Edited Feb. 4, 2020 at 1:30 p.m.
1a- Primeau AHL/NHL // He may not be the highest talent on this list and we could argue he doesn't deserve to be up there BUT two things I take in considerations when I judge Primeau; Positional scarcity and invested draft capital. Out of all goaltenders drafted every year is it safe to assume -about what- 10% will make it to the NHL? Safe to say he's top 4 at this time in his draft class (DiPietro, Oettinger, ULP) and we got him at 199.
1b- Cole Caufield NCAA // As long as he isn't slowing down he'll be our top skater prospect. Romanov does fill a team need BUT Caufield is just showing too much hockey sense, poise, shooting skills to be downgraded from his spot.
1c- Romanov KHL // I like him, you like him, everyone likes him. He's a solid defensive dman but his offense took a hit since he's in the KHL, still growing up so no real concern at this point. In the future I'd like to see a pairing Romanov-Brooks. Two big guys at their blueline and in the corners, Romanov staying a little more at home and Brooks pinching in (Hoping he gets back to his WHL production).
These three could all be first depending on what you value higher than others;
Positional scarcity and draft capital - Primeau
Elite talent and high upside - Caufield
Leadership and team need - Romanov
4- Hillis OHL // Surprise, Hillis' my darkhorse in the Montreal prospect pool. Following the steps of Zook he's putting on a show with Gogolev and Uba with Gelph, like Zook he doesn't possess the best skating technique but it's good enough and can be worked on to improve. Currently sits 13th on the OHL scoring leaders board and has an healthy +26, Hillis' a really good playmaker with a two-way game mindset.
5- Ylonen Liiga // Productivity's on the same pace as last year but considering he's got a bigger role defensively on the team it's nice to see that his point production hasn't taken a hit. The knock on him is that since he's been drafted he's still listed at 172lbs, he needs to put mass on that 6'1'' frame otherwise he'll be pushed from the puck more often than not. Still holds his top 6 upside (Mostly 2nd line) but will need an AHL year to get to speed on an NHL rink and gain some mass.
6- Norlinder Allsvenskan // Plays against mens, put points on the board and having a positive +/- (+10), what more could we ask for? Norlinder is being highly touted by everyone but even past that you just need to look at his game to see that he's excellent at what he does. He's handling top pairing minutes since last year and still looks like everything on the ice is in slow motion, always placed well in his zone, pinches in when needed, hightlight reel goals.
7- Struble NCAA // Hard to place him in my rankings, there isn't really any news coming out from him this season. We know him as the greek god and newest member of the bicep club but nothing else much to say other than he's developing nicely helped by another prospect of Montreal (Jordan Harris). I feel like it's a good thing for him to be forgotten a little bit in NorthEastern at only 18 years of age you want him to grow away from any pressure. Hard to comment yet for this D+0.5 prospect.
8- Ikonen Liiga // Talent wise he's a locked top 6 but God almighty he needs to stay healthy for one full year. We'll have to hope he hasn't lost his touch when he'll get back to action (Late this year or at Montreal dev camp next summer). Before his knee issue he should've made it to Laval next season but he'll have to go back in Liiga most likely and that'll be an interesting decision for Montreal front office in June 2021, do you give him an ELC or let him go because of longevity concerns? After multiple big drafts those 50 contract spots will become harder to get for our prospects.
9- Brook AHL // Man oh man, that was a steep step for Brook from the WHL to the AHL. This year was mainly a learning one but if he has confidence from himself AND from the coaching staff he'll bounce back next year, until then he can't be higher in my rankings. From seeing Rocket games this season I saw that most of his mistakes were coming from poor reads and bad anticipation of the plays. The way he plays on odd man rushes (3v2) is weird, it just feels like every single time he goes for the hit on the board which ends up giving a 2v1.
10- Harris NCAA // Showed great poise in the WJC and his offense started clicking more often in his second year in the collegial league! He could become a nice 4-5th dman with PP minutes at the point, smooth skater at the blueline and able to make precise pass right in the wheelhouse he'd be a valuable depth asset.
HM: McShane OHL // Clearly the kid can score (A lot) but I don't know where his defensive game went from last year to this one... He needs to find it back. Will most likely be in Laval next year which is nice.
Faller: Olofsson SHL // I know it might be early to pull the trigger but it's his second year in the big league and with two different teams he still seems lost in the lineup. Been pulled out of the lineup frequently this season, doesn't offer much offensive upside but has a nice defensive game. With the log jam at the center position I think this big center should be traded in a package.
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