The 2020 draft is finally behind us and while we don’t know what the schedule holds for the future, the 2021 draft class is starting to form – well, some of the leagues, at least. We’re still waiting for the OHL and WHL to start and that won’t be for a while, but we do know a lot of the prominent prospects nonetheless.
In the past, I’ve kicked off the draft season with a first-round ranking, but it occurred to me this year that the list could be confusing, since it was different from subsequent rankings that were more informed by talks I had with NHL team scouts. My initial ranking was always more of a compilation of players who had performed well as underagers and those who had made the cut in top-10 rankings I had compiled for Future Watch or Draft Preview.
So this year I’m switching it up. What you see here now is a watch list, much like Central Scouting puts out. These are kids I’m going to keep an eye on, based on my current knowledge of the 2021 draft class – which is embryonic right now, as we’re just getting started with the season. There’s a bit of scouting input here thanks to an exercise I did in the summer where I asked experts to help me put together under-18 squads for Canada and the U.S. for the Hlinka-Gretzky tournament that didn’t happen, so this isn’t totally just my research.
Instead of a ranking right now, I’ve broken up the kids by league as best as I could. There will be some movement, particularly with USHL kids who may go back to their Minnesota or New England high school teams during the season, but I’ve done my best here. The top kids from Minnesota (Luke Mittelstadt and Jack Peart for example) are listed with their USHL teams.
Have I missed anyone? Probably! But that’s going to happen when there have been so many tournament and camp cancellations. I assure you the snubs aren’t personal.
With that being said, let’s talk about the top picks right now. For me, it’s a duel at the top between Michigan freshman defenseman Owen Power and Finnish center Aatu Raty. Fellow Wolverines Kent Johnson and Matt Beniers are up there as well, not to mention OHL defenseman Brandt Clarke and NTDP kids Luke Hughes and Chaz Lucius. The best goaltender is Sweden’s Jesper Wallstedt. In general, it’s looking like a strong year for defensemen and a good season for the QMJHL (which is nice, since they’re the only CHL circuit playing right now – kinda).
So use the following as a starting guide for the 2021 draft and as scouts get a chance to fill their notebooks on kids, I’ll return with my first true ranking.
NCAA
Owen Power, D, Michigan
Kent Johnson, C, Michigan
Matt Beniers, LW, Michigan
OHL
Brandt Clarke, D, Barrie
Mason McTavish, C, Peterborough
Brennan Othmann, LW, Flint
Benjamin Gaudreau, G, Sarnia
Francesco Pinelli, C, Kitchener
Ethan Del Mastro, D, Mississauga
Brett Harrison, C, Oshawa
Ty Voit, LW, Sarnia
Tristan Lennox, G, Saginaw
Bryce Montgomery, D, London
Ryan Winterton, C, Hamilton
Connor Lockhart, C, Erie
Francesco Arcuri, C, Kingston
QMJHL
Zach L’Heureux, LW, Halifax
Zach Dean, C, Gatineau
Zach Bolduc, C, Rimouski
Isaac Belliveau, D, Rimouski
William Rousseau, G, Quebec
Evan Nause, D, Quebec
Joshua Roy, C, Saint John
Peter Reynolds, C, Saint John
Oscar Plandowski, D, Charlottetown
Justin Robidas, C, Val-d’Or
James Malatesta, LW, Quebec
Xavier Bourgault, C, Shawinigan
WHL
Dylan Guenther, RW, Edmonton
Carson Lambos, D, Winnipeg
Tyler Brennan, G, Prince George
Cole Sillinger, C, Medicine Hat
Nolan Allan, D, Prince Albert
Conner Roulette, LW, Seattle
Logan Stankoven, C, Kamloops
Graham Sward, D, Spokane
Trevor Wong, C, Kelowna
Zach Stringer, LW, Lethbridge
Jack O’Brien, C, Portland
USHL
Guillaume Richard, D, Tri-City
Matt Argentina, C, Waterloo
Hobie Hedquist, G, Dubuque
Matthew Knies, C, Tri-City
Kenny Connor, C, Dubuque
Connor Kurth, RW, Dubuque
Drew Tsakounis, D, Sioux City
Bennett Schimek, RW, Sioux City
JP Turner, C, Sioux Falls
Jack Peart, D, Fargo
Ryan Ufko, D, Chicago
Mackie Samoskevich, C, Chicago
Jackson Blake, RW, Chicago
Carter Schade, D, Lincoln
Dylan Gratton, D, Muskegon
Gleb Veremyev, C, Lincoln
Paul Minnehan, C, Muskegon
Tyler Haskins, C, Sioux Falls
U.S. NTDP
Chaz Lucius, C
Luke Hughes, D
Roman Schmidt, D
Aidan Hreschuk, D
Tyler Boucher, RW
Sasha Pastujov, RW
Dylan Duke, LW
Sean Behrens, D
Justin Janicke, RW
Ryan St-Louis, LW
NAHL
Dom Rivelli, RW, Wichita Falls
Owen Millward, G, Janesville
BCHL
Jack Bar, D, Penticton
Owen Murray, D, Penticton
Ayrton Martino, C, Chilliwack
Charles-Alexis Legault, D, West Kelowna
AJHL
Corson Ceulemans, D, Brooks
Ty Mueller, C, Sherwood Park
CCHL
Jacob Guevin, D, Ottawa Jr. Senators
Russia
Daniil Chayka, D, Red Army
Prokhor Poltapov, RW, Red Army
Dmitri Zugan, C, Red Army
Kirill Kirsanov, D, SKA-St. Petersburg
Daniil Lazutin, C, SKA-St. Petersburg
Nikita Chibrikov, RW, SKA-St. Petersburg
Ivan Zhigalov, G, Dynamo Moscow
Matvei Petrov, RW, Krylia Sovetov
Vladislav Lukashevich, D, Loko Yaroslavl
Semyon Vyazovoy, G, Ufa
Sweden
Fabian Lysell, LW, Frolunda
Jesper Wallstedt, G, Lulea
Simon Robertsson, RW, Skelleftea
Marcus Almquist, RW, HV71
Simon Edvinsson, D, Frolunda
Oskar Olausson, LW, HV71
Victor Stjernborg, LW, Vaxjo
Isak Rosen, LW, Leksand
Anton Olsson, D, Malmo
Finland
Aatu Raty, C, Karpat Oulu
Samu Tuomaala, C, Karpat Oulu
Samuel Helenius, C, JYP
Jimi Suomi, D, Jokerit
Jere Virolainen, C, Tappara
Samu Salminen, LW, Jokerit
Niko Huuhtanen, RW, Tappara
Juuso Helomaa, G, Assat
Czech Republic
Stanislav Svozil, D, Kometa Brno
Switzerland
Brian Zanetti, D, Lugano
Lorenzo Canonica, LW, Lugano
Prep Schools
Scott Morrow, D, Shattuck-St. Mary’s
Matt McGroarty, C, Brunswick Academy
Josh Orrico, D, St. Andrew’s College
Paul Davey, LW, Avon Old Farms