• PROSPECT-UPDATE ARCHIVE
You might think that playing in the CHL Top Prospects Game on Thursday would have drained some participants just enough that they were less than sharp on Friday
Well, that wasn't the case for a large number of the 2018 draft prospects who had to hurry home to play again on Friday. In fact, half of this list of Friday's 10 top performances includes major-junior players from the Top Prospects Game. Some of them weren't great in the showcase game, so they must have felt an urgency to remind scouts that they are still top prospects. They all showed they can bounce back from an off night.
Friday's top 10 features those five Top Prospects along with one USHL player, one member of the U.S. NTDP Under-18 team, two BCHL stars and one NCAA player. It's an impressive group, so check it out:
SETH BARTON -- Barton, a defenseman with the BCHL's Trail Smoke Eaters, posted three assists in his team's 7-4 win over Surrey on Friday. Coming off the CJHL Top Prospects Game three nights earlier, Barton had an assist period. In the first, he got the primary assist on a goal at 10:23 that tied the game 2-2. In the second, he had the lone helper on the eventual game-winner for a 5-3 lead at 14:28. In the third, he assisted on a power play goal at 9:11 for a 6-4 lead. The Massachusetts-Lowell recruit now has six goal and 26 points in 37 games, including points in three of his last four.
EVAN BOUCHARD -- He was the Team Cherry MVP with four assists at the CHL Top Prospects Game. So what does this star defenseman do for an encore? How about four more assists in London's 7-4 win over Owen Sound on Friday? Bouchard continued his torrid scoring pace and earned No. 3 star honors in the Knights' rout. His first assist was the primary helper on the opening goal just 1:56 into the game. His second assist set up a shorthanded goal for a 2-2 tie at 12:03 of the middle period. His third came on a goal at 15:22 of the second to make it 4-3, and his final one was a primary helper on the game-winner for a 5-3 lead four minutes later at 19:18. With 15 goals and 58 points in 46 games, Bouchard has moved up to eighth in the OHL scoring race and leads all defenseman. He is tied for third in the league in assists and has a three-game multi-point streak. (Note: 13th appearance on this list in 2017-18 -- leads all defensemen)
ANGUS CROOKSHANK -- The University of New Hampshire recruit scored two goals in Langley's 4-1 BCHL win over Prince George on Friday to earn No. 2 star honors. Crookshank's first goal, a snipe from the sloton a power play at 15:21 of the second period, made it 3-1. His second goal, at 17:25 of the third, was an unassisted, second-effor beauty that closed the scoring. Crookshank has posted multiple points in four of the past six games and has 17 goals and 34 points in 31 games this season. (Note: Second appearance on this list in 2017-18)
LIAM FOUDY -- Foudy came back from the Top Prospects Game in style, scoring twice for London in a 7-4 win over Owen Sound on Friday. The No. 2 star scored shorthanded for a 3-2 lead at 12:27 of the first period before closing the scoring at 19:03 of the third. Foudy has been on a tear of late with goals and three-star selections in three straight games. He only 15 points on the season, but eight of his points have come in January. (Note: Second appearance on this list in 2017-18)
BLAKE McLAUGHLIN -- The University of Minnesota should be even more excited about McLaughlin's impending arrival after the red-hot Gophers recruit had a goal and two assists in Chicago's 8-2 win over Cedar Rapids on Friday. His first point was the primary helper on a power-play goal that put the Steel up 2-1 at 16:44 of the opening period. Just over two minutes later, he scored the eventual game-winner for a 3-1 lead at 19:20 of the first. He finished his scoring run with the primary assist on a 6-1 goal at 14:07 of the second. McLaughlin has posted four straight multi-point games and has an overall seven-game scoring streak, bringing his USHL totals to 18 goals and 39 points in 28 games. (Note: Eighth appearance on this list in 2017-18)
RYAN McLEOD -- He wasn't very noticeable in Thursday's CHL Top Prospects Game, but McLeod made up for that Friday, earning No. 1 star honors with two goals and an assist in Mississauga's 4-3 OT win over Peterborough He had the primary assist on a goal at 3:00 of the second period for a 2-1 lead. In the third, he forced overtime by scoring at 15:25, and went on to score the OT winner at 2:38. Three of his last four games have been three-point efforts, and McLaughlin has six goals and nine assists in the span. On the season, he has 17 goals and 53 points in 46 OHL games. (Note: 10th appearance on this list in 2017-18)
ANDREI SVECHNIKOV -- Playing on the losing side at the CHL Top Prospects Game wasn't much fun for Svechnikov, so the projected No. 2 overall pick made sure to enjoy Barrie's 6-3 win at Sudbury on Friday night. Svechnikov had a goal and an assist, as well as five shots, against the Wolves. Both points came in the second period -- a primary assist on the opening goal on a power play at 5:31 and his 20th goal of the season at 16:32 for a 3-1 lead. Riding a four-game OHL point streak, Svechnikov now has 34 points in 25 games. (Note: 13th appearance on this list in 2017-18)
AKIL THOMAS -- Thomas has quietly moved up to sixth in the OHL assists, and he added three more on Friday in Niagara's 6-5 OT comeback win over Sarnia. His first came on a power-play goal at 19:38 of the second period to cut the lead to 5-3. His second brought the IceDogs within a goal on a power-play at 1:19 of the third, and his final helper came at 18:00 to force overtime. With 41 assists and 53 points in 45 games, Thomas has a strong chance to be a first-round pick in June. Friday was his second three-assist game in January. (Note: Ninth appearance on this list in 2017-18)
BRADY TKACHUK -- A joy to watch for his competitive, all-out style, Tkachuk made waves at the recent World Junior Championship. He's now making his mark on college hockey and had a big night Friday with two goals on five shots in Boston University's 8-0 win at Arizona State. The game's No. 2 star scored at 18:56 of the first period for a 3-0 lead and on a power play at 19:11 of the second to make it 7-0. The two goals extended his point streak to three games. It was his fourth multi-point game of his freshman season and his first NCAA two-goal game. (Note: Ninth appearance on this list in 2017-18)
BODE WILDE -- In a draft pool filled with top-tier defenseman, Wilde sometimes get lost in the shuffle, but the U.S. NTDP Under-18 star has the potential to be a great NHL blue-liner. On Friday, Wilde scored two goals on six shots in a 6-1 win over St. John's University's Division III team. The University of Michigan recruit notched the game's first goal at 14:33 of the opening period and scored the eventual game-winner for a 2-0 lead on a power play at 7:44 of the second. The goals were his first since Dec. 9, as Wilde posted his first multi-point game since Oct. 11 and his first two-goal game of the season.