Prospects Analysis: Central Division

This is the third of a four-part series that will cover, dissect, and rank the top prospects of each NHL organization. I covered 15 prospects for each club along with a potential sleeper. Some NHL organizations have considerably more than 15 players who project as potential assets down the line while other clubs barely made it to double digits. 

If a player has a number next to his name, it represents his overall ranking in our top-200. Scouting reports for the top-100 can be found here...
Part 1
Part 2

Note: Players with 25 games or more of regular-season NHL experience are not eligible for this list. 

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS
Overview: The Blackhawks are a middling NHL club with a middling prospect pool. There's plenty of depth, particularly on defense, but they only have a handful of guys who project as top-six forwards or top-four defensemen. There's strength in numbers, however, as guys such as forwards Tim Soderlund, Alexandre Fortin and Andrei Altybarmakyan, and goaltender Kevin Lankinen, who are all legitimate prospects, don't crack their top 15.
1- Kirby Dach (C) (25)
2- Adam Boqvist (D) (26)
3- Alexander Nylander (RW) (87)
4- Ian Mitchell (D) (92)
5- Evan Barratt (C) (111)
6- Philipp Kurashev (LW) (118)
7- Alex Vlasic (D) (138)
8- Niklas Nordgren (RW) (161)
9- Nicolas Beaudin (D)
10- Chad Krys (D)
11- Dominik Kubalik (LW)
12- Mackenzie Entwistle (RW)
13- Aleksi Saarela (C)
14- Michal Teply (LW)
15- Alexis Gravel (G)
Sleeper: Jake Wise (C)
Summary: Barratt (16 goals, 43 points in 32 games) was one of the most productive players in the country during his sophomore season at Penn State. His foot speed remains a concern, but his hockey IQ and offensive awareness are legit. Kurashev led the 2019 World Junior Championship in goals with six for his native Switzerland. Because he's an international player, he'll be eligible to play in the AHL this year despite the fact that he'll be just 19 years old when the season begins. Vlasic is a massive (6-foot-6), mobile kid who's slowly adding offense to his game. He's off to Boston University this year. Nordgren is an undersized (5-foot-9, 170 pounds) offensive dynamo who's dealt with injuries recently. Beaudin was a first-round pick (27th overall) in 2019. He's talented, but I'm not entirely convinced he's anything more than a really good AHL'er. Krys' stock has been all over the place the past few seasons. He's currently on the rise as he gets set to turn pro. Kubalik signed a one-year contract with Chicago in May after having his rights dealt from Los Angeles. He led the Swiss league in scoring last season while being named league MVP. He should spend this season in the NHL. Entwistle is a solid all-around player who can't skate. He figures to max out as a depth/power-play guy. Saarela has been exceedingly productive in his first two AHL seasons, so it's difficult to understand why he's already with the third NHL organization of his career at age 22. The Blackhawks drafted his younger brother, Antti, this past June. Teply is the European version of Entwistle. Gravel, a sixth-rounder in 2018, has a chance to be on the Canadian World Junior team this holiday season if he gets off to a quick start for QMJHL Halifax. Wise's freshman season at BU was an unmitigated disaster. He managed just two assists in 12 games before a shoulder injury wrecked the remainder of his year. No prospect in the system needs a bounce-back performance more than the 2018 third-rounder. 

COLORADO AVALANCHE
Overview: You can count on one hand the number of teams in the NHL who can roll out a prospect trio that can match Makar, Byram, and Newhook. In addition to those three, Colorado's system includes a nice combination of both floor and upside plays. The Avalanche organization as a whole is trending in the right direction, and they're going to be a good team for a long time. 
1- Cale Makar (D) (3)
2- Bowen Byram (D) (13)
3- Alex Newhook (C) (37)
4- Conor Timmins (D) (98)
5- Martin Kaut (RW) (143)
6- Nikolai Kovalenko (RW)
7- Pavel Francouz (G)
8- Justus Annunen (G)
9- Alex Beaucage (RW)
10- Drew Helleson (D)
11- Sampo Ranta (LW)
12- Cam Morrison (LW)
13- Shane Bowers (C)
14- Adam Werner (G)
15- Nicolas Meloche (D)
Sleeper: Matthew Stienburg (C)
Summary: Kaut, the 16th overall selection in 2018, played his entire draft-plus-one season in the AHL as a 19-year-old. His production was modest (12 goals, 26 points in 63 games), but he was always viewed as a high-floor guy with limited upside. I believe in Kovalenko's skill level, but we're unlikely to see him display it on a consistent basis until he earns a larger role in the KHL. Francouz, a former KHL star in his own right, is expected to serve as Colorado's backup this season after spending last year in the AHL. Annunen should get an opportunity to play in the senior Finnish league this season. Beaucage is a solid scorer, but scouts are worried that his strong QMJHL numbers (39 goals, 79 points in 68 games) were the result of playing alongside quality junior players for the eventual Memorial Cup Champion Rouyn-Noranda Huskies. Helleson, a Boston College commit, keeps things simple offensively. He might make it as a depth/shutdown guy. Ranta is an excellent skater, but he tends to vanish for long stretches at a time. He'll be a sophomore at the University of Minnesota this year. Morrison will be an unrestricted free agent in September 2020 if he doesn't sign with Colorado following his senior season at Notre Dame. Bowers is a former first-round pick of Ottawa (28th overall, '17), but no matter how hard I try, I can't get excited about him. I'm not even sure if he has the potential to be an NHL regular in a bottom-six role. Werner, a Swedish import, figures to take over for Francouz as the starting goalie for Colorado's AHL club. Meloche makes for decent depth, but that's about it. Stienburg had all sorts of health issues in his draft year. Colorado shocked many by taking him in the second round this past June. He's off to Cornell for the 2019-20 campaign. 

DALLAS STARS
Overview: The top half of the Dallas prospect list has a decidedly North American flavor, while the bottom half contains several upside European players. There's some depth here, but Dallas has had multiple players (Point, Tufte) see their stock crumble over the past 12 months. 
1- Jason Robertson (LW) (56)
2- Thomas Harley (D) (71)
3- Ty Dellandrea (C) (84)
4- Jake Oettinger (G) (95)
5- Denis Gurianov (RW) (116)
6- Albin Eriksson (LW) (150)
7- Curtis Douglas (C)
8- Adam Mascherin (LW)
9- Oscar Back (C)
10- Fredrik Karlstrom (C)
11- Colton Point (G)
12- Riley Tufte (LW)
13- Joel Kiviranta (RW)
14- Emil Djuse (D)
15- Tye Felhaber (RW)
Sleeper: Ben Brinkman (D)
Summary: Gurianov finally had his breakout season at age 21. He produced at the AHL level (48 points in 57 games) and got into 21 games with the Stars. I do wonder, however, if the off-season acquisitions of Joe Pavelski and Corey Perry will result in Gurianov beginning the 2019-20 season right back in the minors. Eriksson is a big-bodied forward who continues to develop his game in Sweden. I'm a believer, but there are concerns about his effort level. Douglas is an extreme longshot, but his size (6-foot-8) makes him highly intriguing and I'm a sucker for massive upside plays. Mascherin scored 18 goals during his first AHL season. He's a legitimate sniper held back by a lack of foot speed. His ceiling is probably a power-play specialist. Like Eriksson, Back and Karlstrom both possess terrific size and should play this year in the SHL. Point may have had the worst season of any prospect in the game. I think I had him as a top-50 guy at one point, but he was so bad in the AHL during his first pro season (3.77 GAA, .857 save percentage) that Dallas ended up sending him to the ECHL, where he was equally awful (3.28 GAA, .887 save percentage). He's closer to being a non-prospect than he is to cracking the top-100 again. Tufte was viewed as a raw power forward when the Stars spent the 25th selection on him in 2016, but he didn't improve a lick during his three seasons at Minnesota-Duluth. Dallas had no choice but to hand him an entry-level contract given his pedigree, but I'm not expecting much when he turns pro this season. Kiviranta and Djuse were both free agents signings from Europe who will provide depth at the AHL level. Felhaber was undrafted, but finished last season with 59 goals and 109 points in 68 OHL games. The odds are against him, but he was worth an entry-level deal. Brinkman took a regular shift at the University of Minnesota at age 18 last year. His upside is nonexistent, but he might be able to make it as a stay-at-home up-and-down guy. 

MINNESOTA WILD
Overview: The fate of the Minnesota prospect pool rests entirely on the shoulders of Kaprizov and Boldy. They have a few intriguing names as you move further down the list, but this group is in real trouble if those two guys don't turn out to be impact NHL players. Of course, for that to happen, the Wild need to get Kaprizov over from Russia. Hitting on one of two isn't going to be enough for an organization that would be wise to enter a rebuild sooner rather than later. 
1- Kirill Kaprizov (LW) (6)
2- Matthew Boldy (LW) (33)
3- Alexander Khovanov (LW) (153)
4- Vladislav Firstov (LW) (174)
5- Marshall Warren (D)
6- Nico Sturm (C)
7- Adam Beckman (LW)
8- Mason Shaw (C)
9- Ivan Lodnia (RW)
10- Hunter Jones (G)
11- Filip Johansson (D)
12- Jack McBain (C)
13- Fedor Gordeev (D)
14- Connor Dewar (C)
15- Kaapo Kahkonen (G)
Sleeper: Matvei Guskov (C)
Summary: Khovanov played a full season and managed 25 goals and 74 points in 64 QMJHL games this past year. He has by far the highest ceiling in the system outside of Kaprizov and Boldy, but he underwent surgery in late August to remove a benign bone tumor from his leg. He's expected to be ready to return to action in four-to-six weeks, so he shouldn't miss too much time to begin the year. Firstov is a solid, well-rounded prospect. He is headed to the University of Connecticut this fall. Warren brings excellent hockey IQ to the table, albeit with limited size. He's a Boston College commit. Sturm was the most sought after undrafted collegiate free agent last spring. He ended up signing with the Wild and played two games for them late in the year. I don't think he's going to score much as a pro, but he has the size (6-foot-3, 210 pounds) to contribute in other areas. He could develop into an NHL regular and is ready to help the team now. Beckman is a sniper who overachieved (32 goals) during his first full WHL campaign. There might not be much room for further growth in his game. After missing virtually all of the 2017-18 season due to injury, Shaw returned to play 76 AHL games last year. The production was modest (eight goals, 33 points), but I'm willing to give him another year to return to full health. I've been one of Lodnia's biggest fans for a while, but his offensive game never really developed at the junior level. Set to turn pro this season, he should probably be considered an up-and-down guy until further notice. Jones was the 59th overall pick this past June. His OHL numbers have been poor, but he has the size (6-foot-4, 195 pounds) all NHL clubs are seeking in their goaltenders these days. He's a project. Johansson, the 24th overall selection in 2018, is the poster child for the failed Paul Fenton era in Minnesota. It's not fair to the kid because he never should have been selected that high, but he also didn't play well this past season. Hopefully he can get back on track in his native Sweden this year. I can't see him being more than a third-pairing guy even if he finds his game. McBain is an offensive player who failed to put up points (six goals, 13 points in 35 games) during his freshman season at BC. I just don't think he skates fast enough or plays with enough pace to make it as a pro. Gordeev was acquired from Toronto in late May for a seventh-round pick. It was a worthwhile gamble for the Wild, as he brings size to the table (6-foot-7) that you simply can't teach. He should begin this season in the AHL. Set to turn pro, Dewar scored no fewer than 36 goals in each of his final two WHL campaigns. It remains to be seen if he'll be able to generate offense at the AHL level. The 23-year-old Kahkonen led the AHL in shutouts last season with six. He makes for useful depth. Guskov is a talented Russian import who made a shockingly minimal impact (12 goals, 30 points in 59 games) during his first season with OHL London. His talent is worth betting on, but he needs a rebound performance in 2019-20. 

NASHVILLE PREDATORS
Overview: Nashville's system is pretty thin and things could get ugly in two or three years, but there's probably enough here to supplement what is already a very good NHL roster. They do, however, need to continue to add depth at all three positions, as most of the names listed below are longshots.
1- Eeli Tolvanen (LW) (28)
2- Dante Fabbro (D) (72)
3- Philip Tomasino (C) (79)
4- Yegor Afanasyev (LW) (141)
5- Rem Pitlick (C)
6- Jachym Kondelik (C)
7- Jeremy Davies (D)
8- Alexander Campbell (C)
9- David Farrance (D)
10- Tomas Vomacka (G)
11- Niclas Westerholm (G)
12- Yakov Trenin (C)
13- Semyon Chistyakov (D)
14- Frederic Allard (D)
15- Patrick Harper (C)
Sleeper: Marc Del Gaizo (D) 
Summary: Afanasyev is an excellent prospect who needs to work at playing with a bit more pace. He's an easy top-six forward if he can learn how to play faster, but I'm not even sure that's coachable. Afanasyev's decision to play for OHL Windsor instead of attending Michigan State is excellent news for his future development. A former member Big 10 Rookie and First-Team member at the University of Minnesota, Pitlick signed his entry-level contract in March and immediately burned the first year by playing a game with Nashville. He should begin this season in the AHL. Kondelik has remarkable patience with the puck for a 6-foot-7 19-year-old. His lack of foot speed is a concern, but he definitely has NHL-quality attributes in his game. Kondelik will be a sophomore at U-Conn. Davies came over from New Jersey in the P.K. Subban trade. A former seventh-round selection (2016), the offensive-minded defenseman has already overachieved by earning an entry-level deal with the Preds. Campbell, a 2020-21 commit to Clarkson, is a talented offensive player, but some scouts are worried his big year in the BCHL (21 goals, 67 points in 53 games) was the result of playing on the league's top line alongside Colorado first-rounder Alex Newhook and Rangers prospect Riley Hughes. Farrance's world-class speed will give him a chance to play in the league. He'll be a junior at Boston University. Vomacka outplayed Rangers prospect Adam Huska at the University of Connecticut last season. Set to enter his junior year in Storrs, the Czech goaltender should get all the playing time he can handle for the Huskies this season. The 22-year-old Westerholm signed with Nashville in April as an undrafted free agent. He provides useful depth in goal and could spend this coming year in the AHL. A loan back to his native Finland for one more season is also still on the table. Trenin was a really good junior player who has struggled to score as a pro. Time is running out for the 22-year-old. Chistyakov was a fourth-rounder in 2019. He needs to bulk up, but he's a talented offensive defenseman. Allard has spent the past two seasons in the AHL, but he still won't turn 22 until December. He could get a look in Nashville this season if injuries arise. I'm pretty sure I had Harper in my top-100 at some point a couple years ago, but he's a borderline non-prospect after no-showing both his sophomore and junior seasons at Boston University. He could become an unrestricted free agent in September 2020 if he declines to sign with Nashville. I'm hesitant to write him off given how good he;s looked in the past, but I never saw these struggles (or anything close to them) coming. Del Gaizo went undrafted in 2018, but managed to parlay a strong freshman season (13 goals, 29 points in 41 games) at UMass into a fourth-round selection this past June. His lack of size (5-foot-9) is a concern, but there might be something there. 

ST. LOUIS BLUES
Overview: It's a good thing the Blues won the Stanley Cup last season, because their isn't much help on the way. The first five or six names below are intriguing, but the decline after that is massive. I struggled to even find a dozen prospects to list. Kyrou and Bokk are talented enough to save this system, but St. Louis is going to need a breakthrough performance from some unexpected players in order to continue to contend.
1- Jordan Kyrou (RW) (29)
2- Dominik Bokk (RW) (46)
3- Scott Perunovich (D) (106)
4- Klim Kostin (RW) (179)
5- Nikita Alexandrov (C)
6- Ville Husso (G)
7- Colten Ellis (G)
8- Hugh McGing (LW)
9- Dakota Joshua (LW)
10- Keean Washkurak (C)
11- Alexei Toropchenko (RW)
12- Jake Walman (D)
13- Vadim Zherenko (G)
14- Anton Andersson (D)
15- Tyler Tucker (D)
Sleeper: Erik Foley (LW)
Summary: I was hoping Perunovich would sign with St. Louis this past summer as he has nothing to gain by playing another season of collegiate hockey, but he decided to return to Minnesota-Duluth for his junior year. A smart puck-mover with exceptional hockey sense, I could see Perunovich in the Blues lineup by the end of the 2019-20 season depending on how the Bulldogs' year goes. I'm just about done with Kostin. His size/skill combo is fantastic, but he disappears for long stretches at a time and I don't love his effort level. Time is on his side, however, as this will be his third AHL season at age 20. The Blues thought enough of Alexandrov to hand him an entry-level deal a little over a month after making him a second-round selection this past June. He's a good looking offensive player who should continue to improve as he gets more reps in North America. I remain a Husso supporter, but his performance this past season (3.67 GAA, .871 save percentage in 27 AHL games) was highly concerning and difficult to defend. I could see him returning to Finland in 2020-21 if the struggles continue. Ellis was a third round pick in 2019. He has average size (6-foot-1) and has put up good numbers in the goal-happy QMJHL. McGing is a legitimately talented player who may simply be too small to impact a game consistently as a professional. He'll be a senior at Western Michigan University this year. St. Louis acquired Joshua, a sixth-rounder in 2014, from Toronto in July and immediately signed him to an entry-level deal. His numbers in four seasons at Ohio State were up and down. He's probably a minor-leaguer. Washkurak was one of the younger players in this past June's draft. Still just 17 years old, he has played for Canada internationally and will continue to develop with OHL Mississauga this season. Toropchenko had a mediocre OHL campaign (17 goals, 43 points in 62 games) before exploding (13 goals, 19 points in 24 games) in the playoffs last year. I'm interested in seeing how  he fares at the AHL level in 2019-20. Walman can skate and is a talented offensive defenseman, but his play in his own zone has never developed and he's not dynamic enough to make it as a power-play guy. He finished the 2018-19 season with a minus-31 rating in 66 AHL games. Zherenko, a seventh round pick in 2019, is your classic draft-and-stash goaltending prospect. Andersson is intriguing, as he's a big kid (6-foot-3, 215 pounds) with some skill. Tucker actually played some AHL games on an ATO last season after being the 200th overall selection in the 2018 draft. He had a nice offensive year (14 goals, 59 points in 68 games) for OHL Barrie. Foley is listed as a "sleeper" because he missed all of last season due to a concussion issue. He's a talented kid who can play a physical game, but he's one bad hit away from his career being over. I had him in the top 100 at one point. 

WINNIPEG JETS
Overview: The Jets have plenty of defensive depth in their system, but that's about it. Their prospect pool is led by a high-ceiling forward (Vesalainen) and a high-floor defenseman (Heinola) and it's all question marks thereafter. I think Winnipeg is clearly a bottom-five system at this point. Their inability to maximize their return for a high-end asset like Jacob Trouba cost them at least a few legitimate prospects. 
1- Kristian Vesalainen (LW) (83)
2- Ville Heinola (D) (93)
3- Dylan Samberg (D) (121)
4- Mikhail Berdin (G) (200)
5- Henri Nikkanen (C)
6- Declan Chisholm (D)
7- Logan Stanley (D)
8- David Gustafsson (C)
9- Simon Lundmark (D)
10- Harrison Blaisdell (C)
11- Andrei Chibisov (RW)
12- Johnny Kovacevic (D)
13- Nathan Smith (C)
14- Jansen Harkins (C)
15- Luke Green (D)
Sleeper: Leon Gawanke (D)
Summary: A former two-time member of the United States World Junior team, Samberg has elected to return to Minnesota-Duluth for his junior season rather than turn pro this year. He's stout defensively and I've always thought that he has a bit more offense to his game than he's shown in college. As one of the few sure-fire prospects in the system, the Jets need to do whatever is necessary to get him signed. Berdin spent two campaigns in the USHL before turning pro this past season. He split his year between the AHL and ECHL, and played considerably better (2.34 GAA, .927 save percentage in 23 games) at the higher level. I thought Nikkanen was a nice value pick at No. 113 overall this past June. His skating needs some work, but he's talented. Chisholm is an under-the-radar candidate for the Canadian World Junior team. His play -- particularly his offensive game -- has improved as he has received more ice time with OHL Peterborough. Stanley was the 18th overall pick in 2016. He just hasn't developed as the Jets expected. He has great size at 6-foot-7, but he doesn't do anything exceptionally well. A best-case scenario here is a shutdown third-pairing guy. Gustafsson looks like a nice, two-way bottom-six center. He's expected to be in training camp this fall before being loaned back to HV71 of the SHL. Lundmark was viewed by many as a late riser in the 2019 draft, but few saw him ending up as a mid-second-round pick. He has a high floor as a competent, all-around right-handed shooting defenseman. Blaisdell scored 33 goals in the BCHL last season, but that number probably overrates his offensive potential. Most of his goals are the result of effort. He's off to the University of North Dakota this season. The 26-year-old Chibisov has spent the past five seasons in the KHL. He could be a fourth-line option for the cash-strapped Jets this year. Kovacevic will never put up many points, but he does a lot of things well. He'll turn pro this season and has a shot to make it as an NHL regular. Smith appears to have high-end skill, but it remains to be seen if he can produce at the collegiate level. He'll play at Minnesota State (Mankato) this year. I thought Harkins would develop into a useful role player, but now I'm not sure if he has enough skill to even fill a bottom-six position, and he's never been a great skater. Green was a good looking prospect at one point, but he's dealt with injuries and his play in his own zone has never significantly improved. Gawanke led all QMJHL defenseman in goals last season with 17. The 2017 fifth-rounder will begin this campaign in the AHL.