Each week I will be featuring the top three performers among first time eligible players for the 2020 NHL draft. Along with the occasional honourable mention for other noteworthy accomplishments. Here are my three stars for the period from Saturday, October 12th through Friday, October 18th.

1. Cole Perfetti

The Saginaw Spirit won all three games this past week to move into a tie atop the Ontario Hockey League’s Western division with the Windsor Spitfires. The play of star forward Cole Perfetti was the main factor in that accomplishment, showing why he is expected to be a top ten selection for the 2020 NHL draft.

With Saginaw trailing 2-0 to the London Knights, Perfetti scored late in the second period while on the powerplay. The goal sparked the Spirit as they dominated the third period scoring five times on route to a 6-3 victory. Perfetti assisted on two of those tallies.

In the next game, Perfetti helped set up the overtime game-winning goal for his second assist of the night in a 4-3 victory over the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.

Last night the Spirit trounced the North Bay Battalion 9-1. Perfetti rounded out his week with a four-point effort, scoring once and adding three assists. With his nine points in three games, Perfetti has moved into the top five in OHL scoring and earned my first star of the week.

2. Dawson Mercer

The Drummondville Voltigeurs began their week in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with a 5-3 victory versus the Baie-Comeau Drakkar. Dawson Mercer added the insurance marker into an empty net, in what was his quietest game of this segment.

He would then add four assists in his next outing, a 6-2 triumph over the Gatineau Olympiques. All four were primary assists and came on consecutive goals to break open what had been a 1-1 game.

In his next game, a 5-2 decision over the Chicoutimi Saguenéens, Mercer added a goal and an assist.

Drummondville would down the Victoriaville Tigres 3-1 for their fourth victory of the week. Mercer scored twice and assisted on the empty-net marker that sealed the victory, giving him ten points in four games. With his scoring outburst Mercer has climbed into the top five in QMJHL scoring.

3. Tim Stutzle

Thanks to a five-point effort for Adler Mannheim of the German DEL, Tim Stutzle makes it into my three stars of the week. The feat came in a game versus Augsburger. With the score knotted 2-2, Stutzle assisted on the go-ahead goal late in the first period to put Adler Mannheim ahead. Early in the second period, while on the powerplay, Stutzle was once again in on the scoring, adding his second assist of the game. Stutzle would draw primary assists on the next two goals, before providing a powerplay goal to round out his night.

Stutzle has been nothing less than sensational in his start to the 2019-2020 season. In 11 games thus far, he has 13 points, which is second in team scoring. An astonishing accomplishment for a 17-year-old, playing in a men’s league. He is currently ranked #6 by FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS and recently featured in one of my scouting reports.

Honourable mentions

With five goals this past week, Veeti Miettinen certainly deserves a place on this list. Miettinen was my third star from last week and is one of the top Finnish players available for the 2020 NHL draft.

Jamie Drysdale and Lukas Cormier, both defensemen, had six points each and are very deserving of a mention.

My final two mentions of the week go to a pair of Kamloops Blazers players from the Western Hockey League. Goaltender Dylan Garand shutout the Vancouver Giants last night, making 23 saves. In his previous start, he stopped 26 of 28 shots. His combined save percentage for the week was .961. His teammate Connor Zary record two points in each of the three games he played in, propelling the Blazers to the top of the B.C. division standings.

Rick Warman is a Vancouver Canucks and prospects contributor for Overtime Heroics. Follow him @statman1956 on Twitter

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