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Franchise Player
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Calgary
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Draft Thoughts from Central Scouting's Preliminary Rankings:
-Niklas Aaram-Olsen (6'0",184lbs) was rated a "B" by Central Scouting, but I don't believe his 22 points (12 goals) in 17 U20 contests are a true representation of how good he is- especially seeing how he posted 41 points (23 goals) in just 42 games last season. Despite this, he's climbing the rankings, with some seeing him as a late first-rounder. Aaram-Olsen is actually from Norway, plays a power-game, and is a shoot-first LW with a nose for the net, an accurate laser of a shot, quick hands, and an eye for open space. He's more quick than outright fast, but uses his edges and stickhandling well. He would do well to develop his playmaking further, as his tunnel-vision for the net might make him too predictable. Aaram-Olsen has been rewarded for his play with 8 games (no points) in the SHL.
-B-Rated C Landon Hafele (5'11.75",185lbs) has a big flaw- he was born on September 18th, 2007, meaning he missed the cut-off for the 2025 Draft by just 3 days. Other than that, he actually possesses a projectable game, with pace and physicality, speed and intensity, and a defensive conscience. He goes to the greasy areas, wins battles, has a nose for the net, and plays with an edge (31 PIM). So far, his 22 points in 20 games for the Green Bay Gamblers ties him for 14th in USHL scoring, but he seems destined for the second-round.
-RHC Jack Hextall (5'11.75",188lbs) was arguably (no argument in my opinion) the best forward for Team USA at the Hlinka (7 points in 5 games), and scouts think enough of his game that many are ranking him in the late-first round- although he was given a "B" by Central Scouting. To date, he's up to 19 points in 23 games for Youngstown of the USHL, which is 4th on the team- but I believe he's better than his stats would suggest, with 34 points in 53 games last season. I see Hexy as a sharply well-rounded player who is good at everything, carries an overflowing toolkit of projectable skills, a high-end IQ, and a remarkably tight two-way game. He skates well, but isn't elite in this area, and could stand to add a separation gear. He plays a physical game, battles hard for loose pucks, and doesn't shy away from the trenches, but needs to bulk up and get stronger.
-Scouts have always liked 6'1.5", 205lb RD Lincoln Kuehne (pronounced "KEEN"), and Central Scouting even surprisingly gave him a "B" grade, but I don't like his game nearly as much as fellow American D Luke Schairer. Like Schairer, his skating is his biggest strength, which makes him hard to beat off the rush- and he's a physical, edgy, play-killing defender with smooth retrievals (though it has been said that he needs work in this area), a solid first-pass (though he has leaned a lot towards rimming the puck in the NCAA), and no fear of joining the rush or pinching into the play when the coast is clear (though he doesn't put points on the board). While he has been mainly deployed on the third-pairing for Arizona State, he is used regularly on their PK, and has been able to keep up with the pace of the NCAA for the most part, using his excellent speed and tight gap-control. Some say he has second-pairing potential in the NHL, but I don't see it as his results offensively are virtually non-existent: 10 points in 62 games with the NTDP last season, and zero points in 14 games with ASU so far. I say let's call him what he is: a swift-skating, defensive D with compete, who plays on the edge, and is hard to play against- and there's nothing wrong with that.
-LD Jackson Marthaler (6'1.75",198lbs) is a B-rated defenseman who is basically a clone of Lincoln Kuehne, without the high-end edge or aggressiveness. Wonderful skater, no offense.
-RD Samu Alalauri (6'1.5",203lbs) was rated "C" by Central Scouting, but he's finally starting to get some respect. I really liked him at the Hlinka, where he put up 4 points in 5 games, and is up to an impressive 14 points in 21 U20 contests to date back home in Finland- putting him 8th in scoring by D. Alalauri possesses excellent mobility, anticipation, and hockey sense to be a reliable defender in his own end, and an effective puck-mover going the other way- playing a very safe and simple game with the puck. He also showed off his physicality at the Hlinka, with some big hits.
-LD Alexander Bilecki (6'1",180lbs) is a "C" rated defender who seems like the type to garner some interest on draft day. He's a second-round pick of the Kitchener Rangers, and seems to play a solid, puck-moving, two-way game, devoid of much flash or dynamism. He skates well, and has his own-zone game down, displaying proficiency against the rush, solid play-killing ability, and smooth retrievals with calm and poised breakout passes to start the rush- he makes quick, smart plays under pressure. In the other end of the rink, he activates a ton, possesses a good shot, and supports the play well. Bilecki has 11 points in 25 games, which projects to 30 in 68, but he also plays on the third-pair most nights in Kitchener. He's the type that will maybe lead the team's blueline in points in the next season or two, and could be worth a third-round pick.
-It will be interesting to see where "C" rated RD Tommy Bleyl will end up being picked. Though he is listed as being 6'0",161lbs by some outlets, Central Scouting measured him at 5'10.75"; I believe if he were truly a six-footer, we would be talking about a potential second-rounder, at least. Right now, Bleyl sits at 25 points in 23 games with the Moncton Wildcats, which projects to 69 in 63, and his current +19 is 5th-overall in the Q (and leads the Wildcats by 5)- which is an indicator of his two-way ability. Bleyl is second in scoring by D in that league, behind only highly-touted Xavier Villeneuve- who has posted 29 points in 25 games, and he leads Moncton's blueline in scoring by 12 points. Bleyl is an excellent skater who uses his dazzling speed on both sides of the puck, and is known as a zone-entry machine. He is a solid puck-mover who makes sound decisions under pressure, and exerts his mobility to kill oncoming rushes- there is even a pinch of physicality in his game. He drives play through transition, and facilitates chances in the offensive zone- he even has a hard and heavy shot. Watch out for this kid.
-Only 3 teams in the OHL have scored less goals than the 19th-placed (out of 20 teams) Sarnia Sting's 72, which explains why "C"-rated LW Ryan Brown (5'10.5".177lbs) hasn't lived up to the potential of last season's production of 41 points in 68 games; he currently sits at 15 points in 24 contests. Brown brings dogged determination, boundless energy, and unrelenting motor to every game, with difference-making speed to beat defenders wide, or win races to loose pucks. He's physical, gritty, and hard-nosed, with a solid two-way game, and is not lacking in puck-skill.
Last edited by Sandman; 11-30-2025 at 06:50 AM.
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