It is pretty much impossible to predict even just the first round of the NHL Entry Draft. Every year, there are always many surprises that shape the draft as some future stars fall and some teams make big reaches for their favourite prospects. Overall, 2020 will be no different as there will ultimately be a ton of surprises and players that may have once been perceived as locks for the first-round that fall to the second or even further.
Antonio Stranges
By far one of the most skilled forwards in the entire 2020 draft, Antonio Stranges is an interesting name to follow leading up to the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. The London Knights forward possess some of the best hands in his draft class much less the OHL. What has been the problem with Stranges is his point production.
Stranges’ 34 points in 43 games do not tell the full story. His raw skill and talent are at an elite level, however, his point totals have not shown it. He is one of the best skaters in the entire NHL Draft class as well, but not all teams believe that pure skill is everything. Teams want to see young players who are able to implement their skills in their game. While Stranges has shown flashes of his potential, his skillset would indicate that he would be well over a point-per-game which he has not been able to do.
Carter Savoie
Sherwood Park Crusaders standout player Carter Savoie is in the midst of one of the top performances by a forward in their draft season that we have seen in a long time in the AJHL. As of now, Savoie sits second in league scoring with 78 points in just 43 games. His 44 goals hold the league lead this season and with time still left to play, he is on pace for one of the highest goal totals in the AJHL in the past 20-years.
Although Savoie is undeniably a highly-skilled prospect for the upcoming draft, there is still one thing that could allow him to slide in the draft and that is where he is playing. The AJHL is one of the top junior A leagues in the world and has produced some NHL talent over the years. Despite this, some scouts have a bias against draft-eligible junior A players due to playing in lower levels them some of the other top draft prospects.
However, just because he is playing junior A should not be a big deterrent for teams. Cale Makar, who is the favourite to win the Calder Trophy for the NHL’s rookie of the year this season, also played in the AJHL during his draft season and proceeded to dominate the NCAA and now the NHL. If Savoie slides to the second round solely due to playing Junior A over major junior or other higher levels of hockey, one team will have gotten a major steal in the draft while 31 others may be very disappointed.
Hendrix Lapierre
The former QMJHL first overall pick has not had much luck in his draft year. Injuries have plagued his season, limiting him to just 19 total games played. Through that span, the Quebec native recorded just two goals and 15 assists, totalling up to 17 points.
Lapierre was widely believed to be a lottery pick entering into the 2019-2020 season, however, his injury has stopped him from being able to show scouts that he is worthy of a top-15 selection. His performance when he was on the ice was quite promising, however, Lapierre just can’t seem to escape concussions which is something that may worry some teams heading into the draft. Hopefully Lapierre will be back soon enough for the rest of the season and get to showcase his high-end skillset to NHL scouts.
Justin Barron
Going into the 2019-20 season, Justin Barron was a top-two defensemen for the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. However, a season-ending injury may be enough to see Barron fall past the first round of this year’s selection. When a young player gets badly injured in their draft years, some teams tend to shy away from drafting said player which a high selection, especially when there are so many other highly-skilled players on the table.
This does not mean that Barron won’t be able to recover to his full form when he returns from injury, but many teams are cautious when it comes to drafting a player who is coming off of a major injury like Barron. While he is expected to make a full recovery and will likely make whichever team drafts him very happy, do not be surprised to see Barron fall past the first round due to his injury.
Justin Sourdif
The Vancouver Giants forward has always been considered as a late first-round/early second-round pick, but it is looking more and more likely that he will be drafted in the second round. The two-way centerman has been one of the Giants better forwards at both ends of the ice. The Giants have been quite average this season, sitting third in the WHL’s Western Conference B.C. Division.
Sourdif sits second in team scoring with 36 points in 43 games and is on pace to beat his 46 points which he recorded in his rookie season. While Sourdif may not be tearing up the scoresheet, it is important to note that only one player on the Giants is currently playing at a PPG pace. The biggest reason as to why Sourdif may fall outside of the first round of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft is due to the fact that he really has not shown massive improvement from his rookie season.
When a player has a rookie season like that of Justin Sourdif, they are expected to take big steps in their second season after showing so much promise and skill. While Sourdif’s overall game has improved slightly from last season, it has not been to the same degree that some scouts were hoping for. Regardless, Sourdif is a highly skilled player who will make any team very happy regardless of where he is selected.