With the regular season winding down, the focus for the fan bases of some teams has already shifted to the 2016 NHL draft. What better time to take another look at my 2015 NHL draft grades?
The purpose of this column is to show how a team’s draft class has changed relative to the league, which is why I grade on a curve. For example, I gave the Toronto Maple Leafs an A, making them a top-3 to a top-5 draft class; even though they’ve had a lot of impressive performances from their draft class this season, their grade hasn’t changed, and they’re still in the range of top 3 to top 5.
While most of the teams mentioned below are getting grade boosts, there are teams who went down a grade that I didn’t call out simply because the performance of the players went as expected; they just fell down the rankings as other prospects surpassed my expectations.
These are the six teams who I felt have shown the most notable changes in their draft class.
Buffalo Sabres
Old grade: A-
New grade: A
My sole reason for not giving Buffalo an A at the draft last year had nothing to do with second overall pick Jack Eichel; rather, I felt the Sabres didn’t get a lot done on Day 2. It’s that latter part of my statement that I’m revising here. Their Day 2 picks haven’t become elite guys, by any means, but they look to have several useful NHL prospects now coming out of their 2015 class, complementing future franchise center Eichel.
Will Borgen (No. 92 overall) was one of the biggest surprise prospects of the season, becoming a solid two-way defenseman at the college level and a top-four defenseman on the American team at the IIHF World Junior Championship. Giorgio Estephan (No. 152) has been a top WHL scorer, showing the dynamic skill and hockey IQ that made him hyped during his bantam and midget years, even if his speed still isn’t the best. Defenseman Brendan Guhle (No. 51) might be the most impressive of the bunch, and he got a long look at Buffalo's NHL camp in the fall; he’s a high-end skater with size and can make plays at both ends.
Ottawa Senators
Old grade: B+
New grade: A-
Ottawa’s new grade contains a mix of reviews for its prospects. First-round picks Thomas Chabot (No. 18) and Colin White (No. 21) have had great seasons. Chabot is as offensively dynamic a young defenseman as there is outside the NHL, and White has been a great two-way forward in his freshman season for Boston College. I expected this from White, but Chabot really moved the needle for me this season, giving the Senators two top-tier prospects.
On the other hand, Ottawa picking Gabriel Gagne No. 36 overall was questionable at the time -- and looks worse now. He has good hands for a big man, but his skating could keep his NHL prospects low. Their other second-rounder, Filip Chlapik (No. 48), has held steady, while Christian Jaros (No. 139) has had a solid season, particularly at the WJC.
Edmonton Oilers
Old grade: A
New grade: A+
I usually give out A’s as my top grade, but I’m putting Edmonton here more to make a point about the play of its draft class as a whole. In terms of draft classes nine months removed, this Oilers group is one of the most promising classes I’ve seen in the past several years.
Obviously, this is largely due to the incredible performance of Connor McDavid in the NHL. However, it doesn’t end there. Ziyat Paigin (No. 209) has quickly become one of the best young players in the KHL. He’s a huge defenseman who moves the puck at a pro-average level, on top of having solid vision and a big shot from the point. He’s not the most graceful skater, but he moves well for a player his size. Edmonton also drafted two other defenders in Ethan Bear (No. 124) and Caleb Jones (No. 117), who are not at the same level as Paigin but have had good seasons and rate as above-average prospects.
Minnesota Wild
Old grade: B-
New grade: B+
I wasn’t a huge fan of Minnesota taking Joel Eriksson Ek (No. 20) and gave it a B- on the strength of its Day 2 picks. Nine months later, I like Eriksson Ek more, as he has done well in the Swedish Hockey League, showing excellent hockey IQ to combine with a good frame and solid puck skills.
However, I like the Wild's Day 2 picks even more than I did last summer, with Kirill Kaprizov (No. 135) having one of the best seasons ever by an 18-year-old in a top Russian league and quickly vaulting himself into the conversation with the game’s best prospects. Jordan Greenway (No. 50) has been a solid freshman winger at Boston University, and defender Gustav Bouramman (No. 201) has shown a high level of offensive IQ and puck-moving skills in the OHL.
Winnipeg Jets
Old grade: B+
New grade: A-
Jets fans have been foaming at the mouth the past few months, as 17th overall pick Kyle Connor has torched the Big 10 conference and is likely on his way to winning the Hobey Baker award as college hockey's top player. He has moved the needle for me a fair bit but probably not substantially, as I already had Connor rated 13th in the class. I’d likely bump him up a spot or two since then.
The bulk of the reason for the Jets' grade moving up has been the combined progress of many picks, including Jack Roslovic (No. 25), Erik Foley (No. 78) and Michael Spacek (No. 108). Like Connor, each has not improved by leaps and bounds but rather by a notch; combined, this makes the Jets' class more impressive.
Los Angeles Kings
Old grade: B-
New grade: C+
The Kings’ drop of a half-grade is partly due to their top pick, Erik Cernak (No. 43), not playing at the level I expected he would for his junior team this season. He has been a pretty good player but hasn’t shown a higher level. He has the skating-puck movement combo that is impressive for a big man, but his hockey IQ isn’t the greatest.
Other than Austin Wagner (No. 99) -- who projects as a possible fourth-line forward at the NHL level -- there really hasn't been any Kings prospect from this class who trended up in a noticeable way this season. Like Cernak, Alexander Dergachyov (No. 74) has stagnated a little.