The 2020 NHL Entry Draft has officially come to a close, which can only mean one thing — it’s time to start preparing for the 2021 draft!
The 2021 class isn’t expected to be nearly as deep as this year’s, but that’s not to say there aren’t some exceptional hockey players eligible to be drafted next year. In fact, there are already several players who have NHL scouts raising their eyebrows, and many other youngsters are preparing to spread their wings for a big 2020-21 campaign for their respective clubs.
Here are 10 of the most notable prospects to keep tabs on over the next year or so.
Aatu Räty, C, Kärpät (Liiga)
Räty is favored by many to be the top pick in the 2021 draft, though some of his peers in North America could be giving him a run for his money. If he plays his cards right, Räty could become the first Finnish player ever drafted No. 1 overall.
As a 17-year-old playing against men in Finland’s Liiga, it was pretty obvious last season that Räty could end up being a special player. He’s a good skater with some very good puck skills, and at 6’1 and 181 pounds, he already has the physical traits of an ideal top-line center. He didn’t blow the doors off at the 2020 World Juniors, so it will be interesting to see how he performs for Finland’s junior club this year.
He’s returned to Kärpät’s junior club to start the 2020-21 season, but one can fairly assume it will only be a matter of time before he graduates from his under-20 team and starts competing against grown men again.
Dylan Guenther, LW, Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL)
Guenther was named the WHL’s rookie of the year for 2019-20, and for good reason. As a first-year, 16-year-old WHLer, the Edmonton native collected 26 goals and 59 points in 58 games. Averaging a point per game as a rookie isn’t easy in any league, and the fact that he did so while playing in one of the more defensive-oriented junior leagues is quite impressive.
Unsurprisingly, it took Guenther some time to adjust to the higher level of competition. Once he did, though, he was nearly unstoppable. After tallying just four points in his first 11 games of the season, he exploded for 24 goals and 55 points in his next 45 games. It’s a shame the pandemic forced the WHL to cancel its postseason — it would have been fun to see if Guenther could keep his hot streak going in high-stakes playoff contests.
At 6’1 and 170 pounds, Guenther already has the size of a potentially elite NHL prospect. With some added weight and an even stronger season in 2020-21, it’s easy to see how he could end up being such a high draft pick.
Owen Power, D, University of Michigan (NCAA)
For teams hoping to draft a stud defenseman, 2021 will be the year to do it. The 2021 class is loaded with premier defensive talent, and Owen Power — what a name — is one of the very best of the crop. The 17-year-old Mississauga native is already a behemoth of a human being, standing at 6’5 and 214 pounds. And after averaging nearly a point per game in the USHL last season, the hype surrounding him has been growing exponentially.
If you’re planning on watching Flyers prospect Cam York at Michigan this season, you’ll likely see a whole lot of Power as well. Judging by how his coaches talk about him, it’s hard to imagine he won’t be seeing a ton of ice time.
“I’ll tell you this, we were having a conversation as a staff and I don’t know how you overlook a guy that’s probably like a Victor Hedman or a Chris Pronger type,” Michigan associate head coach Bill Muckalt told The Athletic. “I don’t know how you pass on a guy that’s going to be on a top D pairing for 15-20 years.”
Luke Hughes, D, USNTDP (USHL)
Luke, the younger brother of Quinn Hughes and Jack Hughes, needs no introduction at this point. He is going to get a whole lot of attention over the next year partially due to the fact that his older brothers are two of the best young players in hockey, but also because he’s a promising young player himself.
The freshly-turned 17-year-old defenseman is already drawing comparisons to his brother Quinn, who was in the running for this year’s Calder Memorial Trophy. Luke may not be as polished as Quinn at this age, but they do have one thing in common — phenomenal skating ability. Dan Ninkovich, the Hughes brothers’ performance coach, even told ESPN that Luke could be the best skater in the entire family.
Luke is one of the youngest players eligible for the 2021 draft, and if he develops into anything even close to what his brothers have become, there’s a very real possibility he will complete the hat trick of brothers taken in the first round.
Brandt Clarke, D, Barrie Colts (OHL)
What a shocking development. Another defenseman!
While Clarke doesn’t have the size of Owen Power or the name recognition of Luke Hughes, he’s a heck of a player. In fact, one could argue he’s the most complete defenseman eligible for the 2021 draft.
The right-shot Ottawa native (and teammate of Flyers prospect Tyson Foerster) is a mobile defender with outstanding puck skills. He sees the ice exceptionally well for a player his age, and thanks to his smooth skating and hockey IQ, he’s as dangerous away from the puck as he is with it on his stick.
As a rookie for the Barrie Colts last season, Clarke collected six goals and 32 assists while comfortably leading all rookie OHL defensemen with 38 points on the campaign. With another strong showing in 2020-21, he’s a near lock to be a high first-round pick when the 2021 draft comes around.
Cole Sillinger, C, Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)
Sillinger, the son of former Flyers forward Mike Sillinger, was impressive for Medicine Hat as a first-year WHLer. Despite missing a decent chunk of the Tigers’ season with an upper-body injury, he still ranked fourth in the WHL in rookie scoring with 53 points (22 goals, 31 assists). Goes without saying, but that’s quite a feat for a 16-year-old rookie.
He and his father appeared on The Ron Pederson Show back in December and, shockingly, Mike ended up comparing Cole’s shot to one of the best goal scorers in the NHL.
“The quick release, the shot’s crazy,” Mike said. “For 16 years old, it’s on and off his stick and as long as he hits the net he usually has big-time success. But that shot, he snaps it a little bit like — probably too much pressure when I say Auston Matthews — but he shoots it very well.”
Perhaps that’s just Cole’s dad talking him up a bit, because he then went on to compare his son’s game to another star NHLer.
“I think he’s working on his all-around game. He’s good defensively, takes pride in being an all-around player and has real good vision. As far as comparing, I think Taylor Hall’s a good (comparison).”
Okay, Cole Sillinger might not be the next Taylor Hall or Auston Matthews, but he’s clearly on his way to putting together one heck of a junior career. Keep an eye on Medicine Hat this season.
Simon Edvinsson, D, Frölunda HC (J20 Nationell)
Much like Owen Power, Edvinsson is going to draw attention simply due to his size. At 6’4 and 185 pounds, he’s easily one of the biggest defensemen eligible for the 2021 draft, and there’s likely still room for him to grow.
Edvinsson is more than just a large human, though. The 17-year-old raised eyebrows last season in Sweden’s top junior league, logging six points — all assists — in eight games, and he’s already off to a quick start this season. If he keeps up the stellar play for his junior club, it’ll only be a matter of time before he earns an opportunity in the SHL with Frölunda.
Check out the unreal shorthanded goal he scored last week against Karlskrona HK last week.
Mason McTavish, C, Peterborough Petes (OHL)
McTavish isn’t much of a playmaker, but he sure knows how to find the back of the net. He netted 29 goals for 42 total points in 57 games as a rookie for the Peterborough Petes in 2019-20 — hockey prodigy Shane Wright was the only rookie in the OHL to outscore him. While it’s clear he has plenty of room for improvement, he has one of the better shots of the 2021 draft and he even won 59 percent of his faceoffs last season.
McTavish comes from a hockey family. He was born in Switzerland while his father Dale played in the NLA for a decade. In fact, he practiced with Swiss club HC Lugano over the summer to stay in shape for the delayed 2020-21 OHL season, which could begin just before the end of 2020.
With a little more work, McTavish could be one of the most dangerous offensive players available in the 2021 draft.
Xavier Bourgault, C, Shawinigan Cataractes (QMJHL)
As one of the older prospects of the 2021 class, it’s fair to take Bourgault’s 2019-20 campaign with a grain of salt. But while he was older than many of his peers, that shouldn’t discount the fact that he was absolutely ridiculous last season. He went berserk for 33 goals and 71 points in 63 games, and he did that as a 17-year-old. It’ll be fun to see how he performs in his draft year, especially with Dallas Stars draft pick Mavrik Bourque returning to Shawinigan for another season.
Bourgault has all the tools to be a real point producer in the NHL. He has very strong puck skills and his hand-eye is pretty insane. While his skating isn’t poor, he could use some refinement in that area. He’ll also need to build some more muscle over the next year or so. Given his success in the QMJHL, though, it sure appears his potential is as high as any of the early favorites to be taken in the first round in 2021.
Carson Lambos, D, Winnipeg Ice (WHL)
This list wouldn’t be complete without mentioning another defenseman.
Lambos led all WHL rookie defensemen in scoring last season with eight goals and 32 points in 57 games for the Winnipeg Ice. At 6’1 and 200 pounds, Lambos already has the size of an NHL defenseman (he’s the same height and weight as Ivan Provorov), and with a couple more years of development he could end up being a terror on an NHL blue line.
His defensive game is strong, but he’s also a dynamic puck-mover capable of orchestrating mesmerizing end-to-end rushes. Of course, even though he has the ability make highlight-reel offensive plays, being a shutdown defender is his top priority.
“I like to play a 200-foot game and I like to take pride in my defensive game first,” Lambos told the WHL’s Lauren Zandee. “I like to think I’m a hard player to play against, but I’m also able to make plays on the offensive blue line when I’m given the opportunity.”
Lambos — might want to remember that name.
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