The 2019-20 hockey season was incomplete for most leagues. But even with playoff-less campaigns, we still have a large sample of prospect game play and plenty of evidence of progression. And we can certainly still name a Prospect of the Year based on what we saw throughout the season.
Last season's Prospect of the Year was defenseman Cale Makar, who followed up one of the more remarkable seasons by a collegiate player in recent memory with a truly stellar rookie season with the Colorado Avalanche. He might soon have a Calder Trophy to put next to his Hobey Baker Award in his trophy case.
Makar was an easy choice for the Prospect of the Year designation a year ago, but so many incredible performances made it a lot closer this time around. So I'm putting a little twist on it this year -- in addition to naming the Prospect of the Year, I'm casting a wider net and also picking a 23-player roster to create the 2019-20 All-Prospect team.
But before we reveal the honorees, an important caveat: The Prospect of the Year is in specific reference to the season the player just completed. Stats, individual honors from their respective leagues and progression on their development curve are all considered. This is not necessarily a reflection of a player's long-term projection, and the Prospect of the Year should not also be considered hockey's top prospect. That's what our top 50 lists are for. This is simply an evaluation of the past 12 months.
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Prospect of the Year | Just missed
The All-Prospect team roster
Prospect of the Year: Nicholas Robertson, LW, Peterborough Petes (OHL)
NHL affiliation: Toronto Maple Leafs
Drafted: No. 53 in 2019
There were so many worthy candidates, but there was something special about what the 18-year-old accomplished this season. With 55 goals in just 46 games, Robertson had the highest goals-per-game average (1.19) for a player with at least 50 goals in the OHL since Pat Peake averaged 1.26 goals per game in 1992-93. A full 68-game season at that pace would have put Robertson over 80 goals. Eighty. That's ridiculous. (Though it's worth noting Robertson would not have played a full 68-game season, regardless of the canceled season. He dealt with injuries and was with Team USA for World Junior Championship duty.)
One of the youngest players eligible to be drafted last June, Robertson has put himself in a position to already challenge for a spot on the Maple Leafs next season. I had him as my No. 19 prospect in the class entering the 2019 draft, but he slid all the way to No. 53 in the second round. Concerns about his size (5-foot-9, 164 pounds) and skating caused teams to hedge on Robertson. During his 2018-19 season, Robertson had 55 points in 54 games for Peterborough and was a standout for Team USA at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup.
It was a good but not incredible draft season for a 17-year-old in his second OHL campaign. But he had a few things going for him that certainly carried into 2019-20. His work ethic is outstanding, which helps him overcome his size. There's a tenacity to his game that causes problems for opposing players. When he has the puck, his puck skills are high-end. He has an absolutely elite shot with a quick release and an ability to get it off from everywhere. In eight fewer games this season, Robertson soared past his 2018-19 shot total by 70, with 255 total shots and 5.5 per game.
Peterborough had its best season since 2016-17, owning the sixth-best points percentage in the OHL at the time the season was canceled. And Robertson scored 22% of the team's 250 goals to propel that success. He was also a standout on the international stage. With Team USA at the World Juniors, he had five points in five games and led all American forwards in ice time, making him a bright spot in an otherwise disappointing tournament for the U.S.
Given his draft status, his age within his draft class and the fact that he had one of the best goal-scoring OHL seasons of the past two decades, Robertson is the unlikely but deserving 2019-20 Prospect of the Year.
Runner-up: Nils Lundkvist, D, Lulea (SHL)
NHL affiliation: New York Rangers
Drafted: No. 28 in 2018
Lundkvist got an especially long look for the top spot. There's little questioning the success he had this season, the growth in his game and the higher expectations he has set for himself based on his 2019-20 performance -- which proved to be a historic one in Sweden.
With 31 points in 45 games for Lulea this season, Lundkvist set the new high-water mark for points by a under-20 defenseman in the Swedish Hockey League. The 19-year-old surpassed former first-round draft pick Tim Erixon for the record and bettered him by seven points. Lundkvist actually finished the SHL season with goals in five of his last six games, including one in each of the last four. The final product was a top-20 scoring season for a player of any position under the age of 20.
It's not common for a defenseman at his age to average more than 20 minutes per game, but Lundqvist was a driving force for his team in a top pro league. He finished one point off the team's scoring lead and was tied for 28th overall in the league. He's not a lock for the Rangers' blue line next season, but he earned himself at least a long look in camp.
Runner-up: Connor McMichael, C, London Knights (OHL)
NHL affiliation: Washington Capitals
Drafted: No. 25 in 2019
Averaging nearly two points per game with London, the best team in the OHL's Western Conference, McMichael's draft-plus-one season really turned heads. He finished the abbreviated season third in the league with 102 points and was a point-per-game player with Canada at the World Juniors despite playing down the lineup.
The speedy McMichael has progressed so much that he is now the Capitals' No. 1 prospect, following the graduation of Ilya Samsonov to the NHL. His tenacity and improved offensive game really advanced his cause. While there's a good chance he's back in the OHL next season, there's a lot more for Caps fans to be excited about given his performance in 2019-20. He went from averaging 1.07 points per game in his draft season to 1.96 in the shortened campaign.
Runner-up: Scott Perunovich, D, Minnesota Duluth (NCHC)
NHL affiliation: St. Louis Blues
Drafted: No. 45 in 2018
The shortened season robbed Perunovich and his Minnesota Duluth teammates of potentially contending for a third consecutive NCAA championship. They had as good a chance as any school to win the title, and a lot of that had to do with the dominant junior-year play of Perunovich. Selected in the second round of his second year of eligibility in 2018, Perunovich has been one of the best defensemen in college hockey over the past three years, posting a career-high 40 points in 34 games. He averaged an assist per game and was more than capable of taking care of his own zone.
With excellent skating, Perunovich could get pucks out of his zone easily and help the Bulldogs burn teams in transition. He showed more physicality despite a modest 5-foot-10 frame, showcasing added strength that made him difficult to beat along the walls. With the way collegiate defensemen have transitioned into the NHL -- including Makar, Quinn Hughes, Adam Fox, John Marino and Mario Ferraro -- there's little doubt Perunovich could break through soon with the Blues. His 2019-20 performance earned him the Hobey Baker Award.
THE 2019-20 ALL-PROSPECT TEAM
Here is my 23-player roster of the best prospects in the 2019-20 season.
Centers
Connor McMichael, London Knights, OHL (Washington Capitals): McMichael improved his offensive game, finishing third in the OHL with 102 points.
Josh Norris, Belleville Senators, AHL (Ottawa Senators): The Sens have really built up their AHL team, and Norris -- who was part of the Erik Karlsson return -- had an absolutely sensational rookie season as a pro. He led all AHL players 23 or younger in points with 61 in 56 games.
Alex Newhook, Boston College, Hockey East (Colorado Avalanche): Only 12 18-year-old freshmen have surpassed 40 points in the last 10 years of college hockey, with almost all of them becoming impact players in the NHL. Newhook had 42 in 34 games and got better as the season went on.
Alexander Khovanov, Moncton Wildcats, QMJHL (Minnesota Wild): A starring role for Russia at the World Juniors and a dominant offensive performance in the QMJHL has Khovanov showing the promise that many believed he had before illness derailed his draft season. He posted 99 points in 51 games for Moncton, good for second in the Q.
Dylan Cozens, Lethbridge Hurricanes, WHL (Buffalo Sabres): He finished third in the WHL with 1.67 points per game and was an integral part of Canada's gold-medal team at the World Juniors, making a good case to be a Sabre by next season.
Honorable mention: Phil Tomasino, Oshawa Generals, OHL (Nashville Predators)
Wingers
Nicholas Robertson, Peterborough Petes, OHL (Toronto Maple Leafs): Our Prospect of the Year obviously has a spot on the team. Did we mention his 1.19 goals per game rate?
Adam Beckman, Spokane Chiefs, WHL (Minnesota Wild): Beckman led the WHL in scoring by nine points, posting 107 in just 63 games in a tremendous breakout season. His 48 goals also led the league, and his 59 assists ranked third.
Kirill Kaprizov, CSKA Moscow, KHL (Minnesota Wild): Winning his second straight goal-scoring title, Kaprizov posted career bests in goals (33), assists (29) and points (62) in what is likely to be his last KHL season for the foreseeable future (assuming he chooses to come to the NHL as expected). He is my No. 1 NHL-affiliated prospect right now.
Arthur Kaliyev, Hamilton Bulldogs, OHL (Los Angeles Kings): It seemed like every time you turned around this season, Kaliyev was scoring another goal, whether it was with Hamilton or Team USA at the World Juniors. His points-per-game went up to 1.71, and he set the Bulldogs' career goal-scoring record. He could compete for a spot with the Kings next season.
Jack Dugan, Providence, Hockey East (Vegas Golden Knights): The national scoring leader in college hockey as a sophomore, Dugan posted 52 points in 34 games. Only five players in the country had more points than Dugan had assists (42).
Matias Maccelli, Ilves, Liiga (Arizona Coyotes): The rookie of the year in Finland's top pro league, Maccelli led all U20 players in the league with 30 points in 43 games -- and he was also Finland's top forward at the World Junior Championship.
Alex Formenton, Belleville Senators, AHL (Ottawa Senators): Formenton is seventh in the AHL scoring race and has shown that he can potentially be an NHL impact player in Year 1 with his big frame and speed.
Nick Abruzzese, Harvard, ECAC (Toronto Maple Leafs): While not a true freshman, Abruzzese led the nation's first-year players with 44 points and was an offensive catalyst, as he led Harvard in scoring this season. The skill and playmaking ability transitioned easily from the USHL to the college game.
Honorable mentions: Jan Jenik, Hamilton Bulldogs, OHL (Arizona Coyotes); Raphael Lavoie, Chicoutimi Sagueneens, QMJHL (Edmonton Oilers)
Defensemen
Nils Lundkvist, Lulea, SHL (New York Rangers): With 31 points, Lundkvist's record-setting SHL season puts him in a good spot to play in the NHL as early as next season.
Scott Perunovich, Minnesota Duluth, NCHC (St. Louis Blues): Perunovich added some more physicality to his strong skating this season.
Ryan Merkley, London Knights, OHL (San Jose Sharks): Merkley enjoyed his best season in the OHL with 76 points, good for second among blueliners. Though he did not make Canada's World Junior team, he showed significant improvement in a number of areas while maintaining his highly productive ways.
Ty Smith, Spokane Chiefs, WHL (New Jersey Devils): Despite playing the fewest games in a single season of his WHL career, Smith dwarfed his previous career high with 19 goals. He was a first-team all-star in the WHL and averaged a career-best 1.29 points per game.
Moritz Seider, Grand Rapids Griffins, AHL (Detroit Red Wings): Though Seider did not light up the stat sheet this season in a significant way, he showed that he was more than capable of defending in North America. His offensive game will come along, but his performances as an AHL rookie and as an absolute workhorse at the World Juniors helped ease concerns about the Red Wings appearing to reach for him at No. 6 in the draft. He's legit.
David Farrance, Boston University, Hockey East (Nashville Predators): He led all defensemen in NCAA hockey with 14 goals and 43 points, more than doubling his previous career-high point total at BU.
Jake Bean, Charlotte Checkers, AHL (Carolina Hurricanes): He has been steady and patient on a team loaded with blue-line talent. Bean's production went up in his second AHL season, and his 48 points led all AHL defensemen.
Honorable mentions: Wyatte Wylie, Everett Silvertips, WHL (Philadelphia Flyers); Brogan Rafferty, Utica Comets, AHL (Vancouver Canucks)
Goaltenders
Ilya Sorokin, CKA St. Petersburg, KHL (New York Islanders): His numbers dipped ever so slightly this season from the previous one, but Sorokin did nothing to dispel the belief that he's the next high-end Russian goalie to break into the NHL -- and as soon as next season. He started 40 games, posting a .935 save percentage with nine shutouts.
Jeremy Swayman, Maine, Hockey East (Boston Bruins): Earning a spot in the "Hobey Hat Trick" for a goaltender is particularly difficult, but Swayman was an easy choice. He put Maine on his back in a resurgent season for the Black Bears. Swayman posted a .939 save percentage while facing more shots than any other goalie in the nation by a fairly large margin, and he clinched the Mike Richter Award for most outstanding Division I men's collegiate goaltender.
Dustin Wolf, Everett Silvertips, WHL (Calgary Flames): Wolf has done remarkably well as the replacement for Carter Hart in Everett these last two seasons. He led the WHL in save percentage (.935), goals-against average (1.88) and shutouts (9), and he was part of Team USA's roster at the World Junior Championship.
Honorable mentions: Lukas Dostal, Ilves, Liiga (Anaheim Ducks); Connor Ingram, Milwaukee Admirals, AHL (Nashville Predators)