Columbus Blue Jackets

Player Notes

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David LiljaSweden vs US (U18s 2018)4/22/2018Plays from the hashmarks down, If he's not in that area, he goes hard to get there.

Number of Players

Number of Notes

Number of Games Noted
1,556 10,061 363
Brian Fogarty

Top Prospects: The NHL System Rankings

#11: St Louis Blues

 

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Number of Ranked Prospects: 36

Number of Forwards in the Top 50: 2

Number of Defensemen in the Top 50: 1

Average Rank of Top 10 Prospects in Pool: 55th

Top Forward Prospect in The System: Dalibor Dvorsky (11th)

Top Defenseman Prospect in The System: Adam Jiricek (8th)

System Score: 4

 

The St Louis Blues retained only six first- or second-round draft picks during the five years from 2018-2022, and was able to extract only one true full-time NHLer with those six picks (Jake Neighbours, the forward drafted 26th overall in 2020). The team and long-time general manager Doug Armstrong was trying desperately to stay relevant as a Stanley Cup contender after their surprising run to the 2019 championship. However, by midway through the 2022 season all the signs of decay were too obvious to deny, and the team dived deep into rebuild mode. They traded NHL starters and started collecting draft picks, and by the end of the season they had three first-round picks in hand, and the team as a total has made six first- and second-round picks in just the last two seasons. With those picks the Blues were able to fortify their prospect pool with several high-quality young players to join some of their solid prospects already in the system. Two of those first-round picks allowed the Blues to grab two of the best hockey prospects--one forward and one defender--in the prospect world.

Brian Fogarty

Top Prospects: The NHL System Rankings

#12: Philadelphia Flyers

 

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Number of Ranked Prospects: 33

Number of Forwards in the Top 50: 2

Number of Defensemen in the Top 50: 1

Average Rank of Top 10 Prospects in Pool: 95th

Top Forward Prospect in The System: Matvei Michkov (2nd)

Top Defenseman Prospect in The System: Oliver Bonk (15th)

System Score: 4

 

The Philadelphia Flyers are a team in transition. General Manager Daniel Briere took the reins of the organization in March of 2023, and has led the team through the last two NHL drafts. Prior to Briere's ascension, the drafting was led by Chuck Fletcher, who was in charge from 2018 through spring of 2023. Fletcher's draft record with the Flyers was less than stellar, and resulted in only a handful of players who have become NHL regulars, and only one player--goalie Samuel Ersson, drafted 127th overall in 2018--has been a NHL contributor from beyond the first two rounds of any of the Fletcher drafts. Joel Farabee (drafted 14th overall in 2018) and Cam York (drafted 14th in 2019) are mainstays in the Flyers lineup, and Tyson Foerster (23rd in 2020) and Bobby Brink (34th in 2019, and the only non-first rounder other than Ersson to make the regular lineup) have each played less than 100 NHL games but have recently become integral parts of the Flyers team. 

Some key misses were Jay O'Brien, drafted 19th in 2018 (Hockey Prophets had him ranked 42nd). He is currently signed to an AHL contract and set to start the season with the ECHL's Savannah Ghost Pirates. Also in 2018 the Flyers drafted defenseman Adam Ginning at 50th overall. Ginning has played 10 NHL games, while three other blueliners selected just after him (Sean Durzi, 52nd; Calen Addison, 53rd; Kevin Bahl, 55th) have all become NHL regulars. Most notably, Cutter Gauthier is a player the Flyers drafted 5th overall in 2022, but who made headlines by refusing to play for the Flyers and was eventually traded by Briere for Jamie Drysdale and a second-round pick in January 2024. 

In last couple of years under Briere's guidance, however, the Flyers seem to have done much better on draft day(s). Briere has made 17 draft picks in the last two seasons, so the system has depth in numbers, but it is the quality at the top of the pile that stands out and has the Philadelphia system close to the top ten in the league.

Brian Fogarty

Top Prospects: The NHL System Rankings

#13: Winnipeg Jets

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Number of Ranked Prospects: 25

Number of Forwards in the Top 50: 3

Number of Defensemen in the Top 50: 2

Average Rank of Top 10 Prospects in Pool: 112th

Top Forward Prospect in The System: Colby Barlow (29th)

Top Defenseman Prospect in The System: Alfons Freij (43rd)

System Score: 4

 

If the success of an organization's drafting ability is measured by the NHL players they are able to find beyond the first two rounds of the NHL draft, then the Winnipeg Jets have been among the league's best since moving from Atlanta prior to the 2011 season. The list of mid- and late-draft NHL regulars that the Jets have found is long and sometimes illustrious, including: Adam Lowry (67th overall in 2011, 707 NHL games played), Connor Hellebuyck (130th in 2012, 509 NHL games) and Andrew Copp (104th in 2013, 649 NHL games). Of course, Winnipeg has found success in the first two rounds, as well. The Jets drafted Cole Perfetti 10th overall in 2020 and he has quickly become a productive regular in the Jets lineup with 79 points in 145 games over the last couple of seasons. The last couple of drafts have seen the Jets with fewer than normal picks, but they have had a string of first and second round selections--and a few from later rounds, as well--who are waiting for their chances to crack the big league lineup.

Brian Fogarty

Top Prospects: The NHL System Rankings

#14: Nashville Predators

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Number of Ranked Prospects: 23

Number of Forwards in the Top 50: 2

Number of Defensemen in the Top 50: 2

Average Rank of Top 10 Prospects in Pool: 69th

Top Forward Prospect in The System: Matthew Wood (40th)

Top Defenseman Prospect in The System: Tanner Molendyk (17th)

System Score: 4

 

For the better part of its existence, the Nashville Predators have been a team clawing and scratching for a chance at the Stanley Cup, but have reached the Cup Final only once (losing to Pittsburgh in 2017). One of the remarkable things about the organization is that they have been able to be a perineal post-season contender and yet have managed to have first-round picks in each of the last six years (eight first-round selections in total). The other remarkable thing is that of those picks, only Philip Tomasino (drafted 24th overall in 2019) has become a full-time NHL player. In fact, of all the picks since 2018 (50 picks in total), only Tomasino and Luke Evangelista have played at least 100 NHL games. Even prior to 2018, the most successful Nashville draft picks (Samuel Girard, Eeli Tolvanen, Yakov Trenin, Kevin Fiala, Victor Arvidsson, etc.) are no longer with the organization. What the system does have, however, are several prospects ranked in the top 100 of the Hockey Prophets top prospects rankings who are looking to take the next step in their hockey careers. 

Brian Fogarty

Top Prospects: The NHL System Rankings

#15: Los Angeles Kings

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Number of Ranked Prospects: 24

Number of Forwards in the Top 50: 1

Number of Defensemen in the Top 50: 1

Average Rank of Top 10 Prospects in Pool: 109th

Top Forward Prospect in The System: Liam Greentree (23rd)

Top Defenseman Prospect in The System: Brandt Clarke (11th)

System Score: 4

 

The Los Angeles Kings seem like an organization that has been trying to recapture the glory of their Stanley Cup success of the early 2010s without having to strip the team down to the bones and rebuilding through the draft and young talent. Perhaps that perception is due more to the notion that the team continues to make to playoffs (first round losses in each of the past several years) than it does the quantity of draft picks and the quality of the prospects. The team has a nascent superstar in Quinton Byfield, a player who they selected second overall behind Alexis Lafreniere in 2020. Byfield played 80 games for the Kings last year, scoring 55 points on 20 goals and 35 assists. Another NHL success from recent NHL drafts was Brock Faber, drafted 45th overall in 2020. The Kings, however, traded Faber as a part of a package to bring in forward Kevin Fiala, so Faber's breakout season came while playing for the Minnesota Wild. Alex Laferriere was a surprisingly productive rookie for the Kings last year, putting up 23 points (12 goals, 11 assists) in his first professional hockey season after leaving the Harvard men's hockey program. 

  1. Top Prospects: The NHL System Rankings - WAS
  2. Top Prospects: The NHL System Rankings - DAL
  3. Top Prospects: The NHL System Rankings - CAR
  4. Top Prospects: The NHL System Rankings - NJD

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