Just finished our third of three mock drafts for the season.
1-2- C Adam Fantilli - nuff said
2-33- C Charlie Stramel - Ended up with Stramel early 2nd round in all three mocks. Definitely tried to move up and secure on the big bodied forwards who show more offense to this point (Wood, Ritchie, But, Honzek, Edstrom, Musty) but just wasn't able to get it done. Stramel can become a physical force who has value well beyond his numbers.
Eliteprospects.com hockey player profile of Charlie Stramel, 2004-10-15 Rosemount, MN, USA USA. Most recently in the NCAA with Michigan State Univ.. Complete player biography and stats.
www.eliteprospects.com
Teams in search of size and speed in the 2023 Entry Draft will love what Charlie Stramel brings to the draft table
thehockeywriters.com
2-59- RW Nick Lardis - Surprised he lasted this long with the progression shown in the latter half of the season. Speed for days and a natural scoring knack.
From Brock Otten's final ranking:
"There's no question that I'm higher on Lardis than others. At McKeen's, we ranked him 32nd, but I'm pretty doubtful that he's an actual first round selection. Do I think he deserves to be? Yes, but that's another story. I mean, how could you not be impressed with what he accomplished following the trade to Hamilton? He instantly became one of the league's most consistently dangerous offensive players. The big difference in that was an increase in physical intensity. In Peterborough, he was too perimeter oriented. But the shift to become a player who attacked inside the dots made all the difference in Hamilton. Lardis' combination of elite level speed and goal scoring ability makes him such an interesting NHL prospect. The scary thing is, I actually think he's only scratching the surface of being able to utilize his speed as a weapon. He's still pretty slight and can get knocked off stride too easily and he can also struggle to cleanly catch/carry when trying to build speed. With added strength, I believe both of those aspects of his game will improve and he becomes a near unstoppable force at the junior level. The shot is such a massive weapon for him too. The release on both his wrist shot and his one timer are terrific; lightning quick. He can score from anywhere on the ice. He can score from a standstill or in motion. Personally, I don't think he was terrific at the U18's, but I also think that he was utilized improperly by the coaching staff. It looked like they wanted him to be more of an F1, high energy guy and he's just not at that level off the puck yet. If you want a better indication of Lardis' ability and progression, watch the first round of the OHL playoffs where he nearly dragged a rebuilding Bulldogs team past Brandt Clarke and the Barrie Colts. Look, there's no question that Lardis is going to take some time. He's going to need to finish his final OHL seasons and then probably play in the AHL too, but someone's patience could be rewarded as, IMO, Lardis has among the highest scoring upside of any player from the OHL this draft."
Your guide to the NHL prospects currently playing in the Ontario Hockey League.
ohlprospects.blogspot.com
2-60- C Carey Terrance
Eliteprospects.com hockey player profile of Carey Terrance, 2005-05-10 Akwesasne, NY, USA USA. Most recently in the OHL with Erie Otters. Complete player biography and stats.
www.eliteprospects.com
Also from Brock Otten:
"I just really like Terrance. I've made that pretty clear with my coverage this season. This guy can impact the game in so many different ways, but we haven't seen it consistently because Erie just wasn't great this year. I think his versatility makes him such an intriguing option. Look at the difference between how he was used in Erie vs. with the U.S. U18 team, yet he found success both ways. In Erie, he's a primary play driver at pivot who is counted upon to use his speed to lead the Otters in transition and who controls play in the offensive zone with his quick feet and strength on the puck. With the U.S. U18 team, he was asked to play the wing with Oliver Moore in a support role. He was asked to use his speed to forecheck, to drive the net and to play more consistently off the puck. This versatility, in combination with his speed is going to make him an attractive target to NHL teams who probably see him as fairly moldable in the future based on their needs. Terrance is a strong two-way player already. He has a very underrated shot. His 30 goals this year (third most among U18 players) were no fluke. He led the Otters in goal scoring by a significant margin (next closest was Sam Alfano with 18). Terrance is also a terrific forechecker, IMO one of the better ones in the OHL. His quickness is so difficult for opposing defenders to handle. Now...is the ceiling high? No, I don't believe so. I think Terrance profiles best as a quality third line option in the future. But, his well rounded skill set is going to give future coaches a lot of options on how they utilize him."
3-65- LW Juraj Pekarcik
Eliteprospects.com hockey player profile of Juraj Pekarcik, 2005-09-12 Trstena, SVK Slovakia. Most recently in the QMJHL with Moncton Wildcats. Complete player biography and stats.
www.eliteprospects.com
Juraj Pekarcik is a smooth skating Slovakian winger who boosted his draft stock significantly at the U18 World Championship.
thehockeywriters.com
3-85- RW Connor Levis
Eliteprospects.com hockey player profile of Connor Levis, 2004-10-05 Vancouver, BC, CAN Canada. Most recently in the WHL with Vancouver Giants. Complete player biography and stats.
www.eliteprospects.com
Connor Levis is a forward with good size and on-ice intelligence that should be available in the later rounds of the 2023 NHL Draft.
thehockeywriters.com
4-97- RD Axel Landen
Eliteprospects.com hockey player profile of Axel Landén, 2005-03-29 Jönköping, SWE Sweden. Most recently in the SHL with HV71. Complete player biography and stats.
www.eliteprospects.com
Brock Otten reviews the 2023 NHL Draft Prospects that most raised their profile in the 2023 IIHF U18 World Championship.
www.mckeenshockey.com
"Not an impactful player on the score sheet, Landen was a standout in the defensive end for the Swedes. He was a top penalty killer and held down the team’s third pairing. He looks the part of a future stay at home type at the NHL level with good mobility, size, and physicality, all from the right side. Last year Elias Pettersson was a standout in a similar way, and he ended up being a third-round pick."
5-129 - LD Justin Kipkie
Eliteprospects.com hockey player profile of Justin Kipkie, 2005-07-28 Calgary, AB, CAN Canada. Most recently in the WHL with Victoria Royals. Complete player biography and stats.
www.eliteprospects.com
His name may not be on the tip of the tongue, yet. Overlooked thus far by NHL Central Scouting rankings, 17 ye...
www.thezone.fm
6-161- G Rudy Guimond
Eliteprospects.com hockey player profile of Rudy Guimond, 2005-05-19 Pointe-Claire, QC, CAN Canada. Most recently in the QMJHL with Moncton Wildcats. Complete player biography and stats.
www.eliteprospects.com
I'm not seeing a public scouting report, but was able to watch him personally. Very intriguing hidden gem prospect who was nearly unbeatable at the prep level. He's long and lean, extremely composed and moves so effortlessly for a young lanky goalie. Not due to start at Yale for another two seasons, perhaps still time to change his path to the CHL.