With the junior evaluation camp in Lake Placid, New York, behind us, it's time to roll out my initial top 100 drafted prospects rankings for 2015-16. I provide a separate ranking for goalies because I rank most of them fairly low relative to skaters. Previous ranking refers to rankings from the summer of 2014, and my definition of an NHL prospect is one with 25 or fewer NHL games played this past regular season, or 50 total career games.
The following ranking and analysis is based on my own observations and includes notes I've picked up in conversations with scouts and other NHL sources:
Top 100 prospects | Organizational rankings
1. Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning
Previous ranking: 1
Vasilevskiy had a bumpy start to his first full season in North America, but kept accelerating as he's done his whole young career until he ended up on Tampa's roster in the second half. He even got starts in the playoffs while Ben Bishop was injured. The now-21-year-old is a dynamic athlete in terms of his size, lateral agility and how he's able to go out of his square position to make tough saves. He's also a very aware goaltender who is technically sound. He has all the tools to be an above-average NHL starter.
2. John Gibson, Anaheim Ducks
Previous ranking: 2
For all intents and purposes, Gibson is an NHL player, but he narrowly missed the games-played limit necessary to graduate from my board. He has all the potential to be a quality starting goaltender in the league due to his fantastic hockey sense, very refined technique and above-average athleticism. Gibson also is a quality all-around athlete who can play the puck well. Should he stay healthy, he'll be getting a lot of NHL minutes this upcoming season.
3. Juuse Saros, Nashville Predators
Previous ranking: 3
Saros has continued to dominate, being one of the most consistent goaltending prospects of the past few years when it comes to high-level performance. He's a small goaltender at 5-foot-11, but so dynamic. Saros stands out with his athleticism, hockey sense and reflexes -- all of the elite variety. If he was 6-3, he'd be a special goalie prospect, but alas, he can get beaten high when the shooters place their shots well. He makes up for that in finding ways to get to many pucks other goalies can't. He has signed and crossed the pond for this upcoming season.
4. Malcolm Subban, Boston Bruins
Previous ranking: 8
Subban continued to show well at the pro level in his second season after turning heads as a rookie. He's a very flashy and athletic netminder who can make very difficult saves seem easy. His angles and reads have never been standout attributes, but he's solid in those areas. With Subban, it's about cleaning up the finer details in his structure and avoiding the easy goals, so those hard saves mean that much more.
5. Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets
Previous ranking: 7
Hellebuyck carried his elite performance at the college level to the pro ranks this past season. He's such a big goalie, and is really refined in his positional play; he challenges shooters, forcing them to make perfect shots on him. Hellebuyck doesn't go side to side too well, but he never really has to, as you could go a whole game without seeing him scramble. Hellebuyck is right on the cusp of breaking through with the Jets.
6. Matt Murray, Pittsburgh Penguins
Previous ranking: Unranked
Murray was named the top rookie and goaltender in the AHL in his first pro season. He's a very smart goalie who is advanced when it comes to angling out shooters and reading offensive plays. His athletic skills have notably progressed over the years; while Murray is a big goalie, he's improved his side-to-side movements and going outside his body to reach pucks. He's been on an extraordinary development track over the past 48 months.
7. Thatcher Demko, Vancouver Canucks
Previous ranking: 12
Demko had an excellent 2014-15 season; he was one of the top goalies in the country and turned heads at the World Juniors. Goalie scouts pick him apart on the technical side, but looking at the big picture, Demko is a big, calm, athletic goaltender with excellent hockey sense who has played at a high level the past few years. He'll have to clean up his footwork and reduce the tendency to allow low-percentage shots.
8. Jon Gillies, Calgary Flames
Previous ranking: 11
Gillies ended his college career with a boatload of accolades, including best goalie in his conference, a second-team All-American selection, and an NCAA tournament MVP award. He's a 6-foot-5 goaltender who moves like he's 6-foot-1, and over the past few years has shown he can carry a team to victory. His positioning and puck tracking can still use a little more cleaning up, but overall it's hard to ding Gillies too much.
9. Zach Fucale, Montreal Canadiens
Previous ranking: 5
Fucale has been criticized for his wavering performance level. On the plus side, he's an extremely calm and poised goalie with good hockey intelligence. His glove, footwork and understanding of when to challenge/use his angles are all above average. However, I've heard scouts criticize his game-breaking ability. "I don't think he'll be able to make the toughest saves in the NHL," said one scout, who added that Fucale's athletic abilities are good but not amazing.
10. Ilya Sorokin, New York Islanders
Previous ranking: Unranked
Sorokin's season was a little bumpy, but he showed very well at times, and overall looks like a goalie with a ton of potential. "Big, athletic goalies who play at the top of their crease aren't easy to find," said one NHL scout when discussing Sorokin. He has the ability to steal a game with his athleticism, glove hand, and developing frame. "Things get to him a little easy," said another scout, who noted Sorokin's mental game can cause some instability.
The next five
1. Philipp Grubauer, Washington Capitals
2. Felix Sandstrom, Philadelphia Flyers
3. Igor Shesterkin, New York Rangers
4. Anton Forsberg, Columbus Blue Jackets
5. Ville Husso, St. Louis Blues