NHL Prospects: December 2019 Update

It's the holiday season, and that means it's time to update the prospects list. I've been covering hockey prospects for RotoWire for more than 15 years and this was by far the most difficult update I've ever done. Due to all the graduations that have occurred, there's no clear-cut No. 1 prospect at the moment. Speaking of graduations, 29 players have moved on and another handful have dropped off, so there are upwards of 40 new players listed below. Without further ado, let's get started.

(Notes: Players with 25 games or more of regular season NHL experience are not eligible. A couple of the "graduated" players below have played somewhere between 22-24 games. For the purpose of this exercise, I have excluded them.)

(All stats current through Thursday 12/12/19)

1- Kirill Kaprizov (LW-MIN): KHL contract expires after season. Wild pushing hard to bring him over. 
2- Alex Turcotte (C-LA)
3- Cole Caufield (RW-MON)
4- Trevor Zegras (C-ANH)
5- Vitali Kravtsov (RW-NYR): Strange season doesn't impact long-term ceiling. Heading back to North America.
6- Filip Zadina (LW-DET)
7- Igor Shesterkin (G-NYR): Sporting 1.92 GAA and .932 save percentage through first 16 AHL games. 
8- Ilya Samsonov (G-WAS)
9- Bowen Byram (D-COL)
10- Dylan Cozens (C-BUF)
11- Ilya Sorokin (G-NYI): Reportedly recently offered massive extension by KHL club. Contract expires after year.
12- Spencer Knight (G-FLA)
13- Rasmus Kupari (C-LA)
14- Grigori Denisenko (LW-FLA)
15- Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (G-BUF): Had off-season hip surgery. Currently playing/dominating in ECHL to get feet wet. 
16- Ryan Merkley (D-SJ)
17- Barrett Hayton (C-ARI)
18- K'Andre Miller (D-NYR)
19- Cam York (D-PHI)
20- Jordan Kyrou (RW-STL)
21- Adam Boqvist (D-CHI)
22- Morgan Frost (C-PHI)
23- Owen Tippett (RW-FLA)
24- Noah Dobson (D-NYI): Continues to spend most every night in press box. Has played in just eight games despite being wth Isles all season.
25- Timothy Liljegren (D-TOR)
26- Vasili Podkolzin (RW-VAN)
27- Oliver Wahlstrom (RW-NYI)
28- Ty Smith (D-NJ)
29- Alex Newhook (C-COL)
30- Matthew Boldy (LW-MIN): Will not be on US World Jr. roster. Has played better than numbers (1G, 3P in 15 GP) would suggest in freshman campaign at Boston College.
31- Lucas Elvenes (RW-VGK): Fifth in AHL scoring (7G, 27P in 27GP) as 20-year-old.
32- Arthur Kaliyev (RW-LA)
33- Evan Bouchard (D-EDM)
34- Moritz Seider (D-DET)
35- Jason Robertson (LW-DAL)
36- Akil Thomas (C-LA)
37- Jack Dugan (LW-VGK): Leads collegiate hockey (33P in 17GP) in scoring by wide margin.
38- Connor McMichael (C-WAS): Leads OHL (25G, 59P in 27GP) in scoring. Phenomenal hockey sense.
39- Jeremy Bracco (RW-TOR)
40- Thomas Harley (D-DAL)
41- Rasmus Sandin (D-TOR)
42- Bode Wilde (D-NYI): Back from off-season ankle injury.
43- Ryan Poehling (C-MON)
44- Peyton Krebs (C-VGK): Back from off-season Achilles injury. 
45- Dominik Bokk (RW-CAR): Traded to CAR from STL in Justin Faulk deal.
46- Gabriel Vilardi (C-LA): Finally returned after nearly two years on sidelines due to back issues. Playing in AHL.
47- Drake Batherson (RW-OTT)
48- Philip Broberg (D-EDM)
49- Alex Barre-Boulet (C-TB)
50- Tyler Madden (C-VAN)
51- Joe Veleno (C-DET)
52- Nils Hoglander (LW-VAN)
53- Bobby Brink (RW-PHI)
54- Serron Noel (RW-FLA)
55- Philip Tomasino (C-NSH)
56- Scott Perunovich (D-STL): Think Adam Fox. Should be in NHL in 2020-21.
57- Nick Robertson (LW-TOR)
58- Aleksi Heponiemi (LW-FLA): Early returns at AHL level are not promising. Zero goals in 22 games.
59- Ville Heinola (D-WPG)
60- Jake Oettinger (G-DAL)
61- Cayden Primeau (G-MON): Surprise recall recently earned first NHL win. 
62- Joshua Norris (C-OTT)
63- Kirill Marchenko (LW-CLS)
64- Nils Lundkvist (D-NYR): On pace (17P in 24GP) to be highest-scoring U-20 d-man in SHL history by wide margin.
65- Ty Dellandrea (C-DAL)
66- Liam Foudy (C-CLS)
67- Alex Formenton (LW-OTT)
68- Victor Soderstrom (D-ARI)
69- Raphael Lavoie (C-EDM)
70- Conor Timmins (D-COL)
71- Jakob Pelletier (LW-CGY)
72- Jack Studnicka (C-BOS)
73- Alexander Romanov (D-MON): Habs are trying to bring him to North American for 2020-21 campaign.
74- Tobias Bjornfot (D-LA)
75- Ryan Suzuki (C-CAR)
76- Alexander Alexeyev (D-WAS)
77- Jonathan Dahlen (LW-SJ): Loaned to Swedish club despite being under contract with San Jose. Has dominated (16G, 39P in 28 GP) overseas.
78- Olli Juolevi (D-VAN)
79- John Beecher (C-BOS)
80- Jacob Bernard-Docker (D-OTT)
81- Patrik Puistola (RW-CAR)
82- Pavel Dorofeyev (LW-VGK)
83- Ian Mitchell (D-CHI)
84- Alex Chmelevski (C-SJ) 
85- Jesper Boqvist (C-NJ): 
86- Nolan Foote (LW-TB): Foot speed appears to have improved. 
87- Brayden Tracey (LW-ANH)
88- Jared McIsaac (D-DET)
89- Justus Annunen (G-COL): 2018 third-rounder has 1.26 GAA, .947 save percentage in Finnish league.
90- Alexander Khovanov (C-MIN): Talented Russian has 53 points in 26 QMJHL games.
91- Lukas Dostal (G-ANH)
92- Kale Clague (D-LA)
93- Jesse Ylonen (LW-MON)
94- Isaac Ratcliffe (LW-PHI): Adjustment to pro hockey (two goals in 18 AHL games) has been slow.
95- Joey Keane (D-NYR)
96-  Ilya Nikolayev (C-CGY)
97- Jamieson Rees (C-CAR)
98- Jaret Anderson-Dolan (C-LA)
99- Zachary Jones (D-NYR)
100- Jan Jenik (C-ARI): 2018 third-rounder among surprise OHL scoring leaders. (56P in 27GP)
101- Isac Lundestrom (LW-ANH): Might not bring enough offense to table to be anything more than bottom-six option.
102- Evan Barratt (C-CHI)
103- Morgan Barron (LW-NYR)
104- David Farrance (D-NSH): Has 10G and 22P in 17GP for Boston University as a defenseman. 
105- Jonatan Berggren (RW-DET)
106- Josh Brook (D-MON)
107- Joseph Woll (G-TOR)
108- Daniil Tarasov (G-CLS)
109- Gabriel Fortier (LW-TB)
110- Ryan Johnson (D-BUF)
111- Mathais Emilio Pettersen (C-CGY)
112- Otto Koivula (C-NYI): Saw brief fourth-line minutes with Isles earlier this season. 
113- Oskari Laaksonen (D-BUF)
114- Benoit-Olivier Groulx (C-ANH)
115- Urho Vaakanainen (D-BOS)
116- Ivan Chekhovich (LW-SJ)
117- Shane Pinto (C-OTT)
118- Samuel Poulin (RW-PIT)
119- Yegor Afanasyev (LW-NSH)
120- Klim Kostin (RW-STL): Finally made NHL debut. Still don't love the compete level. 
121- Ruslan Iskhakov (RW-NYI)
122- Cal Foote (D-TB)
123- Nathan Legare (RW-PIT)
124- Kristian Vesalainen (LW-WPG)
125- Dylan Samberg (D-WPG)
126- Oskar Steen (C-BOS)
127- Philipp Kurashev (LW-CHI)
128- Robert Mastrosimone (LW-DET)
129- Pyotr Kochetkov (G-CAR)
130- Matthew Robertson (D-NYR)
131- German Rubtsov (C-PHI)
132- Lassi Thomson (D-OTT)
133- Juuso Valimaki (D-CGY)
134- Anttoni Honka (D-CAR): High-risk/high-reward prospect. Smart draft choice by Carolina.
135- Tyler Benson (LW-EDM)
136- Alexander Volkov (LW-TB)
137- Calen Addison (D-PIT)
138- Kevin Bahl (D-NJ): Massive rearguard has improved skating and offers more skill than he gets credit for. Recently dealt to Devils in Taylor Hall trade. 
139- Ian Scott (G-TOR)
140- Sean Durzi (D-LA)
141- Declan Chisholm (D-WPG)
142- Vladislav Kolyachonok (D-FLA)
143- Matias Maccelli (LW-ARI): 2019 fourth-rounder turned 19 in October and already has 24 points in 25 games in Finnish senior league. 
144- Albin Grewe (RW-DET)
145- Tanner Laczynski (C-PHI)
146- Simon Holmstrom (RW-NYI)
147- Martin Kaut (RW-COL)
148- Samuel Fagemo (LW-LA)
149- Ivan Morozov (C-VGK)
150- Dustin Wolf (G-CGY): Making mockery (1.86 GAA, .943 save percentage in 22 games) of WHL.
151- Tyler Wall (G-NYR): Making mockery (1.72 GAA, .945 save percentage in 17 games) of Hockey East.
152- Mattias Norlinder (D-MON)
153- Alex Vlasic (D-CHI)
154- Vladislav Firstov (LW-MIN)
155- Jakub Lauko (C-BOS)
156- Elvis Merzlikins (G-CLS): Long stretches between starts hasn't helped development.
157- Jacob Olofsson (C-MON)
158- Karl Henriksson (C-NYR)
159- Michael McLeod (C-NJ)
160- Hugo Alnefelt (G-TB)
161- Adam Beckman (LW-MIN)
162- Jackson LaCombe (D-ANH)
163- Kole Lind (RW-VAN): Back on the map following dreadful first pro season.
164- Taylor Raddysh (RW-TB)
165- Vitali Abramov (RW-OTT)
166- Stelio Mattheos (RW-CAR): Diagnosed with testicular cancer in June. Back playing in AHL. 
167- Samuel Ersson (G-PHI)
168- Aarne Talvitie (LW-NJ)
169- Antti Tuomisto (D-DET)
170- Alexei Protas (C-WSH): Hulking 6-foot-6 pivot has excellent set of hands.
171- Aidan Dudas (C-LA)
172- Eetu Luostarinen (LW-CAR)
173- Albin Eriksson (LW-DAL)
174- Nikolai Kovalenko (RW-COL)
175- Janne Kuokkanen (LW-CAR)
176- Morgan Geekie (C-CAR)
177- Niklas Nordgren (RW-CHI)
178- Reilly Walsh (D-NJ)
179- Yegor Zamula (D-PHI)
180- Hunter Jones (G-MIN)
181- Alec Regula (D-CHI)
182- Jachym Kondelik (C-NSH)
183- Mitchell Stephens (C-TB)
184- Erik Portillo (G-BUF)
185- Mikhail Abramov (C-TOR)
186- Martin Fehervary (D-WAS)
187- Jake Bean (D-CAR)
188- Ilya Konovalov (G-EDM)
189- Johnny Gruden (LW-OTT)
190- Mikey Anderson (D-LA)
191- Maxim Cajkovic (RW-TB)
192- Mikhail Berdin (G-WPG)
193- Joachim Blichfeld (LW-SJ)
194- Nick Abruzzese (C-TOR)
195- Jonathan Tychonick (D-OTT)
196- Tyce Thompson (C-NJ)
197- Mads Sogaard (G-OTT)
198- Ryan McLeod (C-EDM)
199- Michal Teply (RW-CHI)
200- Lauri Pajuniemi (RW-NYR)

Graduated

• Jack Hughes (C-NJ)
• Kaapo Kakko (RW-NYR)
• Cale Makar (D-COL)
• Quinn Hughes (D-VAN)
• Cody Glass (C-VGK)
• Martin Necas (C-CAR)
• Joel Farabee (LW-PHI)
• Erik Brannstrom (D-OTT)
• Kirby Dach (C-CHI)
• Nick Suzuki (C-MON)
• Nikita Gusev (LW-NJ)
• Sam Steel (C-ANH)
• Adam Fox (D-NYR)
• Emil Bemstrom (C-CLS)
• Alexandre Texier (C-CLS)
• Maxime Comtois (LW-ANH)
• Philippe Myers (D-PHI)
• Victor Olofsson (Lw-BUF)
• Dante Fabbro (D-NSH)
• Logan Brown (C-OTT)
• Nicolas Hague (D-VGK)
• Thatcher Demko (G-VAN)
• Alexander Nylander (RW-CHI)
• Denis Gurianov (RW-DAL)
• Josh Mahura (D-ANH)
• Carl Grundstrom (LW-LA)
• Mikhail Vorobyov (C-PHI)
• Libor Hajek (D-NYR)
• Ilya Mikheyev (RW-TOR)

DROPPED OFF

• Kieffer Bellows (LW-NYI)
• Jakub Skarek (G-NYI)
• Trent Frederic (C-BOS)
• Nikolay Prokhorkin (LW-LA)
• Nate Schnarr (C-NJ)
• Noah Gregor (C-SJ)
• Dmitri Samorukov (D-EDM)
• Alex Nedeljkovic (G-CAR)
• Kasper Bjorkqvist (RW-PIT)
• Wyatt Kalynuk (D-PHI)
• Brett Leason (RW-WAS)
• Pierre-Olivier Joseph (D-PIT)