• PROSPECT-UPDATE ARCHIVE
A full slate of Friday games produced 10 performances for this list, but they weren't the sizzling efforts we have seen of late.
It seems as if top prospects warm up on Friday and get hot on Saturday. That's been
true for the past two weeks, at least.
The list below includes four players from European leagues, five from major-junior, and one from the USHL. Have a look:
YANNICK BRUNNER -- This defenseman would get more attention if he weren't undersized. On Friday, he had a goal and an assist in Kloten U20's 5-4 loss to Biel Bienne. His power-play goal came on a 5-on-3 advantage at 15:41 of the first period to make it 1-1. His assist, 46 seconds into the third, helped tie it 4-4. Of late, Brunner has been playing against men in the Swiss League. Friday marked his first junior game since Nov. 4. He has 18 points in 19 junior games this season. (Note: Second appearance on this list in 2017-18)
ALBIN ERIKSSON -- A player with great NHL potential -- a 6-foot-4 power forward who can really skate, Eriksson will be drafted high among Swedes. He was the hero Friday in Skelleftea U20's 4-3 shootout win over Stockholm Djurgarden. Eriksson opened the scoring on a power play at 4:02 of the first period. He later delivered the winner as the only player to score in the shootout. Eriksson now has points in seven straight games and goals in five of the seven. (Note: Second appearance on this list in 2017-18)
COLE FONSTAD -- Fonstad has been making waves in the WHL. On Friday, he scored a goal and added an assist in Prince Albert's 3-2 shootout loss to Swift Current. The game's No. 2 star got the game's first goal on a power play at 5:44 of the opening period and had the primary assist on a goal at 5:08 of the second to make it 2-0. The goal snapped a five-game goal-scoring drought, but he already has 22 assists and 30 points in 24 games to rank second in scoring on the Broncos and surpass last year's marks of 15 and 26 in a 69 games played. (Note: Fourth appearance on this list in 2017-18)
PAVEL GOGOLEV -- Gogolev was on fire Friday with two goals on five shots in Peterborough's 4-0 win at Sudbury. Honored as the No. 2 star, he scored his first goal at 11:58 of the second period to make it 3-0. He scored again at 16:34 to close the scoring. The two goals were the Russian right wing's first OHL tally since Oct. 26. He now has eight goals in 24 games this season. Last year, he had only five in 53 games. (Note: Third appearance on this list in 2017-18)
CAM HILLIS -- A strong candidate for OHL Rookie of the Year (especially if Andrei Svechnikov remains out much longer), Hillis scored twice in Guelph's 5-4 win over Barrie (the team sorely missing Svechnikov). The game's No. 2 star struck first at 3:23 of the opening period for a 1-1 tie. He later scored at 11:34 of the first to cut an early Barrie lead to 3-2. Hillis, a 5-foot-11 center, has goals in four of his last five games -- six total over the span. His 11 goals and 11 assists in 24 games certainly have scouts paying close attention to him. (Note: Second appearance on this list in 2017-18)
LENNI KILLINEN -- Killinen was the only first-year-eligible draft prospect in Europe to have a three-point game on Friday. The Finnish left wing picked up three assists -- one in each period --during Espoo U20's 9-1 rout of Mikkeli. He assisted on a goal for a 3-0 lead at 13:17 of the first period, recorded the primary assist on a power-play goal for a 5-1 lead at 8:12 of the second, and added another primary helper on the goal that made it 8-1 at 14:00 of the third. This was Killinen's fifth three-point game of the season and his third three-assist game. He has 27 points in 24 Finnish U20 games. A remarkable 20 of his points are assists. He will be drafted in June. It's just a question of how high. (Note: Third appearance on this list in 2017-18)
BLAKE McLAUGHLIN -- Among Americans playing outside the U.S. NTDP program, McLaughlin is a very hot prospect. He continued his rampage through the USHL with a goal and assist in Chicago's 5-4 shootout loss to Lincoln on Friday. His goal, at 14:43 of the second period, made it a 2-2 game. He went on to set up a goal at 11:35 of the third that forced overtime. McLaughlin has scored in three straight games and has points in four straight. The University of Minnesota recruit has 19 points in 15 USHL games. (Note: Fourth appearance on this list in 2017-18)
SERRON NOEL -- Noel showed why his Central Scouting grade was raised to 'A' by scoring two goals and an assist in Oshawa's 6-5 loss to Hamilton on Friday. He had penalty-shot goal at 5:45 of the second period for a 2-1 Generals lead, and a power-play assist at 7:50. He later scored with four seconds left in regulation. Having missed several games with an injury, Noel got his first OHL goals and points since Oct. 29. (Note: Fourth appearance on this list in 2017-18)
RYAN ROTH -- What a night for Roth, who had two goals and an assist to help Sault Ste. Marie crush Kitchener 8-2 on Friday. For his efforts, he was named the No. 1 star -- his first such honor this OHL season. Roth scored at 17:31 of the opening period to put the Hounds up 2-1. He tallied on a power play at 4:36 of the second, the eventual game-winner, to make it 3-1. He closed his night with an assist at 10:39 of the third. It was his first multi-point game and first multi-goal game since Oct. 11. He has 13 points in 25 games. At 5-foot-7 his chances of being drafted are very slim, but he is showing that size is no obstacle for him at this level. (Note: Third appearance on this list in 2017-18)
RADIM TOMAN -- This Czech center is small, but he plays big. On Friday, Toman had a goal and assist in Vitkovice's 3-1 Czech U20 win over Liberec. His goal was the game-winner for a 2-1 lead at 13:21 of the third period. He later set up a goal with 41 seconds to go. Having played against men in the Czech WSM Liga, and Friday was his first game in the junior ranks since Nov. 3. Nobody in the U20 puts up points quite like Toman, who has 26 in 15 games this season, including goals in five of his last six games and at least one point in 14 of the 15. (Note: Second appearance on this list in 2017-18)