Matching top 2015 prospects with NHL players they could be like

Comparing the top 35 draft prospects of 2015 to the NHL players they are expected to be like.
Matching top 2015 prospects with NHL players they could be like
Matching top 2015 prospects with NHL players they could be like /

Mention the name of an undrafted prospect to the average fan and the first thing they will want to know is who he plays like. Fans love player comparisons.

Scouts, on the other hand, hate ’em.

There are no perfect comparisons, they’ll tell you. A prospect might pass like Joe Thornton but skate like Shawn Thornton. Or maybe there’s only one specific part of a kid’s game that reminds them of a veteran player.

Mostly though they avoid them because they don’t want to oversell/undersell a kid. They’ve all been burned before by doing that. But occasionally they’ll drop a name. And that’s what we’ve compiled here: a glimpse into the 2015 NHL Draft prospects you may not have had the chance to see yet, but would like to have a quick point of reference.

Again, these aren’t direct comparisons. Pavel Zacha may be a big, bruising center but that doesn’t mean he’ll become the next David Backes. He just sort of fits that general mold.

In other words, take these as intended: with a large grain of salt.

Forwards

CONNOR McDAVID, ERIE OTTERS, OHL

Smart, creative generational high-end center like Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby

mcdavid-crosby-getty.jpg
Getty Images

• JACK EICHEL, BOSTON UNIVERSITY, NCAA
Powerful game-changing center like Anaheim's Ryan Getzlaf

eichel-getzlaf-getty_0.jpg
Getty Images

• DYLAN STROME, ERIE OTTERS, OHL
Competitive No. 1 center like Carolina's Eric Staal

strome-staal-getty.jpg
Getty Images

• MITCH MARNER, LONDON KNIGHTS, OHL
Electrifying point producer like Chicago's Patrick Kane

marner-kane-getty.jpg
Getty Images

• MATHEW BARZAL, SEATTLE THUNDERBIRDS, WHL
Speedy offensive wizard like Colorado's Matt Duchene

barzal-duchene-getty.jpg
Getty Images

• PAVEL ZACHA, SARNIA STING, OHL 
Dominating physical center like St. Louis’s David Backes

zacha-backes-getty.jpg
Getty Images

• LAWSON CROUSE, KINGSTON FRONTENACS, OHL
Dangerous power forward like Winnipeg's Andrew Ladd

crouse-ladd-getty-icon_0.jpg
Getty Images

• MIKKO RANTANEN, TPS TURKU, FINLAND
Speedy powerful winger like Montreal's Max Pacioretty

rantanen-pacioretty-getty_0.jpg
Getty Images

• KYLE CONNOR, YOUNGSTOWN PHANTOMS, USHL
A speed demon with high-end offensive skill like Los Angeles’s Marian Gaborik

connor-gaborik-getty_1.jpg
Getty Images

• TIMO MEIER, HALIFAX MOOSEHEADS, QMJHL
Big, hard-working scorer like Calgary's Sean Monahan

meier-monahan-getty_0.jpg
Getty Images

• COLIN WHITE, USA NTDP, USHL
An elite two-way, top-six center like Boston's Patrice Bergeron

white-bergeron-getty_0.jpg
Getty Images

• NICK MERKLEY, KELOWNA ROCKETS, WHL
A creative goal-scoring winger like Jordan Eberle

merkley-eberle-getty_0.jpg
Getty Images

• EVGENY SVECHNIKOV, CAPE BRETON SCREAMING EAGLES, QMJHL
A dangerous goal-scoring forward like Vancouver's Radim Vrbata

Svechnikov-Vrbata-getty_0.jpg
Getty Images

• TRAVIS KONECNY, OTTAWA 67s, OHL
A gritty forward who plays bigger than his size like Montreal's Brendan Gallagher

Konecny-gallagher-getty.jpg
Getty Images

• JOEL ERIKSSON EK, FARJESTAD, SWEDEN
Big middle-six center like Minnesota's Nino Niederreiter

Eriksson-Ek-Niederreiter-Getty.jpg
Getty Images

• JANSEN HARKINS, PRINCE GEORGE COUGARS, WHL
A defensive-minded two-way center like Nashville's Colin Wilson

Harkins-Wilson-Getty.jpg
Getty Images

• JAKE DeBRUSK, SWIFT CURRENT BRONCOS, WHL
A physical goal-scoring winger like Columbus’s Nick Foligno

DeBrusk-Foligno-Getty.jpg
Getty Images

• DANIEL SPRONG, CHARLOTTETOWN ISLANDERS, QMJHL
Elite scorer with holes in his defensive game like Toronto’s Phil Kessel

sprong-kessel-getty.jpg
Getty Images

• PAUL BITTNER, PORTLAND WINTERHAWKS, WHL
An overpowering physical winger like Columbus's Scott Hartnell

Bittner-Hartnell-Getty.jpg
Getty Images

• DENIS GURYANOV, TOGLIATTI 2, Russia
A speedy sniper with a high-end shot like the Rangers' Chris Kreider

Guryanov-Kreider-Getty.jpg
Getty Images

• BROCK BOESER, WATERLOO BLACK HAWKS, USHL
A versatile goal scorer like Chicago’s Patrick Sharp

boeser-sharp-getty.jpg
Getty Images

• DENNIS YAN, SHAWINIGAN CATARACTES, QMJHL
An inconsistent but highly talented scorer like Carolina’s Alexander Semin

Yan-Semin-Getty.jpg
Getty Images

[pagebreak]

Defensemen

• IVAN PROVOROV, BRANDON WHEAT KINGS, WHL
Smart, do-it-all defender like Nashville's Roman Josi

provorov-josi-getty.jpg
Getty Images

• NOAH HANIFIN, BOSTON COLLEGE, NCAA
High-end two-way defender like St. Louis' Alex Pietrangelo

Hanifin-Piertrangelo-getty.jpg
Getty Images

• ZACH WERENSKI, MICHIGAN, NCAA
Heady, two-way defender like the New York Rangers' Ryan McDonagh

Werenski-McDonagh-Getty.jpg
Getty Images

• THOMAS CHABOT, SAINT JOHN SEA DOGS, QMJHL
An offensive-minded defender like the Rangers' Keith Yandle

chabot-yandle-getty.jpg
Getty Images

• JEREMY ROY, SHERBROOKE PHOENIX, QMHJL
A future power-play quarterback like Carolina's Justin Faulk

Roy-Faulk-Getty.jpg
Getty Images

• JAKUB ZBORIL, SAINT JOHN SEA DOGS, QMJHL
A reliable utility defenseman like Detroit’s Jakub Kindl

zboril-kindl.jpg
Getty Images

• NOAH JUULSEN, EVERETT SILVERTIPS, QMJHL
A safe, two-way defender like Detroit's Danny DeKeyser

Juulsen-Dekeyser-Getty.jpg
Getty Images

• BRANDON CARLO, TRI-CITY AMERICANS, WHL
A tall, smooth-skating defenseman like Winnipeg’s Tyler Myers

Carlo-Myers-Getty.jpg
Getty Images

• OLIVER KYLINGTON, FARJESTAD, SHL
An offensive-minded defenseman like Washington’s Matt Niskanen

Kylington-Niskanen-getty.jpg
Getty Images

• GABRIEL CARLSSON, LINKOPING JRS, SWEDEN
Tall, lanky shutdown defender like Chicago's Niklas Hjalmarsson

Carlsson-Hjalmarsson-getty.jpg
Getty Images

Goaltenders

• ILYA SAMSONOV, MAGNITOGORSK, RUSSIA
Sizable, athletic puckstopper like Columbus’sSergei Bobrovsky

samsonov-bobrovsky-getty.jpg
Getty Images

• DANIEL VLADAR, KLADNO 2, CZECH REPUBLIC
Tall, energetic keeper like Vancouver’s Jacob Markstrom

Vladar-markstrom-getty.jpg
Getty Images

Published