The S35 SMJHL season was probably one of the best with over 50 rookies playing this year. Some of them turned out to be a star player and other were failure. So now it’s the final rankings are in. I’m Willy Boro from the SMJHL Daily and I’m presenting to everyone the final rankings for this year prospects. This list consist of the best players from this year upcoming draft in the SHL. This rankings is closest so far, everyone in the top 10 could have been a top 3 in the previous years and their gap in skills are very close. Let’s find out which players the best scout Willy Boro sees which players are poised to make the greatest impact in their future team.

1. Yuri Boyka Jr.

Yuri Boyka Jr. is the best player in my eyes for this year prospect. He finished first in the rookies scoring leader. He played for the worst team and he was still able to add up 19 goals and 20 assists. He’s a pure offensive minded player. He’s an outstanding playmaker as he has a great vision and he’s very accurate which allows him to make a perfect set up to his teammates. He has also a great puckhandling skills allowing to move the puck from his own zone to the offensive zone with high speed. What makes him a complete offensive player, it’s his elite shot. He has a lightning quick release and his accuracy and shot power, it’s his deadly weapon in his arsenal. His high IQ also helps him to positioning himself in shooting lanes. He’s still getting better in the defensive zone game and his faceoff. He’s going to be a superstar in the future.

2. Isak Ødegård

The first overall pick of last year juniors draft hasn’t disappointed anyone. He had a great season, winning a Four Star Cup in his first year is a great accomplishment to his start of his career. Ødegård is a very offensive defenseman. He is an excellent hockey sense. Everything looks so easy and natural when Ødegård has the puck under control in the offensive zone. He is a shooting specialist that usually gets the puck on net and also delivers very good passes. Furthermore, he is mobile and a capable skater with good agility and technical skills. His defensive game is also remarkable.

3. Lukas Müller

Drafted just behind Isak Odegard, Lukas Müller impressed a lot fans in the league. He's a Two-way defensemen, having an excellent sense on both sidesnof the ice. He had 10 goals and 18 assists in his rookie campaign and on the defensive side of his game, he had 64 shots block. What's make him a great all round player is his hockey IQ. He knows how to position himself on both sides of the game. He doesn't overcommitted himself and create turnovers. He doesn't try to make fancy plays which can cause and giveaway and maybe 1 on 1 situation for the opponent. He goes for the smart plays and with great skating, he is able to move around the ice as fast and he has a lot of endurance.

4. Oliver Konig

Konig has been known for his playmaking abilities but he’s a top 5 because of his has a lot of potential. His defensive game has improved way faster and I think he can be even way better next season. He’s very fast and can control the puck very well. His amazing vision help him in both on the offensive side and on the defense too. He accumulated 23 assists this season which is the most as a rookie. Right now he needs to work on his shooting which can be a big problem in his game since he takes a lot of shot but this isn’t a big weakness for a defensemen.

5. Nour Harrak

The only reason why he’s here it’s because of his playoff performance. In 50 games in the regular season, he had 18 points. It’s not very impressive when you compare to the other player performance in the regular season. But in the playoff, he showed everyone that he’s a star player. He finished 6th in points scored. He had 6 goals and 6 assists in 12 games. He has matured a lot through the season. He’s making smart plays, doesn’t give the puck away and his shots selection has been way much better. I think he learned a lot from the playoff and he will come back stronger next year.

6. Dwayne Wyder

He’s the fans favorite for a reason. Wyder isn’t only capable of scoring, he can lend big hits and a ton of them. He led the league in hits this season with 156 hits. Like I have said, he is a good scorer, with 11 goals and 12 assists. He’s also a great leader and can defend his teammates. His defensive play has been very impressive. His +/- rating was +1 which is quite good if you’re a raiders and you play 21 min per game. The only issue he can have in the big league is his skating but overall he’s a tough player that can score goals.

7. Mathias Victorsson

He’s the best skater in this draft. He loves to have the puck and to put in the next. He’s very fast and he can control the puck so well. Victorsson can beat any defensemen in the league with his amazing puckhandling skills. He loves to shoot the puck but he can also make good passes as he had 21 assists this season. While he’s a very skilled offensive player, his defense needs some work and sometime he try to do much by himself instead of going for the easier play. Victorsson has everything to be a great offensive forward.

8. Mercer Church

Church is a versatile forward with great offensive skills. He is reliable on the offense and on the defensive side. He’s a great teammates, he loves to move puck around, he’s not selfish and he’s a great leader. He shot power is really insane combining with his accuracy which makes a great scorer. He had 14 goals with the knights and had 11 points during playoff. He’s a two-way center and can play anywhere on the ice thanks to his stamina. He can play for a very long shift and he’s a great skater. He needs to work on his faceoff which you help his team a lot going forward.

9. Bar Downski

Another offensive forward with high pace in his game. Downski is a very energetic player on the offensive zone. He loves to have the puck and do some crazy dekes skills. He’s a good sniper and a good playmaker. Downski playstyle is to create an opening on the offensive and tries to get as many points. He finished third in points with 35 with the Halifax Raiders. He has a bad tendency to take too many shots even when he’s a skilled playmaker. In his second year, I would expect him to be the top scorer if he doesn’t too much by himself.

10. Casey Creller

He’s the more physical defensemen of this class. Casey Creller had a great season with the mammoths, upsetting the scarecrows and going to the finals. He does pretty much everything for the team. He can shots blocks, he can hits and he can score goals. His vision and his positioning makes him a great shot blocker and he’s strong enough to take down anyone. He’s a good puck handler and he can skate well. The only downside to his game is his passing. He has turned over the puck many time and he was send to the box a lot of time which isn’t great for the team.