NHL Draft Review: Rounds 3-7

This is my review of the 3rd through 7th rounds of the 2019 NHL Draft, focusing primarily on the NCAA-tied prospects and even more so on the ones I’m familiar with. The first two rounds are where the most high-end talent goes, so I can’t say I ‘expect’ anyone past the 3rd round to make an impact in the NHL, but some players always do, so I’ve spent my time focusing on the positives and how each pick could make it, all the way through to the 7th rounders and undrafted prospects. My notes are more abbreviated here then they are for the 1st and 2nd rounders.

F Matt Stienburg to Colorado (63)

Another player who was picking up a lot of steam coming into the draft was the first pick of the third round, St. Andrew's captain Matt Stienburg. He had a great season and reportedly impressed scouts at individual combine sessions. Stienburg is a versatile offensive threat from Halifax, committed to Cornell. Fun fact: he played like 2 games of junior hockey this year and got into a fight in one of them.

Sportsnet’s Ryan McKenna: Matthew Stienburg on less travelled path from prep school to NHL prospect

F Alex Campbell to Nashville (65)

Campbell, a Clarkson recruit, alongside first-rounder Alex Newhook (BC), torched the BCHL for the Victoria Grizzlies this season. He picked up a lot of draft buzz as the season went on and performed well in the combine.

G Erik Portillo to Buffalo (67)

I didn't watch Portillo this season but did hear that the recent Michigan commit, a re-entry for the 2019 draft by two weeks, had been picking up a lot of steam among NHL scouts this spring. 6’6 goaltenders don’t grow on trees. Portillo had a great year for Frölunda’s U20 team, pacing the circuit in goaltender statistics and put up results until the semifinals where they bowed out to eventual-champions Modo. He’s playing for USHL-Dubuque this fall before heading to Ann Arbor in 2020.

Buffalo Hockey Beat’s Bill Hoppe: Sabres goalie prospect Erik Portillo stands out on ice

D Zac Jones to New York (68)

Cerebral offensive defender for Tri-City posted 52 points as a rookie and made a ton of plays. Could be really dynamic on the back-end for the Rangers in a few years.

D Ronnie Attard to Philadelphia (72)

His third year up for the draft bore an offensive explosion, as Attard posted 30-34--64 in 48 games from the point. I think this is a relatively high-risk pick but if he can translate his game to the NHL this could be a player on defense who impacts the game at both ends. He isn’t afraid to throw his weight around and he played with a lot of confidence this year. I'm not sure how high his ceiling is, though. He may be close to it. He played with 68th overall pick Zac Jones in Tri-City this year.

F John Farinacci to Arizona (76)

This is a solid pick here. Farinacci, a New Jersey Colonial product who spent a year at Shattuck-St. Mary’s had a good two years in prep hockey with the Dexter School. The Dexter captain is headed to Harvard, following the path of another former Dexter star forward in Ryan Donato (Minnesota Wild).

D Layton Ahac to Vegas (86)

Ohio State-bound defenseman reportedly had a very strong year in the BCHL. 6’2 Vancouver-born skater had 32 points in 53 games this season with Prince George.

D Dom Fensore to Carolina (90)

I didn't expect the BU recruit would go this high, as he is really on the smaller side, but he is one of the youngest players in the draft and I can only rave about what I saw from him this year with the NTDP. He's so good running the point, creating and improvising. He has great mobility as well. He compares favorably in some respects with another former NTDP-to-BU defenseman Brandon Fortunato.

F Quinn Olson to Boston (92)

Haven't watched anything from this UMD recruit. Played in Okotoks of the Alberta league, netting 119 points since joining the league two years ago.

F Tyce Thompson to New Jersey (96)

The younger brother of Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson is an all-around solid prospect at forward. This was his 3rd time up for the draft, a strong freshman year at Providence College boosted his stock in a big way.

F Ethan Phillips to Detroit (97)

Phillips was one of my favorite players to watch this year. He is super skilled and plays an up-tempo, resourceful game in the offensive zone. I think he could become an elite scorer at BU, and should help their powerplay soon.

F Matias Maccelli to Arizona (98)

Maccelli was offensively lights-out for Dubuque this season, after coming to the league mid-way through ‘17-18. He had 31-41-72 in 62 games. Headed back to his native Finland to play pro hockey with the Liiga’s Ilves.

D Cade Webber to Carolina (99)

Lanky, huge defenseman from the Rivers school. The BU recruit will round out his game in the BCHL next year.

F Matej Blumel to Edmonton (100)

Re-entry forward from the Czech Republic had a great season for USHL-Waterloo, posting 30-30-60 in 58 games. UConn commit.

D Henry Thrun to Anaheim (101)

Ducks get solid value in the fourth-round in Thrun, a well-framed two-way defender out of the NTDP. Harvard commit.

F Aaron Huglen to Buffalo (102)

The skilled Roseau (MN) native looked good in the USHL this season, playing 30 games in addition to his high school commitments with the Rams, where he was a 2-point-per-game guy. He could grow into his game next year in the USHL in a big way. Minnesota commit.

D Eric Hjorth to Columbus (104)

He’s not a college guy, but this seems like a pick to remember because he wasn't ranked by anything I saw. He had 6 points in 3 games at U18 this year per EliteProspects.com. 6'3 right shot out of Linköping HC is a Frölunda HC product.

F Michal Teply to Chicago (105)

Teply was pretty noticeable from international play. Has size, brings some offense up front. Played in the Czech pro loop this year.

D Carter Berger to Victoria (106)

Berger, listed at 6’0-200, posted 63 points in his third go at the BCHL with Victoria, an organization that had a great year at the draft. UConn-bound skater will be 20 this fall.

D Marc Del Gaizo to Nashville (109)

Del Gaizo was a part of a terrific UMass team as a freshman, has always been able to make plays on the point. Second year in the draft mix for the 19-year-old.

F Ryder Donovan to Vegas (110)

This is the lower-bound of where Donovan should have gone in my estimation. Scouts ticked him for not taking the MSHSL by storm this year (his fifth in high school hockey), which I can understand. At this point in the draft you really want to find a player, and Donovan is a swing at major upside. There are few 6’3+ forwards with a ceiling like his in general, let alone halfway through the 4th round. The Wisconsin recruit will be playing in the Big Ten this year.

D Hunter Skinner to New York (112)

Good size, right-shot defenseman who had a good season in the USHL. Western Michigan commit.

D Case McCarthy to New Jersey (118)

A lot of similar-profile players going here, good ceiling, relatively high floor, he brings some offense and he's got upside defensively. BU recruit.

D Max Crozier to Tampa Bay (120)

He had a great playoff for Clark Cup champions Sioux Falls, coming out of the BCHL. He's got size and can shoot as well as make plays, I think he has a solid floor and a decent ceiling. Right-shot defenseman is headed to Providence. 19 year old was a re-entry draft-eligible.

F Nick Abruzzese to Toronto (124)

I'm not going to say it anymore since this is the last pick of the 4th-round, but I think you have to try to find any value wherever you can at this point so I love what Toronto took a swing at. He led the USHL in scoring as a re-entry and he still isn't filled out physically. Leafs scouting director John Lilley said "he's a '99 but you look at him and he looks like an '01", which can be a pretty big positive in scouting parlance. His physical immaturity is a reason why I ranked him pretty high, as he still has a lot of growth to do and could come into it in a big way.

The leading scorer of the USHL last year, he could emerge as an elite scoring threat at Harvard and be a really intriguing piece for the Leafs down the line. He and Robert Mastrosimone (2nd round) were key facets of the Chicago Steel offense.

F Mark Kastelic to Calgary (125)

The Calgary Hitmen captain turned 20 last March. 6'3, 220 Phoenix Jr. Coyotes AAA product has always played with an edge, scored 47 goals in 66 games this year.

G Cole Brady to New Jersey (127)

6'5 stopper for Janesville of the NAHL posted a .912 and 2.79 goals against average. Arizona State commit. Seems to be headed to the USHL this season.

D Cooper Moore to Detroit (128)

6'1 defenseman out of Brunswick School (CT). A North Dakota commit, Moore is headed to the BCHL next season.

F Rhett Pitlick to Montreal (131)

If his development arc proves to be anything like his brother, Rem (Shattuck to UofM to Nashville), he could be a hell of a player. Montreal with a pretty slick draft so far. Minnesota commit.

F Trevor Janicke to Anaheim (132)

Scorer from Maple Grove, MN. Janicke spent a year captaining the now-non existent USHL-Central Illinois franchise after two seasons with the NTDP. He’s been a Notre Dame recruit for almost four years and will play in the Big Ten this year at 18.

F Harrison Blaisdell to Winnipeg (134)

North Dakota recruit posted 63 points in 62 games for the Chilliwack Chiefs of the BCHL.

G Isaiah Saville to Vegas (135)

Anchorage-born goaltender had a nice year in the USHL for Tri-City, posting a 1.90/.925 in 34 regular season games. UNO commit.

F Owen Lindmark to Florida (137)

Two-way forward is real value this late in the draft. Wisconsin commit will play in the Big Ten this season.

F Marcus Kallionkieli to Vegas (139)

Kallionkieli has a nice ceiling that he displayed with offensive prowess and athleticism in the USHL this season. The Finnish-Brazilian dual citizen is reportedly going to spend another year with Sioux City, who will need him with the loss of Bobby Brink to college. Uncommitted.

G Logan Neaton to Winnipeg (144)

American goaltender committed to UMass-Lowell. Neaton’s numbers were silly this year for BCHL-Prince George: 1.92/.914 through 47 games in the regular season, kicking it up to 1.46/.940 for the BCHL playoffs, and then 1.84/.936 in the Doyle Cup, which is the playoffs for the top Western Canadian junior teams. They ended up falling short in the Canadian Junior A National Title game to the Brooks Bandits. Neaton spent two seasons in Michigan high school hockey before juniors, tending goal for Brighton.

F Judd Caulfield to Pittsburgh (145)

The Penguins get a good athlete up front who could evolve into a power winger at the pro level who pitches in offensively. North Dakota commit played for Grand Forks Central High (ND) before he joined the NTDP.

D Mike Koster to Toronto (146)

Toronto add speed and vision to their blue line prospect pool with this pick. Koster isn’t very big at 5’9 but he moves really well and makes things happen. The Minnesota commit had 6 points in 15 USHL games for Tri-City this year, though he netted 118 points over his last two seasons with Chaska.

G Ethan Haider to NYI (147)

Maple Grove (MN) product was two weeks from being a 2020 draft-eligible, posting a 2.35/.926 through the regular season with NAHL-Minnesota.

F Josh Nodler to Calgary (150)

Nodler was a solid piece up front for a top-heavy USHL-Fargo team. The Michigan State commit was 3rd on the team with 42 points.

D Braden Doyle to Los Angeles (157)

Lawrence Academy product posted 53 points in 59 games over his last two seasons in prep hockey. BU commit.

F Patrick Moynihan to New Jersey (158)

Another one of the talented forwards for the NTDP who would have gone higher had he played for a USHL team or even just stayed in prep school. In the long-run, his time at the NTDP was probably much better for his development, though. Moynihan was a prep hockey stand-out, scoring 16-19-35 with Nobles before heading off to play with this loaded NTDP 2001-birthyear team. Despite not being a go-to guy offensively he more than produced his fair share over the last two seasons, and should be a great addition for Providence College this winter.

F Tomas Mazura to Edmonton (162)

I love this pick for the Oilers, a legitimate swing at a center with size and offensive upside. The Czech Republic-born forward was born a week late to be in the 2018 draft but that all worked out as he spent last season on the IR. The Providence College recruit broke out with 54 points this season making up for lost time. He’s going to play another year at Kimball Union for coach Tim Whitehead.

D Will Francis to Anaheim (163)

Very tall defender for USHL-Cedar Rapids had a decent rookie campaign coming out of Centennial HS (MN), where he had 31 points in 25 games. This season he had 10 in 59, with 131 PIMs and a +9. UMD commit.

D Marshall Warren to Minnesota (166)

Warren is a great athlete with serious speed. He’s not particularly big or imposing but he has the tools to be successful at the next level, and he has some offensive upside. BC-bound.

G Dominic Basse to Chicago (167)

6’6 Colorado College-committed goaltender posted a 1.91/.924 for Selects Academy’s U18 team this year. Team Maryland product played for Gonzaga HS (DC) before Selects.

F Nikita Nesterenko to Minnesota (172)

He seems like an interesting prospect, though I’ve only watched one game of his. Solid combination of speed, skill and offensive engagement at forward. Played for Lawrenceville (NJ) and, as far as I know, is heading to the BCHL this season. Brown commit.

D Ben Brinkman to Dallas (173)

The Edina native is a two-way defenseman who held it down for a struggling Minnesota d-corps this year as an 18-year-old freshman in the Big Ten. Brinkman posted 44 points in 28 games captaining Edina (MN) in ‘17-18. His +11 paced the Gophers line-up this year — the next highest was +6. This is good value in the 6th round. This was Dallas’ last selection in the draft.

F Anthony Romano to Arizona (176)

Romano was a big piece of the puzzle at forward for Sioux Falls, who won the USHL this year. Produced at every level. Clarkson recruit

F Jack Malone to Vancouver (180)

Malone was one of my higher-rated forwards this season. I thought he had a great draft year with Youngstown, and is on a good track upward. Malone is a Cornell recruit with some size and offensive tools.

I enjoyed this article in the Vancouver Courier, by Daniel Wagner. He makes the argument that Malone, a 6th-rounder, was pretty under-valued this season. I don’t disagree: “All five of the players that finished ahead of Malone in scoring were selected in the first four rounds; in fact, four of the five were picked in the first two rounds. In other words, players with a similar statistical profile to Malone’s mostly got picked by the second round of the draft. To get Malone in the sixth round already seems like a steal, but it gets better. If you take the power play out of the equation and just look at 5-on-5 scoring, Malone shoots up to first. His 43 points at 5-on-5 led all first-time draft-eligible players in the USHL last season.” The article is thorough, with multiple clips and comments on Malone’s game.

F Kevin Wall to Carolina (181)

Upstate New York native had a great season in the BCHL netting 64 points in 49 games coming out of Salisbury School (CT). He's a Penn State commit.

F Andre Lee to Los Angeles (188)

Lee had a monster playoffs (three game-winners and team-leading 11 points), but he still wasn't ranked by basically anyone (except me). Re-entry from Färjestad (Sweden) is a UMass Lowell commit with a really intriguing upside at 6’5. This was his second year up for the draft.

Lisa Dillman for The Athletic ($): ‘He never gives up’ — With strong family support, Kings’ Andre Lee has been a quick study

G Carter Gylander to Detroit (191)

6'5 goaltender from the Alberta league. 2.43, .915sv% in 22 games. Colgate commit.

F Jake Schmaltz to Boston (192)

This one came out of left field for me, I honestly didn't even pay any attention to him as a draft prospect, and I did watch a fair amount of the Steel this year. I thought the Wisconsin native was ‘fine’ this year. Boston had a good enough draft, give them the benefit of the doubt on this 7th-round look. North Dakota commit.

F Aidan McDonough to Vancouver (195)

6'2 skater will turn 20 this fall, posted 42 points in 50 games with Cedar Rapids of the USHL coming out of prep hockey. Northeastern commit.

F Bryce Brodzinski to Philadelphia (196)

Minnesota's Mr. Hockey award winner was my 25th ranked forward of 25 for this draft, a pure goalscorer with good instincts and some upside. He had 90 points in 28 games captaining the Blaine Bengals. Second year up for the draft. Minnesota commit.

G Filip Lindberg to Minnesota (197)

20-year-old goaltender posted a 1.60 and .934 for UMass coming out of junior hockey in Finland.

F Eric Ciccolini to New York Rangers (205)

Rangers add a stand-out from the OJHL with upper-echelon skating who profiles as a potentially very nice pickup. Ciccolini was named the OJHL’s Top Prospect, with 27-35-62 in 48 games. Michigan commit is coming to campus this year.

D Keiran Ruscheinski to Montreal (206)

Habs got a 6’6 defenseman who appears to be taking the college route out of the Alberta midget circuit, joining Salmon Arm of the British Columbia league this winter. The league that Ruscheinski was drafted out of is the same one Cale Makar played in before his junior career. He’s still uncommitted.

Todd Saelhof for the Calgary Sun: Calgary's Ruscheinski begins sudden NHL bid after being drafted

“There’s guys that play in our league and once they get to junior, they get drafted, but to (get drafted) right out of our league is pretty much unheard of, I’d say.” said Blair Courchene-Lystand, Ruscheinski’s head coach with the Northstars… “In four or five years, he has the potential to be kind of like a Colton Parayko-type player.”

F McKade Webster to Tampa Bay (213)

I remember Webster as an awesome player for the Oakland Jr. Grizzlies back in his youth hockey days. I didn't watch him closely this season as he was a re-entry prospect who only played 6 games for Green Bay, but he is a nice player with some offensive prowess, and as a 17-year-old rookie in the USHL, he was a 30-point player. Denver commit

"McKade is a cerebral, playmaking winger," MacMillan said. "His deft touch and stickhandling abilities enable him to put pucks into space or make crisp passes depending upon the situation. McKade is a proven offensive producer at every level with the ability to control the pace of the game when the puck is on his stick. He is another gifted offensive player who will fit in very well with the tempo and style of game we play at DU."