Prospects Analysis: Central Division

Before the season began, we looked at the top three prospects from all 30 NHL teams and discussed what was expected this season. With the season nearing its completion, it's time review how the last seven months went for those 90 young players. 


(Notes: The prospects are in order that appeared in the original article in September. They wouldn't necessarily be in this order if they were re-ranked today. All stats as of May 21.)

Chicago Blackhawks
1. Teuvo Teravainen (C, Chicago-NHL/Rockford-AHL): I wasn't a huge fan of how the Blackhawks used Teravainen this season. He split the year between Chicago and Rockford and was a healthy scratch on several occasions when he was up with the big club. It seems like the wrong course of action for a 20-year-old who is known for his elite offensive skills. Teravainen showed flashes of his ability while with Chicago, but overall he finished with just four goals and nine points in 34 games. He's so young that he still has plenty of room for his game to grow, but I think the Blackhawks would be better off if they gave him a top-six role for next season and just left him there. Teravainen also has the ability to play the wing if necessary.

2. Ryan Hartman (RW, Chicago-NHL/Rockford-AHL): Hartman did some good work for Rockford early in the season and earned himself a brief five-game trial with the Hawks. His offensive numbers in the AHL this season (13 goals and 37 points in 69 games) is pretty much in line with what I expect him to eventually do in the NHL. Hartman is probably a third-liner who can impact the game with his physical play and ability to kill penalties. He probably wouldn't be out of place if Chicago decided to give him a full-time NHL gig next season.

3. Mark McNeill (C, Rockford-AHL): McNeill never got a recall this season but he deserved one. In his second full professional season, his numbers (23 goals and 44 points in 63 games) improved across the board. I'd be surprised if he was able to approach those numbers at the NHL level, but he should be an effective top-nine player. McNeill is one of the most physically fit prospects in the entire league and he's also very good on faceoffs. Chicago has an awfully deep forward corps, but McNeill certainly has trade value if the Hawks decide they want to move him. He could play in some team's bottom-six group next season.

Colorado Avalanche
1. Chris Bigras (D, Owen Sound-OHL/Lake Erie-AHL): Numbers don't always tell the story in regard to how a player fared during a particular season, but in Bigras' case, they do. A guy who tallied four goals and 27 points in 55 games last season upped those totals to 20 goals and 71 points in 62 games this season. Bigras then finished the season in the AHL and added four assists in seven games there. Bigras was never expected to be an offensive juggernaut, but more of a two-way guy who wouldn't make any glaring mistakes. The points this season are nice, but it's the monumental improvement on the defensive end that has Bigras' status as a prospect back on track. I wouldn't be surprised to see him make the Avs out of training camp next year.

2. Joey Hishon (C, Colorado-NHL/Lake Erie-AHL): Hishon was relatively healthy this past season (at least, for him) playing 66 games between Colorado and Lake Erie. He has always had offensive ability but his career has been derailed by numerous concussions. The fact that he finally made it to the NHL is a good sign, but it's hard to bet on a guy who's career seems likely to be over if he suffers one more huge hit. It's hard not to root for Hishon but it certainly seems like Colorado won't get the return they expected when they invested the 17th overall pick in the 2010 entry draft on him.

3. Conner Bleackley (C, Red Deer-WHL): Injuries limited Bleackley to just 51 games in Red Deer this past season. He was productive (27 goals and 49 points) when in the lineup, but his long-term outlook hasn't really changed. Bleackley isn't very big (5-foot-11 and 195 pounds) and it seemed like a real reach when Colorado took him with the 23rd overall pick in last year's entry draft. He is a heart-and-soul type player and his teammates love him, but I just don't see the upside that many other prospects around the league have.

Dallas Stars
1. Radek Faksa (C, Texas-AHL): An argument can be made that no top-50 prospect (I had him ranked 43rd before the season began) had a worse year than Faksa. He played just 32 games with Texas and put up just four goals. Faksa's numbers have never really matched his skill level, even going back to his juniors days, but he reached a career-low this past year. He's physically gifted but it's difficult to project him as an NHL regular at this point.

2. Brett Ritchie (RW, Dallas-NHL/Texas-AHL): Ritchie got off to a quick start with Texas (14 points in 33 games), got recalled to Dallas and performed pretty well (six goals in 31 games) for the Stars the remainder of the season. He missed some time with an upper-body injury but Ritchie has always been a goal scorer and he has proven that he can produce at the NHL level. He's worth taking a flier on in deeper leagues at your draft table next year.

3. Jamie Oleksiak (D, Dallas-NHL/Texas-AHL): Oleksiak has spent the past three seasons bouncing between the NHL and AHL. He played 36 games with Dallas this past season and now has 59 career games of NHL experience. The Stars expected Oleksiak to turn into a big, dominant two-way defender (he's 6-7, 240 pounds) but it looks like he's going to fall short of those expectations. Teams think that they can mold every huge, young defenseman into a Tyler Myers-type player, but it doesn't always work out. Oleksiak should have a career as an NHL regular, but it will be as more of a bottom-pairing player. He's still only 22 years old, but he looks like a bust considering he was the 14th overall pick in the 2011 entry draft.

Minnesota Wild
1. Mathew Dumba (D, Minnesota-NHL/Iowa-AHL): It took a couple of seasons, but late in the year and into the playoffs Dumba finally showed the dynamic element that he can bring to the Minnesota blueline. He has a huge shot, great wheels and excels on the power play and in transition. Dumba will always have his struggles in his own zone (mostly because he's only 6-0, 185 pounds), but his offensive abilities will far outweigh his problems in front of his own net. I expect him to have a decent amount of fantasy value as early as next season.

2. Mario Lucia (LW, University of Notre Dame-NCAA): Lucia had a solid, if not spectacular, junior season for the Irish. His 32 points were one more than he had last season and his 21 goals were five more than the previous year. Once again, the Wild did all they could to sign Lucia to a professional contract and once again he turned them down, electing to return to South Bend for his senior season. Lucia is a Minnesota native, but it should be noted that once he completes his senior season, he would have the ability to sign with any team he wishes if he decides he doesn't want to play for the Wild. It seems unlikely, but the option is out there.

3. Alex Tuch (RW, Boston College-NCAA): I'm willing to admit when I am wrong and it appears I was about Tuch. I didn't have him ranked among my top-100 prospects entering the season because I was worried that he would be slow to acclimate to the NCAA game. He responded with 14 goals and 28 points in 37 games for Boston College and was productive for Team USA at the World Juniors. Tuch is gigantic (6-3, 215 pounds) and has terrific hands and a great shot. I fully expect him to dominate college hockey again next season and I wouldn't be shocked if he turned pro after his sophomore season at BC.

Nashville Predators
1. Calle Jarnkrok (C, Nashville-NHL): Add Jarnkrok to the list of young players who spent the entire season in the NHL but was a healthy scratch on several occasions and received limited ice time on the nights that he did play. Jarnkrok is an offensive player, and considering the limited ice time he received many games, his overall numbers (7 goals and 18 points in 74 games) weren't terrible. There were rumors that the Red Wings (who dealt Jarnkrok to Nashville in March 2014) were concerned that he planned to return to play in Sweden and dumped him for an over-the-hill David Legwand. There have been no indications from Jarnkrok himself that he plans to return to Sweden, but it's something to keep an eye on moving forward.

2. Filip Forsberg (C, Nashville-NHL): It's funny, the report on Forsberg in his draft year was that he was an extremely smart player but there were concerns about how much offense he would be able to produce at the NHL level. It's safe to say that he's silenced those critics. Forsberg finished with 26 goals and 63 points, playing in all 82 games and seemed to carry the offensive load for Nashville at times. As good as he was, I'm not sure that Forsberg can produce a whole lot more than he did this past season. I could see him getting to somewhere around 30 goals and 70 points, but I don't think he'll ever be among the league leaders in scoring. Still, hard to believe that all Nashville had to give up to acquire Forsberg was a washed up Martin Erat.

3. Kevin Fiala (C, Nashville-NHL/Milwaukee-AHL/HV71-Sweden): Fiala played all over the world this past season. He started with HV71 in Sweden, he was terrific for Switzerland at the World Juniors, was terrific in the AHL (11 goals and 20 points in 33 games) when he came over to North America and he finished the season in the NHL, dressing in one regular season game and one playoff game for the Preds. Fiala is a dynamic offensive talent. He's extremely small (he's generously listed at 5-9, 180 pounds) and he needs to bulk up, but he's one of the most gifted offensive prospects in the entire league. He could probably use another half season in the AHL but it wouldn't be a surprise if the Preds kept him out of training camp next season.

St. Louis Blues
1. Dmitrij Jaskin (LW, St. Louis-NHL/Chicago-AHL): Due to several injuries sustained by St. Louis forwards this year, Jaskin actually got more playing time in the NHL than I thought he would. He showed off his offensive ability by scoring 13 goals in just 54 games. But he was still a healthy scratch on several occasions and he also played 18 games in the AHL. Jaskin is ready for a top-six role next season, but it remains to be seen if the Blues are willing to give it to him. He's a player to keep an eye on in training camp because he has the ability to score 25-to-30 goals if he is given consistent minutes alongside offensive players.

2. Jake Allen (G, St. Louis-NHL): The plan going into the season was for the Blues to split their goaltending duties between Allen and Brian Elliott. That's what basically happened with Allen getting 37 starts, Elliott 46 and veteran Martin Brodeur seven. Allen's overall numbers were terrific: 22-7-4, 2.28 GAA, .913 save percentage and four shutouts. He had stretches where he played great and then others when he struggled. The Blues have already announced that they plan for Allen and Elliott to split duties again next season, which is a mess for potential fantasy owners. Allen is just 24 years old and the goalie of the future for the Blues, so he's certainly the better long-term option, but as it stands right now, the fantasy value of both goalies will be limited.

3. Ty Rattie (RW, St. Louis-NHL/Chicago-AHL): Rattie is in a similar spot to Jaskin: he needs to be playing a top-six role to be effective and there just doesn't seem to be any room for that in St. Louis. He got into 11 games this past season with the Blues , finishing with two assists, but he spent virtually all of those games getting limited minutes. Rattie is a pure sniper who does his best work on the power play when there is more open space. If he was traded to another organization, he could probably carve out a nice role beginning next season.

Winnipeg Jets
1. Nikolaj Ehlers (LW, Halifax-QMJHL):Jonathan Drouin left Halifax to turn pro but that didn't stop Ehlers from making a mockery of the Quebec league. He finished with 101 points in 51 games (he had 103 points in 63 games last year) and was impressive for an undermanned Danish squad at the World Juniors. I currently have Ehlers ranked as the top prospect in the league, though that will change when Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel are officially drafted. I can't see any scenario in which Ehlers doesn't spend next season in the NHL. The Jets overachieved this past season, but they don't have a ton of pure offensive weapons, especially after dealing Evander Kane to Buffalo. Ehlers is going to be a fantasy option from Day 1, which should be opening night next season.

2. Josh Morrissey (D, Prince Albert/Kelowna-WHL): Morrissey was dealt around Christmas from Prince Albert to Kelowna and has since helped lead the Rockets to the WHL Championship and a place in the Memorial Cup. In between, he played on Team Canada's top defensive pair and won a gold medal at the World Juniors. Morrissey missed some time due to injury late in the season but he's fully healthy now. Calm, a great skater and able to run a power play, it wouldn't be a shock to see Morrissey playing in the NHL next season.

3. Connor Hellebuyck (G, St. John's-AHL): I've been leading the Hellebuyck bandwagon ever since I I saw him dominate Hockey East as a 19-year-old at U-Mass Lowell. He turned pro this past season and responded with a 28-22-5 record, 2.58 GAA and .921 save percentage. But his best work came after the season at the World Championships for Team USA when he went 7-1 with two shutouts, a minuscule 1.37 GAA and .947 save percentage, including a shutout against the Czech Republic in the bronze medal game. I've said before that I think Hellebuyck is the best goaltender in the Winnipeg organization (Ondrej Pavelec and Michael Hutchinson included) and I'm sticking by it.