Honourable Mentions
Brady Stonehouse, RW, Ottawa 67’s, OHL, 5’9″, 183 lbs, (68g: 18g, 34p), Rounds 5-7.
Just an absolute pest. Attitude on the ice is very reminiscent of Brady Tkachuk. If he makes the NHL, he’ll be a perfect fourth-line energy guy, and I came to really appreciate his game with my 67’s season tickets this season. He drives the net really well and upped his skill level when promoted to the first line late in the season. His upside is limited, but he’s really entertaining and could be a fun 7th-round flyer.
Jeremy Wilmer, C, Tri-City Storm, USHL, 5’7″, 141 lbs, (60: 25g, 98p), Rounds 5-7.
Yes, he’s tiny and yes, he’s an overager (but barely, just. a few days between his birthday and the cutoff) but Wilmer is tremendously entertaining. His skill level is high and he’s deserving of a draft pick following a truly dominant USHL season, one which came close to Sean Farrell’s D+1 production, and Farrell was old for his draft class, so Wilmer is almost a full year younger than when Farrell had that tremendous season. He plays with high ace and dynamism, attacks open space very well, and finds passing options few other USHL players can. High-upside swing in the late rounds.
Olivier Boutin, LD, Gatineau Olympiques, QMJHL, 5’9″, 174 lbs, (62g: 6g, 36p), Rounds 6-7.
Another undersized overager, Boutin impressed me every time I watched the Olympiques to scout players that weren’t him. When he was paired with Warren, the two played their best hockey. Boutin is a tremendous transition defender who maintains a consistently tight gap and is very reliable in his own end due to his highly intelligent positioning, to the point where he was consistently the most used Gatineau defender on the PK. He’s very mobile and an accurate breakout passer. He could turn into a really reliable puck-moving #5 defenceman down the line.