With the calendar flipping to December, the hockey season enters an exciting segment of the year with the world junior championship at the end of the month in Minnesota.
It’s also a good time to check in with the progress previously drafted players are making as they continue to develop with their club teams around the world.
As part of my ongoing updates on prospects from Canadian NHL teams, here’s a look at how the first players selected by each team last June in Los Angeles have been trending this fall:
Braeden Cootes: Six feet, 185 pounds, right-shot center, first round (15th overall)
Cootes trained hard for his first pro camp this fall with the Canucks and impressed Vancouver’s brass enough to break camp with the team at the start of the season.
Cootes appeared in only three games at the NHL level before being returned to the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL, but the experience served him well. He’s the captain again this year and being deployed in all situations for the T-birds.
Cootes averages over 20 minutes per game and his scoring touch has gone to another level in his third season of major junior hockey. He’s produced nine goals and 12 assists in 14 games and is on pace for a career-high 38 goals and 51 assists. He’s a potential top-six NHL forward who’s engaged in all three zones,pushes back in the trenches and wins well over 50 per cent of his faceoffs.
Here’s an example of Cootes executing a set-play off a faceoff in the offensive zone with his group on the power play.
Cole Reschny: five-foot-11, 183 pounds, right-shot centre, first round (18th overall)
Reschny is one of the CHL players who made the move to the NCAA this season. He’s a freshman at North dakota after playing two years for the Victoria Royals and is a potential top-six NHL forward.
Reschny put up huge offensive numbers in Victoria, putting up 47 goals and 104 assists over two seasons. He’s adjusted well to the NCAA level offensively, contributing two goals and 13 assists in his first 14 games. Reschny continues to impress me the overall detail he provides. When he isn’t producing offense, the team can count on his commitment defensively.
Reschny is averaging well over 20 minutes ice time for a long stretch of games and being used in all situations at North Dakota. He’s second in team scoring but, as described, his defensive effort and overall detail stand out for me.
Here’s an example of Reschny working to win possession of a defensive
Canadiens Prospect Report: Buchala and Zharovsky
The Montreal Canadiens have a promising group of prospects developing in various leagues. Here’s an update on two players to watch: Filip Buchala and Alexander Zharovsky.
filip Buchala, six-foot-three, 190 pounds, right-shot winger, second round (41st overall)
Buchala is playing his first professional season in the AHL with the Laval Rocket. He’s shown flashes of brilliance, but consistency is an area he needs to work on. He has seven goals and eight assists in 26 games. In his last 10-game segment, he has two goals and four assists.Buchala has a powerful shot and good skating ability, but his shot selection can be questionable. He needs to improve his accuracy and get more shots on net,making it to the net. It’s an area of his game that has room for improvement. Here’s a look at how many of his attempted shots have reached the net in his last 10-game segment:
Alexander Zharovsky, six-foot-one, 163 pounds, left-shot winger, second round (34th overall)
Zharovsky was my favorite pick in the second round last June and Montreal could have another future top-line winger in its stable of prospects.
Zharovsky was drafted out of the Russian junior league (MHL). He’s graduated to the KHL, playing for Ufa, and having a fantastic rookie campaign. Zharovsky has eight goals and 12 assists in 24 games. In his latest 10-game segment, he had three goals and three assists and averaged over 15 minutes ice time per game. All of his shifts come at even strength and the power play. He has a primary role on the top power-play unit. Zharovsky is a highly skilled winger who needs time to add more weight and strength to his frame, but his offensive hockey sense is elite.
Here’s an ex
Worth a look