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S49 Draft Preview: Halfway Through
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Hello hockey fans and amateur scouts, it's time for this week's installment of the S49 Draft Preview! Can you believe we are at the halfway point of this season? More exciting are the developments we've seen in our prospects on the ice. Let's dive in and see who has raised their draft stock in preparation for the S49 SHL Draft!

CENTERS

Last week we were optimistic that a shallow pool of center prospects would still prove valuable as the vast majority of skaters looked to be high quality prospects. However, weve seen development amongst the middle tier prospects slow causing concern amongst SHL GMs.

However, this concern does not extend to our top center prospect Bo Kane. Last week we told you that this skater sat right at #3 on our board, but had the best chance of anyone to claim the #1 spot atop the S49 Draft Class rankings. We are excited to announce that Bo Kane now shares the top ranking across all draftees at 253 TPE. Bo Kane also earned honors as one of this week's Top Risers, accumulating 18 TPE over what's been a monster week for the centerman. Bo Kane has contributed much to the Colorado Raptors with 12 points over 33 games, and has the potential to have the highest ceiling of all players in the upcoming SHL draft.

The top of the prospect rankings at center have not shifted, with Detroits Skao Anazibf still holding the two spot at 237 TPE and Anchorage's Jake Primeau at 229 TPE. Vancouver's Jan Zacha had a monster week as well; netting an additional 12 TPE to increase their total to 226.

The biggest surprise amongst center men this week is out of St. Louis. Jakub Bruchevski separated himself from the basement and really impressed our scouts, accumulating 16 TPE this week to reach a total of 181 TPE. Although this TPE gain did not result in a change in his ranking, GMs should take note that this young man has the ability to succeed in the SHL and is worth a look by round 3.

There are two skaters on this list who have instilled doubts into SHL GMs after their performance this week. Vancouvers Mike Richard has struggled on the ice, and that has started to reflect in his ability to develop his skater. Connor Tanner, who was a first round pick by Montreal in S48, also failed to demonstrate any development during a crucial time where scouts are narrowing down their draft boards. We hope to see these two skaters get back on the wagon and work hard to increase their chances in the SHL.

Centerman Rankings as of 7/2/19 (tpe changes noted)
C - Bo Kane - 253 TPE (+18)
C - Skao Anazibf - 237 TPE (+8)
C - Jake Primeau - 229 TPE (+9)
C - Jan Zacha - 226 TPE (+12)
C - Conor Tanner - 217 TPE (+0)
C - Mike Richard - 194 TPE (+0)
C - Gotta Love Honors Bio - 193 TPE (+3)
C - Jakub Bruchevski - 181 TPE (+16)
C - Jared Lammi - 158 TPE (+0)
C - Daniel Gonzalez - 155 TPE (+0)

WINGERS

The early story this season was the depth that would be available to SHL teams on the wings in S49. This was capped off by the strong performance of two wingers in particular, who we rated as a toss up for the first overall pick in this seasons draft. After another week of development, we still have some uncertainty at the top, but we are still confident in how strong this pool of wingers will be.

Our scouts have determined that Anchorage's Elijah Jones would be the first winger off the board should the draft occur today, and is still considered a toss up for first overall. Elijah has maintained a solid rate of TPE gain, increasing his total to 253 on the season. Jones is a skater we expect to develop in the sim, as his ten points in 33 games still impresses considering he receives less than 16 minutes of ice time per tilt.

Sliding from #1 to #3 overall in our rankings is the second-best winger in our draft pool, Anaheims own Anthony Archer. Archer is still considered an elite prospect, putting up similar numbers as Jones in less time on ice. However, at 251 TPE, Archer is just a hair behind his counterparts in Jones and Kane at this point in his development.

Apparently our scouts had a bit too much to drink and mistakenly classified Montreals Hugh Jazz as a blue liner rather than a winger in our rankings last week. Jazz apparently took issue with this, as he's played with a chip on his shoulder all season. An early favorite to win Rookie of the Year, Jazz has not only been Montreal's best rookie, but Montreals best skater, as he's netted 13 goals and sits one point away from a milestone at 29 over 33 games. This monster year has Jazz currently sitting as the third best winger in this draft and one of the best prospects outside our clear top-3. With 241 TPE earned, he's definitely made a case for why he should be an early first round pick next season.

Right on Jazz's heels is the man who needs no last name, Halifax's Cody. Cody is a real special player, with 21 points over 33 games and a reputation as a strong locker room presence. Cody has developed a rivalry with Montreals High Jazz, and that is currently playing out not just on the ice but on our draft board. Just one TPE shy of Jazz at 240, we here at the Draft Preview can only hope that Cody and Jazz push each other to new heights during the ramp up to the S49 Draft.

On the left side of the ice, two players in particular have demonstrated their dedication to their craft and have climbed up our overall ranking board. Artem Mozgov of the Whalers has claimed 13 TPE over the last week to separate himself from the basement tier. Anaheims Leonid Kofix not only turned heads as a near overnight sensation in the Juniors, but also takes our honors as Rising Star, earning a stunning 25 TPE over the past week.

On the right side, a newcomer to the prospect pool showed our scouts why he shouldn't be taken for granted in this draft. Vancouver got an absolute steal when they signed Jastik Janorksson midway through this season. Jastik earned 18 TPE this past week, and we expect him to only climb through our rankings in hopes of being taken in the first two rounds.

Our scouts flagged two wingers for lack of development over the course of the past week. LW Sterling Slaughter still sits at 197 TPE and could see his stock fall in a crowded pool of talented wingers. Additionally, RW Jean Francois Mayer has also failed to show solid development, which is a shame as he sits just on the cusp of seeing some time in the SHL. We hope to see these two players turn it around this next week.

Winger Rankings as of 7/2/19 (tpe changes noted)
RW - Elijah Jones - 253 TPE (+11)
LW - Anthony Archer - 251 TPE (+9)
RW - Hugh Jazz - 241 TPE (+12)
RW - Cody - 240 TPE (+11)
LW - Jagger Fouquette - 237 TPE (+12)
LW - Ricky Spanish - 236 TPE (+14)
RW - Raquel Castillo Gutierrez - 225 TPE (+9)
LW - Khabib Nurmagomedov - 220 TPE (+8)
RW - Jean Francois Mayer - 213 TPE (+0)
LW - Jukka Jokinen - 208 TPE (+5)
LW - Leonid Kofix - 200 TPE (+25)
LW - Sterling Slaughter - 197 TPE (+0)
LW - Artem Mozgov - 191 TPE (+13)
RW - Nicklaus Engel - 185 TPE (+4)
LW - Theodore Sober - 177 TPE (+0)
RW - Jastik Janorksson - 173 TPE (+18)
RW - Cupa Kakko - 172 TPE (+0)
RW - Jon Snow - 171 TPE (+0)
LW - Martin Kakko - 159 TPE (+0)
LW - Karl Motley - 158 TPE (+0)
LW - Elijah Richardson - 155 TPE (+0)
RW - Arthur Dayne - 155 TPE (+0)

DEFENSEMEN

Last week we discussed incredible showings from a number of first generation users managing defensemen. This week, we note that our defensemen have mostly demonstrated solid, but not stellar, development across the board. This has opened the door for some newcomers, as well as some players we had previously undervalued, to enter the fray and really test our scouts ability to rank a number of similar-looking players.

The top defensive prospect for S49 remains St. Louis' Noah Brusky at 237 TPE. Brusky remains one of the fastest TPE earners in the class, as he is the only 200+ TPE defenseman prospect from last week's rankings to accumulate more than 10 TPE this week. Brusky has proven his mettle on ice, netting nine points over 33 games for the Scarecrows this season. As the divide grows between Brusky and our second highest defensive prospect, our scouts are growing confident in Bruskys ability to remain the top defensive prospect going into the S49 SHL Draft.

Our second-highest rated defensive prospect this season is Noah Andros. Andros is logging heavy minutes in Detroit and has nine points to show for his efforts this season. At 230 TPE, Andros sits in a category of his own; ahead of the pack but still a ways away from top defensive prospect. We are very interested to see if Andros can close the gap on Brusky or if one of the numerous hungry prospects nipping at his heels has the ability to contest for #2.

We've seen movement amongst two defensemen that we may have undervalued in last week's rankings. Denver Wolfe got a late start in Colorado, and although he has yet to contribute significantly for the Raptors, our scouts like what they see as he shot up our rankings with an additional 15 TPE. Another late bloomer sits in Vancouver, as Mikas Bieksa accumulated 18 TPE this week to break the 200 TPE mark and make a case for a second round selection.

A newcomer to the draft class also cut the gap and is just shy of leaving our basement tier of defensemen. Halifax is thanking their lucky stars with the arrival of FR Finn Rhys, who currently sits at 178 TPE and shows no signs of slowing down.

Only one defensemen has our scouts concerned this week, and that's Halifax's Wyatt Ruschkoff. Ruschkoff has been a strong TPE earner and found himself in the main pack of S49 defensemen, but failed to show any signs of development this week. With the low TPE gain of the rest of the prospects, it would not be difficult for Ruschkoff to find his way back into the fold with minimal effect on his draft stock.

Defensemen Rankings as of 7/2/19 (tpe changes noted)
D - Noah Brusky - 237 TPE (+12)
D - Noah Andros - 230 TPE (+9)
D - Delver Fudgeson - 225 TPE (+8)
D - Derek Bohne Jr. - 224 TPE (+9)
D - Gavin Hughes - 221 TPE (+9)
D - Heat Siecker - 220 TPE (+5)
D - Prince Devitt - 220 TPE (+5)
D - Wyatt Ruschkoff - 213 TPE (+0)
D - Mikas Bieksa - 208 TPE (+18)
D - Denver Wolfe - 199 TPE (+15)
D - Zach Magoon - 178 TPE (+0)
D - FR Finn Rhys - 178 TPE (+23)
D - Brendan Griggs - 161 TPE (+0)
D - Fredrik Jensen - 158 TPE (+0)
D - Henrik Sapotchik - 155 TPE (+0)
D - Jimmy Van Johns - 155 TPE (+0)
D - Cal Clucker - 155 TPE (+0)
D - Alexander Mann - 155 TPE (+0)

Goalies

Last week, we wondered which goalie, if any, would break from the pack and start earning TPE at a lebel that would give SHL GMs confidence that they could perform on the grandest stage of them all. This week, we have a better idea of who those goalies will be for S49.

The undisputed top dog in net for S49 is Knox Booth. Knox Booth skyrocketed up our overall rankings this week with 17 additional TPE and currently sits at 226 TPE for the season. More impressive is his play on the ice; Booth has seen the crease for 10 games this season in Colorado and currently sports a +. 900 save percentage. Barring injury or inactivity, our scouts guarantee that Booth will be the top goaltending prospect going into S49.

Also earning TPE this week are Kelownas Malcom Weekes at 208 TPE and Lethbridges Nolan McMahon at 209 TPE. Both these players are holding strong with +9 TPE, and are a virtual toss up at #2 net minding prospect.

Goalie Rankings as of 7/2/19 (tpe changes noted)
G - Knox Booth - 226 TPE (+17)
G - Nolan McMahon - 209 TPE (+9)
G - Malcom Weekes - 209 TPE (+9)
G - Gritty Saosin - 158 TPE (+0)
G - Jeffrey Thompson - 155 TPE (+0)

CONCLUSION

The past week has solidified the S49 class as a forward-heavy draft, with the highest defensive prospect in a three way toss up at 6OA. We are happy to announce that actives should be available through the entirety of the first two rounds, and that teams will still have steals available to them in the early to middle of the third round. Although defensemen will come at a premium in the first, we expect the second round to be dominated by blue liners.

We have also been incredibly happy to report the addition of three new entries to our list today. These three players have joined in plenty of time to continue impressing our scouts and rising through our rankings.

Fans will still find excitment in the fact that we do not have a clear first overall. In fact, we predict it will be a tight three way race between Kane Jones, and Archer, and will come down to the wire to determine who will receive the great distinction of being selected first off the board.

The second tier is better defined moving into week 2, as Halifax's Ricky Spanish made the jump this week and created TPE separation from Andros at #10. Without a shift in positional rankings at #9-11 and #14, significant uncapped TPE gain will be necessary for players to break into this level at this point in the season.

Tier 3 becomes more exclusive this week as it drops from 14 spots to 11, and I imagine this group will be the toughest to select from for SHL GMs solely because there is not much to separate them. The Defensemen in this tier are solid prospects who are gaining TPE at a steady rate. We have also noticed that Zacha and Booth have made significant gains and solidified themselves as top prospects, especially amongst this pool of skaters.

Tier 4 is our most thrilling tier, as these skaters have demonstrated either significant TPE gain or stagnation this past week. We could easily see those who failed to gain TPE, including Tier 3s Tanner, slide and define the bottom of Tier 4 by seasons end, but what makes this interesting is that every other player in this tier is on the cusp of making the jump and earn honors in the coming weeks as a top TPE earner. The million dollar question is who from this group is going to rise up to the task.

Tier 5 includes a very exciting prospect in Mozgov, who's +13 TPE this week was amongst the most impressive. I predict he will break out of this tier in the next two weeks. However, the rest of the tier is stagnant or near-stagnant. Gotta Love Honors Bio is an intriguing prospect due to his rumored ties with other active SHLers, and his 3 TPE gain this past week is notable solely for the purpose that a SHL GM could be flagging him as a potential steal in this draft.

Tier 6 includes another possible steal in the form of Nicklaus Engel with a +4 TPE week. However, Engel risks being overtaken by two determined players behind him in Bruchevski and newcomer Finn Rhys. We've seen no change from Theodore Sober and Zach Magoon, and, barring new development, we expect these skaters to form the top of a basement sixth tier with 178 TPE by seasons end.

Janorksson might be disheartened with our placement of him at the top of Tier 7, but we at Draft Preview simply haven't seen enough of him to give him the bump. We fully expect he will change our minds as early as next week, when we should have a better idea of how players stack up and who should be available when during the S49 Draft.

Week 2 Awards
Our Top Prospect Award this week goes to Bo Kane! Currently tied for First OA on our draft board, Jane's 18 TPE gain this week gives him the edge over Elijah Jones.

Our Most Dedicated Award this week goes to our top TPE earner Leonid Kofix! Kofix earned 25 TPE this week, a full 7 TPE more than the next-closest rookies (not withstanding new entries).

Our Skyrocket Award this week goes to Knox Booth! Booth rose eleven spots in our overall standings this week with a +17 TPE gain and showed our scouts that there was a solid netminding prospect in S49 that could gain TPE with the best of them.

Our Player to Watch Award is split between two equally deserving players this week. First is Denver Wolfe! Defenseman Denver Wolfe is knocking at the door of and fully expected to break through 200 TPE this week. His +15 TPE gain this week put him in the conversation amongst a crowded pool of similar blue liners, and that sort of late season dedication may tip the scales for him when GMs are selecting who to take. The second player is FR Finn Rhys! Finn Rhys recently announced his intention to enter the S49 Draft, and followed that up with a 23 TPE update; instantly bringing assistance to the Halifax defensive corps.

That's all we have for now, keep an eye out next week for another installment of Draft Preview, Season 49!

Best Available Rankings as of 7/2/19 (rank change noted)

Tier 1
1a. C - Bo Kane - 253 TPE (+2)
1b. RW - Elijah Jones - 253 TPE (No Change)
3. LW - Anthony Archer - 251 TPE (-2)

Tier 2
4. RW - Hugh Jazz - 241 TPE (No Change)
5. RW - Cody - 240 TPE (-1)
6a. D - Noah Brusky - 237 TPE (+1)
6b. LW - Jagger Fouquette - 237 TPE (+1)
6c. C - Skao Anazibf - 237 TPE (-2)
9. LW - Ricky Spanish - 236 TPE (No Change)

Tier 3
10. D - Noah Andros - 230 TPE (No Change)
11. C - Jake Primeau - 229 TPE (No Change)
12a. G - Knox Booth - 226 TPE (+11)
12b. C - Jan Zacha - 226 TPE (+6)
14a. RW - Raquel Castillo Gutierrez - 225 TPE (No Change)
14b. D - Delver Fudgeson - 225 TPE (-2)
16. D - Derek Bohne Jr. - 224 TPE (-1)
17. D - Gavin Hughes - 221 TPE (+4)
18a. LW - Khabib Nurmagomedov - 220 TPE (+3)
18b. D - Heat Siecker - 220 TPE (-3)
18c. D - Prince Devitt - 220 TPE (-3)
21. C - Conor Tanner - 217 TPE (-9)

Tier 4
22a. D - Wyatt Ruschkoff - 213 TPE (-3)
22b. D - Jean Francois Mayer - 213 TPE (-3)
24. G - Nolan McMahon - 209 TPE (+1)
25a. D - Mikas Bieksa - 208 TPE (+4)
25b. G - Malcom Weekes - 208 TPE (+1)
25c. LW - Jukka Jokinen - 208 TPE (-1)
28. LW - Leonid Kofix - 200 TPE (+8)
29. D - Denver Wolfe - 199 TPE (New Entry)

Tier 5
30. LW - Sterling Slaughter - 197 TPE (-3)
31. C - Mike Richard - 194 TPE (-3)
32. C - Gotta Love Honors Bio - 193 TPE (-3)
33. LW - Artem Mozgov - 191 TPE (No Change)

Tier 6
34. D - Nicklaus Engel - 185 TPE (-2)
35. C - Jakub Bruchevski - 181 TPE (+4)
36a. D - FR Finn Rhys - 178 TPE (New Entry)
36b. D - Zach Magoon - 178 TPE (-3)
38. LW - Theodore Sober - 177 TPE (-3)

Tier 7
39. RW - Jastik Janorksson - 173 TPE (New Entry)
40. RW - Cupa Kaako - 172 TPE (-3)
41. RW - Jon Snow - 171 TPE (-3)
42. D - Brennan Griggs - 161 TPE (-2)
43. C - Martin Kakko - 159 TPE (-2)
44a. G - Gritty Saosin - 158 TPE (-2)
44b. D - Fredrik Jensen - 158 TPE (-2)
44c. LW - Karl Motley - 158 TPE (-2)
44d. C - Jared Lammi - 158 TPE (-2)
48a. C - Daniel Gonzalez - 155 TPE (-2)
48b. LW - Elijah Richardson - 155 TPE (-2)
48c. RW - Arthur Dayne - 155 TPE (-2)
48d. D - Henrik Sapotchik - 155 TPE (-2)
48e. D - Jimmy Van Johns - 155 TPE (-2)
48f. D - Cal Clucker - 155 TPE (-2)
48g. D - Alexander Mann - 155 TPE (-2)
48h. G - Jeffrey Thompson - 155 TPE (-2)

[3536 Words]
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#2

I'll be the best. You heard it here first.

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#3

Great post, bud. Informative.

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#4

heccin great write up, my man!

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thanks to @Wasty, @Bruins10, @Carpy48 and @iRockstar for the sigs!


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#5

Fantastic article!

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#6

Next update I'll be jumping up another tier Cool

Nice job with the article

Platoon RAIYA Platoon RABINOV Platoon
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#7

Nice prospect write up, as usual!


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#8

Another great write up, I'm gunning for that top 5/6 center spot.



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Scarecrows Russia Wolfpack

Rest In Peace Dangel

1st SHL Goal - S52 Game 1 vs Tampa 3. New England Wolfpack , Jakub Bruchevski 1 (Eko Van Otter 1, Delver Fudgeson 2) at 8:10




Scarecrows Platoon Russia


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#9

These articles are easily my favourite. I appreciate the super kind words also! I'll have to be sure to keep on the grind to keep that top spot.

Falcons Canada
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