Mining Gems Outside the First Round, Who's the Best GM?

I thought that, after posting my findings on which GMs excelled and failed at drafting first round picks over the period of 2005-2009 that I'd do another analysis, this time of which GMs excelled at choosing players outside of the first round.

To determine what exactly constitutes what we'll call -for the purposes of this analysis and my own aversion to having to type out something longer - successful non First Round picks as 'Gems'. I did an easy-peasy formula by which I calculated the average amount of Games Played by round, then included every pick who played more than the average number of Games Played and designated him as a 'Gem' (In some cases, I fudged the numbers up a little for goaltenders as there aren't nearly as many games available for them, so Dustin Tokarski who, after his playoff run, is likely to be in the NHL next year and therefore I included him as a Gem even though he was a few games short). There are shortcomings with the formula, for one, it makes no differential between a sure-fire top of the round 2nd rounder or a 7th rounder who plays a handful of games and, for another, a team like Atlanta or the NY Islanders is much more likely to throw their prospects a few games down the stretch than the Detroit Red Wings. But, it's a quick and dirty, very unscientific look at something that isn't often discussed.

I'm going to start today with the Best GMs at selecting Gems outside of the first round over this time period.

01. DAVID POILE, Nashville (5 Drafts, 33%, 33 Total Picks, 11 Gems): I noted that Poile, whose name came up on the list of the Worst GMs for selecting first round picks over this time period, had made a lot of his name as drafting guru by finding later round picks and Poile proved that here, with what I determined to be the impressive showing. Though his percentage is a little bit lower at 33% than the guys after him, he selected more Gems (11) than any other GM over this time period (Though, admittedly, he ranked third for most picks over the time period, as well). BEST DRAFT: Even though the 2005 draft turned up more established players in Cody Franson and Patric Hornqvist, I think, in time, the 2009 Draft will be recognized as Poile's masterpiece. First he nabbed forward prospects Taylor Beck and Michael Latta (Since traded) in the 3rd round, he got Craig Smith (100 points in 195 games so far) in the 4th round along with Mattias Ekholm (Who looks like he's going to stick with Nashville for the forseeable future) and nabbed Gabriel Bourque (151 GP) in the 5th round. This has the potential to get even better for Poile as 2nd rounder Zach Budish is just in his first year of pro hockey. BEST PICK: It has to be the aforementioned Hornqvist. Poile not only got the 636 GP, 106 Goal, 216 Point forward in the 7th round but he got him with the last pick, 230th overall! Hornqvist has more goals scored than all but 6 players taken ahead of him, four of whom are first-round picks.

02. DOUG WILSON, San Jose (5 Drafts, 33%, 30 Total Picks, 10 Gems): Wilson came in 2nd for total Gems drafted with 10 but he also had 30 picks over the time frame which puts him at 33%. He's hurt a little by his 2009 draft which has only produced 9 NHL games with 5 draft picks. This could improve next year as Phil Varone played some games with Buffalo this year (He is the only player to make in the NHL so far) and could play more next year while Taylor Doherty might be penciled in as the Sharks #7 d-man to start next season. BEST DRAFT: Wilson's 2007 draft is notable for how much Wilson was able to get out of so little. With 4 picks through the 6th and 7th round, he managed to choose three players that would go on to play 100+ NHL games. He got Nick Bonino at 173rd (6th round), then Justin Braun at 201st (7th) and Frazer McLaren at 203rd (7th). Wilson's draft would have been even more spectacular if he hadn't whiffed on a pair of 3rd round goalies (Tyson Sexsmith and Timo Pielmeier) and had opted for the likes of Joakim Andersson and Alec Martinez who both went within 12 picks of the two goaltenders. BEST PICK: The fact that he's a high second rounder (35th) might possibly make the selection of Marc-Edouard Vlasic less impressive than nabbing a 200+ GP defenceman in the 7th round (Wilson did it twice: Justin Braun in 2007 and Jason Demers in 2008!) to some, but the sheer fact that Vlasic has played 600 NHL games, won a Gold Medal with Canada in these past Olympics and has played more NHL games than every other player from 2005, save for Anze Kopitar (Who bests him by 4) and is probably a Top 10 defenceman in the NHL makes him Wilson's best pick. The fact that he was the fourteenth defenceman drafted in 2005 is truly staggering (Behind the likes of Sasha Pokulok, Matt Pelech, Joe Finley (Washington had two cracks at him and chose someone else both times! Both totaling less than 21 NHL GP!), and Vladimir Mihalik!).

03. JOHN FERGUSON JR., Toronto (3 Drafts, 41%, 17 Total Picks, 7 Gems): I'd always suspected Ferguson, as a former scout, had a solid draft record but even I (One of his biggest supporters) had no idea it was this good! Ferguson Jr. over this period drafted a Gem outside of the first round 41% of the time which is tied for the highest mark of any GM, besides Garth Snow (who had the same percentage, but drafted two more Gems than Ferguson, but with 5 less picks) who participated in at least 3 drafts. BEST DRAFT: Though his two best picks (Detailed below) came in 2005 and 2007, JFJ's best draft is his 2006 draft. Every player he selected in that draft played in the NHL except for 6th rounder Tyler Ruegsegger. He got Nikolai Kulemin in the 2nd round (421 GP, 195 PTS), James Reimer (140 GP) in the 4th along with NHL/AHL tweener Korbinian Holzer (24 GP), Viktor Stalberg (313 GP, 122 PTS) in the 6th rounder, then picked Leo Komarov (42 NHL GP, likely to be more as he's possibly returning to the NHL next year) also in the 6th with the 180th pick overall. That's 4 NHL regulars with 6 picks outside of the first round. Nothing wrong with that. BEST PICK: Ferguson scored twice in the 7th round with selecting defenders as he got 394 GP d-man Anton Stralman in that round in 2005, but his biggest score is definitely landing current Leaf Carl Gunnarsson 194th overall in 2007. Gunnarsson has actually played in more NHL games (304) than every other defenceman selected in 2007's draft, save for Top 5 pick Karl Alzner, and has played more games than 199 other players chosen in that draft.

04. GARTH SNOW, NY Islanders (3 Drafts, 41%, 22 Total Picks, 9 Gems): Now, you can mark an asterisk next to Snow for a few reasons, if you wish: #1. He often drafted very high over his 3 drafts as Isles GM during this time period, so he's picking from fringe first rounders at the beginning of the 2nd round; #2. His players are likely to play more games because the Islanders weren't very good over this time frame and #3. He was only GM for three drafts. But, putting that aside, he still rates highly based on the fact that he had a success rate of 41% (tied with John Ferguson Jr.) which lead all GMs with a minimum of three drafts under their control. BEST DRAFT: Despite the fact that every single player he chose in 2009 making the NHL for at least one game, no draft impacted Snow's record quite like the 2008 draft where he picked Travis Hamonic in the 2nd round, Matt Donovan in the 4th round, and Kevin Poulin and Matt Martin in the 5th round. Imagine if he'd passed up Corey Trivino at #36 and nabbed Roman Josi who went two picks later! BEST PICK: Interestingly, Snow's best pick of 2008, and best over this period, was probably a player he decided after two years not to tender a contract: Jared Spurgeon. That fall, he attended Minnesota's rookie camp and won himself a contract. Spurgeon has now played 229 games in the NHL and he was a 6th round pick, 156th overall!

05. DARCY REGIER, Buffalo (5 Drafts, 28%, 32 Total Picks, 9 Gems): Regier's tenure in Buffalo is not remembered with fondness because of the futility of his team over the last few years but he was actually a really succesful drafter. He had the 3rd highest percentage (28%) of GMs to oversee all 5 drafts over this period and is one of only 4 GMs to choose Gem in every one of the 5 drafts (Ken Holland, Glen Sather, and Lou Lamiorello being the others). BEST DRAFT: Despite these solid numbers, Regier didn't really have any outstanding drafts. 2009 yielded Brayden McNabb and Nick Foligno, 2008 turned up Tyler Ennis, and 2006 turned up Mike Weber and Jhonas Enroth, but 2005 would probably be the best. In the 2005 draft, despite whiffing badly on his 2nd rounder (Philip Gogulla never played in the NHL, three picks later Vancouver snagged Mason Raymond), Regier was able to add 74 NHL GP (Marc-Andre Gragnani at #87), 349 GP (Chris Butler at #96) and 269 GP (Nathan Gerbe at #142). BEST PICK: One could make a case that it's probably Butler, but I''m going to err on the side of potential and go with Marcus Foligno here. Foligno, nabbed in the fourth round with the 104th overall pick, has really come out of nowhere to look like a solid NHL power forward in waiting. Despite the fact that he never reached the 60 point plateau in the OHL, his first season in the AHL so him hit 39 and he's had seasons of 13 (in 14 GP), 18 (in 47 GP) and 19 points (in 74 GP) in his three seasons in the NHL. I think when Buffalo surrounds him with some more talent, we might see his point totals go up.

06. DOUG ARMSTRONG, Dallas (3 Drafts, 33%, 18 Total Picks, 6 Gems): When Armstrong was let go as Stars GM in 2008 to be replaced by the short-lived combo of Les Jackson and Brett Hull (Who ran 1 draft turning up 1 Gem in 5 picks), he actually had one of the better draft records of NHL GMs. Though he only had 18 total picks, 6 of those were Gems. BEST DRAFT: The 2005 draft saw Armstrong net future 40 goal/80 point player James Neal with a second round pick. He also managed to snag Richard Clune in the 3rd round (119 NHL GP) and then Tom Wandell in the 5th (229 NHL GP). Additionally, of his other three picks, Perttu Lindgren (3rd), Matt Watkins (5th) and Pat McGann (7th), the former two both played a handful of games meaning that 6 of the 7 players he drafted that year saw some NHL time. BEST PICK: His best pick is one of the best picks anyone made over this timeframe, that being Jamie Benn in the 5th round, 129th overall, out of the BCHL. Benn, a Canadian Olympic Gold medallist, has 116 goals and 272 points in 344 NHL games.

07. DEAN LOMBARDI, Los Angeles (4 Drafts, 28%, 29 Total Picks, 8 Gems): Lombardi took over for Dave Taylor in 2006 and compiled a very good draft record despite whiffing on all 7 non first round picks of his 2006 draft (Only Jeff Zatkoff with 20 GP has played in the NHL). BEST DRAFT: There's little question it has to be his 2007 draft. Lombardi started by getting Oscar Moller at #52 (He played 87 NHL GP before returning to Sweden and the Kings are rumored to be interested in bringing him back to North America this summer), then snagged Wayne Simmonds (449 NHL GP and a key piece used to acquire Mike Richards) at #61, Alec Martinez (203 GP) at #95 and Dwight King (157 GP) at #109. Two of those picks are important cogs on the Kings current Stanley Cup run and a third was used to acquire another key piece. BEST PICK: Lobardi got a lot of NHL games out of a lot of places (Loktionov's 155 GP at #123 in 2008, Jordan Nolan's 134 GP at #186 in 2009). But his best pick might well be a high 2nd rounder, 32nd overall, which is where he nabbed Slava Voynov in the 2008 draft. Voynov plays big minutes for the Kings and is a crucial player on their blueline.

08. KEN HOLLAND, Detroit (5 Drafts, 26%, 31 Total Picks, 8 Gems): Detroit and Holland have a reputation at unearthing late round gems, largely due to their European scouting, but credit should be given also to their North American scouting who turned up an equal amount of Gems over this stretch. BEST DRAFT: Holland's best draft is interesting because it produced two players that will be over the 300 NHL GP mark early next season but are both North Americans. Getting Justin Abdelkader at 42nd overall of the 2nd round was a great pick (327 GP) but getting Darren Helm at 132nd overall for 291 GP is even more impressive. Additionally, Mattias Ritola played 43 games before returning to Europe. The Red Wings were also high on 5th rounder Johan Ryno, but he lasted just 12 games in the AHL before getting homesick and returning to Sweden. BEST PICK: Holland has great picks all over the place including the aforementioned Abdelkader and Helm, as well as Shawn Matthias 47th in 2006, Joakim Andersson at 88th in 2007, and Tomas Tatar at 60th in 2009, but his best pick, based on a small sample size, looks to be snagging Gustav Nyquist 121st overall in 2008. Nyquist, who went on a tear this season with Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg and Johan Franzen out putting up 48 points in just 57 games. If he can bottle that pace up, he will have a very successful NHL career ahead.

09. GLEN SATHER, NY Rangers (5 Drafts, 26%, 31 Total Picks, 8 Gems): As I mentioned in the First Rounder discussion, Sather has a reputation as a trading/signing GM but his prowess at the draft table is often undervalued, but here he is again turning up on a 'Best of' list in regards to drafting. As mentioned above, Sather is one of only 4 GMs in this analysis who was able to draft a Gem in every single draft over the five year period. BEST DRAFT: It has to be 2008. In 2008 Sather was able to secure 537 NHL GP out of his 6 non-First Round picks. Two of those players have gone on two very succesful NHL careers, Dale Weise was a star in the playoffs for Montreal and with 179 GP after being selected at #111 he's defied the odds. Even better, though, is Derek Stepan, nabbed at #51 who has 197 points in 294 NHL games. BEST PICK: Artem Anisimov with 165 points in 360 GP is close, but is has to be Stepan who is fifth in points for 2008 draft picks (Trailing only first rounders Steven Stamkos, Erik Karlsson, Drew Doughty and Jordan Eberle) despite being only 12th in NHL GP.

10. PAUL HOLMGREN, Philadelphia (3 Drafts, 31%, 16 Total Picks, 5 Gems): Holmgren ran the Flyers last three drafts and while he wasn't able to grab a franchise forward in the first round and forget his name like his predecessor Bobby Clarke had done, Holmgren actually did very okay for himself in nabbing Gems as just shy of one-third of hits non-First Rounders were Gems. That said, a lot of Homlgren's Gems were picks who played a few games in notoriously bad rounds (For instance Oliver Lauridsen's 15 NHL GP has him 3rd for his round in 2009, and Marc-Andre Bourdon's 45 GP puts him 6th for his round in 2008). BEST DRAFT: Holmgren's best draft is likely his 2008 draft in which 3 of his 4 non-First Rounders all have played in the NHL. The aforementioned Bourdon was looking like an NHL regular before concussions derailed him, he finally got back into regular AHL hockey at the end of last season, so he could have more ahead of him. Sixth rounder Zac Rinaldo has put up 165 NHL games while 7th rounder Joacim Eriksson has seen one game of NHL action but looks poised to be Vancouver's #3 goalie for the forseeable future. BEST PICK: Right now it's Rinaldo, the agitator who has exceeded all expectations by playing in 165 NHL games while piling up 470 penalty minutes. But if Patrick Maroon (6th round, 161st in 2007) continues his ascent from this past season (29 points in 62 games, an additional 7 in 13 playoff games), he could very well be the best Gem of Holmgren's tenure.

11. BRYAN MURRAY, Ottawa (3 Drafts, 29%, 17 Total Picks, 5 Gems): I've always thought it was weird the way John Muckler, as GM, lead the Senators to the Stanley Cup finals only to get fired a couple weeks later and replaced by Murray (For the record, Muckler, over two drafts actually had a higher Gem percentage than Murray with 31%!) but Murray has done a pretty good job with Ottawa save for his 2007 draft was almost a complete washout, though Ben Blood is still a prospect , so there's hope for it yet. BEST DRAFT: The 2008 draft was Murray's high-mark over the time period. Five of his six 2008 draft picks played in the NHL (Emil Sandin, a 7th rounder, was the lone player to not play in the NHL). He got Patrick Wiercioch (103 GP) in the 2nd round, Zack Smith (282 GP) in the 3rd round, Andre Petersson (1 NHL GP traded to Anaheim still in AHL) in the 4th round as well as Derek Grant (25 GP, still in Ottawa's system) and Mark Borowiecki (21 GP, still in Ottawa's system) in the 5th round. BEST PICK: It's either the aforementioned Smith (282 GP for a 3rd round, 79th overall pick) who has out-pointed first rounder forwards from that year including Joe Colborne, Mattias Tedenby and Zach Boychuk or Robin Lehner. I'm going to go with Lehner because he was taken 46th overall and has played in more NHL games than any other goalie drafted in the 2009 draft (In fact more than any other 2 goalies in the draft combined) and has a decent shot at being a #1 goalie in the not-too-distant future.

12. LOU LAMIORELLO, New Jersey (5 Drafts, 24%, 33 Total Picks, 8 Gems): I didn't really notice Lamoriello at first because he's not near the top in either Percentage or Total Gems but then I noticed that he was one of only 4 GMs to turn up a Gem in every draft but also that he drafted in the back ten of the draft in every year of the analysis. BEST DRAFT: Despite turning up a Gem in every draft, most of Lamoriello's drafts are one pick drafts (Gelinas is the only surefire NHLer of 2009, Henrique in 2008, Halishchuk in 2007, Zharkhov in 2006 until he went back to Russia). 2005 was the only draft where he turned up two surefire NHLers so it's basically the best draft by default. In addition to Jeff Frazee and Patrick Davis (who played 10 NHL games between them) Lamoriello was able to get 185-game defenceman Mark Fraser 84th overall and 242-game defenceman Mark Fayne at 155th overall. BEST PICK: It has to be Adam Henrique. One of only two players in the Top 20 of scoring for 2008 picks taken outside of the 2nd round (Jason Demers being the other) Henrique has a solid 110 points in 194 GP.

Ranking NHL General Mangers on First Round Draft Picks over 2005-2009 [Today: The Worst!]

For analysis details, see yesterday's post

THE WORST GMS OVER THIS TIME PERIOD

01. DOUG RISEBROUGH, Minnesota: At a staggering 0% success rate, Risebrough would probably take this cake anyways, but the fact that he had four first rounders over this time period at an average pick of #13 really seals the deal. Benoit Pouliot is the best of a bad bunch taken #4 in 2005 and maybe finally making a name for himself in the NHL after being discarded by 4 other NHL teams. James Sheppard at #9 is another NHL player, but relative to where he was drafted, he's been a disappointment. And those are Risebrough's BEST picks. Colton Gillies at #16 in 2007 busted badly, he played on an AHL contract this past season. And Tyler Cuma at #23 looks like another bust as he's never been able to overcome injuries to play more than 1 game at the NHL level. If this analysis stretched back one more year, it wouldn't help Risebrough as he took AJ Thelen 12th overall in 2004.

02. LOU LAMIORELLIO, New Jersey: Lamoriello also posted a 0% Boom Rate, but at least one has to give him a bit of a pass as he never chose higher than 20th in this range. Still, it didn't go well. Jacob Josefsen was the best pick of the bunch, the same Josefsen who's still struggling to make it at the NHL leve (27 GP this past season). Three of his four first rounders were from Sweden, and not one of them really panned out (Mattias Tedenby and Nicklas Bergfors being the others).

03. PETE CHIARELLI, Boston: So, Chiarelli, who gets most of the credit for turning the Bruins around, actually was pretty poor in his first three drafts (An argument could be made that his fingerprints were on the 2006 draft, but seeing as he wasn't hired until mid-July, no one will ever know how much for sure. That draft, for the record, yielded Phil Kessel to then interim-GM Jeff Gorton). His first year with a #8 pick he yielded colossal NHL bust Zach Hamill. In the next year he snagged Joe Colborne who, to this point would have to be labeled a disappointment, until such time as he snags a full-time NHL job, and considering he's already been traded twice. 2009 turned up Jordan Caron who might finally be turning the corner on a full-time NHL career. The fact is, by this time next year, Caron and Colborne might be considered full-time NHLers which would help Chiarelli's case immensely. For now, though, he's down here.

04. DARRYL SUTTER, Calgary: Darryl Sutter is a great coach, but his draft record is...spotty. To be fair to Sutter, his average pick was at #25 which is tied for the third lowest (Just ahead of Doug Armstrong's Dallas tenure, Bobby Clarke, and tied with Ken Holland). But, it's also fair to say he struggled mightily at the draft table over this period. Matt Pelech has turned into an NHL/AHL enforcer, Leland Irving is playing goal in the KHL, and Greg Nemisz has barely played above the AHL level. Mikael Backlund was a good pick, and Tim Erixon is still projecting to be an NHL player, so it's not all bad.

05. JAY FEASTER, Tampa Bay: Feaster had an easy job in 2009, choose Steven Stamkos (He also might not have had much input into this pick, new ownership was coming in and they had ideas that differed greatly from Feaster's), but, regardless, it was a Boom of a pick. His previous picks don't measure up, though, Riku Helenius at #15 was bad, Vladimir Mihalik at #30 was worse. Just think he could've passed up Helenius and taken Semyon Varlamov (went 8 spots later) and left Mihalik and taken Marc-Edouard Vlasic (went 5 picks later).

06. RAY SHERO, Pittsburgh: Shero's first draft was a good one, nabbing Jordan Staal at #2 (He could have had Jonathan Toews, mind you, but for the purposes of this analysis, it's even) but his picks after that are a mixed bag. Angelo Esposito at #20 was a bad pick, though injuries played a significant role in that one. Simon Despres at #30 at couple years later is not paying off the way they expected either. Imagine Max Pacioretty and Ryan O'Reilly on that team instead. Scary.

07. MIKE BARNETT, Phoenix: Barnett was Phoenix's GM for the first two drafts of this analysis, 2005 and 2006 before being replaced by Dan Maloney. His 2005 draft was great, nabbing a 450+ GP player like Martin Hanzal at 17th overall. His 2006 was disappointing, though, getting Peter Mueller who was largely driven away from the NHL by concussions (Though he might return yet) at #8 and Chris Summers at #29 who has struggled to gain an NHL foothold. Replace those two with Bryan Little (4 picks later) and Nikolai Kulemin (15 picks later) and you'd have an entirely different-looking Coyotes team.

08. DAVE NONIS, Vancouver: Nonis was an inconsistent drafter at just 33% and, really, none of his first rounders for this period worked out for the Canucks, but it wasn't all his fault. The sad case of Luc Bourdon is out of his control, and shouldn't really impact him, but the selection of Patrick White was so, so bad that it's hard not to put him on the list. It doesn't help matters any that his one Boom, was Cody Hodgson whom the Canucks ended up alienating, though that was more on Mike Gillis' watch than Nonis'.

09. DAVID POILE, Nashville: Poile has something of a reputation around the league as a master at drafting, but a lot of that stems from his later round findings. Truth be told, he's rather spotty and mediocre in the first round. His 2005-2009 round reinforces this fact, as he had only a 40% Boom rate. His 2009 and 2008 picks of Colin Wilson and Ryan Ellis were solid, if unspectacular picks. But Jon Blum, Chet Pickard,and Ryan Parents were both busts (The former has a chance to eke out an NHL career soon, but was not qualified by the Preds last year and cleared waivers this past year with a season that was inconsistent, the latter two became UFAs and played on AHL deals this year).

10. DALE TALLON, Chicago: Tallon's another guy with a reputation for being a great drafter, but his Chicago record over this period, doesn't exactly bear that out, at least in relation to first rounders. Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews were great picks, but they were really no-brainers, still Tallon deserves credit for choosing them. But, imagine if he'd surrounded them with Anze Kopitar, Erik Karlsson, and Ryan O'Reilly, instead of choosing Jack Skille (4 spots ahed of Kopitar), Kyle Beach (4 spots ahead of Karlsson) and Dylan Olsen (5 spots ahead of O'Reilly).

Ranking NHL General Mangers on First Round Draft Picks over 2005-2009

I was curious about who, among GMs, was the best at picking first round picks, so I did a quick analysis over the 2005-2009 drafts (Starting with 2005 because it was the end of the lock-out when the big rule changes came in, altering the way teams drafted vis-a-vis size, and I ended with 2009 because from 2010 forward you have prospects who might still pan out/bust and it's too hard to decide). So, I did a quick unscientific analysis and divvied up first round picks as 4 categories. Now, I know other factors can weigh into drafting (Scouting, Scouting Directors, nepotism, possible pay-offs) but, ultimately, it's the GM who attaches his name to a pick so that's who I'm going with.

BOOM: A boom is a first rounder who turns into a solid player, relative to where he was drafted. If you get a decent third-liner out of a mid-round/late-round pick, it's a boom. Sure, some booms are better than others (Claude Giroux in the tail-end of the first round smokes Erik Johnson first overall, but for the sakes of this analysis, both are Booms because then you have to start getting into ranking players and that's a whole kettle of fish I have no interest in).

DISAPPOINTIMENT: A disappointment ranks from a first rounder turning into a back-up goalie, to a high-pick being less than a Top 2 line/Top 4 defenceman. So Gilbert Brule, who actually played just shy of 300 games, is a disappointment, not a bust. Thomas Hickey is a disappointment because he's not cemented himself as a Top 4 defenceman. This one is also somewhat subject to where a player was drafted. If you get a serviceable player out of a late first, it's better than a serviceable player out of an early first.

BUSTS: I defined a bust, rather liberally, as a player who either failed to play 100 NHL games (or around that level) or a player who has been thrown on waivers a couple of times. David Fischer, who never played an NHL game, is a bust. Ryan Parent, who played over a 100, but has been on waivers a few times and found himself playing on an AHL deal this season, is also considered, for the purposes of this analysis, a bust. Generally, I'll try to take injuries under consideration, but, in the case of someone like Angelo Esposito, he was trending into this category anyways, so he qualifies as a bust.

NEUTRAL: Guys whom I didn't feel confident ranking in one of the three categories. Tim Erixon, Calvin de Haan and Dylan Olsen are three guys who LOOK they're going to carve out solid NHL careers but are still very much prospects, so they're in this category. Other Neutral picks include picks who, sadly, passed away (Luc Bourdon and Alexei Cherepanov) or players whose worth was never accurately determined either due to injuries or playing in the KHL (Viktor Tikhonov).

THE BEST GMS OVER THIS TIME PERIOD

01. LARRY PLEAU, St. Louis: If you're a rebuilding team looking to hire a GM, you should probably give Larry Pleau a call and see if you can coax him out of his current job and get him to run your draft table. Excluding the GMs who only had 1/2 first rounders over this time period, Pleau is, by far, the most succesful. Despite drafting in the lower half of ranks (Average pick is 16th), Pleau was able to choose a Boom of a pick 75% of the time with no flat-out Busts. His booms come all over the place, the aformentioned Johnson at #1, Alex Pietrangelo at #4 at the top end of the draft, but he also snagged TJ Oshie (24), Patrik Berglund (25) and David Perron (26) all in the last 6 picks of the first round. Even his two Disappoinments are possible to carve out long-term NHL careers in Ian Cole and David Rundblad.

02. DEAN LOMBARDI, Los Angeles: The next 5 GMs after Pleau all had a 67% success rate, but of those GMs Lombardi was the only one with more than 3 first round picks (he had 6) over this time period. Still those 4 first rounders were all good, good players Drew Doughty, Brayden Schenn, Jonathan Bernier, Trevor Lewis, two of those picks make big contributions to the team today, while Schenn was part of the Mike Richards deal and is playing well for Philadelphia while Bernier is Toronto's #1 goalie. Lombardi's non-Booms are Thomas Hickey, a disappointment relative to where he was drafted, but who is playing regularly for the Islanders. The only real whiff was Colten Teubert, termed a Bust for this analysis, though he was able to parlay him in a package to land Dustin Penner who helped the Kings win their first Stanley Cup, so it's not all bad.

03. KEN HOLLAND, Detroit: Despite the fact that he oversaw more drafts than any of the other members of the 67% club, Holland still had an equal amount of picks to all of them except Dean Lombardi. Detroit was fully in win-now mode and repeatedly moved their first rounders over the time period. What's impressive, though, is where he picked, averaging the 25th overall pick, Holland was still able to turn up solid d-men in Jakub Kindl and Brendan Smith. Tom McCollum at #30 was a bust, though.

04. GARTH SNOW, NY Islanders: Snow is also a part of the 67% Boom club, over his three first rounders. Considering one of his picks was a no-brainer (John Tavares at #1, even if he'd gambled on the other possibilities, Victor Hedman or Matt Duchene, he'd still come out a Boom) and the fact that his average pick fell in the #8 region, it's not a spectacular run, but you also have to consider that none of this three first rounders were Busts. Josh Bailey plays a reliable two-way game and Calvin de Haan is finally looking like he might have his injuries behind him after a solid 2013-14 audition.

05. BRYAN MURRAY, Ottawa: Murray's 67% Boom rate over three picks is equal to the guys below him, also with three picks, but Murray's non-Boom is a Bust in Jim O'Brien. What makes Murray's two first round booms worthy of praise is that neither pick came in the Top 5. Jared Cowen, despite his recent struggles, still should end up as a Top 4 d-man for a long time and he got him at #9. Erik Karlsson, in the discussion for most dynamic d-men in the NHL, at #15 is a straight-up steal.

06. SCOTT HOWSON, Columbus: Nikita Filatov is all that separates Howson from being alone at #3. It's a bust, and a big, big bust. But Howson's other picks over this time period were excellent: Jakub Voracek is a big-time NHL scorer whom Howson parlayed in the ill-fated Jeff Carter deal and John Moore is playing regular minutes for the Stanley Cup finalist NY Rangers right now. But, Filatov is hard to overlook, one of the biggest Busts in recent NHL history.

07. GEORGE MCPHEE, Washington: McPhee is very much a Boom-or-Bust GM at the draft table. Of 8 first rounders over this period, McPhee turned up Boom Picks 5 times, but those other 3 were flat-out Busts. When he scores, he scores big: Nicklas Backstrom at #4,Karl Alzner at #5, Semyon Varlamov at #23,Marcus Johansson at #24, and John Carlson at #27. But when he busts, he busts hard: Sasha Pokulok at #14 (0 NHL games), Anton Gustafsson at #21 (0 NHL games) and Joe Finley at #27 (21 NHL games). Consider the fact that if you had the benefit of hindsight, you could replace those threes combined 21 NHL games with Martin Hanzal's 456 GP (three spots after Pokulok), Matt Niskanen's 491 GP (1 spot after Finley) and Jordan Eberle's 275 GP (1 spot after Gustafsson).

08. GLEN SATHER, NY Rangers: A 60% Boom rate, Sather acquired some of the building blocks for his 2013-14 Stanley Cup finalists right through his first round picks: Marc Staal in 2005, Chris Kreider in 2009, and his 2008 first rounder (Michael Del Zotto) he dealt to Nashville for Kevin Klein whose currently playing for the Rangers. His only two whiffs are one that was nobody's fault (the sad case of Alexei Cherepanov) and Bob Sanguinetti. Not bad for a GM with a reputation of trading for and signing most of his players.

09. BOB GAINEY, Montreal: Gainey's another GM with a 60% Boom Rate. His hits are big hits (Ryan McDonagh and Max Pacioretty in 2007 and Carey Price in 2005). His miss is a huge one, too, David Fischer at #20 in 2006 when Claude Giroux went two picks later.

10. DON MALONEY, Phoenix: Maloney only oversaw three Phoenix drafts over this time period, but he was able to choose Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Mikkel Boedker and Kyle Turris. Unfortunately, he also chose Viktor Tikhonov (Who went to play in the KHL rather than stick it out in the AHL) and Nick Ross (Who never played an NHL game). He's also in the 60% club.

11. KEVIN LOWE, Edmonton: One draft could have completely changed Lowe's status and had him near the top of this list, instead of at #11 with a 60% Boom Rate and that was the 2007 draft. Lowe started off well by taking Sam Gagner at #6, but then went off the rails with Alex Plante (10 NHL games) at #15 (Max Pacioretty went just 7 picks later) and Riley Nash (Generously labeled a Disappointment for this analysis with 110 GP) at #21 (Mikael Backlund went just 3 picks later). Imagine if Lowe's list of first rounders for this exercise were Sam Gagner, Jordan Eberle (nabbed at #22 in 2008), Pacioretty and Backlund.

Tomorrow: I'll give you the list of the 10 Worst GMs over this time period. Hint: Five of the Top 10 are currently GMs in the NHL

My Top 60 Ranked WHL Skaters for the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. Part 2 (The Top 30)

30. Gutierrez, Justin, C [6'04, 185] Tri-City, WHL (70•3•18•21•-14•103): Big forward is still growing into his body, but has quick feet and gets up to good top speed. Acceleration needs some work, but it's just a little gangly right now. Has some great tools, like aformentioned speed, a huge reach that allow him to protect the puck from defenders and a really solid playmaking game. Sometimes looks like he doesn't want to get involved and I wonder about his conditioning as he often takes shorter shifts than the rest of his linemates. Right now, he's more of a projection than a total package, but I think if he grows into his frame, gets a little confidence and works on his conditioning, he might be a guy in 2-3 years that comes a long way to be a steal. INTERESTING STAT: Averaged 0.67 PpG in September but never averaged more than 0.33 PpG in any other month. QUOTE: JIM HILLER, then-Tri-City coach: “He has made a lot of progress. It’s a situation that if not for our injuries, he may not have gotten the opportunity to show us what he can do. Because he has played so much, he’s been able to show us what he can do, and he’s been consistent, which is what he struggled with earlier...I think he has earned his minutes and deserves the ice time. What I like best about Gutz is he is playing an aggressive, in-your-face type of game, and that’s the biggest challenge for guys like him (tall and lanky). You expect that from him, and he gives us that. He has the making of a really strong player....A number of times, he’s been willing. When you do that, you let everyone in the building know what you are about.” From February 2013

29. Sleptsov, Alexei, D [6'00, 165] Moose Jaw, WHL (66•4•21•25•-20•44): Solid skater who makes a good first pass. Defensive play isn't his forte, but uses his skating to get him out of trouble. Confidence grew as season wore on and he got more daring, maybe even a little cavalier skating the puck out of his own zone. Solid power-play quarterback with a hard point shot. Smart player who is quick to jump on loose pucks. INTERESTING STAT: Had an almost perfect split of scoring stats with 12 points in his first half and 13 in the second, however his +/- was glaringly better in 2014 where he was only -6 while posting a -14 in the first four months of the year. QUOTE: ALAN MILLAR, Moose Jaw GM: ““He’s an offensive guy with good mobility, a good puck-moving defenceman. We hope we’ve landed a really important piece of our future with Alexei.” From July 2013

28. Lang, Chase, RW [6'01, 182] Calgary, WHL (68•10•15•25•13•52): Solid frame that he uses to protect the puck well in the offensive zone and go into high-traffic areas. Trusted by coaching staff and was used to help defend some 5-on-3 penalty kills. Definition of pure will: Lang never stops working, will battle all shift long and is rarely beaten to loose pucks. Uses his speed as a real forechecking threat and forces turnovers galore. Very physical but has a tendency to take some bad penalties. Puck play improved as his season went on and displayed a nifty playmaking ability and an underrated shot. INTERESTING STAT: Had 1 point in his first 22 games, then 24 in his next 46. Penalty minute totals also took off in 2014, from 17 in the first half of the season, to 35 on the back half. QUOTE: MIKE WILLIAMSON, then-Calgary Coach: “To his credit he was one of our hardest working guys every day and once he got an opportunity, that hard work paid off. I thought he made great strides and was probably our most improved player in the second half...He’s got a good skill set. A lot of it will depend on where scouts see his progression. If they can envision him continuing to improve and get bigger and stronger, then he’ll be a guy they will look at closer.” From September 2013

27. Hicketts, Joe, D [5'08, 165] Victoria, WHL (36•6•18•24•25•12): Has great on-ice awareness and loves to jump into the play. Is a stabilizing presence on the point, has a huge point shot and makes excellent passes. Has a real knack for entering the zone safely, and at retrieving rebounds. s surprisingly physical, given his size and fearlessly steps into larger opponents or blocks shots. Fairly solid defensively with the occasional giveaway. Missed the better part of three months with an injury, then looked a little tentative on his return but rounded back into form come playoff time. INTERESTING STAT: His 9 penalty minutes during Victoria's 2nd round playoff series against Portland was more than Hicketts had in any single month of the regular season. QUOTE: BEN KERR, Last Word on Sports: “Hicketts was the 12th overall pick in the recent WHL draft, and its rare to see a 16 year old defenceman drafted in that area come in and have a big impact in the WHL. However Hicketts has impressed many with his pre-season play, and that has carried over for the first few games of the regular season. An impressive skater with great vision and passing ability, Hicketts might be Victoria’s best defenceman already and is someone the team will build around going forward. He looks like a natural on the power play and he will be someone to keep an eye on before the 2014 NHL draft.” From October 2012

26. Nikolishin, Ivan, C [5'09, 160] Everett, WHL (72•18•41•59•-4•16): Shifty little forward has explosive straight-ahead speed but is supremely quick going side-to-side, as well. Is an offensive dynamo. Everett's power-play runs through him and he's dangerous: a great passer, a stinging wrist-shot and has unbelievable stickhandling in close quarters. Has a developed defensive conscience. Displays virtually no physical play whatsoever and his pro ceiling might eventually be that of a power-play specialist. Father Andre was a longtime NHL player. INTERESTING STAT: Was 7th amongst WHL draft eligible prospects in assist at the end of the season with 41, buoyed by his March in which he put up 9 assists in just 8 games. QUOTE: KEVIN CONSTANTINE, Everett Coach: "Ivan's puck skills, his confidence, his vision, his passing, we think, are exceptional. That's a skill not found in a lot of players and it's a nice additional thing to have on a team. I think he really knows the game." From September 2013

25. Baillie, Tyson, C [5'10, 187] Kelowna, WHL (56•22•33•55•19•53): Very intelligent and good on-ice awareness and staggering vision which contributes to his excellent passing. Stickhandles well in traffic, makes terrific plays at high speeds and has a terrific wrist-shot that he can get off mid-flight. Has a defensive conscience and a desire to play physical, but sometimes takes bad penalties. Sometimes tries to do too much and doesn't make decisions quick enough. Was really flying early in the season but play slowed down a little, then got injured and missed the bulk of the last two months of the season. INTERESTING STAT: Lead all WHL players in assists and points in December when he had 15 assists and 20 points in just 12 games. QUOTE: RYAN HUSKA, Kelowna Head Coach: "He loves the game, he's always working hard, and his passion and enthusiasm rubs off on the other guys. So last year, when he was a healthy scratch it was really tough on him. He changed his style, became a far better two-way player and turned into a guy we could trust and rely on. The adversity was the best thing that happened to him and he's been in the lineup ever since." From September 2013

24. Bukarts, Rihards, LW [5'09, 189] Brandon, WHL (65•28•26•54•2•50): Loves to shoot the puck but is a decent passer who has a tendency to play a little too much one-on-one play on rushes. Then again, with stickhandling like his, he is often able to slice through the neutral-zone with precision. Is very quick to find open space, get there, and get open. Is very small and can be knocked off the puck but also displays a thrilling willingness to engage opponents with devastating bodychecks, gets into scrums and doesn't mind sacrificing his body to make a play. Father Ralf played professionally in Latvia, while brother Roberts plays in the KHL. INTERESTING STAT: Three times this season he was a Top 10 WHL draft eligible in goals. QUOTE: KYLE WOODLIEF, Red Line Report: “Skilled Latvian Bukarts continues to improve after seamlessly stepping into the league. He has impressed early on with quality puck skills, a heavy shot and surprising physicality for his size.” From November 2013

23. Mayo, Dysin, D [6'01. 180] Edmonton, WHL (63•7•28•35•17•50): Offensive defenceman who loves to jump into the play. Sometimes prone to overhandling the puck but has a solid shot that he usually succeeds in getting through. Needs to learn to recognize when less is more and not force a pass or shot. Can get panicky in own zone and pressured into making poor decisions. Not an overly physical player, but will stand up for self and teammates. INTERESTING STAT: Had just 6 points in his first 20 games (0.3 PpG) but had 29 in his last 43 (0.67 PpG). QUOTE: DAVE CAMERON, Edmonton Sun writer: “The 6-foot, 173-pounder has been quietly promising in his limited ice time even if he was the last Oil King to get on the scoreboard to start the season, now with a pair of assists. Not to blow up any expectations about Mayo, but parts of his game remind some around the Oil Kings of Mark Pysyk’s rookie season. The eventual captain of a WHL championship squad showed as a rook a poise and presence that only grew, rarely trying to do more than what he was capable of at the time. Pysyk, though, as the franchise’s first-ever draft choice — and on a much, much worse team — was a starter from the get-go.” From January 2013

22. Irving, Aaron, D [6'01, 190] Edmonton, WHL (63•9•21•30•26•88): Was relied on heavily early in the season and looked like a breakout star, playing solid defence and jumping effortlessly into the rush which is the basis for his elevated ranking. Seemed to lose the confidence of his coach and his ice-time dropped majorly in the second-half of the season and played only sparingly in the playoffs. Has a nice proectable frame and the ability to jump into the play. Moves the puck well along the point and has a heavy accurate shot. Defensive game is rather inconsistent, looking like a shut-down defenceman one night and lost the next. With solid program in Edmonton, I think he'll figure it out in time. INTERESTING STAT: 27 of his 30 points came from September-December, a point-per-game ratio of 0.73 which was 0.25 higher than his season total. QUOTE: KYLE WOODLIEF, Red Line Report: “Skills and confidence are just busting out all over. Has come from far up the track to suprass every d-man out west not named Fleury.” From March 2014

21. Chartier, Rourke, C [5'11, 180] Kelowna, WHL (72•24•34•58•26•8): Had a terrible beginning to the season, but came alive in the second half. Excellent passer is quick and somehow able to shield the puck from defenders despite not being that big and is much stronger than you would expect and makes some power moves to the net An excellent stickhandler in traffic. A hard-wokring forward who never quits on a play and brings a ton of energy on every shift. Excellent in his own zone, was voted the 'Best Defensive Forward' on his team and is used a lot on the penalty kill. INTERESTING STAT: Went scorless in 10 games in October and only put up 5 points in 11 games in November, but after that his scoring was never at less than a point-per-game. QUOTE: RYAN HUSKA, Kelowna Coach: “What we found out about Rourke pretty early on is that he's a very intelligent player. We've been able to use him in different situations and it didn't take him long to gain our confidence and trust. In key situations, he shows really strong hockey sense." From March 2013

20. Philp, Luke, C [5'10, 177] Kootenay, WHL (71•31•46•77•2•31): Smooth and smart forward who loves to go to the net and doesn't lack confidence. Really effective playing the point on the power-play with a heavy accurate slapshot and has a really nasty, tricky fake shot that he uses to get defenders off-balance. Isn't a great defender. Isn't a big guy but has some grit and even drops the gloves on occasion. Benefited a lot from Sam Reinhart, but often gave as good as he got with some really smart, clever passing. Is able to put separation between him and defenders with his skating and has a knack for getting to open spaces. Just a genuinely smart player with terrific hands. Whoever takes Reinhart would be smart to gamble on Philp as early as the second round. INTERESTING STAT: Finished the season 6th for goals scored, 6th for points scored and 6th for points-per-game. QUOTE: KYLE WOODLIEF, Red Line Report: “Got first-line minutes when Sam Reinhart left for the world juniors, and his confidence with the puck has skyrocketed ever since.” From March 2014

19. De Leo, Chase C [5'10, 175] Portland, WHL (72•39•42•81•49•36): Really fast and incredibly shifty with a quick, accurate one-timer. Unbelievably evasive and has a nice spin move to roll off defenders. Wins battles he has no business winning along boards and out front by using his smarts Could stand to be more patient with the puck, sometimes just throws it in the middle when nothing else is available. Excellent vision and playmaking. That said, when the game gets tough, I don't notice him as much, he seems to disappear into the background until power-play comes up. INTERESTING STAT: Was a staggering +27 over the months of February and March. QUOTE: B.J. MacDONALD, CSS: “Chase is another buzz saw out of Portland. He’s a very good skater and pays attention to detail at both ends of the rink. He has quick hands with good vision and offers nice playmaking capabilities. The thing I like is that he really competes in all areas and in key situations and plays bigger than his size.” From October 2013

18. Iverson, Keegan C [6'00, 216] Portland, WHL (67•22•20•42•16•70): Solid, physical player who is tough to stop when he drives to the net. Skating stride is a little choppy. Big hitter who generates chances off of the cycle and along the boards. Is man-strong already and opposing defenders have a terrible time controlling him as he keeps his feet moving in the offensive zone. Has a solid shot and makes some solid passes but doesn't have a lot of offensive creativity, often just throws the puck into the slot and hopes for the best. Has a defensive conscience and always comes back to help out. INTERESTING STAT: In months where he played 8 games (October and March, he averaged 0.88 points-per-game. He only cracked the 0.8 threshold one other time in the season. QUOTE: TRAVIS GREEN, then-Portland Assistant Coach: “'Physical guy "has a chance to be a real good player in our league and a good pro"" From Jun 2013

17. Point, Brayden, C [5'09, 160] Moose Jaw, WHL (72•36•55•91•-27•53): Supremely quick, he loses defenders with his speed and quick moves, or else meets them and spins off of them with the puck still on his stick. Has tons of confidence which he puts on display when he skates the puck effortlessly out of his own end and is surprisingly strong on the puck for his size. Puck seems to follow him in the offensive zone and he is a tireless forechecker who is adept at stealing the puck off his opponents' sticks. Very smart player who anticipates where rebounds will end up and gets to them first. He also uses these smarts to go into high-traffic areas and somehow emerge with the puck despite his size. Great passer who also possesses a big slap shot. INTERESTING STAT: Averaged an incredibl 1.75 points-per-game in 2014. If he had maintained that pace all season, he would have led WHL draft eligibles in scoring by more than 20 points with 126. Also, despite his points, he only posted a positive +/- rating in February with +3. QUOTE: ALAN MILLAR, Moose Jaw GM: [On Point not being on the roster for the Top Prospects game, he was later added] "I don't know if Brayden is paying a bit of a price for the struggles of our hockey club in general for the first half of the season. I'm disappointed. I think Craig Button would have had him in (the Top Prospects Game) and I think Dale Hunter, who ran the Under-18 team this summer, would have him in that game...Knowing Brayden and knowing his character and his commitment to being a player, he'll quickly put that behind him. I'll bet that he's a better player and he'll go higher in the draft than some players that are playing in that game." From December 2013

16. Fazleev, Radel LW [6'00, 178] Calgary, WHL (38•5•20•25•1•12): Intelligent, two-way forward is very aggressive defensively, though sometimes a little too casual handling puck in own zone, but is still a trusted and useful penalty-killer. Offensively, he's pass-first and loves to set up his linemates from behind the net for one-timers but can be a tad impatient with the puck on his stick. Carries the puck well, losing defenders by changing his speeds and is a good stickhandler Not a great shooter, but plays the point on the power play which is useful for his puck distribution. Doesn't mind the rough stuff, but is occasionally undisciplined and takes bad retaliatory penalties. Missed the last three months of the season with an injury but came back for the playoffs. INTERESTING STAT: Would have finished the season in 18th had he not been injured and maintained his 0.66 point-per-game average, his injuries saw him finish 44th. QUOTE: MIKE MOORE, Calgary GM: “He’s a hard-working guy, his fitness testing was exceptional and his skill is terrific.” From August 2013

15. Turgeon, Dominic C [6'02, 196] Portland, WHL (65•10•21•31•18•31) : Son of NHL star Pierre Turgeon is a defensively responsible forward who needs to get stronger but is incredibly reliable. Game has grown steadily, albeit maybe less quickly than many expected. Is a solid playmaker who is only starting to recognize how his frame allows him to protect the puck from defencemen. Also played increasingly physical as the year went on and added a real edge to his game. Displays flashes of brilliance with beautiful dekes, stickhandling and power-moves to the net that create chances and goals but sometimes tries to force the pass when it isn't there. Valuable penalty-killer who seemed to get more ice-time as the season wore on. With Portland likely graduating 4-5 players to the pro ranks next year, I'm betting his numbers will see a quick spike with more, better playing time. INTERESTING STAT: Point-per-game averages were between 0.25 to 0.56 per month all season long, except for February when he had 12 points in 12 games. QUOTE: TRAVIS GREEN, then-Portland Assistant Coach: “'Turge' is going to be a great player in the league, a potential 100-point guy" From Jun 2013

14. Honka, Julius, D [5'11, 175] Swift Current, WHL (62•16•40•56•10•52): Smooth effortless skater is exremely confident with the puck, whether making rushes up the ice or walking the line on the point. Has a good wrister and an even better slapshot that he consistently gets on net and lives to shoot the puck, always has his slapper loaded and ready to fire. Has some grit but is a bit erratic and dangerous in his own zone. Can he handle NHL duty at his size will be the ultimate question? INTERESTING STAT: 36 of his 56 points came before Christmas. QUOTE: GORAN STUBB, CSS Director of European Scouting: “Julius Honka is smallish but an excellent skater with great balance. He is an offensive-minded defenseman with good vision and a high skill level. Quick moves, reads the game very well and loves to join the offensive rush." From August 2013

13. Hawryluk, Jayce, C [5'10, 190] Brandon, WHL (59•24•40•64•16•44): Quick forward who never stops working. Despite his frame, wins most puck battles and plays physical. Is a speedy skater with quick hands, good puckhandling and an excellent wrist-shot. Makes things happen on the ice. Is also an excellent playmaker. Worrisome incident in the playoffs where he collapsed post-game and was rushed to hospital, but returned to play the next game and whatever it was seems to be a non-issue. INTRESTING STAT: Averaged just 0.73 points-per-game September/October but only failed to crack 1.20 points-per-game one other month in the season (January when he posted 0.67). QUOTE: KYLE WOODLIEF, Red Line Report: “Red Line is a huge fan of the way Hawryluk plays the game. It is very rare for an undersized, skilled offensive forward to also possess the work ethic and grit away the puck that he shows nightly in the rinks around the [WHL]”. From November 2013

12. Schoenborn, Alex, RW [6'01, 194] Portland, WHL (72•18•18•36•19•121): Power Forward in training is mean and chippy, always ticked off, and creates mayhem in front of the net. Solid skater with good acceleration. He's not a natural puckhandler, and doesn't always handle passes clean, but has a solid shot and is a decent playmaker. He sometimes succeeds on will, rather than skill. A relenteless forechecker, he and linemates Dominic Turgeon and Keegan Iverson were used in the playoffs to forecheck, cycle and grind out the puck and would repeatedly draw opposing penalties. Is used on the penalty-kill and even-strength but rarely on the power-play. INTERESTING STAT: If you subtracted his January totals, his points-per-game would raise one an 0.1 from 0.50 to 0.60 (He only had 1 goal in 14 games in January). He only failed to post double-digit penalty minute totals in September, when he had 6 in 4 games. QUOTE: KYLE WOODLIEF, Red Line Report: “Brings size, toughness, is a good fighter, and is close to 20 goals, all with mostly fourth-line ice time.” From March 2014

11. Quenneville, John, C [6'01, 186] Brandon, WHL (61•25•33•58•3•71): Very smart player with a very projectable frame. Like many his age, he badly needs to add weight and strength. As it is, what keeps him a level below Pollock and Kirkland is that he is quite easily knocked off the puck despite his size. That said, he's a quality net-front presence and absorbs big hits to make plays. Very durable, seemed on the wrong end of a few borderlines hits but stayed in the game. Sometimes awkward handling the puck, nevertheless has a flawless one-timer that rarely misses. Already has a well-developed defensive game. INTERESTING STAT: Just 21 of his 58 points came after Christmas, however, he never posted a positive +/- rating in those first four months, and posted all positive ratings after Christmas. QUOTE: KYLE WOODLIEF, Red Line Report: “Slick and offensively instinctive pivot with a great frame...when it comes to the most complete prospect, Quenneville’s mature two-way game is starting to convince us that he might end up leading the pack [of teammate draft eligilbes Hawryluk and Bukarts]...John already has a larger frame [than draft pick brother Peter] and constantly occupies space down the middle, playing a mature two-way game. This natural center constantly supports the play, has a high hockey IQ and good understanding of the game’s nuances. Technically sound skater will only improve with further development. We were uncertain about his offensive ceiling entering the season, but must admit he has taken full advantage of first line icetime in Brandon and exceeding expectations so far, erasing our only main issue with his game.” From November 2013

10. Kirkland, Justin, LW [6'03, 189] Kelowna, WHL (68•17•31•48•23•40): Great, disruptive net-front presence and loves to battle defenders and play physical, and usually comes out a winner. Uses his big frame to shield the puck well and is a good stickhandler, though he can be dispossessed of the puck rather easily sometimes. Was used a lot on the penalty kill in the second half of the season. Is a really smart forward who likes to go to the net and is sneaky-quick with a strong stride for someone his size. Has an excellent wristshot that can pick the top corners with ease. Staring to become a force on the cycle and along the boards. INTERESTING STAT: Never posted a negative Plus/Minus rating in any months of the season. Also, his point-per-game totals went up every successive month from December through to March. QUOTE: KYLE WOODLIEF, Red Line Report: “Late-blooming power winger is 6-3 and still growing, with an impressive hockey IQ. Best-case scenario: Could he become Jamie Benn lite...who is still filling out an impressive 6-3 frame after a recent growth spurt. One of our WHL scouts has been impressed by the seamless transition he has made into major junior, and sees a high end hockey IQ...Kirkland already graduated high school a year early to dedicate his draft season towards improving on ice and logging extra hours needed in the gym. For now we’ll call him a Red Line sleeper because we haven’t heard much talk about him yet among the scouting fraternity. But we’ll be surprised if their isn’t some added scouting attention on Kelowna in the second half.” From January 2013

09. Thomas, Ben, D [6'02, 193] Calgary, WHL (72•7•24•31•11•39): Physical two-way defenceman has a nice frame. Good zone exits and footspeed and has a beautiful hard point shot that he consistently gets on net. A really smooth point presence on the power-play but sometimes makes poor decisions on when to jump in on a rush. Plays a physical game in his own zone but has a tendency to get a little scrambly back there and can be pressured into turnovers. Has to watch his temper and he took some costly retaliatory penalties in the playoffs. INTERESTING STAT: His best month for points was in October when he put up 8 and averaged 0.57 points-per-game. He never averaged higher than 0.50 in any other month (Save the 2 games in September). Was a +17 through December and January. QUOTE: MIKE WILIAMSON, Calgay Head Coach: “He’s more consistent. We saw stretches last year when Benny got called up that he looked poised and polished, but there was a lot of gaps in between his top shifts and bottom shifts...he’s gotten better and he’s continued to improve his consistency. When he does that, he continues to improve. He’s got a great skill set and he’s a multi-dimensional player. He’s got good poise and vision offensively but he can play good, sound defensive game as well, so he’s a guy that can eat up a lot of minutes.” From January 2013

08. Bleackley, Connor, C [6'01, 195] Red Deer, WHL (71•29•39•68•3•48): Quick feet and nice straight-ahead speed, Bleackley was named captain of his WHL team at the age of 17. Drives to the net. Works hard at both ends of the rink and seems to always be everywhere at once. Shot selection is questionable sometimes but he has a quick, heavy wrister. Plays physical and makes good power moves to the net, holding off defenders with one arm while he attacks. INTERESTING STAT: Was second on his team in points-per-game with 0.96 and was .20 higher than any other player. QUOTE: DENNIS MACINNIS, ISS Hockey Director of Scouting: “Conner Bleackley is Red Deer’s most dangerous offensive player and has clear leadership qualities. He has a great pure release on his shot and knows how to place shots dangerously, but he can also be a good playmaker and a strong skater with good balance and shifty edge usage”. From October 2013

07. Pollock, Brett, C [6'02, 183] Edmonton, WHL (71•25•30•55•18•36): Big forward's game took gigantic leap forward in the playoffs. Strong skater with surprising explosiveness who is confident with the puck on his stick and shields it well with his body. Has an NHL-quality wrist-shot already. Sometimes lacks intensity, which isn't uncommon at his age, but when he's engaged, he's a dangerous presence. Isn't overly physical, but can really put a player on his back when he wants to. Excellent stickhandler with some unbelievable dangles but doesn't always protect it well-enough. Has a decent defensive conscience and an active stick while back-checking but doesn't always fully buy-in defensively. A really smart player who seems to have a sixth-sense about when to pass the puck and when to take it himself; very rarely gives the puck away once it hits his stick. INTERESTING STAT: His 11 goals led all WHL draft eligible players in the playoffs and he was second in points amongst draft eligibles with 19. QUOTE: KYLE WOODLIEF, Red Line Report: “The other pleasant surprise is forward Brett Pollock...liked him in a very limited energy role last year, as he used his big frame to spark the team with an up-tempo forecheck. But the fact that he has already eclipsed his offensive numbers from last year in this campaign’s first four games has drawn our attention. Pollock seems to have come back with a much smoother and improved skating stride, and a new-found confidence in his puckhandling.” From October 2013

06. Sanheim, Travis, D [6'03, 189] Calgary, WHL (67•5•24•29•25•14): Started off season as a defence-first anchor for partner Ben Thomas, but his offensive game exploded after December. I'm not sure that I've ever seen a guy go from stay-at-home to go-go-go as quickly as Sanheim did this year. Suddenly started jumping into play offensively with solid skating and a lazer wrist shot. Has terrific offensive instincts and seems to always find the open man. Has a solid skating stride and started to make end-to-end rushes as his game progressed but is still able to recover due to his speed. Also emerged as a reliable power-play point man who's not afraid to shoot and gets his shot reliably on goal. A little added strength and bulk will make those shots even scarier. Still solid defensively, he keeps attackers to the outside and gets his stick in the shooting lane but needs to be reigned in occasionally from jumping into the play when he doesn't have a teammate covering him. INTERESTING STAT: 20 of his 29 points came in the months of January and February, when he averaged 0.74 points-per-game. The rest of the season he averaged 0.22 points-per-game. QUOTE: IAN ESPLEN, Around the Boards: “The big defenceman has all the tools NHL scouts love. He can make a very good first pass or he can skate the puck up the ice. In his own end, he seems to gain confidence with every passing game. Add in that the Hitmen are starting to use his talents more and you have a player worth keeping an eye on.” From January 2014

05. Scherbak, Nikita, RW [6'02, 174] Saskatoon, WHL (65•28•50•78•-6•46): Fast, shifty and an excellent stickhandler, Scherbak wants the puck all the time and when he gets it, he puts it on the net or uses his solid vision to get it to an open man. He doesn't push the issue when a play isn't there, instead makes the safe, simple play. Is a little weak at the moment and gets oustmuscled along the boards but isn't afraid of being challenged physically. Didn't have a ton of help offensively but still put up staggering numbers for a first-year import player. Not much of a defensive game, yet, and often leaves the zone way too early. Takes extremely long shifts, but that seems to be a coaching decision and not selfishness as he was never punished for them and was actually double-shifted and used in key situations like penalty-kills and last minutes. Has a lazer of a wrist shot and smarts galore and his solid skating allows him to lose defenders, even in tight quarters like behind the net. Got injured toward the end of the season and that seemed to slow him down. INTERESTING STAT: His 11 goals, 12 assists and 12 points in October led all WHL draft eligible players for that month. QUOTE: DAVE STRUCH, then-Saskatoon Coach: “While we were in training camp and waiting for his papers to be finished so he could join us on the ice, he sat in the player’s box and rode a stationary bike while we practiced and played. When he finally got his release, the coaching staff went to show him our systems and he showed us our systems. He picked everything up just from watching our practices and games...[On taking English classes]He’s learning a lot more because he doesn’t shut up now...The best thing about him is he’s very coachable and teachable. Because he can skate he can get on the puck. But when he’s not on it right away he’s not afraid to make or take a hit. When you’ve got that part of a game from a Russian player it’s exciting...He’s a gifted skater. Gifted with the puck and his vision is really good” From December 2013

04. Draisaitl, Leon, C [6'01, 209] Prince Albert, WHL (64•38•67•105•7•24): Supremely confident stickhandler who is adept at using his large game to protect the puck. One of the best passers in the WHL but what's striking about Draisaitl's game is that he's equally adept at making letter-perfect cross-ice passes on either the forehand or backhand which is something you don't see a lot of, even at the NHL level. Some of his struggles, I feel, have to do with teammates who are often unable to get him the puck or convert on his seeing-eye passes. Some scouts question his skating, but I think it's perfectly competent, given his size, and nothing that can't be improved over time. Has an underrated defensive game, using his massive reach to break up plays. Despite his size he's not a physical player, by nature, but when he gets angry (Which isn't often enough!) he can put a guy on his back pretty well and is strong enough to make plays with defenders draped all over him. He actually has a decent shot but he still doesn't use it nearly often enough which lets defenders off the hook when covering him because you really only have to defend the pass. Really intelligent with good vision and is adept at slowing the game down. INTERESTING STAT: In January, just back from the WJHCs, Draisaitl put up 0.9 points-per-game, the only month of the season that saw him dip below a 1 point-per-game pace. Finished the last two months at a 2.14 point-per-game pace. QUOTE: CRAIG BUTTON, TSN Director of Scouting: “Leon is a blend of skill and power and comfortable in either element. His skill derives from excellent hockey sense and the ability to make plays and recognize what is unfolding. His power is more along the lines of being hard to deter and imposing himself on opponents, with a serious determination to make a difference. Skating is good with much room to improve. A Top 2 line type forward.” From September 2013

03. Fleury, Haydn, D [6’03, 198] Red Deer, WHL (70•8•38•46•15•46): Reminds me a ton of Jay Bouwmeester: a big, rangy defenceman who has an effortless skating stride and plays both ends of the ice equally well. Stepped up this year and displayed a previously unseen penchant for making beautiful end-to-end rushes. When he's not skating the puck up the ice, himself, has a knack for spotting teammates and making the breakaway pass. Likes to jump into the play and is so quick that, if he loses the puck, is usually able to get back on defence before his opponents. Point shot is a little wild and he needs to work on getting it down. Isn't naturally physical but is working on it. Is a little easily pushed off the puck for someone his size, but a little added weight and strength will make that defect a thing of the past. Has no panic in his game defensively, and is getting better at keeping forwards to the outside with his reach and active stick. INTERESTING STAT: Point-per-game average in the first four months was 0.76, after December, it dipped to 0.55. QUOTE: PETER SULLIVAN, Central Scouting: "I compare him to a Jay Bouwmeester type since he makes it look so easy in your own end. He can carry it out or with one pass you're on the transition and that's what makes him so effective. His points might not be as high as some of the other defensemen on the board, but he just does so many other things well." From April 2014: http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=713377

02. Virtanen, Jake, LW [6'01, 210] Calgary, WHL (71•45•26•71•23•100): Power forward seems to be a hate-him-or-love-him prospect. Obviously, with him at #2, I'm in the latter camp. Best, most explosive skater in the WHL also has the best shot in the WHL, with an absolute seeing-eye lazer. Scored 45 goals this year, yet just 10 came with the man advantage and he often didn't seen first-unit powerplay time. Virtanen is, and has been, man-strong for a while now and it was stunning just how many times he literally bulldozed defencemen while keeping the puck on his stick. But he also uses that power to make NHL-style power moves to the net and lose defencemen along the way. That said, there are some flaws to his game: he doesn't create much offence off the boards and isn't really creative offensively and there are some concerns over his stickhandling. His defensive game is under-developed and he isn't the most disciplined player. But, he's absolutely dynamic North-South player with all the tools to be a big-time pro. INTERESTING STATS: Only 26 draft eligible players had more goals all season than Virtanen put up in the month of January (13). QUOTE: PETER LOUBARDIAS, Calgary Flames radio broadcaster: "Even though the Top Prospects Game, self-admittedly, wasn't his best night, I'm not sure there's anyone I've seen, so far, for the upcoming draft, that has more tools than Jake Virtanen." From January televised WHL on Shaw broadcast.

01. Reinhart, Sam, C [6'01, 183] Kootenay, WHL (60•36•69•105•24•11): You can't start a description of him without the word 'smart'. Is probably the smartest player in the draft, maybe the smartest player to come along in years. Two key plays in the playoffs illustrate these smarts better than any: in a game against Calgary he took the puck in his own zone on the penalty kill and with clever stickhandling and quick cuts was able to kill the better part of a minute all by himself and, in another game against Calgary, he took the puck on the backhand in his own zone and rather than turn around and dump it, he instead skated backwards for ten or twenty feet with the puck on his stick then put it down the ice. Excellent passer who makes impossible passes seem like second-nature. He's not really explosive and he's not going to be an emotional, physical leader, but he's going to play Top 6 minutes at center in the NHL for a long, long time. Reminds me a lot of Patrice Bergeron at both ends of the rink. Farther Paul is an NHL veteran, brothers Griffin and Max are NHL prospects. INTERESTING STATS: Averaged better than 2 points per game in 3 months and only dipped below 1.38 once (When he had 4 points in the 4 GP in December). QUOTE: PETER SULLIVAN, Central Scouting: “He has a complete game at both ends of the ice. He does everything well. He won't get you overly excited, but from a coaching perspective, he's the guy you always want on the ice in critical situations. He's your go-to guy and team leader and is just going to be consistent at the junior level, and eventually the pro level." From July 2013

My Top 60 Ranked WHL Skaters for the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. Part 1 (60-31)

LV. Leedahl, Dawson, LW [6'01, 200] Everett, WHL (70•8•24•32•-3•66): I only caught him once and didn't see enough to properly evaluate him as a prospect. INTERESTING STAT: His -6 rating in the playoffs in 5 games was more than doubly worse than his regular season number in 70 games. His 66 regular season penalty minutes was enough to rank 3rd on his team. QUOTE: ANONYMOUS, Everett website: "Dawson is a strong two-way player with skill who can score. He has good leadership qualities on and off the ice and competes hard." From 2011

LV. Nogier, Nelson, D [6'02, 193] Saskatoon, WHL (37•1•5•6•-2•25): I never managed to catch him before his season-ending surgery. INTERESTING STAT: Scored 6 points in 13 games in November, but didn't have another point in any of his other 24 games. QUOTE: JARROD BRODSKY, then-Saskatoon Assistant General Manager: “Nelson is a physical defenceman who plays with an edge. We feel that he has good upside and is the type of player who plays for keeps.” From May 2011

LV. Thomson, Jordan, D, [5'11, 174] Saskatoon, WHL (29•1•12•13•-14•22): Played 20 games early in the season, but returned to Manitoba to deal with a personal matter, then traded Saskatoon late in the season. I never managed to catch him, this year, after his return to the WHL. INTERESTING STAT: Would have topped 30 points had he played a full season in the WHL. QUOTE: GUY CHARRON, Kamloops coach: “He’s getting exposed right now. The games are getting tighter. As the year goes on, we’re playing in closer-checking games. Jordan is getting a little frustrated because some mistakes seem important....Jordan is learning how to play at this level. Tough mistakes can end up in your own net...At times he can really step up on a player and keep his gaps, but at other times he still gets beat. One on one, he can be exposed...He’s going to be an impact player at this level. Right now he’s dealing with the fact that he’s a young sixteen-year-old player. I’d love to see him as an 18-year-old right now with his abilities on the ice.” From December 2012

60. Ralph, Brandon, LW [6'02, 183] Edmonton, WHL (46•8•2•10•1•34): Smart, solid playmaking forward handles the puck well. Makes safe, simple plays in the defensive zone and is a good forechecker. INTERESTING STAT: His 8 goals put him ahead of teammates such as Dysin Mayo, Griffin Reinhart and Luke Bertolucci. His +1 rating was tied for third worst on the team. QUOTE: DEREK LAXDAL, Edmonton Oil Kings coach: "Brandon Ralph really had a great rookie camp and a main camp for us. The rapid speed of his development really allowed him to stay longer at training camp and it allowed us to sign him. We're really happy with his progression. He's bigger, stronger and he's not far off. Probably any other year he'd have a really good chance of making our hockey club." From September 2012

59. Skapski, Mitch, LW [5'09, 165] Victoria, WHL (50•3•7•10•12•35): Diminutive forward has great straight-ahead speed. Tons of grit and routinely out-battles much-larger defenders. Was traded to Victoria this season by Everett. INTERESTING STAT: His +12 rating puts him in 8th on the team leader-board, despite his low point totals.. QUOTE: GARRY DAVIDSON, Everett GM: "He's known for his high level of compete and energy and plays a much bigger game than his size suggests. Having Mitch here sooner will give him added experience that should help him going into next year." From December 2012

58. Alfaro, Matt, C [6'02, 181] Kootenay, WHL (65•2•12•14•-3•16): Grinding forward always plays physical, yet rarely takes penalties. Has a decent finish on his shot. Plays mainly an energy line role but can be bumped up to higher lines in a pinch where his hard-work often inspires his teammates. Decent skater who can beat a defender wide, just doesn't have the puck skills to do much when he does. INTERESTING STAT: Had nearly identical point-per-game ratios in the regular season (0.23) and playoffs (0.22) QUOTE: ALFARO, on himself: "Just doing the best I can, trying to put some points on the board and just be a plus-player." From December 2013

57. Bauer, Lane, C [5'11, 187] Edmonton, WHL (47•7•16•5•8): Makes smart simple plays and uses solid skating and quickness to make quick cuts and lose defenders. Drives to the net and works hard every shift. Not a natural finisher yet has a tendency to forget his teammates now and then and try to play one-on-one. INTERESTING STAT: Had just 8 penalty minutes in 47 games with the Oil Kings this season. QUOTE: MERIT WALDROP, Alaska Jr. Aces coach: "In the 100 or so games he's played with me, he's scored in every game. Every single game. At least one... Natural goal-scorer, great kid. He is the hardest worker in practice and in games, and the most skilled player." From December 2012

56. Uhrich, Josh, RW [5'11, 195] Lethbridge, WHL (68•9•11•20•-9•105): A bit of an awkward skater who never stops working. Very physical; throws some bone-rattling checks and fights. Not really strong on the puck. Good anticipation on defensive side. INTERESTING STAT: Posted 8 of his 20 points during the month of November, which was double the total of his next highest month. QUOTE: UHRICH, on himself: "“I told myself that I needed to be in the gym more, I was going five times a week. Definitely my quickness (was something I focused on), moving into the WHL which is faster than midget AAA I had to get my foot speed up, and I was doing power skating to improve.” From August 2013

55. Andrlik, Tomas, D [6'00, 185] Prince Albert, WHL (71•2•18•20•-4•52): Defenceman went down rather easily at the start of the season but strength on his skates became a strong point by the end of the season and he was able to stand up forecheckers. Has a bit of a slow acceleration which causes him to lose races to loose pucks. Not a flashy player but makes good simple plays with the puck. Hard and accurate point shot. INTERESTING STAT: His -4 rating was actually 2nd on the his team amongst defencemen. QUOTE: BRUNO CAMPESE, Prince Albert GM: “Tomas Andrlik is a solid 2-way defenceman that his hard to play against. He can move the puck efficiently and see the ice very well.” From July 2013

54. Welykholowa, Landon, C [5'11, 172] Calgary, WHL (34•1•4•5•-6•8): After an early-season trade to Calgary he only played 16 regular season games with the Hitmen. Injuries in the playoffs necessitated his insertion into the lineup and he surprised by quadrupling his WHL career totals with 4 goals in 5 games. Seems to be a guy who gets to the right place at the right time, whether it be to screen the goalkeeper or to acquire rebounds. Has explosive speed and a good wrist-shot and a sizzling one-timer. Is a good net-front presence. Works hard and excels at cycling the puck. Makes a few too many low-percentage passing attempts. INTERESTING STAT: Scored no goals in 16 regular season games with Calgary, but had 4 goals in just 5 games in the playoffs. QUOTE: CAMERON HOPE, Victoria GM: "Landon had a very good camp this week. He has earned this contract..." From August 2013

53. Ruopp, Sam, D [6'04, 179] Prince George, WHL(64•5•11•16•-15•55): Gets his big body in front of shots well on the defensive side. Seems to have a short stride for someone his size, but gets around all right and has quick feet laterally. Looks confident skating the puck out of his own zone. Gets his point shot through. Brother Harrison is a Pittsburgh prospect. INTERESTING STAT: His 5 goals were the second most by a defender on his Prince George team. QUOTE: NORMAN JOHNSTON, Regina AAA Head Coach: "Sam Ruopp competes and will be a very good player...competes at practice and every shift that he plays and is very coachable and well liked by his coaches and teammtes." From April 2012

52. Taylor Cooper, LW [6'00, 186] Lethbridge, WHL (65•12•12•24•-17•42): Got off to an excellent start with Brandon but was traded to Lethbridge in the Ryan Pilon deal. Scoring winger has speed to burn and isn't afraid to play physical. Solid stickhandler is learning to shield puck with his body. Needs to minimize poor turnovers. INTERESTING STAT: 7 of his 12 goals were scored in his 23 games with Brandon prior to the trade. Only had 5 goals in 42 games with Lethbridge. QUOTE: BRAD ROBSON, Lethbridge GM: “[Cooper and Nick Walters] are character guys that will be solid additions to our lineup...will fit in to the systems we’re trying to teach and give us some secondary scoring.” From November 2013

51. Wong, Tyler, Lethbridge, WHL (52•17•14•31•-33•56): Undersized forward has speed to burn and never stops working, playing every shift with unmatched desperation. Often deployed as a forechecking missile who launches his minimal frame into opposing defenders. Leave himself open to getting hit and takes some hard hits from some big players but always gets back up. Excellent hand-eye-coordination and a solid shooter and passer but he is very easily knocked off the puck. Doesn't have a real developed defensive game, chases too much, but he tries. Suffered a concussion in practice on January 12th and missed a month and a half. INTERESTING STAT: Scored 26 of his 31 points before Christmas. Only played 12 games over the last three months of the regular season. QUOTE: DRAKE BEREHOWSKY, Lethbridge Coach: "I think Tyler’s success started right off of the bat, as he came to our team in tremendous shape. That helped him get off to a good start, and his hard work really showed in his improved point total.” From April 2014

50. Hunt, Dryden, C [5'11, 195] Regina, WHL (62•21•19•40•-3•64): Hard working player. Quick and has a hard wrist-shot. Had two concussions last season which caused him to miss a lot of playing time, then suffered another concussion this past February. INTERESTING STAT: Had only 3 points in his first 14 games but went on to average better than 0.77 points-per-game the rest of the season. QUOTE: CHANDLER STEPHENSON, Regina teammate: "The guy works his butt off. He’s a great player and would do anything for his teammates." From February 2014

49. Folk, Carter, LW [6'01, 196] Lethbridge, WHL (50•5•4•9•-12•109): Very physical. Hit Henrik Samuelsson so hard one game that he knocked his visor clean off his helmet. Needs to pick his spots better as he hits to hurt, and sometimes hurts himself. Good straight-ahead speed and surprising acceleration. INTERESTING STAT: Had a staggering 45 penalty minutes in the month of November. Would have finished ahead of 18 players on his team in Penalty Minutes if he had only played those 12 games. QUOTE: BRAD ROBSON, Lethbdrige GM: “He is a big strong kid who brings size to the winG. He’ll also fit in well with our 1995 through ’98 age group.” From October 2013

48. Owre, Steven, C [5'11, 165]: Medicine Hat, WHL (70•12•20•32•6•42): Good stickhandler, has a stinging wrist-shot which he always gets on the net. A little light and gets hit often which leaves him vulnerable to give-aways and losing puck battles. This lack of bulk doesn't keep him from driving to the net, however and he is constantly doing so with a nice burst of speed. Well-developed defensive game and maintains an active stick in pursuit of the puck-carrier. Takes some bad penalties. INTERESTING STAT: Of his 15 goals (12 regular season, 3 in the playoffs), only 1 was on the power-play. QUOTE: MIKE GRETCHEL, Skatetown Coach: "He works harder than any kids I know, which is why he's where he is now." From July 2013

47. Shirley, Collin, LW [6'02, 181] Kamloops, WHL (70•14•13•27•-26•26): Good stickhandler and skater with a solid frame, but isn't as strong on the puck as his size would make you think. Traded to Kamloops early in the season in Tim Bozon deal but seemed to struggle to find his spot on a weaker Blazer team. Started to get more involved later in the season and use his frame more but still seemed to lack strength. INTERESTING STAT: 10 of his 14 goals came in the new year, as well as 16 of his 26 penalty minutes. QUOTE: FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS: "With his size, Shirley has the ability to pose trouble in the offensive end. The versatile forward has the ability to fill multiple roles due to his sound two-way game and solid smarts." From August 2013

46. Atwal, Arvin, D [6'01, 195] Vancouver, WHL (58•5•17•22•-9•83): Mean, physical defenceman has taken on some of the tougher customers in the WHL and held his own. Possesses a heavy shot but gets knocked off puck easier than you'd expect. Gets into shooting lanes but tries to do too much in defensive zone and is a little panicky. Skates the puck out of his zone with confidence, though and is getting better at making smart simple plays. INTERESTING STAT: Put up almost 1/3 of his 22 points in January (7) where he also put up 60% of his goals (3). QUOTE: DALTON SWARD, Vancouver Giants teammate: “He’s confident with the puck. He tries moves that I wouldn’t try in practice. And, coming into the year, I didn’t see the guy as a fighter, but he’s fought some pretty tough guys and done pretty well. Everyone has their own way of creating energy for the team, and that’s one of his ways.” From March 2013

45. Lernout, Brett, D [6'04, 205] Swift Current, WHL (72•8•14•22•7•103): Fearsome fighter and extremely physical and is always going to stick up for a teammate. Slightly awkward, at times, with the puck but doesn't look out of place on the point. INTERESTING STAT: Calmed down on the penalty minutes as his role with the team grew, had 74 in the first four months, but only 29 in the last three. QUOTE: MARK LAMB, Swift Current Head Coach/GM: “He’s a young right-handed shot who fits the identity and style of our hockey team well. We have seen strong improvements in his game and are excited to have him join us.” From December 2012

44. Revel, Matt, C [5'11, 177] Kamloops, WHL (73•15•30•45•-27•18): Fast decisive playmaker with quick feet. Has good hockey-sense and awareness of where his teammates are but doesn't protect puck well, at all. Despite his slight frame, is a willing combatant in front of opponent nets. Defensive game is questionable. Was traded mid-season from Saskatoon to Kamloops. INTERESTING STAT: Never once had a +/- rating that was positive in any month, despite putting up 8 (three times) and 11 point months in October, November, January and February. QUOTE: LORNE MOLLEKEN, then-Saskatoon GM: "Matt is a player that we have really coveted since we listed him last fall. We think he's a tremendous player who has all kinds of potential and he will add great depth to our hockey club at a very key position.  He had a very good Under-17 camp this summer and we look forward to having him on the ice with us during what is a very important season in franchise history." From September 2012

43. Coulter, Tyler, LW [5'11, 206] Brandon, WHL (52•8•13•21•2•27): Solid player who is hard to stop when he gets his skates churning to the net. Plays much bigger than his height: competitive and tough. Has somewhat awkward hands, but I saw him play on a line with Jayce Hawryluk and he didn't look out of place at all. INTERESTING STAT: Put up half his goals (4) and 8 of his 21 points during the month of December. QUOTE: KELLY MCCRIMMON, Brandon Coach/GM: “Tyler is a guy that thinks the game real well and he’s strong on the puck, he’s good on the cycle, those types of things. That’s probably the strength of his game, but [he and teammate Brett Kitt]’re both good, young players.” From October 2013

42. Thrower, Josh, D [6'01, 200] Tri-City, WHL (62•2•4•6•-6•89): Huge hitter who threw some of the most deadly-looking bodychecks I saw all season-long. Skates well with the puck on his stick. Defensive coverage is a little spotty right now. Absolutely fearsome fighter who will take on anyone in the WHL, and usually win. Brother Dalton is a prospect for the Montreal Canadiens. INTERESTING STAT: 60 of his 89 penalty minutes came during a three-month December-January-February run. Was held off the scoresheet in 5 of the season's 7 months. QUOTE: DALTON THROWER, Josh’s brother: “He’s a mean defenceman, I’d consider him. He plays the body well and takes care of his own end. He fights some of the tougher guys in the league and holds his own.” From November 2012

41. Rehill, Ryan, D [6'03, 213] Kamloops, WHL (72•4•16•20•-4•182): Big, mean physical d-man who will always stand up for teammates and willing to drop the gloves but often takes undisciplined penalties. Works very hard and has a good active stick that he gets into opponents' passing lanes. Because of the weakness of his Kamloops team, he probably played more than he should have, including power-play time, though he does have an accurate, quick wrist-shot, and killing penalties, but the experience should make him a more well-rounded player. Was named Kamloops' 'Best Defenseman', 'Most Dedicated' and 'Inspirational Leadership' awards. INTERESTING STAT: Four times this year he posted more than 30 PIM in a single month (Including a whopping 45 in October!). If not for February and March (A combined -13), he would have posted a positive +/- rating on a very weak team. QUOTE: IAN ESPLEN, Around the Boards blogger: "There really is no way to sugar coat this season for the Kamloops Blazers – they're a pretty bad team this year. But one of the bright spots this season has been the play of Ryan Rehill. The rugged defenceman is one of only a few Blazers with a positive plus/minus. Along with his toughness, he has shown decent mobility and a hard shot. While is may be a bit of a stretch for him to play in the prospects game, he does have a whole toolbox of skills, which scouts will fall in love with." From January 2014

40. Harlacher, Edson, D [6'03, 185] Kamloops, WHL (71•0•9•9•-27•44): A pure defensive defenceman who is an absolute warrior. Fearlessly blocks shots and will gut it out after particularly painful shots. Plays very physical, loves to take the body. Carries the puck confidently out of his own zone with his head up, looking for teammates. Has a heavy shot and is able to log some heavy minutes. INTERESTING STAT: Scored only 1 assist in his first 27 games, but put up 8 in his final 44 games but never scored a goal. QUOTE: DAVE HUNCHAK, then-Kamloops Coach: [European contacts have said that Harlacher] “is definitely a prospect. He’s a bigger body. Apparently, he skates pretty well.” From July 2013

39. Duke, Reid, C [6'00, 188] Lethbridge, WHL (62•15•25•40•-47•91): Good skater has breathtaking breakaway speed with nice playmaking ability. Might be a little soft on his skates. Went from being a borderline first rounder to a draft question mark, some of that was some spotty play in the first half, coupled with playing for a terrible, occasionally dysfunctional team, but stepped up his effort in the second half and began to look like a solid prospect again. INTERESTING STAT: Had only 6 points in his first 18 games (0.33 PpG) but averaged over 0.37 PpG in 2014. QUOTE: DEAN MILLARD, The Pipeline Show blogger: “The best individually skilled forward that will hear his name called on May 5th. "...this kid has the ability to 'wow' you on a regular basis." 64 points in 30 games makes him one of the best offensive players in this draft.” From April 2011

38. Sandhu, Tyler, RW [5'10, 170] Everett, WHL (49•13•17•30•-1•10): Isn't a very big guy but he doesn't shy away from contact and seems to enjoy playing physical. Gets himself in front of clearing attempts with no fear. Smart player who works really hard. INTERESTING STAT: Posted just 3 points in 11 games over the last three months of the season. Prior to that he averaged 0.71 points-per-game. QUOTE: TheGlove_20, The Sports Boys blogger: "Sandhu has an amazing shot, finishes checks and has great vision on the ice, he doesn't get hit very much due to his Sergei Fedorov like skating. Sandhu's wrist shot is very good, and he has shown skills when having plays like this" From September 2011

37. Schmidli, Kris, LW [5'09, 165] Kelowna, WHL (68•9•26•35•11•46): Small forward is an excellent passer with good vision that will go to the dirty areas to get the puck. Takes some needless penalties and has a penchant for embellishment. Dogged backchecker who works hard at both ends of the ice but just isn't big enough to handle opponents sometimes. Surprisingly effective along the boards and at cycling the puck. Needs to make quicker decisions and not get bogged down overhandling the puck. INTERESTING STAT: Only had a negative +/- rating in January (-2) and half of his 46 penalty minutes came in December and January. QUOTE: RYAN HUSKA, Kelowna Coach: "I think he's starting to feel more comfortable with the style here and the way things are done. It's a challenge for a young man, he's only 17 and sometimes we forget that. He's done a good job of learning our came and he's continuing to improve." From November 2013

36. Stadel, Riley, D [5'10, 162] Kelowna, WHL (63•10•25•35•12•62•9): Will often go for the big breakaway pass but is prone to bad giveaways. Loves to shoot the puck from the point but needs to get the shot off quicker. Excellent hand-eye-coordination. Has some grit to his game but it isn't always a good idea, given his size. Defensive play fell off after an excellent start and had some control issues with the puck behind his own net. INTERESTING STAT: 25 of his 35 points came before Christmas, only had 10 points in his last 32 games. Was an impressive +10 in February. QUOTE: DAN LAMBERT, Kelowna Assistant Coach: “Riley is the type of guy who just loves the game and he works hard at it every day. He wasn't playing all the time early on, but whenever he was called upon he was ready to go. When we lost Mitch (Wheaton) he was forced to play even more minutes, he's responded very well and he's been doing a great job for us lately." From March 2013

35. Zwerger, Dominic, LW [6'00, 205] Spokane, WHL (53•16•10•26•14•20): Is tough to handle on his skates and seems to enjoy the physical side of the game. Forces turnovers with his reach and also uses it to keep control of the puck though he doesn't always protect the puck well enough in his own zone. I caught him one night when a player was tossed from the game and he moved up onto the top line and didn't look out of place at all. Seems to create offence out of nothing and draws his fair share of penalties. Has a solid wrist-shot and is a good passer. INTERESTING STAT: Scored 62% of his points during the months of January and February when he was scoring at a 0.61 PpG pace, almost double (0.37 PpG) his pace in the other five months. QUOTE: CHRIS MOULTON, Spokane Director of Player Personnel: “Dominic is one of the most dominant ’96 born players in Austria. He moved to play in Switzerland and stayed dominant there. Offensively, he’s a gifted player with good size and strength.” From July 2013

34. Gagnon, Ryan, D [6'01, 190] Victoria, WHL (66•2•6•8•10•55): Gritty defensive defenceman's game grew by leaps and bounds this season. Really physical and tough and is a terror when he drops the gloves. Very strong and absolutely crushes opponents with bodychecks but has a penchant for going overboard and getting penalized. Doesn't have much of an offensive game, though he does occasionally try to jump into the rush. INTERESTING STAT: His +10 was amongst the highest for defencemen on his team and would have been even higher had he not been a -9 through September and October, the only months all year where it dipped below -1. QUOTE: RANDY GORAN, McKeen's Hockey: "...a stay-at-home type defenseman and plays very physical and is not afraid to drop the gloves on occasion .. delivers big body checks, and he has a nasty streak .. he needs to simplify his game, in so much as to not try to over compensate for simple ways to relieve pressure in his own zone by using the boards instead of blindly throwing the pick away up the middle .. this is just inexperience and I believe coaching and experience will turn this around..." From October 2013

33. Valentine, Dallas, D [6'03, 195] Moose Jaw, WH; (69•3•11•14•-28•44): Not real strong on the puck pushed off easily. Game grew by leaps and bounds as his confidence increased. Became a really effective point presence with a big shot and clever passes. Defensive game grew as he began to recognize the gift of his massive reach. Very raw but has a great array of tools. INTERESTING STAT: 9 of his 14 points came in the last three months of the season. QUOTE: MATTHEW GOURLIE, Moose Jaw Times blogger: "Valentine impressed in his short time in the league and should have a leg up for one of the last spots on the roster. Valentine showed an ability to skate well for a six-foot-two defenceman and didn’t make a lot of mistakes." From August 2013

32. Martin, Brycen, D [6'02, 185] Swift Current, WHL (72•6•31•37•-16•42): Good skater who likes to jump into the play and has a quick, accurate shot from the point. Tends to overplay puck-carrier in defensive zone and is frequently beat this way. Play fell off a cliff in the new year, time will tell if he can get it back. INTERESTING STAT: Only 13 of his 37 points came in 2014, while his +/- rating also took a hit (Went from -1 at the end of December to -16 come season's end). QUOTE: REECE SCARLETT, former Bronco teammate/Devils draft pick: “[Martin’s] a great player. He sees the ice well and he’s a great skater. The sky’s the limit for him.” From October 2012

31. Gardiner, Reid, C [5'11, 185] Prince Albert, WHL (70•22•22•44•2•39): Solid playmaker, but every time I saw him I was left wanting more. I've seen him very high on some other lists but his game just never jumped out to me. Smooth skater works hard and has a nice wrister. Has some jam but needs to get stronger as he gets outmuscled down low and is easily pushed off the puck. INTERESTING STAT: Put up 70% of his 44 points in between the months of October, November and December, only scored 13 points in 37 games in the other 4 months of the year. QUOTE: JOSH MORRISSEY, Prince Albert teammate: "[Gardiner] is a guy who works hard on the ice, he works hard off the ice. He comes to the rink every day and competes hard and really cares about the game. His skill-set is phenomenal; he has a really good shot. I think that's probably one of his biggest assets." From January 2014