UFFS Scouts Finalize Consensus Rankings for 2021 NHL Draft

This was the last call — the last chance for UFFS hockey scouts to cast their final rankings for the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. Seven, including director of scouting Larry Fisher, were up to the challenge and submitted their top 64, while several others opted out — not wanting to show their hand ahead of the UFHL Entry Auction. Scouts are always secretive around draft time and the UFHL is no exception. Even after ensuring those rankings wouldn’t be revealed — as they were for the preliminary rankings in December and the midseason rankings in April — many still preferred to keep their lists confidential and internal while finalizing auction plans with their affiliated franchises. This is serious business, after all — not just some fantasy draft. This is real world scouting and the stakes are high in the Ultimate Fantasy Hockey League! Before we get into the numbers, we should highlight those seven contributors who shared their final rankings to make this consensus list possible: Larry Fisher (director of scouting) High Level Scouting (Craig Button) Fantalytica.tech (Ed Palumbo & Ash Glover) Five Eyes Scouting Services (Trevor Zimmer) Dultak Scouting Service (Gur Dultak) Azteca Scouting (Bryan Hernandez) Many thanks for their efforts and cooperation in putting a bow on this draft year. These consensus rankings also serve a purpose, updating the Entry Auction algorithm for a third time. That algorithm, which will be finalized with the official draft results, provides a ballpark on minimum bids for each draft spot, so the franchises can prepare and budget accordingly for the 2021 UFHL Entry Auction. By The Numbers 5 — consensus top 10 prospects 18 — consensus first-round prospects (top 32) 35 — consensus top 64 prospects 115 — total prospects ranked in the top 64 Those are the four numbers that immediately stand out from this consensus list. Two of the consensus top 10 were ranked as low as 10th — Brandt Clarke once and Jesper Wallstedt twice. Owen Power, Matty Beniers and William Eklund were also locks for the top 10, according to those seven UFFS scouts. Two of the consensus first-rounders were ranked as low as 32nd — Russian forwards Fyodor Svechkov and Nikita Chibrikov.

The latter two numbers speak to the unpredictability of this draft year and the parity of this draft class — only 35 prospects were ranked in the top 64 by all seven scouts, while 115 different prospects were ranked in the top 64 at least once by the same scouts. That is telling us there is no real consensus outside the top 10 and certainly not beyond the first round. Digging a little deeper, here are some more numbers of note: 14 of the top 64 were Open Market adds on the UFFS platform, while the other 50 — including all 32 first-rounders — were in the Futures Auction last August. That includes Svechkov (15), Danila Klimovich (56) and Artyom Grushnikov (58), who sold for the minimum as Futures. The 14 Open Market adds were Jack Peart (38), Olen Zellweger (39), William Stromgren (40), Brent Johnson (47), Aryton Martino (49), Ville Koivunen (50), Alexander Kisakov (51), Wyatt Johnston (52), Evan Nause (53), Roman Schmidt (57), Matthew Knies (60), overager Josh Doan (62), Tristan Broz (63) and Aleksi Heimosalmi (64). The six highest sellers from that Futures Auction who failed to crack the final top 64 were Joshua Roy, Tristan Lennox, Red Savage, Jimi Suomi, Justin Robidas and Ryder Korczak. That is enough spoilers and adequate suspense, so let’s delve into the big lists — starting with the UFFS consensus final rankings, followed by Fisher’s personal top 160 for the 2021 NHL Draft.

UFFS Consensus Final Rankings — Top 115 First Round 1) Owen Power (LD, Canada, Michigan NCAA) 2) Matty Beniers (LC/LW, USA, Michigan NCAA) 3) Brandt Clarke (RD, Canada, Barrie OHL) 4) William Eklund (LW/LC, Sweden, Djurgardens SHL) 5) Luke Hughes (LD, USA, NTDP U18) 6) Dylan Guenther (LW, Canada, Edmonton WHL) 7) Jesper Wallstedt (G, Sweden, Lulea SHL) 8) Simon Edvinsson (LD, Sweden, Frolunda J20) 9) Kent Johnson (LC, Canada, Michigan NCAA) 10) Mason McTavish (LC, Canada, Peterborough OHL) 11) Cole Sillinger (LW/LC, Canada, Sioux Falls USHL/Medicine Hat WHL) 12) Chaz Lucius (RC/RW, USA, NTDP U18) 13) Matt Coronato (LW, USA, Chicago USHL) 14) Fabian Lysell (LW, Sweden, Lulea SHL) 15) Fyodor Svechkov (LC/LW, Russia, Ladia Togliatti VHL) 16) Carson Lambos (LD, Canada, Winnipeg WHL) 17) Aatu Raty (LC, Finland, Karpat Liiga) 18) Brennan Othmann (LW, Canada/Switzerland, Flint OHL) 19) Nikita Chibrikov (F, Russia, SKA-1946 St. Petersburg MHL) 20) Sebastian Cossa (G, Canada, Edmonton WHL) 21) Logan Stankoven (RC, Canada, Kamloops WHL) 22) Francesco Pinelli (LC, Canada, Kitchener OHL) 23) Corson Ceulemans (RD, Canada, Brooks AJHL) 24) Zachary L’Heureux (LC, Canada, Halifax QMJHL) 25) Oskar Olausson (LW/RW, Sweden, HV71 SHL) 26) Simon Robertsson (RW, Sweden, Skelleftea SHL) 27) Zachary Bolduc (LC, Canada, Rimouski QMJHL) 28) Isak Rosen (LW/RW, Sweden, Leksands SHL) 29) Sasha Pastujov (LW, USA, NTDP U18) 30) Xavier Bourgault (RC, Canada, Shawinigan QMJHL) 31) Samu Tuomaala (RW, Finland, Karpat Liiga) 32) Daniil Chayka (LD, Russia, Guelph OHL) Second Round 33) Zach Dean (LC, Canada, Gatineau QMJHL) 34) Stanislav Svozil (LD, Czech Republic, Kometa Brno Czech) 35) Mackie Samoskevich (F, USA, Chicago USHL) 36) Scott Morrow (RD, USA, Shattuck St. Mary’s U.S. High School) 37) Prokhor Poltapov (F, Russia, Krasnaya Armiya Moskva MHL) 38) Jack Peart (LD, USA Fargo USHL) 39) Olen Zellweger (LD, Canada, Everett WHL) 40) William Stromgren (LW, Sweden, MODO Allsvenskan) 41) Anton Olsson (LD, Sweden, Malmo SHL) 42) Brett Harrison (LC, Canada, Oshawa OHL) 43) Sean Behrens (LD, USA, NTDP U18) 44) Ben Gaudreau (G, Canada, Sarnia OHL) 45) Dylan Duke (LC, USA/Canada, NTDP U18) 46) Conner Roulette (LW, Canada, Seattle WHL) 47) Brent Johnson (RD, USA, Sioux Falls USHL) 48) Kirill Kirsanov (LD, Russia, SKA-1946 St. Petersburg MHL) 49) Ayrton Martino (LW, Canada, Omaha USHL) 50) Ville Koivunen (RW/LW, Finland, Karpat U20) 51) Alexander Kisakov (LW, Russia, Dynamo Moskva MHL) 52) Wyatt Johnston (RC, Canada, Windsor OHL) 53) Evan Nause (LD, Canada, Quebec QMJHL) 54) Samu Salminen (LC/LW, Finland, Jokerit U20) 55) Cam Whynot (LD, Canada, Halifax QMJHL) 56) Danila Klimovich (F, Belarus, Team Belarus U20/Rouyn-Noranda QMJHL) 57) Roman Schmidt (RD, USA/Canada, NTDP U18/Kitchener OHL) 58) Artyom Grushnikov (LD, Russia, Hamilton OHL) 59) James Malatesta (LC, Canada, Quebec QMJHL) 60) Matthew Knies (LW, USA/Slovakia, Tri-City USHL) 61) Chase Stillman (RW, Canada/USA, Sudbury OHL) 62) Josh Doan (RW, USA/Canada, Chicago USHL, overager) 63) Tristan Broz (LC, USA, Fargo USHL) 64) Aleksi Heimosalmi (RD, Finland, Assat U20) Honourable Mentions 65) Justin Robidas (RC, Canada/USA, Val-d’Or QMJHL) 66) Shai Buium (LD, USA, Sioux City USHL) 67) Tristan Lennox (G, Canada, Saginaw OHL) 68) Sean Tschigerl (LW, Canada, Calgary WHL) 69) Vincent Iorio (RD, Canada, Brandon WHL) 70) Ryan Ufko (RD, USA, Chicago USHL) 71) Daniil Lazutin (LC, Russia, SKA-1946 St. Petersburg MHL) 72) Bobby Orr (LC, Canada, Halifax QMJHL) 73) Cole Huckins (LC, Canada/USA, Acadie-Bathurst QMJHL) 74) Aidan Hreschuk (LD, USA, NTDP U18) 75) Isaac Belliveau (LD, Canada, Gatineau QMJHL) 76) Joshua Roy (LC, Canada, Sherbrooke QMJHL) 77) Ryder Korczak (RC/RW, Canada, Moose Jaw WHL) 78) Oliver Kapanen (RC, Finland, KalPa U20) 79) Jack O’Brien (LC, USA, Lincoln USHL/Portland WHL) 80) Kyle Masters (RD, Canada, Red Deer WHL) 81) Jack Bar (RD, Canada, Chicago USHL) 82) Dmitriy Zugan (LC, Russia, Krasnaya Armiya Moskva MHL) 83) Liam Dower Nilsson (LC, Sweden, Frolunda J20) 84) Dmitri Kuzmin (LD, Belarus, Dinamo-Molodechno Belarus/Flint OHL) 85) Jimi Suomi (LD, Finland, Kiekko-Espoo U20/Chicago USHL) 86) Manix Landry (LC, Canada/USA, Gatineau QMJHL) 87) Niko Huuhtanen (RW, Finland, Tappara U20/Everett WHL) 88) Logan Mailloux (RD, Canada London OHL) 89) Cole Jordan (LD, Canada, Moose Jaw WHL) 90) Tyler Boucher (RW, USA, NTDP U18) 91) Jake Martin (RD, USA, NTDP U18) 92) Vladislav Lukashevich (LD, Russia, Loko Yaroslavl MHL) 93) Olivier Nadeau (RW, Canada, Shawinigan QMJHL) 94) Martin Rysavy (LW, Czech Republic, Vitkovice Czech) 95) Nikita V. Novikov (LD, Russia, Dynamo Moskva MHL) 96) Matvei Petrov (RW, Russia, Krylia Sovetov Moskva MHL/North Bay OHL) 97) Samuel Helenius (LC, Finland, JYP Liiga) 98) Ilya Safonov (LC, Russia, Ak Bars Kazan KHL, overager) 99) Florian Elias (LC, Germany, Adler Mannheim DEL, overager) 100) Oscar Plandowski (RD, Canada, Charlottetown QMJHL) 101) Colton Dach (LC, Canada, Saskatoon WHL) 102) Marcus Almquist (RW, Denmark, HV71 J20) 103) Ethan Del Mastro (LD, Canada, Mississauga OHL) 104) Liam Gilmartin (LW, USA, London OHL) 105) Kirill Gerasimyuk (G, Russia, SKA-Varyagi im. Morozova MHL) 106) Topias Vilen (LD, Finland, Pelicans Liiga) 107) Bryce Montgomery (RD, USA, London OHL) 108) Ryan Winterton (RW, Canada, Hamilton OHL) 109) Peter Reynolds (LC, Canada, Saint John QMJHL) 110) Noah Meier (LD, Switzerland, ZSC Lions) 111) Ty Gallagher (RD, USA, NTDP U18) 112) Jayden Grubbe (RC, Canada, Red Deer WHL) 113) Ty Voit (RW/RC, USA, Sarnia OHL) 114) Connor Lockhart (RC, Canada, Erie OHL) 115) Graham Sward (LD, Canada, Spokane WHL)

Prospect Breakdowns NOTE: This breakdown will show the highest and lowest ranking for each of the 115 prospects as well as their average ranking and the total number of times they were ranked in the top 64, plus which scout/agency owns their rights on the UFFS platform. 1) Owen Power (LD, Canada, Michigan NCAA) HIGHEST: 1 LOWEST: 3 AVERAGE: 1.43 TOTAL: 7 — 1 (x5), 2, 3 OWNED BY: CanWest Scouting Agency 2) Matty Beniers (LC/LW, USA, Michigan NCAA) HIGHEST: 1 LOWEST: 6 AVERAGE: 3.86 TOTAL: 7 — 1, 3 (x2), 4 (x2), 6 (x2) OWNED BY: Spitfire Scouting 3) Brandt Clarke (RD, Canada, Barrie OHL) HIGHEST: 1 LOWEST: 10 AVERAGE: 4.71 TOTAL: 7 — 1, 2, 3, 5 (x2), 7, 10 OWNED BY: CanWest Scouting Agency 4) William Eklund (LW/LC, Sweden, Djurgardens SHL) HIGHEST: 3 LOWEST: 7 AVERAGE: 4.86 TOTAL: 7 — 3 (x2), 4, 5, 6 (x2), 7 OWNED BY: Spitfire Scouting 5) Luke Hughes (LD, USA, NTDP U18) HIGHEST: 2 LOWEST: 18 AVERAGE: 5.57 TOTAL: 7 — 2 (x3), 4, 5, 6, 18 OWNED BY: Pipeline Prospects 6) Dylan Guenther (LW, Canada, Edmonton WHL) HIGHEST: 2 LOWEST: 12 AVERAGE: 5.86 TOTAL: 7 — 2, 3, 4 (x2), 7, 9, 12 OWNED BY: Dultak Scouting Service 7) Jesper Wallstedt (G, Sweden, Lulea SHL) HIGHEST: 2 LOWEST: 10 AVERAGE: 7.71 TOTAL: 7 — 2, 7, 8 (x2), 9, 10 (x2) OWNED BY: High Level Scouting 8) Simon Edvinsson (LD, Sweden, Frolunda J20) HIGHEST: 5 LOWEST: 17 AVERAGE: 8.43 TOTAL: 7 — 5, 6, 7, 8 (x3), 17 OWNED BY: Spitfire Scouting 9) Kent Johnson (LC, Canada, Michigan NCAA) HIGHEST: 4 LOWEST: 14 AVERAGE: 9.00 TOTAL: 7 — 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 13, 14 OWNED BY: Dultak Scouting Service 10) Mason McTavish (LC, Canada, Peterborough OHL) HIGHEST: 5 LOWEST: 12 AVERAGE: 9.00 TOTAL: 7 — 5, 7, 9 (x2), 10, 11, 12 OWNED BY: CanWest Scouting Agency 11) Cole Sillinger (LW/LC, Canada, Sioux Falls USHL/Medicine Hat WHL) HIGHEST: 11 LOWEST: 19 AVERAGE: 13.43 TOTAL: 7 — 11 (x2), 12, 13 (x2), 15, 19 OWNED BY: Spitfire Scouting 12) Chaz Lucius (RC/RW, USA, NTDP U18) HIGHEST: 7 LOWEST: 25 AVERAGE: 14.86 TOTAL: 7 — 7, 9, 11, 16 (x2), 20, 25 OWNED BY: Prestige Worldwide 13) Matt Coronato (LW, USA, Chicago USHL) HIGHEST: 8 LOWEST: 36 AVERAGE: 15.57 TOTAL: 7 — 8, 10, 11, 12, 15, 17, 36 OWNED BY: Pipeline Prospects 14) Fabian Lysell (LW, Sweden, Lulea SHL) HIGHEST: 11 LOWEST: 27 AVERAGE: 15.86 TOTAL: 7 — 11, 13 (x2), 14, 15, 18, 27 OWNED BY: High Level Scouting 15) Fyodor Svechkov (LC/LW, Russia, Ladia Togliatti VHL) HIGHEST: 6 LOWEST: 32 AVERAGE: 17.43 TOTAL: 7 — 6, 13, 15, 16, 19, 21, 32 OWNED BY: CanWest Scouting Agency 16) Carson Lambos (LD, Canada, Winnipeg WHL) HIGHEST: 14 LOWEST: 21 AVERAGE: 17.57 TOTAL: 7 — 14, 15, 16, 17, 20 (x2), 21 OWNED BY: Spitfire Scouting 17) Aatu Raty (LC, Finland, Karpat Liiga) HIGHEST: 12 LOWEST: 29 AVERAGE: 18.86 TOTAL: 7 — 12, 16, 18, 19 (x3), 29 OWNED BY: CanWest Scouting Agency 18) Brennan Othmann (LW, Canada/Switzerland, Flint OHL) HIGHEST: 16 LOWEST: 27 AVERAGE: 21.14 TOTAL: 7 — 16, 18 (x2), 22 (x2), 25, 27 OWNED BY: Spitfire Scouting 19) Nikita Chibrikov (F, Russia, SKA-1946 St. Petersburg MHL) HIGHEST: 10 LOWEST: 32 AVERAGE: 21.43 TOTAL: 7 — 10, 14, 21, 23, 24, 26, 32 OWNED BY: Spitfire Scouting 20) Sebastian Cossa (G, Canada, Edmonton WHL) HIGHEST: 11 LOWEST: 35 AVERAGE: 23.14 TOTAL: 7 — 11, 17, 19, 26 (x2), 28, 35 OWNED BY: Prestige Worldwide 21) Logan Stankoven (RC, Canada, Kamloops WHL) HIGHEST: 12 LOWEST: 36 AVERAGE: 23.57 TOTAL: 7 — 12, 15, 18, 21, 28, 35, 36 OWNED BY: Dultak Scouting Service 22) Francesco Pinelli (LC, Canada, Kitchener OHL) HIGHEST: 9 LOWEST: 33 AVERAGE: 23.86 TOTAL: 7 — 9, 18, 23, 25, 28, 31, 33 OWNED BY: Brennen Kopp 23) Corson Ceulemans (RD, Canada, Brooks AJHL) HIGHEST: 16 LOWEST: 52 AVERAGE: 24.57 TOTAL: 7 — 16, 19, 20, 21, 22 (x2), 52 OWNED BY: High Level Scouting 24) Zachary L’Heureux (LC, Canada, Halifax QMJHL) HIGHEST: 12 LOWEST: 39 AVERAGE: 25.43 TOTAL: 7 — 12, 15, 20, 25, 30, 37, 39 OWNED BY: Brennen Kopp 25) Oskar Olausson (LW/RW, Sweden, HV71 SHL) HIGHEST: 14 LOWEST: 39 AVERAGE: 26.43 TOTAL: 7 — 14, 22, 23, 26, 30, 31, 39 OWNED BY: Fantalytica.tech (Rob Love) 26) Simon Robertsson (RW, Sweden, Skelleftea SHL) HIGHEST: 13 LOWEST: 48 AVERAGE: 27.43 TOTAL: 7 — 13, 17, 22, 27, 28, 37, 48 OWNED BY: Dultak Scouting Service 27) Zachary Bolduc (LC, Canada, Rimouski QMJHL) HIGHEST: 17 LOWEST: 57 AVERAGE: 28.00 TOTAL: 7 — 17, 21 (x2), 24, 27, 29, 57 OWNED BY: High Level Scouting 28) Isak Rosen (LW/RW, Sweden, Leksands SHL) HIGHEST: 23 LOWEST: 34 AVERAGE: 28.29 TOTAL: 7 — 23, 24, 27, 29, 30, 31, 34 OWNED BY: Pipeline Prospects 29) Sasha Pastujov (LW, USA, NTDP U18) HIGHEST: 20 LOWEST: 49 AVERAGE: 32.00 TOTAL: 7 — 20, 23, 24, 30, 38, 40, 49 OWNED BY: Dave Drinkwalter 30) Xavier Bourgault (RC, Canada, Shawinigan QMJHL) HIGHEST: 23 LOWEST: 43 AVERAGE: 33.29 TOTAL: 7 — 23, 26, 28, 29, 41, 43 (x2) OWNED BY: Pipeline Prospects 31) Samu Tuomaala (RW, Finland, Karpat Liiga) HIGHEST: 20 LOWEST: 58 AVERAGE: 33.86 TOTAL: 7 — 20, 28, 30 (x2), 35, 36, 58 OWNED BY: Alpine Prospects Scouting Agency (Jeff Rea) 32) Daniil Chayka (LD, Russia, Guelph OHL) HIGHEST: 22 LOWEST: 49 AVERAGE: 34.14 TOTAL: 7 — 22, 24, 25, 34, 38, 47, 49 OWNED BY: Spitfire Scouting 33) Zach Dean (LC, Canada, Gatineau QMJHL) HIGHEST: 26 LOWEST: 45 AVERAGE: 37.00 TOTAL: 7 — 26 (x2), 37, 41, 42 (x2), 45 OWNED BY: Spitfire Scouting 34) Stanislav Svozil (LD, Czech Republic, Kometa Brno Czech) HIGHEST: 24 LOWEST: 53 AVERAGE: 39.00 TOTAL: 7 — 24, 29, 32, 35, 48, 52, 53 OWNED BY: CanWest Scouting Agency 35) Mackie Samoskevich (F, USA, Chicago USHL) HIGHEST: 14 LOWEST: Not Ranked (NR) AVERAGE: 39.14 TOTAL: 6 — 14, 27, 33, 40, 41, 54 OWNED BY: Spitfire Scouting 36) Scott Morrow (RD, USA, Shattuck St. Mary’s U.S. High School) HIGHEST: 17 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 39.29 TOTAL: 6 — 17, 23, 33, 37, 42, 58 OWNED BY: Horse Lake Scouting 37) Prokhor Poltapov (F, Russia, Krasnaya Armiya Moskva MHL) HIGHEST: 31 LOWEST: 54 AVERAGE: 42.29 TOTAL: 7 — 31, 38 (x2), 40, 46, 49, 54 OWNED BY: Spitfire Scouting 38) Jack Peart (LD, USA Fargo USHL) HIGHEST: 25 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 46.29 TOTAL: 6 — 25, 36, 42, 44, 51, 61 OWNED BY: Fantalytica.tech (Rob Love) 39) Olen Zellweger (LD, Canada, Everett WHL) HIGHEST: 25 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 46.57 TOTAL: 5 — 25, 31, 34, 43, 63 OWNED BY: Dultak Scouting Service 40) William Stromgren (LW, Sweden, MODO Allsvenskan) HIGHEST: 33 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 47.57 TOTAL: 6 — 33, 37, 46, 47, 51, 54 OWNED BY: Horse Lake Scouting 41) Anton Olsson (LD, Sweden, Malmo SHL) HIGHEST: 32 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 47.71 TOTAL: 6 — 32 (x2), 45, 48, 49, 63 OWNED BY: Pipeline Prospects 42) Brett Harrison (LC, Canada, Oshawa OHL) HIGHEST: 29 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 48.00 TOTAL: 4 — 29, 32, 36, 44 OWNED BY: Spitfire Scouting 43) Sean Behrens (LD, USA, NTDP U18) HIGHEST: 33 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 49.71 TOTAL: 5 — 33, 34, 40, 51, 60 OWNED BY: High Level Scouting 44) Ben Gaudreau (G, Canada, Sarnia OHL) HIGHEST: 31 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 49.86 TOTAL: 5 — 31, 32, 45, 48, 63 OWNED BY: Wise Guys Prospects 45) Dylan Duke (LC, USA/Canada, NTDP U18) HIGHEST: 37 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 51.29 TOTAL: 5 — 37, 43, 46, 48, 55 OWNED BY: Pipeline Prospects 46) Conner Roulette (LW, Canada, Seattle WHL) HIGHEST: 14 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 51.71 TOTAL: 5 — 14, 45, 51, 60, 62 OWNED BY: Prestige Worldwide 47) Brent Johnson (RD, USA, Sioux Falls USHL) HIGHEST: 34 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 51.86 TOTAL: 6 — 34, 40, 44, 57, 59, 64 OWNED BY: Fantalytica.tech (Rob Love) 48) Kirill Kirsanov (LD, Russia, SKA-1946 St. Petersburg MHL) HIGHEST: 27 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 52.14 TOTAL: 4 — 27, 39, 49, 55 OWNED BY: High Level Scouting 49) Ayrton Martino (LW, Canada, Omaha USHL) HIGHEST: 34 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 52.86 TOTAL: 5 — 34, 41, 48, 54, 63 OWNED BY: Horse Lake Scouting 50) Ville Koivunen (RW/LW, Finland, Karpat U20) HIGHEST: 29 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 53.00 TOTAL: 3 — 29, 35, 47 OWNED BY: Easton’s Scouting Solutions 51) Alexander Kisakov (LW, Russia, Dynamo Moskva MHL) HIGHEST: 30 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 54.71 TOTAL: 3 — 30, 37, 56 OWNED BY: Fantalytica.tech (Rob Love) 52) Wyatt Johnston (RC, Canada, Windsor OHL) HIGHEST: 39 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 54.86 TOTAL: 4 — 39, 41, 52, 57 OWNED BY: Swamp Scouting 53) Evan Nause (LD, Canada, Quebec QMJHL) HIGHEST: 43 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 55.14 TOTAL: 6 — 43, 52 (x2), 53, 60, 61 OWNED BY: Pipeline Prospects 54) Samu Salminen (LC/LW, Finland, Jokerit U20) HIGHEST: 39 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 55.29 TOTAL: 5 — 39, 50 (x2), 54, 64 OWNED BY: CanWest Scouting Agency 55) Cam Whynot (LD, Canada, Halifax QMJHL) HIGHEST: 41 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 56.00 TOTAL: 4 — 41, 47, 50, 59 OWNED BY: Brennen Kopp 56) Danila Klimovich (F, Belarus, Team Belarus U20/Rouyn-Noranda QMJHL) HIGHEST: 31 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 56.43 TOTAL: 2 — 31, 39 OWNED BY: Pipeline Prospects 57) Roman Schmidt (RD, USA/Canada, NTDP U18/Kitchener OHL) HIGHEST: 24 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 56.86 TOTAL: 2 — 24, 49 OWNED BY: Dave Drinkwalter 58) Artyom Grushnikov (LD, Russia, Hamilton OHL) HIGHEST: 46 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 57.14 TOTAL: 3 — 46 (x2), 48 OWNED BY: Spitfire Scouting 59) James Malatesta (LC, Canada, Quebec QMJHL) HIGHEST: 35 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 57.29 TOTAL: 3 — 35, 45, 61 OWNED BY: Dultak Scouting Service 60) Matthew Knies (LW, USA/Slovakia, Tri-City USHL) HIGHEST: 41 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 57.57 TOTAL: 4 — 41, 42, 61, 64 OWNED BY: Horse Lake Scouting 61) Chase Stillman (RW, Canada/USA, Sudbury OHL) HIGHEST: 28 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 58.29 TOTAL: 2 — 28, 55 OWNED BY: Dultak Scouting Service 62) Josh Doan (RW, USA/Canada, Chicago USHL, overager) HIGHEST: 33 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 58.57 TOTAL: 2 — 33, 52 OWNED BY: Pipeline Prospects 63) Tristan Broz (LC, USA, Fargo USHL) HIGHEST: 42 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 58.71 TOTAL: 2 — 42, 44 OWNED BY: Horse Lake Scouting 64) Aleksi Heimosalmi (RD, Finland, Assat U20) HIGHEST: 38 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 59.00 TOTAL: 2 — 38, 50 OWNED BY: CanWest Scouting Agency 65) Justin Robidas (RC, Canada/USA, Val-d’Or QMJHL) HIGHEST: 38 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 59.14 TOTAL: 3 — 38, 57, 59 OWNED BY: Dultak Scouting Service 66) Shai Buium (LD, USA, Sioux City USHL) HIGHEST: 36 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 59.29 TOTAL: 3 — 36, 57, 62 OWNED BY: Prestige Worldwide 67) Tristan Lennox (G, Canada, Saginaw OHL) HIGHEST: 42 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 59.57 TOTAL: 3 — 42, 52, 63 OWNED BY: Prestige Worldwide 68) Sean Tschigerl (LW, Canada, Calgary WHL) HIGHEST: 35 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 59.71 TOTAL: 2 — 35, 58 OWNED BY: CanWest Scouting Agency 69) Vincent Iorio (RD, Canada, Brandon WHL) HIGHEST: 34 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 59.86 TOTAL: 2 — 34, 60 OWNED BY: Brennen Kopp 70) Ryan Ufko (RD, USA, Chicago USHL) HIGHEST: 40 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 60.14 TOTAL: 3 — 40, 59, 62 OWNED BY: Pipeline Prospects 71) Daniil Lazutin (LC, Russia, SKA-1946 St. Petersburg MHL) HIGHEST: 33 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 60.43 TOTAL: 1 — 33 OWNED BY: High Level Scouting 72) Bobby Orr (LC, Canada, Halifax QMJHL) HIGHEST: 46 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 60.71 TOTAL: 2 — 46, 54 OWNED BY: Pipeline Prospects 73) Cole Huckins (LC, Canada/USA, Acadie-Bathurst QMJHL) HIGHEST: 49 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 60.71 TOTAL: 2 — 49, 51 OWNED BY: Dave Drinkwalter 74) Aidan Hreschuk (LD, USA, NTDP U18) HIGHEST: 47 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 60.86 TOTAL: 2 — 47, 54 OWNED BY: Dave Drinkwalter 75) Isaac Belliveau (LD, Canada, Gatineau QMJHL) HIGHEST: 36 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 60.86 TOTAL: 1 — 36 OWNED BY: Pipeline Prospects 76) Joshua Roy (LC, Canada, Sherbrooke QMJHL) HIGHEST: 38 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 61.00 TOTAL: 2 — 38, 64 OWNED BY: Pipeline Prospects 77) Ryder Korczak (RC/RW, Canada, Moose Jaw WHL) HIGHEST: 50 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 61.14 TOTAL: 4 — 50, 58, 61, 64 OWNED BY: Prestige Worldwide 78) Oliver Kapanen (RC, Finland, KalPa U20) HIGHEST: 39 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 61.14 TOTAL: 2 — 39, 64 OWNED BY: Alpine Prospects Scouting Agency (Andrew Grover) 79) Jack O’Brien (LC, USA, Lincoln USHL/Portland WHL) HIGHEST: 43 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 61.14 TOTAL: 2 — 43, 60 OWNED BY: Dultak Scouting Service 80) Kyle Masters (RD, Canada, Red Deer WHL) HIGHEST: 40 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 61.43 TOTAL: 1 — 40 OWNED BY: Fantalytica.tech (Jordan Shedletzky) 81) Jack Bar (RD, Canada, Chicago USHL) HIGHEST: 55 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 61.86 TOTAL: 3 — 55, 56, 62 OWNED BY: Horse Lake Scouting 82) Dmitriy Zugan (LC, Russia, Krasnaya Armiya Moskva MHL) HIGHEST: 43 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 61.86 TOTAL: 1 — 43 OWNED BY: Azteca Scouting 83) Liam Dower Nilsson (LC, Sweden, Frolunda J20) HIGHEST: 53 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 62.00 TOTAL: 3 — 53, 59, 62 OWNED BY: CanWest Scouting Agency 84) Dmitri Kuzmin (LD, Belarus, Dinamo-Molodechno Belarus/Flint OHL) HIGHEST: 50 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 62.00 TOTAL: 2 — 50, 59 OWNED BY: Wise Guys Prospects 85) Jimi Suomi (LD, Finland, Kiekko-Espoo U20/Chicago USHL) HIGHEST: 44 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 62.00 TOTAL: 1 — 44 OWNED BY: High Level Scouting 86) Manix Landry (LC, Canada/USA, Gatineau QMJHL) HIGHEST: 44 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 62.00 TOTAL: 1 — 44 OWNED BY: Azteca Scouting 87) Niko Huuhtanen (RW, Finland, Tappara U20/Everett WHL) HIGHEST: 44 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 62.00 TOTAL: 1 — 44 OWNED BY: Horse Lake Scouting 88) Logan Mailloux (RD, Canada London OHL) HIGHEST: 56 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 62.14 TOTAL: 3 — 56, 58, 61 OWNED BY: Pipeline Prospects 89) Cole Jordan (LD, Canada, Moose Jaw WHL) HIGHEST: 53 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 62.14 TOTAL: 2 — 53, 57 OWNED BY: Brennen Kopp 90) Tyler Boucher (RW, USA, NTDP U18) HIGHEST: 45 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 62.14 TOTAL: 1 — 45 OWNED BY: Horse Lake Scouting 91) Jake Martin (RD, USA, NTDP U18) HIGHEST: 45 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 62.14 TOTAL: 1 — 45 OWNED BY: Fantalytica.tech (Rob Love) 92) Vladislav Lukashevich (LD, Russia, Loko Yaroslavl MHL) HIGHEST: 46 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 62.29 TOTAL: 1 — 46 OWNED BY: Easton’s Scouting Solutions 93) Olivier Nadeau (RW, Canada, Shawinigan QMJHL) HIGHEST: 55 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 62.43 TOTAL: 2 — 55, 57 OWNED BY: Fantalytica.tech (Rob Love) 94) Martin Rysavy (LW, Czech Republic, Vitkovice Czech) HIGHEST: 47 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 62.43 TOTAL: 1 — 47 OWNED BY: CanWest Scouting Agency 95) Nikita V. Novikov (LD, Russia, Dynamo Moskva MHL) HIGHEST: 47 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 62.43 TOTAL: 1 — 47 OWNED BY: CanWest Scouting Agency 96) Matvei Petrov (RW, Russia, Krylia Sovetov Moskva MHL/North Bay OHL) HIGHEST: 55 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 62.57 TOTAL: 2 — 55, 58 OWNED BY: Dultak Scouting Service 97) Samuel Helenius (LC, Finland, JYP Liiga) HIGHEST: 53 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 62.86 TOTAL: 2 — 53, 62 OWNED BY: Pipeline Prospects 98) Ilya Safonov (LC, Russia, Ak Bars Kazan KHL, overager) HIGHEST: 50 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 62.86 TOTAL: 1 — 50 OWNED BY: Easton’s Scouting Solutions 99) Florian Elias (LC, Germany, Adler Mannheim DEL, overager) HIGHEST: 51 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 63.00 TOTAL: 1 — 51 OWNED BY: Alpine Prospects Scouting Agency (Andrew Grover) 100) Oscar Plandowski (RD, Canada, Charlottetown QMJHL) HIGHEST: 51 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 63.00 TOTAL: 1 — 51 OWNED BY: Easton’s Scouting Solutions 101) Colton Dach (LC, Canada, Saskatoon WHL) HIGHEST: 53 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 63.29 TOTAL: 1 — 53 OWNED BY: Dultak Scouting Service 102) Marcus Almquist (RW, Denmark, HV71 J20) HIGHEST: 53 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 63.29 TOTAL: 1 — 53 OWNED BY: Pipeline Prospects 103) Ethan Del Mastro (LD, Canada, Mississauga OHL) HIGHEST: 59 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 63.57 TOTAL: 2 — 59, 61 OWNED BY: Easton’s Scouting Solutions 104) Liam Gilmartin (LW, USA, London OHL) HIGHEST: 55 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 63.57 TOTAL: 1 — 55 OWNED BY: High Level Scouting 105) Kirill Gerasimyuk (G, Russia, SKA-Varyagi im. Morozova MHL) HIGHEST: 56 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 63.71 TOTAL: 1 — 56 OWNED BY: Alpine Prospects Scouting Agency (Jeff Rea) 106) Topias Vilen (LD, Finland, Pelicans Liiga) HIGHEST: 56 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 63.71 TOTAL: 1 — 56 OWNED BY: Fantalytica.tech (Rob Love) 107) Bryce Montgomery (RD, USA, London OHL) HIGHEST: 56 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 63.71 TOTAL: 1 — 56 OWNED BY: Pipeline Prospects 108) Ryan Winterton (RW, Canada, Hamilton OHL) HIGHEST: 56 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 63.71 TOTAL: 1 — 56 OWNED BY: Dultak Scouting Service 109) Peter Reynolds (LC, Canada, Saint John QMJHL) HIGHEST: 58 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 64.00 TOTAL: 1 — 58 OWNED BY: CanWest Scouting Agency 110) Noah Meier (LD, Switzerland, ZSC Lions) HIGHEST: 60 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 64.29 TOTAL: 1 — 60 OWNED BY: Easton’s Scouting Solutions 111) Ty Gallagher (RD, USA, NTDP U18) HIGHEST: 60 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 64.29 TOTAL: 1 — 60 OWNED BY: Pipeline Prospects 112) Jayden Grubbe (RC, Canada, Red Deer WHL) HIGHEST: 62 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 64.57 TOTAL: 1 — 62 OWNED BY: Dultak Scouting Service 113) Ty Voit (RW/RC, USA, Sarnia OHL) HIGHEST: 63 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 64.71 TOTAL: 1 — 63 OWNED BY: Pipeline Prospects 114) Connor Lockhart (RC, Canada, Erie OHL) HIGHEST: 63 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 64.71 TOTAL: 1 — 63 OWNED BY: Dultak Scouting Service 115) Graham Sward (LD, Canada, Spokane WHL) HIGHEST: 64 LOWEST: NR AVERAGE: 64.86 TOTAL: 1 — 64 OWNED BY: Pipeline Prospects

Fisher’s Final Rankings — Top 160 What started out as a real mystery class has become clearer with every passing month and, like most scouts in most years, I’m feeling relatively confident in my final rankings. It starts at the top with Owen Power in his own tier, separating himself from the pack with a standout performance for Canada at the men’s world championships. Power went wire-to-wire as my No. 1 — from the preliminary rankings in December through the midseason rankings in April — and I believe he has the potential to become a No. 1 defenceman in the NHL. Victor Hedman is the popular comparable but, as Vegas progressed through the playoffs, some started comparing Power to Alex Pietrangelo and I could see him being that type of impact player in his prime — maybe not the most offensive but a minute-munching, all-situations rearguard that is as reliable as he is effective.

After Power, the rest of the top 10 is almost interchangeable and I shuffled the deck in that 2-10 tier more times than I’d like to admit this year. It had been 2-9 until Mason McTavish forced his way into that tier with a strong showing at the U18 worlds. This year’s toughest decision was settling on my top forward for 2021, changing my mind for all three rankings — from Kent Johnson (No. 2 preseason) to Dylan Guenther (No. 3 midseason) to William Eklund, who wound up leading that trio in my 3-5 range. Matty Beniers is right there too, with McTavish bringing up the rear in that top forward tier. I prefer Luke Hughes as the next-best blueliner following Power — they could be teammates next season if Power returns to Michigan — but Brandt Clarke put his best foot forward at the U18s to close that gap, and Simon Edvinsson could overtake them all if he reaches his ceiling. Those big four on the back end will be fun to watch in their development going forward. Like Power on defence, Jesper Wallstedt went wire-to-wire as the consensus top goaltender in this draft class, though Sebastian Cossa and Ben Gaudreau also emerged as first-round talents in my eyes. It would be shocking to see three goaltenders go in the top 32, but Wallstedt and Cossa are looking like locks and Gaudreau could sneak in there too — especially with a few NHL teams having multiple picks in the first round. Ditto for UFHL franchises in their Entry Auction and goaltenders are always a hot commodity in fantasy drafts, so that would be less surprising.

The fact that the final four goaltenders in this year’s NHL playoffs — Andrei Vasilevskiy, Carey Price, Marc-Andre Fleury and Semyon Varlamov — were all first-round picks also bodes well for Cossa and Gaudreau, with recency bias potentially boosting their stock. Gaudreau isn’t a first-round lock — he is rarely mocked there — but I feel my 11-20 tier fits that bill. I can’t imagine any of those 10 prospects slipping to the second round, but there are a handful of wild cards with the likes of Fabian Lysell, Nikita Chibrikov, Aatu Raty, Logan Stankoven and Sasha Pastujov. Based on talent alone, those five belong in the top 32, but time will tell. That 11-20 tier is all forwards, with the exception of Cossa, but there are eight defenders in my next tier of first-round candidates from 21-37. I would expect at least five of them to crack the top 32 — I would take the over on four — but there are lots of scoring forwards in that 21-37 tier, along with Gaudreau. Those scoring forwards include three Swedes and a Finn, with a good chance that all four are off the board in the top 32. I would also expect a couple QMJHL and OHL forwards to go in that back half of the first round. I consider my 38-54 tier to be strong candidates for the second round, while my 55-84 tier are still legitimate contenders for the top 50. Further, I wouldn’t rule out any of the prospects in my 85-104 tier for the second round — even though I have them pegged as third-rounders for the most part. There is a ton of variability among second-rounders — as evidenced by 115 prospects cracking the top 64 for the seven UFFS scouts that contributed to these consensus rankings — and I’m anticipating more overagers than usual, perhaps going higher than usual as well. Partly because this has been perceived as a ‘weaker’ draft class and simply because NHL teams have more viewings of those overagers — thus may feel more comfortable taking them, having a better read on them from that larger sample size. I only have eight overagers ranked in my top 160, but I would definitely bet the over there as well and wouldn’t be shocked if twice that many were taken through five rounds. For the record, the next three overagers on my list were Simon Knak, Simon Kubicek and Miguel Tourigny. I’d be fairly surprised if they weren’t selected the second time around. Over seven rounds and 223 total selections for 2021, I’d be tempted to take the over on 40 overagers — expecting a real run on them in those later rounds. Finishing off with one giant grouping from 105-160 — because it is going to be a complete and utter crapshoot outside the top 100 this year — I have some personal favourites from 116-119 that may be boom or bust but have higher ceilings as well as some intriguing Euros from 121-130 that could outperform their draft position in that range or could wind up being earlier reaches. Who knows what will constitute a “reach” this year but 132-145 could be full of them too — some for skill and some for size. That may seem crazy or lazy to lump 56 prospects into the same tier, but I’m of the mindset that any of them could go as high as the third round. In recent years, I’ve went all-in on scouting — ranking my top 500 for 2020 and my top 350 for 2019, with more than 1,000 prospects on my radar for both years, while publishing full seven-round mock drafts — but I scaled it back to five rounds and limited it to my top 160 for 2021 because I didn’t have time to do that deep dive this year and I’m not as familiar as usual with the prospects projected for the later rounds. In saying that, as of this writing, UFFS scouts have registered 558 prospects eligible for the 2021 draft — counting overagers and re-entries — so that is more than twice the number that will be get drafted (223). Those 33 scouts that own Draft Prospect players have really done their homework — putting in the time and effort on the Open Market — and surely added their share of hidden gems that will hear their names called in the NHL Entry Draft on July 23-24. That is the fun part of scouting, watching the fruits of their labour come to fruition — and hopefully hearing their names called among the top 64 in the UFHL Entry Auction as well. Without further ado, here are my final rankings — my top 160 prospects for the 2021 NHL Draft: Fisher’s Tiers 1 2-10 11-20 21-37 38-54 55-84 85-104 105-160 First Round 1) Owen Power (LD, Canada, Michigan NCAA) 2) Luke Hughes (LD, USA, NTDP U18) 3) William Eklund (LW/LC, Sweden, Djurgardens SHL) 4) Dylan Guenther (LW, Canada, Edmonton WHL) 5) Kent Johnson (LC, Canada, Michigan NCAA) 6) Matty Beniers (LC/LW, USA, Michigan NCAA) 7) Brandt Clarke (RD, Canada, Barrie OHL) 8) Simon Edvinsson (LD, Sweden, Frolunda J20) 9) Jesper Wallstedt (G, Sweden, Lulea SHL) 10) Mason McTavish (LC, Canada, Peterborough OHL) 11) Chaz Lucius (RC/RW, USA, NTDP U18) 12) Matt Coronato (LW, USA, Chicago USHL) 13) Fabian Lysell (LW, Sweden, Lulea SHL) 14) Nikita Chibrikov (F, Russia, SKA-1946 St. Petersburg MHL) 15) Fyodor Svechkov (LC/LW, Russia, Ladia Togliatti VHL) 16) Aatu Raty (LC, Finland, Karpat Liiga) 17) Sebastian Cossa (G, Canada, Edmonton WHL) 18) Logan Stankoven (RC, Canada, Kamloops WHL) 19) Cole Sillinger (LW/LC, Canada, Sioux Falls USHL/Medicine Hat WHL) 20) Sasha Pastujov (LW, USA, NTDP U18) 21) Carson Lambos (LD, Canada, Winnipeg WHL) 22) Corson Ceulemans (RD, Canada, Brooks AJHL) 23) Scott Morrow (RD, USA, Shattuck St. Mary’s U.S. High School) 24) Daniil Chayka (LD, Russia, Guelph OHL) 25) Brennan Othmann (LW, Canada/Switzerland, Flint OHL) 26) Oskar Olausson (LW/RW, Sweden, HV71 SHL) 27) Isak Rosen (LW/RW, Sweden, Leksands SHL) 28) Samu Tuomaala (RW, Finland, Karpat Liiga) 29) Zachary Bolduc (LC, Canada, Rimouski QMJHL) 30) Zachary L’Heureux (LC, Canada, Halifax QMJHL) 31) Francesco Pinelli (LC, Canada, Kitchener OHL) 32) Ben Gaudreau (G, Canada, Sarnia OHL) Second Round 33) Sean Behrens (LD, USA, NTDP U18) 34) Olen Zellweger (LD, Canada, Everett WHL) 35) Stanislav Svozil (LD, Czech Republic, Kometa Brno Czech) 36) Shai Buium (LD, USA, Sioux City USHL) 37) Simon Robertsson (RW, Sweden, Skelleftea SHL) 38) Prokhor Poltapov (F, Russia, Krasnaya Armiya Moskva MHL) 39) Danila Klimovich (F, Belarus, Team Belarus U20/Rouyn-Noranda QMJHL) 40) Mackie Samoskevich (F, USA, Chicago USHL) 41) Matthew Knies (LW, USA/Slovakia, Tri-City USHL) 42) Jack Peart (LD, USA Fargo USHL) 43) Xavier Bourgault (RC, Canada, Shawinigan QMJHL) 44) Manix Landry (LC, Canada/USA, Gatineau QMJHL) 45) Zach Dean (LC, Canada, Gatineau QMJHL) 46) Dylan Duke (LC, USA/Canada, NTDP U18) 47) Aidan Hreschuk (LD, USA, NTDP U18) 48) Anton Olsson (LD, Sweden, Malmo SHL) 49) Kirill Kirsanov (LD, Russia, SKA-1946 St. Petersburg MHL) 50) Ilya Safonov (LC, Russia, Ak Bars Kazan KHL, overager) 51) Florian Elias (LC, Germany, Adler Mannheim DEL, overager) 52) Josh Doan (RW, USA/Canada, Chicago USHL, overager) 53) Samuel Helenius (LC, Finland, JYP Liiga) 54) Samu Salminen (LC/LW, Finland, Jokerit U20) 55) Matvei Petrov (RW, Russia, Krylia Sovetov Moskva MHL/North Bay OHL) 56) Alexander Kisakov (LW, Russia, Dynamo Moskva MHL) 57) Wyatt Johnston (RC, Canada, Windsor OHL) 58) Logan Mailloux (RD, Canada London OHL) 59) Ryan Ufko (RD, USA, Chicago USHL) 60) Vincent Iorio (RD, Canada, Brandon WHL) 61) Ryder Korczak (RC/RW, Canada, Moose Jaw WHL) 62) Conner Roulette (LW, Canada, Seattle WHL) 63) Ayrton Martino (LW, Canada, Omaha USHL) 64) Brent Johnson (RD, USA, Sioux Falls USHL) Third Round 65) Jack O’Brien (LC, USA, Lincoln USHL/Portland WHL) 66) Tristan Broz (LC, USA, Fargo USHL) 67) Peter Reynolds (LC, Canada, Saint John QMJHL) 68) William Stromgren (LW, Sweden, MODO Allsvenskan) 69) Ville Koivunen (RW/LW, Finland, Karpat U20) 70) Aleksi Heimosalmi (RD, Finland, Assat U20) 71) Daniil Lazutin (LC, Russia, SKA-1946 St. Petersburg MHL) 72) Dmitri Kuzmin (LD, Belarus, Dinamo-Molodechno Belarus/Flint OHL) 73) Vladislav Lukashevich (LD, Russia, Loko Yaroslavl MHL) 74) Cam Whynot (LD, Canada, Halifax QMJHL) 75) Evan Nause (LD, Canada, Quebec QMJHL) 76) Riley Kidney (LC, Canada, Acadie-Bathurst QMJHL) 77) Cole Huckins (LC, Canada/USA, Acadie-Bathurst QMJHL) 78) Brett Harrison (LC, Canada, Oshawa OHL) 79) Colton Dach (LC, Canada, Saskatoon WHL) 80) Red Savage (LC/LW, USA/Canada, NTDP U18) 81) Roman Schmidt (RD, USA/Canada, NTDP U18/Kitchener OHL) 82) Artyom Grushnikov (LD, Russia, Hamilton OHL) 83) Verner Miettinen (LC, Finland, Kiekko-Espoo U20) 84) Oliver Kapanen (RC, Finland, KalPa U20) 85) Jackson Blake (RW, USA, Chicago USHL/Eden Prairie USHS) 86) Jeremy Wilmer (F, USA, NTDP U18) 87) Jack Bar (RD, Canada, Chicago USHL) 88) Guillaume Richard (LD, Canada, Tri-City USHL) 89) Jimi Suomi (LD, Finland, Kiekko-Espoo U20/Chicago USHL) 90) Liam Dower Nilsson (LC, Sweden, Frolunda J20) 91) Lorenzo Canonica (LC/LW, Switzerland, Lugano U20/Shawinigan QMJHL) 92) Alexei Prokopenko (LC, Russia, Gatineau QMJHL) 93) Dmitri Kostenko (RD, Russia, Lada Togliatti VHL) 94) Alexei Kolosov (G, Belarus, Dinamo Minsk KHL, overager) 95) Tristan Lennox (G, Canada, Saginaw OHL) 96) Chase Stillman (RW, Canada/USA, Sudbury OHL) Fourth Round 97) Tyler Boucher (RW, USA, NTDP U18) 98) Martin Rysavy (LW, Czech Republic, Vitkovice Czech) 99) Justin Robidas (RC, Canada/USA, Val-d’Or QMJHL) 100) James Malatesta (LC, Canada, Quebec QMJHL) 101) Joshua Roy (LC, Canada, Sherbrooke QMJHL) 102) Liam Gilmartin (LW, USA, London OHL) 103) Ethan Del Mastro (LD, Canada, Mississauga OHL) 104) Nolan Allan (LD, Canada, Prince Albert WHL) 105) Janis Jerome Moser (LD, Switzerland, Biel-Bienne NL, overager) 106) Topias Vilen (LD, Finland, Pelicans Liiga) 107) Ty Gallagher (RD, USA, NTDP U18) 108) Oscar Plandowski (RD, Canada, Charlottetown QMJHL) 109) Olivier Nadeau (RW, Canada, Shawinigan QMJHL) 110) Bobby Orr (LC, Canada, Halifax QMJHL) 111) Sean Tschigerl (LW, Canada, Calgary WHL) 112) Zack Ostapchuk (LW, Canada, Vancouver WHL) 113) Cole Jordan (LD, Canada, Moose Jaw WHL) 114) David Gucciardi (LD, Canada, Waterloo USHL) 115) Connor Kurth (F, USA, Dubuque USHL) 116) Sasha Teleguine (F, USA, Chilliwack BCHL) 117) Trevor Wong (LC, Canada, Kelowna WHL) 118) Marcus Almquist (RW, Denmark, HV71 J20) 119) Ty Voit (RW/RC, USA, Sarnia OHL) 120) Stuart Rolofs (LW, Canada, London OHL) 121) Dmitri Katelevsky (RW/LW, Russia, Bars Kazan VHL) 122) Dmitriy Zugan (LC, Russia, Krasnaya Armiya Moskva MHL) 123) Jakub Brabenec (LC/LW, Czech Republic, Brno Czech) 124) Viljami Marjala (LW, Finland, Quebec QMJHL) 125) Kirill Gerasimyuk (G, Russia, SKA-Varyagi im. Morozova MHL) 126) Maxim Motorygin (G, Russia, Dynamo Moskva MHL) 127) Arseni Sergeyev (G, Russia, Shreveport NAHL) 128) Patrik Hamrla (G, Czech Republic, Karlovy Vary U20) Fifth Round 129) Aku Koskenvuo (G, Finland, HIFK U20) 130) Eetu Liukas (RW, Finland, TPS Liiga) 131) Victor Stjernborg (LW/LC, Sweden, Vaxjo SHL) 132) Jake Chiasson (RW, Canada, Brandon WHL) 133) Jayden Grubbe (RC, Canada, Red Deer WHL) 134) Kyle Masters (RD, Canada, Red Deer WHL) 135) Thomas Milic (G, Canada, Seattle WHL) 136) Ryan Winterton (RW, Canada, Hamilton OHL) 137) Bryce Montgomery (RD, USA, London OHL) 138) Ben Roger (RD, Canada, London OHL) 139) Carter Schade (LD, USA, Lincoln USHL) 140) Lukas Gustafsson (LD, USA/Sweden, Chicago USHL) 141) Ryan St. Louis (LW, USA/Canada, NTDP U18) 142) Kyle Kukkonen (RC, USA, Maple Grove U.S. High School) 143) Nikita Buruyanov (LW, Russia, Dynamo St. Petersburg MHL) 144) Dmitri Buchelnikov (RW, Russia, SKA-1946 St. Petersburg MHL) 145) Ilya Fedotov (LW, Russia, Chaika Nizhny Novgorod MHL) 146) Ethan Cardwell (RC, Canada/USA, Barrie OHL, overager) 147) James Hardie (LW, Canada, Mississauga OHL, overager) 148) Ruben Rafkin (RD, Finland, TPS Liiga/Windsor OHL, overager) 149) Dylan Gratton (LD, USA, Youngstown USHL) 150) Luke Mittelstadt (LD, USA, Eden Prairie USHS/Lincoln USHL) 151) Talyn Boyko (G, Canada, Tri-City WHL) 152) Graham Sward (LD, Canada, Spokane WHL) 153) Zack Stringer (LW, Canada, Lethbridge WHL) 154) Connor Lockhart (RC, Canada, Erie OHL) 155) Avery Hayes (RW, USA, Hamilton OHL) 156) Justin Janicke (LW, USA, NTDP U18) 157) Dovar Tinling (LC/LW, Canada, Vermont NCAA) 158) Cam MacDonald (LW/LC, Canada, Saint John QMJHL) 159) Isaac Belliveau (LD, Canada, Gatineau QMJHL) 160) Noah Meier (LD, Switzerland, ZSC Lions NL) Fisher’s Final Thoughts That’s a wrap for another unique and challenging year of scouting. Now, we all await the draft results and then the real developing and evaluating begins. I always caution against drawing conclusions on draft day — being too critical or complementary — and recommend giving it three to five years before declaring any winners or losers. But there will be second-guessing and skepticism as soon as the dust settles — that is human nature — and some scouts will be wishing they had a do-over with their rankings. If I had a mulligan — having officially submitted our final rankings on July 1, with a couple weekends to mull them over — I’d bump up Isak Rosen (27) and Samu Tuomaala (28) to the top of my 21-37 tier, slotting those Nordic snipers ahead of the four defenders I have leading off that grouping. I was really impressed with Rosen and Tuomaala as standouts from the U18 tourney and, upon further review and reflection, I feel they are the closest to first-round locks among that 21-37 tier. I like them closer to 20 than 30, in hindsight, and I could even see them creeping into the teens on draft day. They are risers in my eyes!

It’s also important to remember that rankings are not the same as a mock draft. These aren’t predictions of where the prospects will be picked in the draft but rather how they will stack up in their prime. Again, time will tell. Granted, we all want to see the prospects from our final rankings get drafted for that immediate sense of validation — suggesting we are doing something right and seeing the same translatable tools as the NHL teams. So here’s hoping my top 160 — and, more importantly, the UFFS consensus top 115 — all hear their names called among the 223 prospects selected on July 23-24. Stay tuned!