Top 30 Prospects: #5-1

Welcome back to my rankings of the Montreal Canadiens’ top 30 prospects. This is the final installment, which will cover the top five prospects. It’s important to keep in mind that this is entirely my opinion and I am not a scout. In many cases, the difference between two prospects is minimal. The season breakdown and talent analysis for each prospect is meant to be as concise as possible, while still maintaining a high level of detail and information. Each profile will also be accompanied by an explanation ranking, in efforts to provide a fair and objective rationale behind my ranking.

Series Navigation:

Introduction and Honourable Mentions

#30-26

#25-21

#20-16

#15-11

#10-6

#5-1

5) Artturi Lehkonen

Drafted: 55th, 2nd, 2013

LW/RW | 5’11” 165 | KalPa (Liiga)

Regular Season: 33GP 7G 13A 20P

What Lehkonen accomplished this past season was quite impressive. However, as a teenager he led his team in scoring, despite missing almost half of the season. Lehkonen showed lots of progression, especially in his own zone. The sniper also helped Finland to Gold at the World Junior Championship with a tremendous performance, playing his heart out every shift. The player we saw at the WJC wasn’t necessarily the Lehkonen we saw at KalPa. With KalPa, Lehkonen was much more involved offensively and wasn’t solely a complementary player.

Lehkonen is a highly skilled offensive player with a well-rounded tool kit. The best of these tools is definitely his goal-scoring ability. Lehkonen’s wrist shot and snap shot are both fantastic. Thanks to superb accuracy, Lehkonen is able to find holes in goaltenders and pick the corners at will. His power is also well above-average, but it’s the elite release that makes his shot special. The puck flies off his stick and it absolutely baffles goaltenders. Lehkonen is a threat anywhere in the offensive zone thanks to this lightning quick release. Lehkonen is more than just a sniper as he’s a tremendous scorer around the net. He combines soft hands, a relentless work ethic, and his elite release to bury chances around the net like few can. He absolutely no fear in that area and has mastered the redirection.

Although Lehkonen’s goal-scoring ability is his best offensive asset, he has a variety of other skills. Lehkonen is a fantastic stickhandler. His level of awareness in regards to his stickhandling capability is fantastic. He’s the type of player who rarely turns the puck over, despite carrying it so often. Lehkonen can distribute the puck quite well, too. He’s certainly not a high-end playmaker, but he gets the job done with smart, efficient passes, occasionally connecting with ones of high difficultly.

Additionally, Lehkonen is an absolute warrior. He’s undersized and rail-thin, but he doesn’t back down. He engages in the high traffic areas consistently and without fear. He will throw his weight around, especially on the forecheck. Around the goal, he doesn’t get pushed around because he out wills much bigger, stronger defenders. The skilled sniper has also become a strong two-way player. Not only will he block a shot at a crucial point, but he’s a steady, reliable defensive player. He’s quite involved in the play and always seems to be in position. Of course, there’s room for improvement, but he has come a long way in a short period of time.

There are two concerns with Lehkonen’s game beyond size: skating and upside. First off, Lehkonen is a good skater, not a great one. He’s not explosive, nor is he insanely agile, but he’s smart, protects the puck well, and is very deceptive. Improving his explosiveness would be an added bonus, but I don’t see it as a do-or-die type situation. The biggest concern is upside. Too often he falls into the background and doesn’t appear to be the leader offensively he’s shown flashes of becoming. On the other hand, the fact that he has shown the ability to produce as both a leader offensively and as a complementary player could be a good thing.

Lehkonen is the complete package, almost as complete at they come for a 19-year old. There’s not much fault in Lehkonen’s game–he has the skill, intelligence, and compete level to become a legitimate top-six forward at the NHL level. Next year, Lehkonen will play for Frölunda HC of the SHL. The organization has shown no fear in playing their young guns, so it’s expected for him to have a strong season.

Ranking Explanation: Lehkonen’s pure skill isn’t quite as high as Sven Andrighetto’s, but Lehkonen’s significantly better two-way game and style of play give him the edge. Lehkonen is overall a smart player, with the ability to play a variety of roles on a team. The difference between Lehkonen’s skill level and Andrighetto’s is quite minor, with Andrighetto being flashier and a better skater, while Lehkonen has a better snap shot and hand-eye coordination. I see Lehkonen as having a better bet to become a legitimate top-six forward, due to the improvements in other areas of his game.

4) Jacob de la Rose

Drafted: 34th, 2nd, 2013

LW/C | 6’03” 203 | Leksand IF (SHL)

Regular Season: 49GP 7G 6A 13P Playoffs: 3GP 0G 0A 0P

De la Rose was one of the most improved prospects in the organization this year. The two-way forward noticeably improved his skill level, while maintaining his hard-working style of play. De la Rose surpassed his totals set in the Allsvenskan last year and emerged as a solid third line player for Leksand IF. He was a regular on the penalty kill and occasionally saw ice time in the top-six. At the World Junior Championship, he was very impressive, playing complementary role on the top line.

Two of de la Rose’s best assets are his skating and hockey sense. His straight line speed is fantastic, as well as his acceleration. He’s quite explosive and gets up to top speed almost immediately. Additionally, his agility, and along with his size and strength, enable him to become a fantastic puck protector. What makes de la Rose’s essentially flawless stride and excellent speed even more impressive is his size. The forward couples his skating ability and hockey sense to become a determined 200-foot player. His two-way game is far beyond his years and he shows the attention to detail and work ethic that will make him a coach’s dream. He wins most battles in his own zone and relieves pressure extremely well. He’s also an excellent backchecker, as he takes unique routes to disrupt the play. Additionally, he shows the willingness to block shots. He’s a heavy forechecker, who engages physically and has excellent anticipation. De la Rose is truly a heart-and-soul player, who is always engaged in the play.

The area of de la Rose’s game that saw the most improvement was his skill level. De la Rose has always been known for his hard work and skating ability, but this past season he added new elements to his game. He owns a hard wrist shot, albeit with a below-average release, and a heavily under-utilized slapshot. The forward has also shown flashes of having a legitimate nose for the net. He gets himself in high scoring areas; however, he didn’t always show confidence in his shot, instead passing the puck. Not showing the confidence in his ability is not uncommon for young players who are playing against men. On the flip side, de la Rose is a confident stickhandler. He loves to lug the puck, especially down the wing. Sometimes he over-stickhandles, resulting in a turnover, but it’s not a huge issue. He’s not flashy, but he’s quite effective as he combines his assets like few players do, making him a strong puck possession player.

Furthermore, de la Rose has shown flashes of having above-average vision, but not consistently. Sometimes he will connect with a creative pass, but I’m not sure the technical element of his passing game is up to par with his vision. This would help explain the fact that he goes through stages where he suffers from tunnel vision. With that said, I’m not too concern about his inconsistent passing game. With his smarts, skating, and size, he should create chances. He’s drives the net with a purpose and contributes in so many other facets of the game.

Besides the inconsistent nature of his skill level, there are a couple issues with de la Rose. He lacks finish and he’s not consistently physical. He’s always working hard, but he’s not consistently laying the body like he’s shown the ability to. When he hits–he hits hard–and is quite the spectacular open ice hitter. I don’t think he has the ability to become a true offensive top-six forward, but I could easily picture him as a fantastic complementary piece in the top-six or an excellent third line forward.

Basically, the issues with de la Rose are minor. He’s a tremendous two-way player, who owns hockey sense, skating, an improving skill level, and maturity beyond his years. He will compete for a spot out of camp next season, but I think he will most likely start the year in Hamilton.

Ranking Explanation: De la Rose certainly isn’t as skilled as Sven Andrighetto or Artturi Lehkonen, but he has so many tools that could make him an NHLer as soon as next season. De la Rose’s high-end skating ability, strength, and defensive ability could be incredibly valuable to an NHL team very soon. De la Rose’s skill level improved considerably this past year and he’s very close to becoming an NHLer. This isn’t a choice based on strictly upside. Ultimately, I decided that the near surefire NHLer that is de la Rose is more valuable than the more skilled, but riskier Lehkonen.

3) Jarred Tinordi

Drafted: 22nd, 1st, 2010

D | 6’06” 218 | Hamilton Bulldogs (AHL)

Regular Season: 67GP 2G 11A 13P

There’s not a player on this list who has improved as much as Tinordi has since draft day. This year, Tinordi didn’t take the monumental steps forward that he did in 2011-2012 and 2012-2013, but he did add an extremely valuable element to his game–puck skills. Tinordi showed flashes of offensive confidence, demonstrating decent hands, an accurate shot, and an excellent outlet pass. He also continued to improve his skating and decision-making.

First and foremost, Tinordi is a shutdown defender. He combines his long reach, hockey sense, and a constant desire to improve to become a hard defender to play against. Tinordi has become extremely tricky to beat one-on-one because of his tools and patient style. He’s exceptional at forcing players to the outside and taking them out of the play. He thrives on the penalty kill, where he uses those same tools to take up a huge amount of open ice, blocking passing and shooting lanes. Tinordi reads the play well and owns an adept understanding of positioning. He’s hard player to get past because of reach, his smarts, and exceptional poke check. At best, he’s an efficient, effective defender who gets the job done and rarely misses his assignment. However, Tinordi sometimes looks lost in open ice. He gets caught standing around and not keeping himself engaged in the play, but sometimes he can also chase the puck carrier too much. Finding balance is key for Tinordi.

One of the impressive aspects about Tinordi’s game is his skating. He skates a little too hunched over, but it doesn’t affect his mobility. He’s become a deceptively fast skater, with a quick first few steps that can catch forecheckers off guard. Additionally, the hulking defender is surprisingly agile. He pivots as good as any defender on this list and that’s a key reason why he’s so hard to beat off the rush. Thanks to his skating ability, he’s able to get back into the play when he’s caught. Tinordi’s skating ability has improved significantly, so there’s no reason to believe it’s not going to stop getting better.

This past year, Tinordi improved his puckhandling immensely. He was sent down after a terrific training camp and it was clear what he was tasked to do. At first, he found himself turning the puck over quite often and making poor decisions, but once he figured the timing out, there was a noticeable difference in his game. He’s not simply an “off the glass and out” type defender now. Although his passing can be inconsistent, he has the ability to connect with an excellent outlet feed. He also now has the confidence to jump into the rush and pinch. He’s never had an overly powerful shot, and although he still doesn’t, he shoots with much better accuracy now. He’s also improved his stickhandling and will occasionally flash a nice move every now and then. Despite all these improvements, I don’t think he’s a natural offensive thinker, meaning that he won’t ever be a good point producer. But I don’t think that he necessarily has to be.

Of course, Tinordi brings an edge to the table. He’s improved a whole lot as a pugilist and took on some tough customers. Tinordi could stand to become more aggressive with his body. He’s a destructive, sometimes reckless, open ice hitter, but he doesn’t do it enough. Along the walls and in front of the net, he’s also quite inconsistent–some games he’s trying to send a message, while others he doesn’t engage physically. Tinordi will have to become more consistently aggressive, but there’s no doubt that he can be a legitimately mean player.

Gone are the days of Tinordi being an awkward, clumsy defender. There’s still some flaws that need working out, but he has the tools, work ethic, and leadership necessary to become a solid top-four defenceman. At training camp last year, it appeared Tinordi was set to become a full-time NHLer, but unfortunately that didn’t happen. Luckily, I think there’s a solid chance that he could become one this year.

Ranking Explanation: Tinordi is entering his third professional year, but yet he’s just scratching the surface of his potential. He has so much potential and I really think the improvement in his puck skills is just the beginning. He has the ability to become an excellent player at the NHL level. That potential gives him the edge over Jacob de la Rose. Tinordi owns a potentially dominant package of skills, something not many can boast in this crop of prospects. I also think that he’s much safer bet to become an NHLer in some capacity than Artturi Lehkonen, while owning similar upside (above-average top-four defender versus second liner).

2) Nathan Beaulieu

Drafted: 17th, 1st, 2011

D | 6’02” 194 | Hamilton Bulldogs (AHL)

Regular Season: 57GP 7G 20A 27P

It appeared Beaulieu had stagnated partway through the year, but eventually he figured it out. Beaulieu’s strong play in the AHL was rewarded with a stint in the NHL, where he looked like an legitimate NHLer. He was sent back down, but eventually recalled and played fairly well in the playoffs. Beaulieu improved his defensive game by a fairly large margin, as well as his consistency. Additionally, Beaulieu became more aggressive with the puck on his stick.

Beaulieu is an excellent offensive defenceman thanks to a variety of fantastic tools. The best of these is his skating ability. Beaulieu is a smooth skater, blessed with tremendous top-end speed and acceleration. Due to his effortless stride and solid frame, he’s deceptively fast and blows by the opposition seemingly at will. He’s strong on his skates and has excellent balance. Additionally, he’s quite agile and very explosive. He rapidly builds up speed while skating backwards to keep up with opposing forwards. His pivots are the weak link in his skating ability, as he can get beat too easily by fast forwards. His skating ability allows him to take risks, as he’s typically able to integrate himself back into the play.

The offensive defender is also the owner of tremendous vision. He makes an absolutely brilliant outlet pass that’s crisp, hard, and accurate. He’s able to find forwards racing up the ice and connect with an excellent saucer pass. He’s the type of player who is constantly looking to stretch the play and initiate a fast counter-attack. In the offensive zone, Beaulieu’s vision is every bit as good. He’s an efficient puck distributor, connecting with high difficultly passes consistently. The high-end vision allows him to create chances all over the offensive zone, especially on the powerplay. Beaulieu is also an excellent stickhandler, which allows him to fully utilize his playmaking ability. Thanks to his hands, he’s able to create lots of open ice for himself and easily evade players. He loves to lug the puck up the ice, which appears comically easy for him at times because of his smooth hands, calm demeanour, and effortless stride. The defender easily separates himself from forecheckers and can stickhandle himself out of trouble. He’s an effective shooter, mostly due to his well above-average accuracy, but he doesn’t own a particularly hard shot.

It’s taken some time, but Beaulieu has improved his defensive game considerably. He’s become a solid defender off the rush, largely because of his skating ability and active stick. He’s an excellent poke checker and reads forwards quite well. In one-on-one situations, Beaulieu is tough to beat as he’s become great at reading body movements and closing the gap on players quickly. He sometimes gets beat by faster forwards, especially out wide. Fortunately, there’s been significant progression in that area since turning pro. He’s able to easily exit the zone thanks to his skating, stickhandling, and vision.

Where Beaulieu struggles defensively is in sustained pressure situations. He’s improved, but too often he looks lost. Not only are his struggles due to occasionally appearing completely disengaged, but he doesn’t understand where to go. He often stands around, completely missing his assignment. While pinned in his own zone for an extended period of time, his decision-making really struggles. Furthermore, I have yet to see this mean streak that many talk about when referring to Beaulieu. He’s a good fighter, but rarely does he play the body and it costs him. He doesn’t clear the crease with much aggression at all and usually relies his partner to do it. He gets beat too easily along the boards and typically leaves his man completely untouched. If Beaulieu doesn’t become a solid NHL defender (which would shock me), it would be because his decision-making in sustained pressure scenarios never improved.

There’s high-end upside with Beaulieu. He’s a tremendous puck-mover and an underrated defender off the rush. His tools are definitely akin to those you find in top-four defenders in the NHL. He also showed last season that he can be an NHLer. Next year, I think the expectations are for him to make the team out of camp and solidify his spot in the NHL.

Ranking Explanation: Beaulieu’s solid play in the NHL was factored quite heavily into the decision of having him over Jarred Tinordi, Jacob de la Rose, and Artturi Lehkonen. Beaulieu has similar, if not greater upside than Tinordi, and he’s played at a higher level in the NHL than Tinordi. Just like Beaulieu, I think Tinordi’s a safe bet to become an NHLer in some capacity. However, Beaulieu’s closer to having a spot in the NHL, while owning a package of skills that I think is just a little better than Tinordi’s.

1) Nikita Scherbak

Drafted: 26th, 1st, 2014

RW/LW | 6’02” 189 | Saskatoon Blades (WHL)

Regular Season: 65GP 28G 50A 78P

This year’s first round pick claims the top spot in my rankings. Scherbak was an unknown commodity at this time last year, but emerged as a tremendous player for the Saskatoon Blades. The ultra-skilled winger led the Blades in scoring by 35 points and WHL rookie scoring by 19.

Scherbak is a dynamic, puck possession player who can dominate games. Scherbak’s not an explosive skater, nor does he have flawless technique, but he’s incredibly strong on his skates and highly agile. When combined with his terrific understanding of body positioning, he becomes extremely hard to remove from the puck. On top of strength and skating ability, he’s the owner of tremendous hands. He’s evasive because of his combination of agility and stickhandling. Along the boards and down low, he can power through checks and waltz around defenders. It’s really quite special to watch him while in possession of the puck, because he’s extremely smooth and always in control. Scherbak has the ability to dangle around defenders and embarrass goaltenders, but he’s more of an economical stickhandler in the sense that he won’t over do it. Some of the moves that he pulls off are ridiculous, especially when he defenders give him open ice.

Additionally, Scherbak is a good goal-scorer. He possesses a hard shot, with a quick release and pinpoint accuracy. He shows no fear venturing in the slot and down low to hammer in loose pucks, an area where he’s quite good. However, it’s Scherbak’s elite-level vision that makes him so special. He combines his puck possession ability and vision extremely well. He loves to draw multiple defenders towards him and then fire a perfect saucer pass to an open man. Scherbak connects with passes of high difficulty with extreme ease, allowing him to be a tremendous playmaker anywhere on the ice. Off the rush, high in the zone, down low–he’s a high-end playmaker in all of those situations, just to name a few. He never shows any signs of selfishness, sometimes to a fault.

Offensively, it’s hard to find fault with Scherbak. He truly does have a complete package of skills, but he doesn’t always use them. At his best, he’s an incredibly smart player, who is just as likely to drop his shoulder and drive the net as he is to slow the play down and methodically set up a scoring chance. Unfortunately, he doesn’t always have that balance in his game. He will go through stages where he will continually try to slow the play down instead of playing an aggressively, which becomes predictable for defenders. Figuring out how to balance those two styles is key.

However, in his own zone, it’s quite easy to find fault with Scherbak. There’s no doubt he’s a smart player in his own zone. When he’s motivated, he’s a dedicated backchecker and smart positional player. However, he looks disengaged far too often. He aimless wanders around the zone and exits too early. The inconsistent effort level also extends into his physical game. He can be a surprisingly physical player, lowering the boom every now and then, especially on the forecheck. Scherbak doesn’t lay the body consistently, which can be quite frustrating.

In summary, Scherbak’s the complete package of skills–skating, elite vision, high-end shooting ability, incredible puck control, and size. He always wants the puck on his stick and always tries to make something happen. There are flaws, but I think that they are minor. Next year, he will return to the Saskatoon Blades, where he should solidify himself among the WHL’s best players.

Ranking Explanation: One of the easier choices on my list was this one. I don’t think there are any players in the prospect pool who can become legitimate first liners or top pairing defenders (Nathan Beaulieu and Jarred Tinordi included), except for Scherbak. He has essentially every tool you could possibly want in a forward, and I see no reason why his high-end skill level can’t allow him to become a first line player. Although Scherbak isn’t as close to making the NHL as Nathan Beaulieu, Jacob de la Rose, or Jarred Tinordi, I see his upside as notably higher than them. I don’t think Scherbak is quite as much of a safe bet as the aforementioned three, but I value his higher upside quite a bit more, giving him the edge.

Prospect Awards

Best Bodychecker

Brett Lernout (HM: Connor Crisp, Jack Nevins, Jarred Tinordi)

Best Defensive Forward

Jacob de la Rose (HM: Daniel Carr, Jeremy Grégoire, Mark MacMillan)

Best Outlet Pass

Nathan Beaulieu (HM: Mac Bennett, Darren Dietz)

Best Penalty Killer

Jarred Tinordi (HM: Jacob de la Rose, Greg Pateryn)

Best Playmaker

Nikita Scherbak (HM: Sven Andrighetto, Daniel Audette, Charles Hudon)

Best Powerplay Specialist

Magnus Nygren (HM: Daniel Audette, Charles Hudon)

Best Puck Possession Player

Nikita Scherbak (HM: Jacob de la Rose, Charles Hudon)

Best at Redirections/Tips

Artturi Lehkonen (HM: Connor Crisp, Mark MacMillan)

Best Skater

Nathan Beaulieu & Mac Bennett (HM: Sven Andrighetto, Jacob de la Rose, Mark MacMillan)

Best Snap Shot

Artturi Lehkonen (HM: Sven Andrighetto, Tim Bozon)

Best Technical Goaltender

Dustin Tokarski (HM: Zach Fucale)

Best Wrist Shot

Christian Thomas (HM: Sven Andrighetto, Daniel Carr)

Flashiest Stickhandler

Martin Reway (HM: Sven Andrighetto, Nikita Scherbak)

Hardest Shot

Magnus Nygren (HM: Greg Pateryn, Dalton Thrower)

Hardest Worker

Jeremy Grégoire (HM: Jacob de la Rose, Jarred Tinordi)

Most Athletic Goaltender

Zach Fucale (HM: Hayden Hawkey)

Most Dynamic Player

Nikita Scherbak (HM: Sven Andrighetto, Martin Reway)

Most NHL-Ready Prospect

Nathan Beaulieu & Dustin Tokarski (HM: Magnus Nygren, Jarred Tinordi)

Smartest Player

Nikita Scherbak (HM: Charles Hudon)

Final Thoughts

This certainly is a very solid prospect pool; however, it’s important to keep in mind that just a handful of these players will go onto become NHLers. Even fewer will achieve their potential. There are many solid prospects in this prospect pool, not just limited to the top-five or top-ten. It will take quite some time before we can properly evaluate this group of prospect. Patience is the key to proper player development.

Putting this seven-part series together was a tremendous amount of work, but it was incredibly enjoyable. I want to thank all those who followed along with the series, as well as those who left comments on the articles, Facebook, and Twitter!