With the 2016 NHL Draft in Buffalo behind us and the 2016-17 season two months away, NHL Central Scouting has already compiled a list of players to watch in the months to come.

The 2016-17 NHL Central Scouting Futures List was released on Saturday, featuring talent from across the Canadian Hockey League as players look to make a strong impression in the lead up to the 2017 NHL Draft on June 23-24 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.

A total of 76 current CHL competitors join an additional five players committed for the 2016-17 season on the list that includes 290 names from across the globe.

The Ontario Hockey League leads the way with 34 players on the list while the Western Hockey League trails closely with 32 and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League features 15.

“The 2016 draft class lived up to all the hype regarding the exceptional talent available and the unpredictability of the order in which prospects would be taken,” NHL Director of Central Scouting Dan Marr said. “It’s anticipated that 2016-17 will again be a deep draft class for prospects, and there is a lot of depth at all positions.”

The 2016 NHL Draft class featured 96 CHL players led by Cape Breton Screaming Eagles forward Pierre-Luc Dubois who was selected third overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets. The CHL produced 15 of the 30 players selected in the first round.

“The list is based on evaluations we made of the players during the 2015-16 season,” Marr added. “A number of these players will be changing teams for 2016-17 and that will be reflected in our preliminary players to watch list in September.”

While the preliminary players to watch list will provide the A, B and C ratings for players in each of the major junior hockey leagues, the Futures List offers a collection of skaters and goaltenders NHL scouts should consider targets of interest heading into the season.

NHL CSS Futures List – WHL Players (32):



Players in italics are committed to WHL for 2016-17 season. * indicates late 1998 birthdate

Jaret Anderson-Dolan (Spokane Chiefs) C

Jordy Bellerive (Lethbridge Hurricanes) C

Ryan Bowen (Moose Jaw Warriors) RW *

Josh Brook (Moose Jaw Warriors) D

Cale Fleury (Kootenay Ice) D *

Cal Foote (Kelowna Rockets) D *

Cody Glass (Portland Winterhawks) C

Brayden Gorda (Edmonton Oil Kings) D

Jordan Hollett (Regina Pats) G

Henri Jokiharju (Portland Winterhawks) D

Mark Kastelic (Calgary Hitmen) C

Nolan Kneen (Kamloops Blazers) D

Jake Leschyshyn (Regina Pats) C

Kole Lind (Kelowna Rockets) RW *

Lukus MacKenzie (Saskatoon Blades) LW

Stelio Mattheos (Brandon Wheat Kings) C

Ethan McIndoe (Spokane Chiefs) C

Artem Minulin (Swift Current Broncos) D *

Josh Paterson (Spokane Chiefs) C

Nolan Patrick (Brandon Wheat Kings) C *

Nikita Popugayev (Moose Jaw Warriors) LW *

Austin Pratt (Red Deer Rebels) RW

Tyler Preziuso (Medicine Hat Tigers) RW

Michael Rasmussen (Tri-City Americans) C

Ian Scott (Prince Albert Raiders) G

Stuart Skinner (Lethbridge Hurricanes) G *

Jarret Tyszka (Seattle Thunderbirds) D

Juuso Valimaki (Tri-City Americans) D *

Scott Walford (Victoria Royals) D

Matthew Wedman (Seattle Thunderbirds) LW

Kailer Yamamoto (Spokane Chiefs) RW *

Lane Zablocki (Regina Pats) RW *

NHL CSS Futures List – OHL Players (34):



Players in italics are committed to OHL for 2016-17 season. * indicates late 1998 birthdate

Ian Blacker (London Knights) D

Tyler Burnie (Kingston Frontenacs) RW

Sasha Chmelevski (Ottawa 67’s) C

Cole Coskey (Saginaw Spirit) LW

Anthony DeMeo (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds) D

Michael DiPietro (Windsor Spitfires) G

Samuel Duchesne (Flint Firebirds) D

MacKenzie Entwistle (Hamilton Bulldogs) RW

Morgan Frost (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds) LW

Kaden Fulcher (Hamilton Bulldogs) G *

Zach Gallant (Peterborough Petes) C

Brady Gilmour (Saginaw Spirit) C

Nicolas Hague (Mississauga Steelheads) D *

Mac Hollowell (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds) D *

Aidan Hughes (Sarnia Sting) G

Austen Keating (Ottawa 67’s) C

Kyle Keyser (Flint Firebirds) G

Vanya Lodnia (Erie Otters) RW

Brady Lyle (North Bay Battalion) D

Kyle MacLean (Oshawa Generals) LW

Ryan McGregor (Sarnia Sting) C

Greg Meireles (Kitchener Rangers) C

Reagan O’Grady (Sudbury Wolves) D *

Jacob Paquette (Kingston Frontenacs) D

Markus Phillips (Owen Sound Attack) D

Isaac Ratcliffe (Guelph Storm) LW

Jason Robertson (Kingston Frontenacs) LW

Nate Schnarr (Guelph Storm) C

Dylan Seitz (Kitchener Rangers) C

Matthew Strome (Hamilton Bulldogs) C

Jack Studnicka (Oshawa Generals) C

Nick Suzuki (Owen Sound Attack) C

Owen Tippett (Mississauga Steelheads) RW

Gabriel Vilardi (Windsor Spitfires) C

NHL CSS Futures List – QMJHL Players (15):



Players in italics are committed to QMJHL for 2016-17 season. * indicates late 1998 birthdate

Dereck Baribeau (Val-d’Or Foreurs) G

Guillaume Beck (Victoriaville Tigres) D *

Simon Benoit (Shawinigan Cataractes) *

Shawn Boudrias (Charlottetown Islanders) RW

Jocktan Chainey (Halifax Mooseheads) D

Maxime Comtois (Victoriaville Tigres) LW

Arnaud Durandeau (Halifax Mooseheads) LW

Nico Hischier (Halifax Mooseheads) C

Pierre-Olivier Joseph (Charlottetown Islanders) D

Alexander Krief (Chicoutimi Sagueneens) D

Jacob Lapierre (Victoriaville Tigres) LW *

Antoine Morand (Acadie-Bathurst Titan) C

Matteo Pietroniro (Baie-Comeau Drakkar) D *

Joel Teasdale (Blainville-Boisbriand Armada) LW

Alex-Olivier Voyer (Rimouski Oceanic) C

Click here to see the full 2016-17 NHL CSS Futures List