Prospects Who Can Boost Draft Stock in Final Half

The Canadian Hockey League is reaching the home stretch of their 2014-15 season as we reach the last couple of months of the season. There have been the obvious standouts like Connor McDavid, Dylan Strome, Nick Merkley, and Mitch Marner who will undoubtedly be drafted in the 1st round. There are also players who have gone somewhat unnoticed, and can use the final half of their respective league’s season to their advantage when it comes to draft stock.

Timo Meier RW QMJHL

Timo Meier (96) Photo By: David Chan

Playing with the Halifax Mooseheads, Timo Meier has been having a great season. 43 games in, Meier has 28 goals and 35 assists. With Nikolaj Ehlers along side of him, it is no surprise he has racked up the points he has. Meier has exceeded goals as an offensive threat, but he has also been very good shutting down the opposition. Meier has a 20.00% relative even strength goals for, which is goals for subtracted with goals against. That leads the Mooseheads, and is top 10 in the league among players with a minimum of 25 games played.

Meier is ranked 12th by NHL Central Scouting, but he has a chance to climb that list if he can continue his stellar play in the offensive and defensive zone. With the skilled players that are ranked above him, Meier needs to separate himself from the group and show that he can play on a shutdown line as well. He is a good fit for a job as such. He is 6’1″ and 209 lbs, so he could easily use his body to his advantage.

Anthony Beauvillier LW QMJHL

Anthony Beauvillier (91) Photo By: TC Digital Photo-Samuel Duranceau-Cloutier

Like Meier, Anthony Beauvillier is another guy playing in the QMJHL, playing on the left-wing for the Shawinigan Cataractes. Beauvillier is having a terrific season for the Cataractes, he is fourth in scoring in the QMJHL with 34 goals and 41 assists in 49 games.

Beauvillier is also in the same situation as Meier where he can improve by adding support to his defensive game. Beauvillier does not have the same size as Meier though. He is 5’10” and 181 lbs, so he will not have that to help him. It is not the best situation to be in. There is a lot of talent in front of him and there is not much he can do to move up in the rankings. A 40 goal season certainly doesn’t hurt though.

Graham Knott LW OHL

Andrew Goldberg #10 of the Mississauga Steelheads takes a hit from Graham Knott #13 of the Niagara IceDogs during game action on February 23, 2014 at the Hershey Centre in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Photo By: Graig Abel/Getty Images North America

At the start of the year, Graham Knott was in the top 30 of scouting sites like ISSHockey.com and HockeyProspect.com. As the season started and went on, Knott lost draft status rather quickly. He wasn’t producing at a first round prospect rate, and his all-around play was not the best either. In the first month of the season Knott had 4 goals and 5 assists in 13 games, comparing that to players like Dylan Strome and Mitch Marner it is not sub-par.

Knott now has 18 goals and 11 assists in 47 games this year. In order for Knott to help his draft stock, point production would go a long way. This would help him, and the Niagara IceDogs with a playoff push. If Graham Knott can help the IceDogs with a deep run in the playoffs, look for him to jump in the rankings a bit.

Mitchell Vande Sompel D OHL

Mitchell Vande Sompel returned to the Oshawa Generals’ lineup November 29, after missing 13 games with a concussion, and scored his first Ontario Hockey League goal in 4-3 win over the Plymouth Whalers. December 4, 2013 Photo By: Terry Wilson/OHL Images

Mitchell Vande Sompel is a very good defensive prospect. He is a great two-way defender, who can score often as well. Vande Sompel has already doubled his point production from last season, and has also improved in his own end as well. Vande Sompel is 8-37-45 in 41 games this year.

Vande Sompel is in a situation where he is playing good, but there is just better options ahead of him. What he needs to do is help the Oshawa Generals possibly win a Memorial Cup. The Generals have been at the top of multiple BMO Top 10s and have the roster to accomplish the goal of a Memorial Cup.