Thursday, February 11, 2016

TSN Highlights Top Prospects

Craig Button’s top drafted prospects includes 7 NCAA representatives in top 20.

TSN Highlights Top Prospects
Kyle Connor shares the NCAA lead with 44 points.

TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button listed his top 50 NHL prospects among those with NHL affiliations and seven of the top 20 are current or former NCAA players.

TSN.ca: Top 50 NHL-Affiliated Prospects

Michigan teammates Kyle Connor (No. 5) and Zach Werenski (No. 9) plus Harvard senior Jimmy Vesey (No. 8) occupy spots in the top nine.

“Connor,” writes Button, “could accomplish what Jack Eichel did last year, winning the Hobey Baker Award for best college player as a freshman.”

Mike Reilly, a free agent signee last spring out of Minnesota, checks in at No. 14, with Boston College goaltender Thatcher Demko at 15. BC’s Colin White and North Dakota’s Brock Boeser round out the top 20.

In addition, Button highlights the top prospects for each of the seven Canadian franchises, with NCAA players topping four of the seven lists. Jon Gillies (Calgary), Colin White (Ottawa), Thatcher Demko (Vancouver) and Connor (Winnipeg) are all atop their respective NHL teams’ prospect lists.