Scouts size up 2015-16 NHL rookies not named McDavid or Eichel

With Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel making their debuts, NHL scouts rate the rest of the league's rookie class.

Author:
Allan Muir
Publish date:
Oct 7, 2015

Despite the volume of hype centered around the top-two picks of the 2015 draft, there’s more to this season’s rookie class than Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel. We asked three scouts for their impressions of some of the youngsters who are hoping to make the most of their spots on NHL rosters. Here’s what they had to say:

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• DYLAN McILRATH, D, RANGERS
(6' 5", 200 pounds, age 23)

Scout’s take: “A mountain of a man and as tough as they come. Will drop the mitts with anyone and can be a very intimidating presence. He’s figured out how to keep his game simple and that’s made him more effective in his own zone. No offensive game ... not the best skater, although he’s not sluggish or anything. He’s not a classic goon, but he definitely keeps the other team honest.”

• DYLAN LARKIN, C, RED WINGS
(6' 1", 190 pounds, age 19)

Scout's take: “His skating is the first thing you’ll notice, how quickly he gets to top speed. He’s got that acceleration ... [and] he’s really tough to knock off his feet. A very smart player. He’s shown in the preseason that he can think the game at this level. He reads and reacts well ... if he makes a mistake, he knows how to fix it. There’s no panic in his game. A very mature player.”

• NOKOLAJ EHLERS, RW, JETS
(6', 172 pounds, age 19)

Scout's take: “A pure goal scorer. The total offensive package. Effortless skater who can make plays at top speed. He’s a difference maker ... [the kind of player who] can elevate a good team to a great one.”

• ARTEMI PANARIN, LW, BLACKHAWKS
(5' 10", 170 pounds, age 23)

Scout’s take: “Dynamic winger ... [with] high-end speed and puck skills. Doesn’t need much space to make the magic happen. Terrific hands. He’ll put points on the board.”

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• CONNOR BRICKLEY, LW, PANTHERS
(6', 203 pounds, age 23)

Scout’s take: “He’s made himself into a player. Nothing fancy about him. Brings a lot of energy, attacks hard on both sides of the puck. Goes hard to the net. Reads the play well. There’s no questioning his effort. He’s involved every shift.”

• MIKKO RANTANEN, RW, AVALANCHE
(6' 4", 211 pounds, age 18)

Scout’s take: “A big, NHL-ready body ... but not a big banger. Uses size well to protect the puck and earn his space. Won’t dazzle anyone with his finesse, but a very skilled player. Good hands down low. Reads the play well and makes good decisions with the puck. Good quickness.”

• COLTON PARAYKO, D, BLUES
(6' 5", 225 pounds, age 22)

Scout’s take: “Love that kid. An absolute beast. He has a howitzer of a shot from the point. You gotta pray for everyone who stands in front of the net when he lets it go. It’s scary. He uses his size effectively in his own zone. He hits hard but he hits clean. He’s a smart kid ... reads the play well. A lot of poise with and without the puck. You like to see a kid like that who can handle the pressure of the situation without buckling. He’s got that mettle.”

• ANTON SLEPYSHEV, LW, OILERS
(6' 2", 194 pounds, age 21)

Scout’s take: “He’s bigger and stronger now [than when he was draft eligible] and I think that’s made him a more versatile player. He still has the scorer's instincts and the heavy shot, but he can player a heavier game now. He’s more effective battling for pucks, he can work the corners, he can be a load in front of the net. Give him a role and he can play up and down [the roster].”

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• MATTIAS JANMARK, C, STARS
(6' 1", 195 pounds, age 22)

Scout’s take: “A real useful bottom-six guy. He’s got surprising speed ... just when you think you’ve got him he can turn it on and blow past you. Good offensive instincts. He doesn’t need a lot of room to make a play. Excellent defensive game. Really adds to the skill level of the group [but he’s also] someone who is reliable without the puck. Great details.”

• MATT PUEMPEL, LW, SENATORS
(6' 2", 204 pounds, age 22)

Scout’s take: “He can put the puck in the net. Good hands, earns his space. I saw him drop the mitts a couple times the year before last ... tough kid. He’s had a lot of injury problems in the past. This is a critical year for him. He needs to stay healthy.”

• TYLER RANDELL, RW, BRUINS
(6' 1", 198 pounds, age 24)

Scout’s take: “Kind of a throwback to the old Bruins. Hard nosed, energy-type who'll grind it out along the boards [and go] hard on the forecheck. Won't score much, but you know they'll love his heart in Boston.”

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• DANIEL SPRONG, RW, PENGUINS
(6' , 180 pounds, age 18)

Scout’s take: “Sprong comes with a lot of baggage. His family isn't the easiest to deal with. Maybe his defensive game isn't where you'd want it to be. But you know, at the end of the day, the kid's a player. Everything with him is high pace. He's skates fast, he thinks fast, he shoots fast. He has all the physical tools [to become] someone who can score consistently. I don't think [he'll stick in Pittsburgh all season], but the fact that he made it this far shows how much he impressed that team. That's something.”

• KYLE BAUN, LW, BLACKHAWKS
(6' 2", 209 pounds, age 23)

Scout’s take: “Classic power-forward type. Big body, protects the puck well, wins the battles. Strong skater, tough to knock off the puck, has some finish. Could see spot duty on the power play. Nice skill upgrade for the bottom six...has some upside.”

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• MIKE CONDON, G, CANADIENS
(6' 2", 197 pounds, age 25)

Scout’s take: “Him being there says more about what [the Canadiens] thought about [Dustin] Tokarski and [Zach Fucale] than anything. Decent size, good rebound control. Keeps it simple. Just has to be good enough that [coach Michel] Therrien can trust him with a spot start with [Carey] Price needs a rest.”

• JOONAS DONSKOI, LW, SHARKS
(6', 183 pounds, age 23)

Scout’s take: “Slick, creative, offensive-minded forward. Pretty flashy when he has the puck. Has a real knack for finding the back of the net. Can definitely help a team's power play. Not sure if he has the same commitment without [the puck]. Needs to play in the top-six to be effective.”

• ROBBY FABRI, C, BLUES
(5' 10", 170 pounds, age 19)

Scout’s take: “An elite offensive player. Dangerous every time he touches the puck. [It] just flies off his stick. Really makes things happen with his speed. Excellent first step...just when you think he's hit top speed he shifts into another gear. Very agile skater. Some guys play hungry. That's Fabbri. He wants to be an impact player...I think he will be.”

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• JAKE VIRTANEN, RW, CANUCKS
(6' 1", 208 pounds, age 19)

Scout’s take: “Smart, smart move by the Canucks. You look at their forward group... [he'll bring] exactly what they need. He's a terrific skater, great acceleration. Plays with a real edge. Strong along the boards. He's just as happen to go through you as around you. Wouldn't expect big numbers from him this year, but he'll be a big part of their top-six down the road. A really fun player to watch.”

• NIC PETAN, C, JETS
(5' 9", 179 pounds, age 20)

Scout’s take: “Elite, elite skill. Every game he'll do something that'll leave you shaking your head. Small, [but makes up for it with] his speed, intelligence [and] work ethic. Has a big heart. Won't back down to anyone. Effective in all three zones. [Coach Paul Maurice] will be playing him in every situation before long.”

• JARED McCANN, C, CANUCKS
(6', 185 pounds, age 19)

Scout’s take: “Not as dynamic as Virtanen, but he's a guy that can win you games. Excellent hockey sense, sees the ice exceptionally well, has a knack for finding a hole in traffic that allows him to set up his teammate. Very dedicated to [improving his game]."

• JOEL EDMUNSON, D, BLUES
(6' 4", 207 pounds, age 22)

Scout’s take: “Has the size, smarts and drive to play a shutdown role. No offensive upside to speak of. Effective when he keeps it simple, uses his body to clear the crease [and] win battles along the boards.”

• JOONAS KEMPPAINEN, C, BRUINS
(6' 3", 223 pounds, age 27)

Scout’s take: “A really detail-oriented player. Good on the draw, disciplined on both sides of the puck. Reads the play well...so he's pretty useful on the penalty kill. Big body...very effective physical presence. Won't score much but he's reliable [in his role].”

GALLERY: NHL's Teen Phenoms Through The Years

NHL Teen Phenoms

Bobby Orr, 18, 1966-67

The kid was as good as expected (13-28-41 in 61 games), winning the Calder Trophy and launching a blue line revolution with his skating, passing, dynamic rushes and solid defense. Norris winner Harry Howell prophetically said, “I might as well enjoy it now because I expect it’s going to belong to Bobby Orr from now on.” He was right. Orr won it in each of the next eight seasons.

Wayne Gretzky, 19, 1979-80

In his first NHL season, the Great One scored 51 goals and led the league with 86 assists and 137 points, good for the Hart and Lady Byng trophies, but not the Calder. His previous season in the rival WHA made him ineligible for rookie of the year, which went to another 19-year-old.

Ray Bourque, 19, 1979-80

The eighth pick in the ’79 draft launched his Hall of Fame career by going 17-48-65 with a dazzling +52 to earn Norris votes, a first team NHL All-Star nod and the distinction of being the answer to a trivia question: Who won the Calder during Wayne Gretzky’s first season in the NHL?

Dale Hawerchuk, 18, 1981-82

The Canadian Major Junior Player of the Year was the first pick in the ’81 NHL draft after his 81-goal, 183-point season in the QMJHL. An agile, quick playmaker and scorer, Hawerchuk won the Calder by becoming the first NHL rookie to post a 40-goal, 100-point campaign. He went on to become a Hall of Famer.

Steve Yzerman, 18, 19883-84

The fourth pick of ‘83—after Brian Lawton (North Stars), Sylvain Turgeon (Whalers) and Pat LaFontaine (Islanders)—Yzerman was undersized, highly skilled and gritty. He had to win a job in training camp, but stuck and went 39-48-87 in 80 games, finishing second in the Calder race behind Sabres goalie Tom Barrasso.

Tom Barrasso, 18, 1983-84

Entering the NHL out of high school, the fifth pick in the ’83 draft became the first goalie to win the Calder since Canadiens legend Ken Dryden in 1972, going 26-12-3, with a 2.84 GAA and .893 save pct. in 42 games. His performance also earned him the Vezina, first team All-Star honors, and a spot on Team USA for the ’84 Canada Cup tournament.

Mario Lemieux, 19, 1984-85

After the towering Super Mario posted a mindblowing 133 goals and 149 assists in his final junior season, it was easy to believe the Penguins tanked to secure the first pick in the ’84 draft. (There was no lottery at the time.) Lemieux scored on his first NHL shift and took the Calder with his 43-57-100 rookie season.

Pat LaFontaine, 19, 1984-85

An American out of the QMJHL where he scored 104 goals and 234 points in only 70 games, LaFontaine was drafted third in ‘83. He played for Team USA at the ’84 Olympics before making his NHL debut with 13 goals in 15 late-season games, then helped the Isles reach the Stanley Cup Final. As 19-year-old rookie in ’84-85 he went 19-35-54 in 67 games, going on to a Hall of Fame career that was cut short by concussions.

Jimmy Carson, 18, 1986-87

Remembered as the Kings’ key player in their trade for Wayne Gretzky, Carson was the second pick in the '86 draft, after winger Joe Murphy (Detroit). A natural scorer with a mostly one-way game, Carson produced 39 goals and 79 points as a rookie, finishing behind teammate Luc Robitaille and Flyers goalie Ron Hextall in the Calder voting. At 19, he scored 55 goals and 107 points before being dealt. His career was brief, though, and he retired at 29.

Mike Modano, 19, 1989-90

One of the greatest American players of all time, the speedy, explosive center with the lethal shot was the first pick in 1988 out of the WHL and Team USA. Modano made his NHL debut during the 1989 playoffs and then went 29-46-75 the following season, finishing second to 31-year-old Sergei Makarov of the Flames in the Calder voting.

Eric Lindros, 19, 1992-93

The Next One was a junior superstar when he was chosen first by Quebec in the 1991 draft but infamously fought for the trade to Philadelphia that sent Peter Forsberg and a parcel of players the other way. Big, strong and offensively gifted, Lindros scored 41 goals and 75 points for the Flyers but finished fourth in the Calder vote won by Teemu Selanne who’d set the NHL rookie record of 76 goals with the Jets.

Vincent Lecavalier, 18, 1998-99

After 86 goals and 217 points in two QMJHL seasons, the speedy, skilled 6’ 4” center was drafted first in 1998 and billed by the Lightning’s owner as a potential Michael Jordan of hockey. Lecavalier had a modest rookie campaign (13-15-28, -19 in 82 games) and was a distant 14th in the Calder voting, but he improved to 25-42-67 the following season and was named the NHL’s first teenaged captain.

Ilya Kovalchuk, 18, 2001-02

An international star, he was the first Russian ever chosen first in an NHL draft (2001). He went 29-22-51 in 65 games as a rookie but suffered a shoulder injury and finished second in the Calder vote behind Thrashers teammate Dany Heatley, 21. A fast, exceptional puckhandler and explosive scorer, Kovalchuk upped his goal (38) and points (67) totals at 19, setting up a run of six straight 40-plus goal seasons.

Sidney Crosby, 18, 2005-06

The grand prize in the 2005 lottery, Sid The Kid was a bona fide prodigy who was compared to Wayne Gretzky. Crosby scored 39 goals and 102 points as a rookie but the Calder went to a 20-year-old named Ovechkin. The next season, at 19, Crosby won the Hart, Pearson and Ross trophies with a 36-84-120 slate that made him the youngest NHL scoring champ of all time. He also became the NHL’s second teen captain.

Patrick Kane, 19, 2007-08

An American stickhandling wizard out of the OHL, Kane was the first pick in the 2007 draft. He dispelled concerns about his size (5’ 9”, 160) by playing in all of Chicago’s 82 games, going 21-51-72 and beating out 19-year-old teammate Jonathan Toews and Washington’s Nicklas Backstrom for the Calder.

Steven Stamkos, 18, 2008-09

“Seen Stamkos?” the billboards in Tampa asked after the Lightning took the coveted sniper with the first pick in the 2008 draft. His rookie season was solid if unspectacular (23-23-46, -13) and he finished ninth in the Calder voting, but the next season, at 19, Stamkos hit the 50-goal mark, leading the NHL.

John Tavares, 19, 2009-10

The first player to be given “exceptional” status by the OHL (making him eligible to play a year early at 15), Tavares broke Wayne Gretzky’s league mark for goals by a 16-year-old, with 72. The first pick in the 2009 NHL draft, he went a solid 24-30-54 for the Islanders and finished fifth in the Calder voting won by towering 19-year-old Sabres defenseman Tyler Myers, the 12th selection.

Victor Hedman, 19, 2009-10

The highly regarded Swedish defenseman was the second pick after John Tavares. Big (6’ 6”, 230) and blessed with all-around skills that invited comparisons to Chris Pronger and Zdeno Chara, he patterned his game after Red Wings great Nicklas Lidstrom. Hedman finished ninth in the Calder voting after a 4-16-20, -3 rookie campaign and needed several seasons to mature into the star and cornerstone everyone expected he would become.

Taylor Hall, 19, 2010-11

The big question on draft night 2010 was Taylor or Tyler (Seguin)? Hall, the big, speedy winger who’d posted 106 points in 57 OHL games, was the first pick. He went 22-20-42 in 65 games with struggling, rebuilding Edmonton, his season ended by an ankle sprain in March. The Calder was won by Carolina’s 18-year-old Jeff Skinner (31-32-63), the seventh overall pick.

Tyler Seguin, 19, 2010-11

The OHL MVP was the second pick in the 2010 draft. A creative playmaker and scorer with a defensive upside, Seguin put up modest numbers (11-11-22 in 74 games) under the weight of great expectations, received no Calder votes and spent Boston’s first 11 postseason games as a healthy scratch. When he saw action, he became the first teen to score four points in a playoff match (Eastern final Game 2 vs. Tampa Bay).

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, 18, 2011-12

A deft playmaker, the top pick of 2011 tied for first in rookie scoring (18-34-52 in 62 games) but finished second behind Colorado’s Gabriel Landeskog, 19, for the Calder, only the third time teens were 1-2 in the voting, and first since Bryan Berard and Jarome Iginla in ’97. Three others earned votes: Hurricanes defenseman Justin Faulk, 19, Flyers center Sean Couturier, 19, and Devils blueliner Adam Larsson, 19.

Gabriel Landeskog, 19, 2011-12

A natural leader, the calm, skilled winger who captained Sweden’s U-16, U-17 and U-18 teams was the second pick in 2011 draft. The only member of his rookie class to play all of his team’s 82 regular season games, he won the Calder by going 22-30-52 with a stellar +20 rating. The Avs then made him the youngest player in NHL history to wear the C.

Nathan MacKinnon, 18, 2013-14

From Sidney Crosby’s hometown of Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, MacKinnon was the first top pick out of the QMJHL since Crosby in 2005. Playing wing and center, this skilled scorer with great hands and solid two-way game won the 2014 Calder with a 24-39-63, +20 season, beating out two of Tampa Bay’s Triplets: Ondrej Palat (22) and Tyler Johnson (23). But at 19, he suffered a sophomore slump and was sidelined by a broken foot, his production declining to 14-24-38, -7.

Seth Jones, 19, 2013-14

The celebrated son of ex-NBA player Popeye Jones looked like the possible No. 1 pick of 2013 before falling to No. 4 behind Nathan MacKinnon (Colorado), Aleksander Barkov (Florida) and Jonathan Drouin (Tampa Bay). A big (6’ 4’, 205), athletic blueliner, Jones went 6-19-25, -23 as a rookie while adjusting to his difficult position at the NHL level, earning 15 Calder votes (11th).

Aaron Ekblad, 18, 2014-15

The second player to be given “exceptional” status by the OHL, and second defenseman since 1996 to be the NHL’s top pick, the uncannily mature Ekblad made a seamless transition, winning the Calder with 12-27-39, +12 rookie season. His 39 points were two shy of Bobby Orr’s NHL record for an 18-year-old blueliner and his offensive totals were all team rookie marks.

Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel

The two 18-year-old centers were so highly coveted ahead of the 2015 NHL Draft that teams were suspected to tanking in order to increase their chances of winning the lottery. McDavid, an OHL scoring sensation taken No. 1 by Edmonton, inspired Hall of Famer Dale Hawerchuk to say, “He skates like Bobby Orr. He has the vision of Wayne Gretzky. And he handles the puck like Mario Lemieux.” An NHL scout said of Boston University standout Eichel, who went No. 2 to Buffalo, “It’s not just his speed; it’s his skill, his hockey sense. It doesn’t even look like he’s trying, but the puck comes to him. He makes things happen.”