NHL draft 2015: Eichel, McDavid highlight talented forward group likely to dominate Round 1
This year's forward group is truly an exceptional crop and the clear strength of this 2015 NHL draft class.
At Red Line Report, we believe that as many as eight of the top 10 and 16 of the top 20 overall selections will come from a deep and potentially star-studded crop. The top-end grouping is as strong as any in the past 10-12 years, and offers both marquee talent and a number of other legitimate first-line NHL players.
RED LINE'S TOP 10 FORWARDS FOR THE 2015 DRAFT
In what could be a class for the ages, we're giving Connor McDavid the edge as the top dog. He's one of the most unique and purely skilled prospects of the past 25 years, and he is universally acknowledged as a franchise cornerstone player. His anticipation and hockey sense are so off the charts that he sees plays before they develop, and plays the game like a chess grandmaster, thinking three and four moves down the road. He will singlehandedly change the team culture in Edmonton, and electrify the city to a degree not seen since the halcyon days of Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier.
Jack Eichel is the tough luck runner-up on Red Line's board, a player who would be a legitimate No.1 overall pick in at least eight out of every 10 years. His explosive shot release and phenomenal hockey IQ give him the offensive upside of a true franchise center. He dominates games against his own age group, and his imaginative playmaking might be the best seen in Buffalo since Gilbert Perreault was patrolling the ice in the 1970s.
The second tier consists of a small but highly skilled winger and a power center who play vastly different games. Mitch Marner has a thin build and needs to add upper body strength, but he is the most elusive skater in the entire draft with east-west lateral moves that are ankle breakers for defenseman. His creativity and puck skills are superb, and he knows where everyone on the ice is positioned at all times. Marner is equally adept at setting up chances for linemates, or burying his own.
Dylan Strome is the type of big pivot every NHL club covets down the middle. Long and lean with a great frame to fill out, Strome carries a tremendous shot with pinpoint accuracy, and smartly uses defenders as screens to hide his release point. He's got excellent variety in his offensive game, and he can either power to the net or stickhandle through a crowd while using his long reach to protect the puck.
Red Line's third tier contains a trio of European power forwards and a smallish puck wizard. Huge Finnish winger Mikko Rantanen is the largest and most physically mature of the group, and played against men in the Finnish Elite league all year, so he may be ready to play against NHLers right away. His skating ticked up a half stride this year, and he uses brute force to bull his way to net.
Russian sharpshooter Denis Guryanov has, without question, the most powerful shot in the draft. The puck explodes off his stick and handcuffs even top netminders. Guryanov is also a powerful skater who accelerates instantly to top speed. While he's likely to slide a bit in the draft due to the "Russian factor," he may be the best pure sniper available this year.
Matthew Barzal is the slick, tricky little North American of the bunch - an intelligent, creative center who, despite a small body, possesses a huge compete level. He's also an exceptionally skilled stickhandling wizard who is from the traditional playmaking center's mold. Barzal sees the ice beautifully and makes soft saucers through traffic off both sides of the blade. He's the type of player who makes everyone around him better, and he is also a high-character kid and strong on-ice leader.
The final member of the foursome is rugged Czech center Pavel Zacha, who spent this season with the Ontario Hockey League's Sarnia Sting while acclimating himself to the North American game. Zacha is a slasher with a great combination of size/strength and a powerful stride. His physical tools are outstanding, and he plays a big man's game, hitting hard and often and intimidating defenders down low below the circles. Zacha's vision and offensive instincts aren't as refined as some others on this list.
The final members of our top 10 offer completely different skill sets. Lawson Crouse is a huge and physically imposing force who patrols up and down the wing like a shark cruising for prey. His power and wide body make him impossible to separate from the puck down low, and he excels on the cycle, which produces so much of the offense at the NHL level.
Rounding out Red Line's top 10 is Nick Merkley, who has repeatedly shown one of the sharpest minds and finely honed instincts in this class. Merkley took a team full of NHL-drafted veterans to the Memorial Cup Final, and he was their leader every step of the way. Strong-willed and relentless, he wins many puck battles against much larger foes through sheer desire and determination. This kid loves the game, and he is a dynamic and creative offensive force. His only real knock is a lack of first-step explosion and a top-end gear in his skating.
SLEEPER:
Zach Senyshyn/RW — Sault Ste. Marie. While he doesn't have the gaudy offensive numbers that many of the other top forwards can point to, we love his combination of size (6-2/195), skating, and edginess. Early in the season, he showed plenty of individual tools, but was not yet the sum of his parts. He was also brought along slowly on a deep, powerhouse Greyhounds club, seeing only third-line ice time and no power play duty.
But in the season's second half, he began putting it all together and forced the Greyhounds to increase his quality minutes, becoming a key contributor in their deep playoff run. His physicality down low creates extra space for his linemates, and nothing deters him from driving straight to the crease and causing havoc once he's there.
Senyshyn is also a terrific skater with speed, first-step burst, balance, and agility. By the time he hits the NHL in a couple of years, he's going to fill out into a beast.
Red Line Report Chief Scout Kyle Woodlief will be providing position-by-position analysis of the top prospects leading up to the NHL Entry Draft in Sunrise, Fla., on June 26-27. This week he's covering the forwards, then he'll take a look at the defenseman and will finish up with the goalies. Red Line Report will also provide a mock draft and a complete overview of the draft a week prior to the event. Red Line also produces a full service Draft Guide that can be purchased by fans and media on-line at: www.redlinereport.com, or over the phone at: (518) 523-4289.
PHOTOS: Top 10 prospects for the 2015 NHL draft
