Tuesday, February 21, 2017

TSN Cites Top Talent Outside NHL

Craig Button names BU’s Clayton Keller No. 1 player not currently in NHL

TSN Cites Top Talent Outside NHL
Clayton Keller ranks ninth nationally and first among all freshmen with 1.46 points per game (Photo by Rich Gagnon).

Former NHL general manager and current TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button sees prospects playing around the world, and has identified Boston University freshman Clayton Keller as the best player not currently in the NHL.

Keller, a first-round pick of the Arizona Coyotes, tops Button’s list of the top 50 NHL-affiliated prospects.

Three of Button’s top nine players are currently playing college hockey while a fourth, Kyle Connor, played at Michigan last season.

In total, 10 current college players and four first-year pros who played college last season found their way on to Button’s top 50.

Boston University (Keller and Charlie McAvoy) and North Dakota (Brock Boeser and Tyson Jost) each had two current teammates in the top 15. BU also had current sophomore Jordan Greenway and recent graduate Danny O’Regan on the list, giving the Terriers four representatives to lead all schools.

Current/Former NCAA Players on TSN’s Top 50

Rank Name NHL Team NCAA Team
1 Clayton Keller ARI Boston University
7 Kyle Connor WPG Michigan
8 Brock Boeser VAN North Dakota
9 Charlie McAvoy BOS Boston University
15 Tyson Jost COL North Dakota
22 Colin White OTT Boston College
25 Luke Kunin MIN Wisconsin
28 Danny O’Regan SJ Boston University
33 Thatcher Demko VAN Boston College
40 Adam Gaudette VAN Northeastern
42 Tage Thompson STL Connecticut
44 Jake Walman STL Providence
46 Jack Roslovic WPG Miami
47 Jordan Greenway MIN Boston University