Canada
Thomas Vandenberg
A physical center with quick feet and flashes of offensive potential.
Alexis Mathieu
Hard hitting defenseman with limited offensive upside.
Luke Mistelbacher
Shot-happy sniper who showed a tonne of growth after being passed over in his two years of draft eligibility.
Riley Kidney
A very crafty forward that uses his high-end puck skills to create offensive opportunities for himself and his teammates.
Jean-Christoph Lemieux
Fast, intelligent two-way center whose offense took off after a midseason trade gave him room to play. The fantasy value is secondary scoring from a middle-six role, with power-play touch as the sweetener if the post-trade surge proves real.
Layne Gallacher
Defense-first checking center whose motor, face off work, and habits away from the puck read as NHL-translatable. The fantasy ceiling stays thin until the offense he posted at the U18 level shows up against OHL competition.
Jake O’Brien
Quick, intelligent playmaker with room to grow into his 6-2 frame
Carson Wetsch
A solid offensive winger with a high compete level. Needs to work on his two-way game—projects as a bottom-six forward.
Stephen Halliday
The knock on him to date has been that he does not use his size enough and plays on the perimeter. Mix in average skating and Halliday has relied on his above-average playmaking abilities to have the success he has had so far.
Ethan Procyszyn
A big, strong, physical center with average skating skills. Defensively responsible and will struggle to succeed at the next level without improving his skating ability—projects as a bottom-six forward who could see time on the penalty kill.