - Espen Knutsen Jr - Center

On ice: Knutsen Jr. was the regular season MVP of the S46 Prospect Showcase, scoring unbelievable 33 points in 20 games. As a center. Wow.

Off ice: Very, very hard worker who probably deserves to be picked Top 10. Actually, this might very well happen.

Outlook: Guy who came from nowhere to dominate. Could burn out but at 12, you have to make this pick.

No. 11 - Jaguar Johnson - Left Wing

On ice: Jaguar Johnson scored 28 points in 20 games while scoring 1 5 goals for the Stingrays in the S46 Prospect Showcase regular season. Together with his teammate Austin Roenick he scored the most goals in the tournament and the 4th most points. Incredible performance.

Off ice: He does solid work but needs more media exposure. Still, he definitely is one of the better prospects this years.

Outlook: Definitely has superstar potential. Especially with that cool name. But he should start doing more off ice stuff now. One article in the media could land him a spot in the top 10.

No. 10 - Joseph Laraque - Left Wing

On ice: The sniper had 23 points in 20 game in the S46 Prospect Showace tournament which is good for 10th overall. Laraque is pretty solid forward who needs work on his all around game. Still a premier offensive talent.

Off ice: Laraque's name went around a few years ago but then there was nothing for a few years. Now he was announced as a prospect for the S47 season and he is turning heads. He is very active off the ice and does his training. Still, there is always the fear that he will disappear again. That's costing him some spots.

Outlook: Will be a first line guy if he continues and doesn't disappear again. Could have been a Top 5 guy for sure.

No. 9 - Wibbly McButternutz - Defense

On ice: Wibbly had 8 points in 20 games in the Showcase regular season. Not bad for a defensive defenseman. This guy knows how to play defense and how to hit guys. Every team should have one of him because finesse and small forwards will fear him. He is always a presence on the ice.

Off ice: He is also always a presence off the ice. Wibbly is very, very active and if there weren't so many guys whose names are around for a long time, Wibbly could have had a chance at first overall. He should be a pretty safe bet for a Top 10 pick though. Still, his love relationship with his fellow Vipers defenseman is so cringe worthy. Stop it.

Outlook: Needs to be careful to not burn out soon. If he continues, this guy will be a hall of famer some day. Absolute steal potential.

No. 8 - Marc Hagan - Center

On ice: The center scored 21 points in 20 games which is a solid output. Actually, he was the 4th best Center points wise. Pretty impressive.

Off ice: Marc Hagan is just a steady and solid contributor who already made a name for himself around the league. One of the safest picks in the draft.

Outlook: Every team that drafts him will be happy. You just know what you get with this guy. Nothing that makes you "Wow" but every team needs a guy like him.

No. 7 - Vadim Malichov - Center

On ice: Malichov scored 17 points in 20 games, good for only 30th overall in the league but 7th among the centers. Still, his tournament was mediocre at best. People definitely expected more. He was outproduced by teammate center Sami Raanta.

Off ice: Malichov is not your stereotypical russian. He works hard and has a nice reputation around the league. He is guy teams can rely on. There is close to no danger in him bolting to russia.

Outlook: Will be picked Top 10, maybe even Top 5. And the team who picks him will have a very, very good player on their hands.

No. 6 - Jules L'Éclair - Left Wing

On ice: The winger scored impressive 28 points in 20 games, good for 4th overall in the tournament. He is a very skilled winger who will always be a threat offensively.

Off ice: A guy you can always count on. He does solid work off the ice and GMs and scouts know him. This will help him tonight and probably land him a spot in the Top 6.

Outlook: Offensive winger who will put up a lot of points in his career.

No. 5 - Gunnar Söderberg - Left Wing

On ice: What a tournament he has had. He finished the showcase regular season with 29 points in 20 games, good for third overall. Absolute beast offensively.

Off ice: Söderberg is impressive. He came out of nowhere and is now dominating tournaments. He is working incredibly hard off the ice and so he absolutely deserves to be in the Top 5. Remember, this guy isn't around very long so this is even more impressive.

Outlook: There is always a danger with young guys who came out of nowhere. He could burn out but still, he is a top talent just because of his raw talent and work ethic he has shown.

No. 4 - Boruvka - Banananák - Right Wing

On ice: Bananak scored solid 24 points in 20 games in the Prospect Showcase tournament. Solid but nothing spectacular.

Off ice: It's like most of the top guys: If you have made a name for yourself, you don't need to do too much anymore. There isn't much media exposure but this guy will be a top pick, still.

Outlook: Top Line Forward and a pretty safe pick. There is nothing you want more as a GM.

No. 3 - Austin Roenick - Right Wing

On ice: Roenick was 2nd overall in the scoring race with 29 points in 20 regular season games in the Prospect Showcase. Just showing what a threat he is. There are way more Left Wings so it's nice to see two Right Wings in the Top 4.

Off ice: Honestly: See all the other Top guys except for Söderberg. He made a name for himself AND is a very good contributor. The recipe for a top pick.

Outlook: Could become the best player of the draft. I mean, why not.

No. 2 - Thomas Bathory - Defense

On ice: Thomas Bathory was the leading scorer in the S46 Prospect Showcase regular season, scoring impressive 20 points in 20 games. The next best defenseman had 16 points. Wow. Nothing more to add here.

Off ice: Bathory is a quality athlete every team wants to have. There is ridiculous talent in this draft but his work ethic sets him apart.

Outlook: Could become the best defender in the SHL some day.

No. 1 - Esa Parmborg - Center

On ice: He had 24 points in 20 games in the Showcase and that was good for 2nd overall among Centers. But it's not his tournament that earned him the top spot.

Off ice: Parmborg deserves the top spot because he is exceptional off the ice and in doing the the little things. Every team will love to have a guy like him you can always rely on. That definitely goes a long way.

Outlook: I my eyes, he is definitely the top pick and teams would be stupid to pass up on him.

To summarize: This draft is loaded with talent and it will be one of the best drafts in history. It won't be as good as last year's draft but that is just because of the sheer size that draft had.

The Top 5 in this draft is very strong but it's great to see that we have a guy at No. 5, Södeberg, who has no history with the league. It's good that there is an influx of new faces that will help grow this league even further.

Obviously, this list is just the assessment of a single person. It could be that I missed guys enitrely and I'm sorry for that. But teams won't go wrong with picking these guys in the Top 22. Pretty much everyone of these guys showed that they want to be active and this is great to see. The sheer amount of Media Articles is a sign that this draft class is going to be an active one and the SMJHL will get an influx of great young talent and players.

So, if you didn't make the list, don't feel bad - there are a lot of scouts and GMs out there whose lists you probably made.

(3000+ Words, x2 for Draft related)