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Before I start, just a reminder that all the summer series articles can be found from here: 31-in-31 series. It’s August now but that doesn’t mean we’re going to stop – quite the opposite in fact. In August, we have another 31-in-31 series where we review the entire prospect system of the organization: graduating prospects, depth charts, risers and fallers, and top ten prospects. Make sure you don’t miss any of those articles because they’re full of important information for your fantasy leagues.

My third and final prospect draft of this summer has now ended.  This league is called the World Hockey League, and it’s a fantasy league full of active members from the Dobber Forum – and a couple of them are regular writers for DobberHockey. That means all the members have a very good knowledge of prospects, so it’s really difficult to find any real sleepers in this league. Tom Collins already reviewed the top ten from our draft on the main site: Top 10 WHL Picks. So instead of repeating what Tom said in his article, I’m going to focus a bit more on the latter rounds of the draft.

It’s a 24 team limited keeper league with deep rosters and a salary cap but the prospect system is quite shallow because we’re only allowed to keep five prospects per team unless we burn some spots from our pro roster players. Because of this, most of the prospects drafted after the first two rounds usually end up going back to the draft the next year. This also means players who are close to the NHL (or already there) have additional value because it’s easier to keep them. It’s officially a multi-cat league but has a huge emphasis on points, so for prospect draft purposes you can think of it as points-only.

Round one

1. Dryden Eagles (metaldude26): Andrei Svechnikov, RW (CAR)
2. Saanichton Cougars (InForAPenny): Rasmus Dahlin, D (BUF)
3. Glasgow Kiss (Magicstew): Filip Zadina, LW (DET)
4. Dryden Eagles (metaldude26): Jesperi Kotkaniemi, C (MON)
5. Dryden Eagles (metaldude26): Oliver Wahlstrom, RW (NYI)
6. Fort Frances Muskies (Burgundy): Brady Tkachuk, LW (OTT)
7. Montreal Canadiens (newfcollins): Adam Boqvist, D (CHI)
8. Montreal Canadiens (newfcollins): Evan Bouchard, D (EDM)
9. Dryden Eagles (metaldude26): Quinn Hughes, D (VAN)
10. Edmonton Road Runners (Lemmy): Vitali Kravtsov, RW (NYR)
11. Amsterdam Red Lights (rataylor22): Joe Veleno, C (DET)
12. Markham Waxers (praba): Joel Farabee, LW (PHI)
13. STORM (havanablast21): Ryan Merkley, D (SJ)
14. Lake Eerie Monsters (Sulla): Noah Dobson, D (NYI)
15. Markham Waxers (praba): Ty Smith, D (NJ)
16. Grand Rapids Griffins (brakli): Dominik Bokk, RW (STL)
17. Tampere Polar Bears (Jouko-Pouko): Grigori Denisenko, LW (FLA)
18. Lake Eerie Monsters (Sulla): Barrett Hayton, C (ARI)
19. Manitoba Moose (GinFizz): Jonatan Berggren, RW (DET)
20. Manitoba Moose (GinFizz): K’Andre Miller, D (NYR)
21. North London Nationals (VintageVibe): Martin Kaut, RW (COL)
22. Fort Frances Muskies (Burgundy): Rasmus Kupari, C (LA)
23. Dryden Eagles (metaldude26): Filip Hållander, C (PIT)
24. Markham Waxers (praba): Ty Dellandrea, C (DAL)

As mentioned, Tom already went through the first ten picks in great detail, so I’m not going to discuss them any further. I had the 17th overall pick and was a bit surprised Russian winger Grigori Denisenko was still available. I had some backup plans in mind but was really hoping he’d fall to me, and luckily he did. I wrote a lot about Grigorenko when reviewing the draft of the Panthers, so check out this article if you’re not familiar with him already: Florida Panthers 2018 Draft Review and Development Camp Updates.

Two players I was a bit surprised to see going in the first round were Swedish forwards Jonatan Berggren and Filip Hållander. I’m a big fan of both players and I like these draft spots for them, though. As said, the GMs in this league know their stuff. But in other leagues, you can probably get these two a bit later which would make them sleepers if that happens.

Round two

25. Dryden Eagles (metaldude26): Jake Wise, C (CHI)
26. Markham Waxers (praba): Liam Foudy, C (CBJ)
27. Fort Frances Muskies (Burgundy): Serron Noel, RW (FLA)
28. Wheeling Nailers (Brosive): Conor Timmins, D (COL)
29. Markham Waxers (praba): Akil Thomas, C (LA)
30. Vancouver Voodoo (GoNucks): Bode Wilde, D (NYI)
31. Markham Waxers (praba): Ruslan Iskhakov, C (NYI)
32. Markham Waxers (praba): Jakub Lauko, LW (BOS)
33. Markham Waxers (praba): Niklas Nordgren, RW (CHI)
34. Forfeited pick
35. Montreal Canadiens (newfcollins): Jesse Ylönen, RW (MON)
36. Markham Waxers (praba): Rasmus Sandin, D (TOR)
37. Victoria Dead Hookers (Loch): Isac Lundeström, C (ANA)
38. Lake Eerie Monsters (Sulla): Ryan McLeod, C (EDM)
39. Markham Waxers (praba): Nils Lundkvist, D (NYR)
40. Grand Rapids Griffins (brakli): Allan McShane, C (MON)
41. Tampere Polar Bears (Jouko-Pouko): Jay O’Brien, C (PHI)
42. Windsor Spitfires (Pengwin7): Isaac Ratcliffe, LW (PHI)
43. North London Nationals (VintageVibe): Brett Howden, C (NYR)
44. Toronto Fighting Turtles (Kofax): Rudolfs Balcers, LW (SJ)
45. North London Nationals (VintageVibe): Jacob Bernard-Docker, D (OTT)
46. Saanichton Cougars (InForAPenny): Kirill Marchenko, RW (CBJ)
47. Toronto Fighting Turtles (Kofax): Alexander Chmelevski, C (SJ)
48. Lake Valley Thunder (First Round Pick): Calen Addison, D (PIT)

Again we see some potential sleepers like Jake Wise, Akil Thomas, Jakub Lauko and Niklas Nordgren going much higher than what you might see happening in other leagues. I had the 41st overall selection and was happy to notice that Jay O’Brien was still available. The Flyers drafted him 19th overall, and the GM drafting after me is a huge fan of the Flyers, so I’m guessing O’Brien was high on his draft list at that point. O’Brien was drafted out of high school which means most people haven’t had a chance to watch him but he’ll jump to college hockey this season, so hopefully we’ll see quickly why the Flyers were so high on him. Early notes about him from the World Junior Summer Showcase have been very positive.

Round three

49. Wheeling Nailers (Brosive): Danny O’Regan, C (BUF)
50. Glasgow Kiss (Magicstew): Jason Robertson, LW (DAL)
51. Fort Frances Muskies (Burgundy): Jacob Olofsson, C (MON)
52. Wheeling Nailers (Brosive): Jonathan Davidsson, RW (CBJ)
53. Manitoba Moose (GinFizz): Cameron Hillis, C (MON)
54. Markham Waxers (praba): Alexander Alexeyev, D (WSH)
55. STORM (havanablast21): Andreas Borgman, D (TOR)
56. Lake Valley Thunder (First Round Pick): Max Jones, LW (ANA)
57. Oshawa Generals (Bobby4Ever): Roope Hintz, LW (DAL)
58. Grand Rapids Griffins (brakli): Jack McBain, C (MIN)
59. Tampere Polar Bears (Jouko-Pouko): Albin Eriksson, LW (DAL)
60. North London Nationals (VintageVibe): Antti Suomela, C (SJ)
61. Victoria Dead Hookers (Loch): Alexander Khovanov, C (MIN)
62. Markham Waxers (praba): Daniel Brickley, D (LA)
63. Markham Waxers (praba): Dominik Kahun, C (CHI)
64. Grand Rapids Griffins (brakli): Maxime Comtois, LW (ANA)
65. District-5 Ducks (evans334): Matthew Peca, C (MON)
66. Markham Waxers (praba): Nicolas Beaudin, D (CHI)
67. Saanichton Cougars (InForAPenny): Kyle Capobianco, D (ARI)
68. Edmonton Road Runners (Lemmy): Jack Drury, C (CAR)
69. Manitoba Moose (GinFizz): Jonathan Tychonick, D (OTT)
70. Forfeited pick
71. Fort Frances Muskies (Burgundy): Libor Hajek, D (NYR)
72. Edmonton Road Runners (Lemmy): Blake McLaughlin, LW (ANA)

We start to see a lot of older prospects going in the third round, although a few of them went already in the second round. Two of my favorites from the early part of this round are Jason Robertson and Roope Hintz. They both belong to the Stars and have a high upside. Hintz might even get some NHL call-ups this season. I had the 59th pick and went with another Dallas prospect, Swedish winger Albin Eriksson. I also drafted him in another league and wrote about him in my earlier ramblings, so check them out if you want to read more about him: Prospect Ramblings: Fantasy Prospect Draft Results 2.0 (July 25 2018).

Looking back, I think I should have traded this pick or draft someone older because it’s very unlikely Eriksson would be one of my keepers next summer. From the players drafted in this round, a player like Maxime Comtois may have been a better choice because he’s closer to playing in the NHL. I’m a big fan of Eriksson but in this league in my situation, he probably wasn’t the best choice.

Round four

73. Fort Frances Muskies (Burgundy): Michael Dal Colle, LW (NYI)
74. Vancouver Voodoo (GoNucks): Lucas Wallmark, C (CAR)
75. Oshawa Generals (Bobby4Ever): Kirill Maksimov, RW (EDM)
76. Wheeling Nailers (Brosive): Cooper Marody, C (EDM)
77. North London Nationals (VintageVibe): Christian Wolanin, D (OTT)
78. Glasgow Kiss (Magicstew): Dylan Gambrell, C (SJ)
79. Oshawa Generals (Bobby4Ever): Elvis Merzlikins, G (CBJ)
80. District-5 Ducks (evans334): Devon Toews, D (NYI)
81. STORM (havanablast21): Merrick Madsen, G (ARI)
82. North London Nationals (VintageVibe): Sean Durzi, D (TOR)
83. Montreal Canadiens (newfcollins): Veini Vehviläinen, G (CBJ)
84. Amsterdam Red Lights (rataylor22): Semyon Der-Arguchintsev, C (TOR)
85. Victoria Dead Hookers (Loch): Scott Perunovich, D (STL)
86. District-5 Ducks (evans334): Jett Woo, D (VAN)
87. Lake Valley Thunder (First Round Pick): Alex Iafallo, LW (LA)
88. Grand Rapids Griffins (brakli): Connor Hobbs, D (WSH)
89. Vancouver Voodoo (GoNucks): Boo Nieves, C (NYR)
90. District-5 Ducks (evans334): John Quenneville, C (NJ)
91. Oshawa Generals (Bobby4Ever): Maxim Mamin, RW (FLA)
92. Edmonton Road Runners (Lemmy): Tyler Madden, C (VAN)
93. Lake Valley Thunder (First Round Pick): Josh Mahura, D (ANA)
94. Oshawa Generals (Bobby4Ever): Shane Bowers, C (COL)
95. Lake Valley Thunder (First Round Pick): Josh Brook, D (MON)
96. Montreal Canadiens (newfcollins): Remi Elie, LW (DAL)

I traded away my fourth-round pick because I figured I can’t keep anyone I draft here anyways. A few picks that I really like here are Michael Dal Colle, Devon Toews, Alex Iafallo and Shane Bowers. Iafallo played a full season with the Kings and can be a pro keeper if he improves from his rookie season. Dal Colle and Toews have a chance to crack the Islanders’ roster, and if they don’t, you can dump them and move on to the next guy. And finally, Bowers had a very good rookie season in college, and although he’s returning to school for another year, it wouldn’t be crazy to think he could play a bit in the NHL after his college season is over.

Round five

97. Saanichton Cougars (InForAPenny): Filip Chlapik, C (OTT)
98. STORM (havanablast21): Jujhar Khaira, LW (EDM)
99. Grand Rapids Griffins (brakli): Peter Cehlarik, LW (BOS)
100. Wheeling Nailers (Brosive): Sean Day, D (NYR)
101. Montreal Canadiens (newfcollins): Benoit-Olivier Groulx, C (ANA)
102. Glasgow Kiss (Magicstew): Max Gildon, D (FLA)
103. Windsor Spitfires (Pengwin7): Jack Studnicka, C (BOS)
104. Vancouver Voodoo (GoNucks): Jeremy Helvig, G (CAR)
105. District-5 Ducks (evans334): Pierre Engvall, LW (TOR)
106. Markham Waxers (praba): Bulat Shafigullin, LW (LA)
107. Lake Valley Thunder (First Round Pick): Logan Hutsko, RW (FLA)
108. STORM (havanablast21): Adam Brooks, C (TOR)
109. Victoria Dead Hookers (Loch): Trevor Murphy, D (ARI)
110. Oshawa Generals (Bobby4Ever): Slater Koekkoek, D (TB)
111. Saanichton Cougars (InForAPenny): Michael Amadio, C (LA)
112. Grand Rapids Griffins (brakli): A.J. Greer, LW (COL)
113. Windsor Spitfires (Pengwin7): Kalle Kossila, LW (ANA)
114. Glasgow Kiss (Magicstew): Marcus Högberg, G (OTT)
115. Oshawa Generals (Bobby4Ever): Adin Hill, G (ARI)
116. Manitoba Moose (GinFizz): Ryan MacInnis, C (CBJ)
117. Vancouver Voodoo (GoNucks): Kerby Rychel, LW (MON)
118. Toronto Fighting Turtles (Kofax): Kevin Roy, RW (ANA)
119. Windsor Spitfires (Pengwin7): Alexander Volkov, RW (TB)
120. Windsor Spitfires (Pengwin7): Aaron Luchuk, C (OTT)

Finding an NHL ready young forward like Filip Chlapik in the fifth round can be a difference-maker in this league. I also love the Max Gildon selection at 102nd overall. Gildon’s situation is a bit similar to Bowers’ in that he could possibly play some NHL games late in the season after his college season is over. Logan Hutsko was my highest-ranked 2018 draftee at this point, and he went 107th overall. And finally, the best selection in this round may have been at 119th where Tampa’s Alexander Volkov was taken. Volkov had a great rookie season in the AHL, and even though Tampa is stacked at forward, Volkov may just be the best forward prospect they have.

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And that’s all for now. Feel free to add comments below. Follow me on Twitter @JokkeNevalainen.

Images used on the main collage courtesy of Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers, Sportsnet.ca and NHL.com