Scott Reynolds, a brilliant writer at The Copper & Blue, looked at league preferences by team since the lockout, but I want to take the larger view - overall in the years 1999-2005, where did these players come from? It's not a surprise to see the WHL and the OHL at the top of the list, though the amount of Russians might surprise some. The Atlanta Thrashers and New Jersey Devils writers each followed suit by looking at team success rates. Gaudreau made the tough saves and the easy saves, showing impressive quickness and intelligence in net.My last column looked at the success rates of each team in the NHL draft during the time period 1999-2005. He got only a few games, but he showed people what he can be at the top of his game. As a 6-foot-2 goalie without strong numbers, albeit strong other attributes, he would have been a tougher sell for NHL teams with no hockey this season. Benjamin Gaudreau, G, Canada Gaudreau’s first OHL season was a tough run, getting a lot of shots and often giving up a lot of goals in Sarnia. After a mediocre underage OHL season, he helped himself a lot playing possibly his only hockey of the season in front of NHL decision-makers. And while he’s not an amazing skater or puck-mover, he skates well enough to be an intriguing pro prospect. He’s a big, physical defenseman who made a lot of stops. The Mississauga defenseman kept seeing his play progress as the tournament went along, leading all Canadian defensemen in ice time in the gold medal game. He did though, and he made the most of his opportunity. Stock up Ethan Del Mastro, D, Canada It’s questionable if Del Mastro would have even made Team Canada if the QMJHL players were made available and/or Carson Lambos was healthy. I was in attendance for the entire tournament, and here are some of my main takeaways on draft-eligible prospects who impacted their stock in positive or negative ways, along with a look at some of the top prospects of future drafts. The one and only tournament for the 2003 age group this season and the first since February 2020 took place in Frisco and Plano, Texas, as scouts from across the NHL got live viewings for the first time of many of the top prospects for the 2021 NHL Draft.

05 nhl draft