2020 NHL Draft Right Wing Rankings

What are NZ NHL scouts looking for in a player?

While the NZ staff looks at all the relevant data in their evaluations such as skating, size, passing, shooting, defending, etc. Ian specifically breaks down his process in evaluating talent for the NHL; which he admits is different than how he evaluates youth prospects.

Hockey Sense – All players at the highest levels can skate and pass and make plays. The MOST important differentiation when you get to the highest levels are the players who think the game, who can make smart decisions at top speed and have the awareness and vision to read the play both with and away from the puck.
Versatility – Most all the players on this list are leaders on their teams and in their leagues. They score goals, they play power play and get a lot of ice time. At the next level these prospects are going to be asked to block shots, to play only 8-10 minutes and kill penalties. The players who can play up and down the lineup, play center or wing; rush the puck or stay back and defend; are going to be major distinguishers of who makes it and who doesn’t. Only a very small group of prospects have the same role throughout their career.
Distinguishable Skill Set – The honest reality of the NHL is a player is going to have training camps, rookie camps and being called up to make an impression on the GM and the Head Coach. To do that you likely have to possess a skill or group of skills that really stand out. This could be play making ability, scoring ability, skating ability, toughness, high compete, etc. However, players with a skill set to hang their hat on have a higher chance of getting a shot in the league. Some players on the list, particularly on the bottom half, have 1 or 2 traits that are NHL caliber and that could get them a shot at the NHL but they’ll have to improve the rest of their game to stay there.

What do the grades mean?

One of Ian’s best attributes having played in the NHL for a long time is knowing what it takes to play professional hockey at the highest levels. The grades separate who are the pros and who are the prospects. Ian gives an “A” grade to players he believes can play in the NHL by the time they are 21 years old. “A-” players are prospects who are likely to have NHL careers but may take another year or two to make it. B+ prospects are players with a chance at having an NHL career but are more likely 23 years old or older before they get their real chance. The “B” ranked prospects have a chance to make it to the NHL but will need to improve in order to have a career and the rest B- are draftable, late bloomer types who are likely to be drafted but unlikely to have an NHL career. C+ and down are players who have some NHL level attribute but need to develop the rest of their game to make it up the list.

*NR = Not Ranked **NG = No Grade

FEB	MAY	NAME	H	W	RIGHT WING	TEAM	FEB GRADE	MAY GRADE
1	1	Alexander Holtz	6′ 0″	192	RIGHT WING	DJURGARDEN	A	A
2	2	Jack Quinn	6′ 0″	176	RIGHT WING	OTTAWA	A	A
3	3	Noel Gunler	6′ 2″	176	RIGHT WING	LULEA	A	A
6	4	Tyson Foerster	6′ 2″	194	RIGHT WING	BARRIE	A-	A
8	5	Kasper Simontaival	5′ 9″	177	RIGHT WING	TAPPARA JR.	A-	A
4	6	Zion Nybeck	5′ 6″	182	RIGHT WING	HV 71 JR.	A	A
5	7	Jacob Perreault	5’11”	198	RIGHT WING	SARNIA	A-	A
7	8	Brandon Coe	6′ 4″	188	RIGHT WING	NORTH BAY	A-	A
14	9	Ozzy Wiesblatt	5′ 10″	183	RIGHT WING	PRINCE ALBERT	B+	A-
16	10	Luke Evangelista	5′ 11″	166	RIGHT WING	LONDON	B+	A-
11	11	Martin Chromiak	5′ 11″	179	RIGHT WING	KINGSTON	A-	A-
9	12	Bogdan Trineyev	6′ 3″	198	RIGHT WING	DYNAMO MOSCOW 2	A-	A-
10	13	Veeti Miettinen	5’9″	159	RIGHT WING	KIEKKO	A-	A-
12	14	Connor McClennon	5′ 8″	163	RIGHT WING	WINNIPEG	B+	B+
15	15	Tyler Tullio	5′ 10″	165	RIGHT WING	OSHAWA	B+	B+
13	16	Justin Sourdif	5′ 11″	173	RIGHT WING	VANCOUVER	B+	B+
17	17	Maxim Groshev	6′ 2″	194	RIGHT WING	NIZHNEKAMSK	B+	B+
18	18	Alexander Pashin	5′ 8″	154	RIGHT WING	UFA 2	B+	B+
19	19	Sam Colangelo	6′ 2″	205	RIGHT WING	CHICAGO	B+	B+
25	20	Alex Laferriere	5′ 11″	172	RIGHT WING	DES MOINES	B	B
20	21	Pavel Novak	5’10”	170	RIGHT WING	KELOWNA	B	B
21	22	Ryan Francis	5′ 9″	170	RIGHT WING	CAPE BRETON	B	B
22	23	Zayde Wisdom	5′ 10″	195	RIGHT WING	KINGSTON	B	B
23	24	Simon Knak	6′ 1″	185	RIGHT WING	PORTLAND	B-	B-
24	25	Jushua Groll	5’10”	180	RIGHT WING	LINCOLN	B-	B-
26	26	Reid Valade	5’10”	161	RIGHT WING	KITCHENER	B-	B-
28	27	Oliver Suni	6′ 1″	188	RIGHT WING	OSHAWA	C+	B-
47	28	Joonas Oden	6′ 0″	183	RIGHT WING	KOOKOO	C	C+
32	29	Lucas Mercuri	6’3″	192	RIGHT WING	SALISBURY	C+	C+
30	30	Maxim Beryozkin	6′ 2″	201	RIGHT WING	YAROSLAVL 2	C+	C+
45	31	Riley Piercey	6’3″	201	RIGHT WING	FLINT	C	C+
31	32	William Dufour	6’2″	181	RIGHT WING	DRUMMONDVILLE	C+	C+
27	33	Ryder Rolston	6′ 1″	175	RIGHT WING	WATERLOO	B-	C+
33	34	Sam Stange	6’0″	187	RIGHT WING	SIOUX CITY	C+	C+
51	35	Tarun Fizer	5’11”	161	RIGHT WING	VICTORIA	C	C+
29	36	Martin Lang	5’11”	172	RIGHT WING	MOOSE JAW	C	C+
41	37	Dylan Jackson	5’9″	157	RIGHT WING	DUBUQUE	C	C
NR	38	Nick Capone	6’2″	211	RIGHT WING	TRI-CITY	NG	C
36	39	Tanner Latsch	6’1″	190	RIGHT WING	USA U-18	C+	C
37	40	Douglas Grimes	6’3″	190	RIGHT WING	DEXTER	C	C
34	41	Alex Jefferies	5’11”	185	RIGHT WING	GUNNERY	C+	C
39	42	Payton Mount	5’8″	183	RIGHT WING	SEATTLE	C	C
40	43	Raimonds Vitolins	6’0″	163	RIGHT WING	SIOUX FALLS	C	C
38	44	Senna Peeters	6′ 0″	178	RIGHT WING	HALIFAX	C	C
39	45	Brendan Hoffman	6’2″	205	RIGHT WING	ERIE	C	C
40	46	Robbie Fromm-Delorme	6’1″	176	RIGHT WING	PORTLAND	C	C
35	47	Valentin Demchenko	5’11”	176	RIGHT WING	BAIE-COMEAU	C+	C
42	48	Hunter McKown	6’0″	183	RIGHT WING	USA U-18	C	C
43	49	Cameron Butler	6’4″	198	RIGHT WING	NIAGRA	C	C
44	50	Kyle McDonald	6’4″	187	RIGHT WING	WINDSOR	C	C
48	51	Jack Cronin	5’10”	175	RIGHT WING	NOBLES	C	C
46	52	Zachary Roy	6’0″	187	RIGHT WING	BLAINVILLE	C	C
49	53	Josh Williams	6’1″	185	RIGHT WING	EDMONTON	C	C
50	54	Reid Pabich	5’10”	154	RIGHT WING	MADISON	C	C
52	55	Ronan Walsh	6’3″	192	RIGHT WING	PROCTOR	C	C
53	56	Michael Citara	5’11”	165	RIGHT WING	MOUNT ST CHARLES	C	C
54	57	Cole Craft	6’1″	170	RIGHT WING	ROCKLAND	C	C
NR	58	Declan McDonnell	5’10”	190	RIGHT WING	KITCHENER	C	C
NR	59	Ondrej Psenicka	6’5″	198	RIGHT WING	WATERLOO	C	C
55	60	Jack Schlifke	6’5″	196	RIGHT WING	NORTHWOOD	C	C

Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images