Prospects Analysis: Pacific Division

Before the season began, we looked at the top three prospects from all 30 NHL teams and discussed what was expected this season. With the season nearing its completion, it's time review how the last seven months went for those 90 young players. 


(Notes: The prospects are in order that appeared in the original article in September. They wouldn't necessarily be in this order if they were re-ranked today. All stats as of May 31.)

Anaheim Ducks
1. John Gibson (G, Anaheim-NHL/Norfolk-AHL): Gibson didn't have the season that most of us expected, as he battled through injuries and ended up just playing 23 games for the Ducks. He once again showed flashes of brilliance, but his overall numbers (2.60 GAA, .914 save percentage) weren't great. He dominated once again during his stint in the AHL, showing one more time that he has nothing to prove in the minors. Frederik Andersen had a terrific season as Anaheim's No. 1 goaltender and it would be a surprise if he doesn't open next season as the starter. Gibson won't turn 22 years old until July, so spending another full year as Andersen's understudy isn't the worst thing.

2. Nicolas Kerdiles (C, Norfolk-AHL): The injury bug really bit Kerdiles in his first pro season, limiting him to just 51 games with the Admirals. He was fairly productive when in the lineup (nine goals and 26 points) but more was expected from him after two dominant seasons at the University of Wisconsin. Kerdiles remains a top prospect, with good hands around the net and the skills to potentially be a really effective power forward at the NHL level. He probably would have been a threat to make the Ducks out of camp next year if he stayed healthy all season long, but he is probably looking at least another half-year in the AHL.

3. Kevin Roy (LW, Northeastern University-NCAA): Roy's junior year at Northeastern was virtually identical to his sophomore one. That is, effective (19 goals and 44 points in 35 games) and under-the-radar. Roy has brilliant offensive skills, and he continues to work to add muscle to his small frame. The Ducks did all they could to sign Roy to an entry-level contract after the Huskies' season came to an end, but Roy decided he wanted to return to college for his senior season. He has 124 points in 101 games through three collegiate seasons.

Calgary Flames
1. Johnny Gaudreau (LW, Calgary-NHL): At times over the past couple of years I had several people strongly disagree with my claim that Gaudreau was a top-10 prospect. They all said he was too small and didn't think he could hold up for a full NHL season. Well, no only did Gaudreau hold up in his first NHL season, he excelled. After being a healthy scratch a couple of times early in the year, Gaudreau's game evolved during the season and he finished with terrific numbers: 24 goals and 64 points in 80 games. He played very well during the playoffs and showed his all-world offensive ability all season long. There is no doubt Gaudreau is tiny, but he's so shifty and such a smart player, he rarely gets hit. There simply aren't many players with his skill set in the NHL.

2. Sam Bennett (C, Calgary-NHL/Kingston-OHL): Bennett underwent major shoulder surgery in October and missed virtually the entire season. He returned to play 11 games for Kingston, where he had 24 points, and then joined the Flames after his junior season ended. Bennett played in the regular-season finale and then was a mainstay in the Calgary lineup for the playoffs. A tireless worker with a ton of ability, he could have some serious fantasy value as early as next season. Bennett will retain his rookie eligibility for the 2015-16 season, and he is one of the top prospects in the entire league.

3. Jon Gillies (G, Providence College-NCAA): The Flames spent the last two summers trying to get Gillies to sign an NHL contract, but he declined and decided to stay at Providence. It was the right call. Gillies ended up being name the Hockey East Goalie of the Year (24-13-2, 2.01 GAA, .930 save percentage) and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA tournament in helping the Friars win their first NCAA championship. Gillies uses his great size (6-foot-5, 215 pounds) to his advantage and he is generally unflappable in net. He signed with the Flames after the NCAA tournament came to a close and he is expected to begin next season in the AHL. Gillies is the goaltender of the future in Calgary, and we may see him sooner rather than later.

Edmonton Oilers
1. Darnell Nurse (D, Edmonton-NHL/S.S. Marie-OHL): The Oilers allowed Nurse to begin this past season in the NHL (he played two games), but after they realized they were going to stink again, they smartly sent him back to the OHL to develop and get major playing time. Nurse won a gold medal with Team Canada at the World Juniors, where he was arguably the best defenseman in the entire tournament. He returned to Sault Ste. Marie, played well and helped the Greyhounds make a deep run in the OHL playoffs. Based on their current depth chart, Nurse is easily one of the six best defenders in the Edmonton organization. Yet I expect the team to attempt to try to completely overhaul their defensive corps this summer, so it's too soon to say if Nurse will begin next season in the NHL or not. He's one of the brighter defensive prospects in the league.

2. Oscar Klefbom (D, Edmonton-NHL/Oklahoma City-AHL): Klefbom had a slow start to his season but he picked up the pace as the year went along. He looked lost during his brief NHL stint last season, but he seemed far more comfortable the second time around. He also performed better offensively (20 points in 60 NHL games) this season than I expected. I think his long-term role is as a second-pairing defenseman who can provide a bit of offense. I don't expect more than 30-to-35 points out of Klefbom, but as a big defender who is smart with the puck, he has some real value.

3. Leon Draisaitl (C, Edmonton-NHL/Kelowna-WHL): Draisaitl spent the vast majority of the season with the Oilers (37 games) and they returned him to juniors right after the New Year. Draisaitl showed flashes of his ability during his time in Edmonton, but it was no surprise that the 19-year-old was inconsistent. By all accounts, he was the most dominant player in the WHL upon returning. He helped lead Kelowna to the Memorial Cup final where they lost in overtime to Oshawa. Draisaitl is very physically mature for such a young kid and he's also responsible defensively. Connor McDavid is certainly going to nab one of the available center spots in Edmonton next season, but it would be a mistake if they didn't find room for Draisaitl, as well.

Los Angeles Kings
1. Valentin Zykov (RW, Baie Comeau/Gatineau-QMJHL): A trade from Baie Comeau to Gatineau and a hernia injury limited Zykov to just 42 QMJHL games this past season. He was productive when he was able to play (21 goals and 46 points) but he missed a considerable amount of time. The scouting report on Zykov hasn't changed. He's a big, physical forward who has good hands around the net but is a below-average skater. I think he may have problems adjusting to the speed of professional hockey, but he has potential. The fact he was willing to come over from Russia to play in the QMJHL is also a good sign.

2. Adrian Kempe (LW, MoDo-Sweden/Manchester-AHL): Kempe played this past year for MoDo, wasn't very productive (17 points in 50 games) and finished the season playing with the Kings' AHL affiliate in Manchester. I think he projects as a bigger version of Rangers winger Carl Hagelin, though not as fast a skater. That is, a guy who gets chances due to his skating ability, smarts and willingness to go to tough areas, but has difficulty finishing plays off. I wouldn't be surprised if he topped out as a third-liner at the NHL level.

3. Roland McKeown (D, Kingston-OHL/Charlotte-AHL): Once touted as a potential top-10 overall pick, McKeown fell to the Kings in the second-round of last year's draft and this past February they shipped him to Carolina in the deal that brought Andrej Sekera to Los Angeles. I think McKeown is a future NHL regular, but more of a third-pairing type guy. I expect him to give an NHL team 10-to-12 years of solid service, but never be particularly noticeable. The fact I had him ranked No. 3 in the Kings organization before last season was more due to their lack of quality prospects than McKeown's future ability.

Arizona Coyotes
1. Max Domi (C, London-OHL): Being that he had nothing left to learn or prove at the junior level, I was an advocate of the Coyotes keeping Domi on their roster this past season. They decided not to and shipped him back for a third season in London, where he once again made a complete mockery (32 goals and 102 points in 57 games) of the OHL. He was also one of the tournament's best players at the World Juniors. London's season ended early this year, but Domi was a bit banged up at the end of the year and the Coyotes decided against having him finish the season with their AHL affiliate in Portland. Domi's size will always be working against him (5-10, 195 pounds), but he's smart and quick and doesn't get hit very often. Next year's crop of rookies in the NHL has a chance to be legendary and I expect Domi to be one of the biggest reasons why.

2. Brendan Perlini (LW, Niagara-OHL): Add Perlini to the list of the walking wounded for much of this past season. A broken hand suffered at Coyotes rookie camp in September limited him to just 43 regular season games with Niagara. He was productive once again (26 goals and 60 points) when he played, but he still doesn't use his large frame (6-2, 210 pounds) to his advantage enough. Perlini relies on his speed and hands to do most of his damage. If he ever puts his size to use, he has the chance to potentially be a dominant power forward.

3. Henrik Samuelsson (C, Arizona-NHL/Portland-AHL): Samuelsson's first AHL season was productive (40 points in 68 games) and he turned it into a three-game trial with Arizona. He still labors around the ice, with poor skating habits going back to his junior days in the WHL. I'm starting to get concerned that his skating will limit his long-term ability. He's an extremely smart player who at the very least should be able to make a living as a right-handed shot on the power play, but I'm not totally convinced he'll ever be a huge asset at even strength at the NHL level.

San Jose Sharks
1. Danny O'Regan (RW, Boston University-NCAA): O'Regan has Jack Eichel to thank for restoring his status as a valuable prospect. One year after a dreadful sophomore season (10 goals and 22 points in 35 games), O'Regan played right wing this past season on a line with Eichel and posted 23 goals and 50 points in 41 games. With Eichel almost certain to be playing in the NHL next season and O'Regan deciding to return to school for his senior year, it will be extremely interesting to see if he can come anywhere close to duplicating his big numbers from this year. O'Regan has the smarts and skills to play center at the NHL level, but the Terriers may choose to leave him on the wing after his big year.

2. Mirco Mueller (D, San Jose-NHL, Worcester-AHL): Mueller played in 39 games this season with the Sharks, but he was extremely inconsistent, as most rookie defenseman are. He was a healthy scratch on many occasions and saw limited ice time on nights he did dress. San Jose wisely loaned him to the Swiss national team so he could play in the World Juniors against competition his own age. The Sharks are going to try to upgrade their defense this offseason, but I don't see anyway that they can add enough quality pieces to afford Mueller another full season in the AHL that he can probably use. While he has the smarts and skating ability to join the rush, I don't ever expect Mueller to produce much offense at the NHL level. He had just four points in 39 games in San Jose this season.

3. Nikolay Goldobin (RW, HIFK Helsinki-Finland, Worcester-AHL): Knowing that he nothing left to prove at the junior level and also knowing that he wasn't going to crack their roster this season, the Sharks allowed Goldobin to go to Finland to play against men. He fared well (21 points in 38 games), played for Russia at the World Juniors and returned to North America to join Worcester after HIFK's season was over. One of my favorite players from last year's draft, Goldobin is shifty and has terrific offensive skills. He has already signed his entry-level contract with the Sharks and I expect him to be playing in either the NHL or AHL next season.

Vancouver Canucks
1. Bo Horvat (C, Vancouver-NHL, Utica-AHL): It's hard to describe Horvat as a player. He's not a pure offensive guy, but he can score goals. He's not a pure defensive guy, but he can kill penalties and take big face offs. He's just a solid all-around player and he proved it in his rookie year in the NHL. He scored 13 goals in 68 games and was one of Vancouver's most important forwards late in the season and into the playoffs. Barring the rehabbing of an injury, I'd be shocked if he ever played another game in the minors.

2. Jake Virtanen (RW, Calgary-WHL, Utica-AHL): Off-season shoulder surgery got Virtanen's year off to a late start but he ended up playing a ton of hockey for Calgary, Utica and Team Canada at the World Juniors. After scoring 45 goals in 71 games in his draft year with Calgary, Virtanen took a major step back and posted just 21 goals in 50 games this past season. Part of that could be due to the shoulder injury or part if it could be due to the fact that he was on a team with a ton of top offensive weapons. Either way, the sixth-overall pick in last year's draft projects as a top sniper at the NHL level.

3. Hunter Shinkaruk (LW, Utica-AHL): While the numbers weren't great (16 goals and 31 points in 74 games), the most important thing is that Shinkaruk got in a full and relatively healthy season in his first year of professional hockey. He has dealt with numerous injuries in the past and it was nice to see him be able to dress just about every night. Shinkaruk has the skills to be an impact offensive player at the NHL level, but I'm not totally confident he'll ever reach his ceiling. He's one of those players with a high ceiling and a very low floor, which means he could either end up being an all-star at the NHL level or he could be a career minor leaguer. I think his second year of professional hockey will tell us a lot about his future development.