SHL DRAFT REVIEW

You thought I was done sucking the DMW teet? Think again because I am back baby with my first annual SHL DRAFT REVIEW. I am looking back at my draft preview and comparing where I had players ranked and where they ended up going. Without further ado let’s get into this. All TPE listed will be the same as in my prospect preview because there will not be enough significant changes to justify spending the time on it. Who knows maybe next offseason I’ll re-rank the draft class.


Jon St. Ark – G - - 326 TPE @Arkz

There was a lot of talk prior to the draft about where the rookie phenom Jon St. Ark would end up getting selected. As the top TPE earning of the class as well as the best rookie season performer the lack of need for SHL goalies was always destined to cause St. Ark to be drafted well below his value. While few mocked New England selecting the promising young goalie, St. Ark ended up going right around where most suggested. If he keeps progressing anywhere near this rate, New England got a steal with the 10th pick.

PLAYER RANKINGS : 1st

SELECTED : 10th

PLAYER COMPARISON : John Gibson


Arsene Leclerc – D - - 320 TPE @spooked

This seemed to be the only pick that was set in stone early. Even with a big trade of the 1st overall selection that wasn’t enough to separate this pair. As rumor had it Leclerc had a connection to Minnesota and was open to a return. The fact that Leclerc was the highest earning non-goalie made this an easy selection. His tremendous rookie season with 22 points likely didn’t scare the Monarchs too much either. From the SMJHL draft to now Arsene Leclerc has consistently looked like a top prospect and looks very likely to become a quality two-way SHL defenseman.

PLAYER RANKINGS : 2nd

SELECTED : 2nd

PLAYER COMPARISON : Cam Fowler


Jonathan Granstrom – C - - 318 TPE @Halkohol

With a lot of moving parts heading into the draft that ultimately leading to the 1st selection being traded to the New England Wolfpack, the one constant remained Jonathan Granstrom being taken with that pick. Another prospect who has been in the top tier for well over a year now, Granstrom is a sturdy two-way center who scored a very good 15 points on a very bad Detroit team. Even in his rookie season there were a bunch of signs that this kid is going to be a star. I mean who scores on 23.53% of their shots? First overall picks do.

PLAYER RANKINGS : 3rd

SELECTED : 1st

PLAYER COMPARISON : ANZE KOPITAR


Rude Sniff – D - - 318 TPE @Dude

Every draft has at least one player that falls far beyond where they are expected to go. This draft had two of those plays and they were selected back-to-back. The first of these players is Rude Sniff the Nevada defenseman who had to play on the wing during his rookie season. You can’t expect Sniff to keep scoring goals at a .20% clip as he switches back to his natural defense position, but the 7 goals and 10 points he scored on 9 minutes a night while playing out of position show a player that is not only capable of playing quality hockey but also willing to make sacrifices for the team. That’s the type of player you love to play with. The Edmonton Blizzard got a steal on this one.

PLAYER RANKINGS : 4th

SELECTED : 15th

PLAYER COMPARISON : BRENT BURNS


Yanno Rosejac – G - - 314 TPE @Demolish

While he didn’t have the historic rookie season that Jon St. Ark had Yanno Rosejac is just as much a top tier prospect. The goalie position is always a hard one to predict regarding the draft, but I really thought he would go in the 1st round. Seattle was the benefactor of this goalie slipping into the second as I am sure every team in the SHL would love to add this goalie to their pipeline. I am calling it here and now, Yanno Rosejac is going to go off in the J next season.

PLAYER RANKINGS : 5th

SELECTED : 20th

PLAYER COMPARISON : Carey Price


Dwayne Gretzky – F - - 306 TPE @3lewsers

The first of the 3 Newfoundland Berserkers selected in the first round, Dwayne Gretzky was looking like a borderline top 5 pick heading into draft day and the Winnipeg Jets made sure he didn’t make it past that. This big bodied two-way forward never really got the ice time he deserved to showcase his abilities during his rookie season. The fact that while he only played 8 minutes a game and still was selected with the 5th is a testament to the skill and polish already in this young player’s game. At 6’2” and 215lbs this kid can score goals without sacrifices the other aspects of his game. One of the most well-rounded players in the class.

PLAYER RANKINGS : 6th

SELECTED : 5th

PLAYER COMPARISON : Jamie Benn


Pablo Salvatici – C - - 305 TPE @Jepox

The only real knock against Pablo Salvatici is his size. The Atlanta Inferno saw past that shortcoming to see a player with very good hands and an accurate shot who has a knack for hitting the back of the net. While nearly notching double digit goals in his rookie season is certainly impressive, Pablo Salvatici has the kind of skill that will one day make that rookie season look like nothing. If he can improve his skating, he is going to be a nightmare. Good pick for the Inferno.

PLAYER RANKINGS : 7th

SELECTED : 11th

PLAYER COMPARISON : Elias Pettersson


Vladislav Malik – F - - 305 TPE @leafs1997

Vlastislav was a player that made a last second push to break into the top 5. This big bruising forward oozes potential out of every inch of his 6’5” frame. With his strength and balance are obvious strengths in his game he is also surprisingly capable in the offensive end of the ice and is a reliable puckhandler. For a player that is already so big that they will always be somewhat physically dominant to be so skilled at such an early age is a very rare feat. Congratulations to the New Orleans Specters for recognizes the enormous amount of potential Malik possesses.

PLAYER RANKINGS : 8th

SELECTED : 4th

PLAYER COMPARISON : Blake Wheeler


Ruggs McOoooh – D - - 303 TPE @Ruggsy

Ruggs McOooh is a bit of a throwback defensman who is built to log big minutes and play tough defense with a good mix of physicality and the ability to move the puck. McOooh scored 12 points for a not great Colorado Raptors team and posted an even more impressive 67 DGR while logging over 20 minutes a game. Firmly in the first tier of defensemen in this draft class, the San Fransciso Pride got a great player with the 7th overall selecting in the draft.

PLAYER RANKINGS : 9th

SELECTED : 7th

PLAYER COMPARISON : Jaccob Slavin


Sean Gatez – D - - 303 TPE @SewingWithNancy

You can’t talk about the first tier of defensemen in the draft class without mentioning Sean Gatez. The 6’4” 220lbs defender is already built like a man and should have no trouble dealing with the added physicality of the SHL level. With no major strengths or weaknesses, the Los Angeles Panthers saw a blank canvas that could be developed into their cornerstone defenseman of the future. Look for this young defender to take big strides for the Maine Timber the next couple seasons as he rounds out his game.

PLAYER RANKINGS : 10th

SELECTED : 3rd

PLAYER COMPARISON : Seth Jones


Jari Heikkinen – D - - 302 TPE @Allegiant

Jari Heikkinen ended up being the 4th and final defenseman taken in the top 10 selections as well as the second defenseman taken by the LA Panthers already by the 8th pick. Heikikinen is a smaller defender standing at 5’10” but still weighs in at a solid 190lbs. Heikkinen reads the play well at both ends of the ice and is one of the fastest skaters in the draft class. While Gatez is a little more of a project with huge upside, Heikkinen already has one very solid SMJHL season under his belt. He logged 18:45 per game and put up 20 points with only a –5 rating. Very impressive numbers from a rookie on a middle of the pack at best Quebec team. Look for Gatez and Heikkinen to make a great future pair in the SHL.

PLAYER RANKINGS : 11th

SELECTED : 8th

PLAYER COMPARISON : Miro Heikanen


Freyja Hellstrom – F - - 300 TPE @Calliope

Freyja Hellstrom has seemed like a high first round pick for a while now in my eyes and the Winnipeg Jets proved that SHL teams agreed. Now Hellstrom did play for one of the best teams in the league but still she was one of the top rookie scorers highlighted by 13 goals on only 74 shots for a 17.57SH%. This young forward’s best attribute is getting open in position to score. Hellstrom is the smallest player taken in the first round and relies on quickness and a strong ability to read the play. While no slouch in her own end, Hellstrom earns her keep in transition and the offensive zone. Quite possibly the best goal scorer among the class.

PLAYER RANKINGS : 12th

SELECTED : 6th

PLAYER COMPARISON : Viktor Arvidsson


Bas O’Bigbers – F - - 291 TPE @Sopath

Remember when I said every draft has someone who falls and this one has two of them back-to-back? The second of those players was Bas O’Bigbers who was projected to go around the 9th pick but ended up being selected 16th by New England. Much like Rude Sniff there is really no good reason as to why O’Bigbers ended up falling as far as he did. In fact I’d argue Bas falling is even more confusing because no offense to Rude Sniff but O’Bigbers had the much better rookie season of the two. O’Bigbers, aside from Jon St. Ark, arguably had the best rookie season of the entire class posting 22 points with an even goal differential on only 12:19 a game. Wouldn’t be a shock to see O’Bigbers to be one of the top scoring forwards in the SMJHL the next couple of seasons. Strong candidate for steal of the draft.

PLAYER RANKINGS : 13th

SELECTED : 16th

PLAYER COMPARISON : Nikolaj Ehlers


Vincent Mieititore – G - - 290 TPE @ViN

The unfortunate reality for goaltending prospects is that there is a very limited amount of roster spots available which inevitably causes goalies to be drafted far below their value. Winnipeg added a solid player to their goalie pipeline with the 25th pick in the draft. Add on the two first round forwards that Winnipeg selected, and they may have had one of the better drafts this year. Mieititore had a very impressive rookie season with the middle of the pack Outlaws. A rookie posting a 19-13-3 record with .900SV% is outstanding so I cannot wait to see what a couple more years of development could do for him.

PLAYER RANKINGS : 14th

SELECTED : 25th

PLAYER COMPARISON : Tuuka Rask


Farely Hank – D - - 289 TPE @Beebob

Hank was a player I mentioned that might fall a little bit based on his bank account and that turned out to be true as he fell into the second round. Farely Hank has probably the biggest boom or bust potential in my opinion. He had one of the better rookie seasons among the class, is right on par with the group one step below the top tier earners and has a very solid build highlighted by his massive 6’7” 230lbs frame. Without knowing the player, the only real knock against him seems to be the bank about but as I mentioned that hasn’t prevented him from training to this point. If he can get the financial situation in order Farely Hank could easily make a lot of GM’s look foolish.

PLAYER RANKINGS : 15th

SELECTED : 21st

PLAYER COMPARISON : Victor Hedman


Wen Baters – D - - 286 TPE @Waters

Being that I don’t know the player myself nor do I have much knowledge of the situation as a whole I don’t want to say too much about it but I do feel as though I should at least mention it. Wen Baters fell to Hamilton at the 28th pick in the draft because teams seemed to think he was only interested in playing for Hamilton because he was a recreate who had spent most of his time on site with that team. I don’t want to say much more than that, but I encourage you to check out his article here: https://simulationhockey.com/showthread.php?tid=112050 . That being said, all in all Hamilton got a very solid defenseman with this selection. While the –18 is ugly you must keep in mind he was playing 19 minutes a game as a rookie on the worst team in the league. You really can’t hold that against him. On the other side of that coin, he scored 17 points as a rookie on the worst team in the league. I’d say the strong point total heavily outweighs the rough goal differential. He also boasted an overall GR of 61 with a 70 DGR.

PLAYER RANKINGS : 16th

SELECTED : 28th

PLAYER COMPARISON : Marc-Edouard Vlasic


Anton Mihailov – F - - 286TPE @Mr.Finland

Anton Mihailov is another player that easily could have seen their name called earlier in the round. I’ll come out and say if Mihailov played on likely any other team in the J he would have been drafted higher. He is a well-rounded centerman who is terrific on faceoffs and is already a strong skater. His CF% and FF% show that his team was simply outmatched while he was on the ice and I very much believe that that reflects the team's ability rather than Mihailov’s. Unfortunately, it seems teams felt safer going with players that had proven they could produce in the league even though it is hard to blame Mihailov for the way his season went. With 3 picks in the top 4 of this year's SMJHL draft and the expected improvement of returning players Detroit should be much more competitive this season. Look for Mihailov put up stats more on par with his first-round draft slot or maybe even prove he should have be selected earlier.

PLAYER RANKINGS : 17th

SELECTED : 17th

PLAYER COMPARISON : Dylan Larkin


Jarmo Kekalainen – F - - 285TPE @TheFlash

You can bet the San Fransisco Pride are thrilled that Jarmo Kekalainen slid into their laps at the top of the second round. One of the best playmakers in the class Kekalainen tallied 14 apples on the year on a middle of the road Colorado Raptors. Very offensive minded with a good handle on the puck and terrific passing ability that allows him to get the puck to teammates very efficiently. If he can put up 18 points on only 13 minutes a game and no powerplay time imagine what he can do in a larger role. Put this kid on the PP1 and reap the rewards. Thank me later.

PLAYER RANKINGS : 18th

SELECTED : 19th

PLAYER COMPARISON : Jonathan Huberdeau


Matty Sandeen – D - - 285 TPE @TheBigSandeenie

Even with notable players such as Rude Sniff and Bas O’Bigbers falling Manhattan selected Newfoundland defenseman Matty Sandeen with the 13th selection. With their first 1st round selection since the S53 draft, the Rage hope they have found a defenseman who can be a solid replacement for one of the older members of the blueline in a few seasons. With a rough rookie season in the rear view, Sandeen will be expected to take a big leap forward in a larger role in Newfoundland. Manhattan is hoping the strong playoff performance is an indication that he is a better player that his rookie regular season indicated. With other solid players available only time will tell if Manhattan made the right choice with Sandeen.

PLAYER RANKINGS : 19th

SELECTED : 13th

PLAYER COMPARISON : Adam Boqvist


Rob Wright – F - - 282TPE @Snuffalupagus

Rob Wright fell into the second round but undoubtably still projects as a quality SHL player. One of the bigger players of the class, this 6’5” forward adds some size and strength to Baltimore's forward group without having to sacrifice in the skill department. Wright projects as a player that will be valuable at even strength as well as both special teams. I imagine him setting up in front of the netting on the power play and making a living deflecting shots and screening the goalie. The size and reach will also be very useful covering passing lanes on the kill. Solid value here.

PLAYER RANKINGS : 20th

SELECTED : 24th

PLAYER COMPARISON : Nick Bjugstad


And there you have it, my first annual SHL DRAFT REVIEW.

Let me know how you think I did on your player comparison.

will I take vlasic? Absolutely I will

Ben Waters Jr. || LW || Edmonton Blizzard || 312 TPE
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 225 lbs
Birthplace: Montreal, Canada

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S64: Drafted by Kelowna Knights with the 24th overall pick in S64 SMJHL Entry Draft

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Nice article and I hope your predictions are solid! Even half would be great.

 

S57||G-Yanno Rosejac||Colorado Raptors||TPE: 448
HT: 6'3" || WT: 211 lbs || GL: Left || Born: Mtl,Que

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S56 Colorado Raptors |

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S56- Drafted 21st overall by Colorado Raptors