NHL Prospects Rumors & News

Minneapolis Star Tribune "Bobby Brink worked out last week at the Victoria Recreation Center in preparation from his freshman season at Denver. But his socks clashed. They had stripes in the same royal blue that represents Minnetonka High School. An imprecise look for either squad, it was, however,..." June 19

New York Post "To get to this point, of course there had to be passion. But the way Kaapo Kakko feels about hockey seems to go well beyond the regular definition. The 18-year-old Finnish winger is set to be one of the top two picks in the NHL draft Friday in Vancouver, either going to..." June 19

USA Today "Last September, before warm-ups for the All-American Prospect Game, NHL Central Scouting director Dan Marr spotted U.S. stars Jack Hughes and Cole Caufield kicking a soccer ball around to loosen up. With every NHL team scouting the game, Marr decided to offer free..." June 18

Sportsnet "All eyes are on the U.S. National Team Development Program heading into the 2019 NHL Draft, with Jack Hughes set for a podium finish and a lengthy list of his teammates bound for first-round assignments as well. But one of the most interesting of the bunch might just be the one standing calmly..." June 17

USA Today "The NHL draft will be held Friday night and Saturday in Vancouver. Here's a look at some of the worst draft decisions NHL teams have made through the years: In 1993, the Ottawa Senators drafted Quebec Major Junior Hockey League star Alexandre Daigle with the No. 1..." June 17

The Score "One afternoon this past December, a child clad in a Canada toque and an Esso-branded hockey jersey stepped onto a carpeted patch of ice in Bonnyville, Alberta to conduct the first ceremonial faceoff of the World Junior A Challenge. Vasili Podkolzin, Russia's captain at the..." June 16

Pro Hockey Rumors "You may not know the name Matthew Savoie just yet, but you will soon. The 15-year old forward was selected first overall in the 2019 WHL Bantam draft, despite having committed to the University of Denver. The Winnipeg Ice—newly relocated from Kootenay—took a chance on Savoie anyway,..." June 13

The Score "In a perfect world, Arthur Kaliyev's claim to fame would be this: scoring 50 Ontario Hockey League goals in one year before turning 18. This century, just four other under-18 OHL players - John Tavares in 2006-07, Steven Stamkos in 2007-08, Jeff Skinner in 2009-10, and Alex..." June 12

The Score "Cam York's childhood had nearly every element of a quintessential hockey upbringing. On skates by age 4, he dove headlong into the game when his dad built him a backyard rink. Friends gravitated to the York family home; they played for hours at a time and created memories that persist to..." June 10

NHL.com "Ryan Suzuki always has been considered the more polished skater when it came to comparisons between he and Nick Suzuki, his older brother. But Ryan also is the first to admit that Nick always brought out the best in him when they played on frozen ponds near their home in London,..." June 09

Ottawa Citizen "Peyton Krebs, the Winnipeg Ice centre who has seemingly been in the mix to be the Vancouver Canucks‘ selection at No. 10 in the upcoming NHL Draft at Rogers Arena, has suffered a torn Achilles tendon in off-season on-ice training, according to reports. Scott Cruickshank of The..." June 08

The Score "Growing up, Philip Broberg didn't turn many heads. While his talent stood out in the Swedish system, by no means was Broberg labeled exceptional like some of his 2019 NHL Draft peers spread across the world. But fast forward roughly five years, and Broberg's game has..." June 06

Pro Hockey Rumors "If Vancouver Canucks GM Jim Benning was looking for some final answers on his draft board at the NHL Scouting Combine, he found them. Benning tells The Province’s Ben Kuzma that he will stand pat with his first-round pick as the NHL Entry Draft approaches, neither..." June 05

NBC Sports Bay Area "Nearly all of the talk since the Sharks’ 2019 playoff run ended has revolved around the topic of free agency, which makes sense given the big names on San Jose’s roster. But the Sharks don’t have to wait until the market opens on July 1 to make moves. They can get right..." June 05

The Score "As far as goaltending coach Jared Waimon is concerned, that quote from the popular self-help book "The Power of Positive Thinking" defines Spencer Knight. Waimon believes that those who accept criticism and attack challenges with an open mind and a full head of steam tend to..." June 04

Pro Hockey Talk "It’s been a pretty busy year for Jack Hughes as the 2019 NHL Draft approaches (June 21-22; NBCSN). The projected No. 1 overall pick played 74 games between the USA U-18s and U.S. National Team Development Program, as well as seven games at the U-18 World Championship, four games..." June 04

Chicago Tribune "Just a few months ago, it seemed a foregone conclusion that either Kirby Dach or Dylan Cozens would land behind top prospects Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko in the NHL Central Scouting's final rankings. As the season progressed, however, something changed. NHL Central..." June 04

New York Post "This reminds me of the John Tavares draft year, when Garth Snow refused to divulge whom the Islanders would select with the first-overall pick — the general manager for some reason attempting to inject drama into the 2009 proceedings even though No. 91 was clearly rated ahead of both Matt..." June 03

Chicago Sun-Times "Bowen Byram almost certainly will be the first defenseman taken in the NHL Draft this month, even if the Blackhawks don’t snag him third overall. When that happens, it will be only the second time since 2008 that the top-picked defenseman in the draft is shorter than..." June 03

NHL.com "Spencer Knight from USA Hockey's National Team Development Program Under-18 team showed why he's viewed as one of the best athletes available in the 2019 NHL Draft, as well as one of the best goalies. Knight, No. 1 on NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American..." June 02

Yardbarker "Saturday is the last day of the NHL Scouting Combine in Buffalo, New York, with fitness testing, final measurements and media availability for all invitees. An unexpected omission from the fitness testing portion though was none other than presumptive No. 1 overall pick Jack Hughes. Hughes was..." June 01

NHL.com "Jack Hughes said it would be a "dream come true" to be the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft on June 21. "It would be unbelievable to be chosen No. 1," the 18-year-old center said Friday. "I mean, you always dream of being No. 1 ... you don't dream of being..." June 01

Pro Hockey Rumors "Though he had previously been expected as part of the top group of prospects attending this week’s Scouting Combine in Buffalo, Kaapo Kakko will no longer be participating at all. No official reason was given for his absence, according to Adam Kimelman of NHL.com, but the..." May 28

NHL.com "Moritz Seider, a defenseman prospect eligible for the 2019 NHL Draft, opened plenty of eyes with his performance with Germany at the 2019 IIHF World Championship in Slovakia. The World Championship opened his eyes too. Seider, No. 6 on NHL Central Scouting's final..." May 25

Pro Hockey Talk "If the IIHF World Championship is a last-chance-hotel of sorts for a few lucky youngsters looking to lift their draft stock, Finland’s Kaapo Kakko certainly hasn’t checked out yet. If anything, he’s given the New Jersey Devils brass a headache leading up to the NHL..." May 22

NHL.com "Patrick Kane isn't convinced the experts are 100 percent accurate in their comparisons between him and Jack Hughes. Evaluators look at Hughes, who is widely projected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, and see essentially the same build, skill set and playmaking ability..." May 20

NHL.com "Kaapo Kakko is making his push to become the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft. Kakko, a right wing with TPS in Liiga, Finland's top professional league, has six goals in four games, tied for the lead at the 2019 IIHF World Championship. Playing for Finland and against..." May 17

NBC Sports Chicago "The Blackhawks have been consistent in their draft approach over the years: Don't prioritize an organizational need or a player who may be the most NHL ready. Select the prospect who has the highest ceiling and best chance at making an impact in the long term, no matter where..." May 13

Pro Hockey Talk "Kaapo Kakko will likely wind up with the New York Rangers as the No. 2 overall pick in next month’s NHL Draft in Vancouver. On Friday, he showed why New Jersey Devils general manager Ray Shero should have second thoughts about going with Jack Hughes with the top..." May 10

Sportsnet "For those who bear the same Team USA crest on their chest, he goes by ‘Jack.’ Maybe ‘Hughesy’ on occasion, or something else in line with hockey’s usual, predictable nickname customs. But to longtime trainer and mentor Dan Ninkovich, the blue-chip talent..." May 10

NHL.com "Jack Hughes, expected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, said he's excited to learn from some of the best United States-born players at the 2019 IIHF World Championship, which starts in Slovakia on Friday and runs through May 26. "For me, it's all about having a..." May 06

The Score "Blue-chip prospect Kaapo Kakko will suit up for Finland at the 2019 IIHF World Championship beginning May 10 in Slovakia. Kakko is projected to be a top lottery pick at the 2019 NHL Draft in June along with Jack Hughes of the United States. Finland is scheduled to play the Americans..." May 06

TSN "Jack Hughes, Adam Fox and Christian Wolanin were all added to U.S. men's team for the upcoming IIHF World Hockey Championship on Wednesday.  Hughes, the projected No. 1 overall pick in June's draft, is fresh off a dominant showing in the under-18 Worlds in Sweden,..." May 01

ESPN "Jack Hughes, the consensus No. 1 prospect for the 2019 NHL draft, continued his record breaking at the IIHF World Under-18 Championship Sunday. With an assist in the second period of the bronze medal game against Canada, Hughes passed Alex Ovechkin for the most career points at the..." April 28

Sporting News "Draft pundits sure like to accentuate superlatives when it comes to describing a premier prospect, so don't be surprised if you see the same words used over and over again to detail the near-flawless game of 2019 draft stud Kaapo Kakko. A powerful Finnish winger with a natural goal..." April 26

ESPN "Jack Hughes, the consensus No. 1 prospect for the 2019 NHL draft, had a record-breaking day at the IIHF World Under-18 Championship. Hughes scored three goals and added an assist during a 6-0 win over Finland on Thursday, setting the United States record for career points and tying..." April 25

NHL.com "Mads Sogaard, a goaltender born in Aalborg, Denmark, hopes to follow countryman Frederik Andersen of the Toronto Maple Leafs to the NHL. So when Andersen reached out with some position-specific advice during the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship, Sogaard listened..." April 25

NHL.com "Nolan Foote always has to be on his toes. At the rink or at home, there's always a lesson to be learned by the 2019 NHL Draft eligible 18-year-old forward. It's the standard when you're the son of former NHL defenseman Adam Foote, who pulls double-duty as both..." April 18

NBC Sports Chicago "The worst place to be in the NHL is hovering around the middle of the pack, and that's exactly where the Blackhawks found themselves at the end of the 2018-19 season: Just outside the playoff picture, but not low enough in the standings to put themselves in a favorable position to..." April 11

The Hockey News "The spotlight has been on Jack Hughes for years now. But instead of shying away from the pressure, he has embraced it. Hughes is poised to become the first player to jump directly from the U.S. national team development program to the NHL. This season, Hughes had 23 goals and 86..." April 10

NHL.com "NHL Central Scouting, meeting to determine its final rankings of the top North American skaters and goaltenders for the 2019 draft at Rogers Arena in Vancouver on June 21-22, offered some insight on the top five North American skaters and No. 1 goalie in its midterm ranking and the No. 1 skater..." April 10

Sportsnet "Things are getting interesting at the top of the NHL Draft. Jack Hughes has long been the top prospect for the NHL’s 2019 draft and he hasn’t really played his way off that pedestal. Injuries caused him to miss part of the WJC and the entirety of the Five Nations Cup, two..." April 10

Forever Blueshirts "The draft lottery gave the team the best possible outcome with the second overall pick. There won’t be any debate on who will be the best player available. It will be either Jack Hughes or Kaapo Kakko, depending on who the New Jersey Devils select first overall. The consensus second..." April 10

The Hockey Writers "Vasili Podkolzin is without a doubt one of the most polarizing prospects of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. The 17-year-old’s raw skill is clear as day — that’s not up for debate. He can stickhandle in a phone booth, complete difficult plays at high speed and he has a dangerous..." April 10

Last Word On Hockey "After being the 19th overall pick in the 2016 WHL Draft, Dylan Cozens came into the league and made an immediate impact for the Lethbridge Hurricanes. In 2017-18 he put up 22 goals and 53 points in 57 games played. It was enough to take home the league’s rookie of the..." April 10

Sportsnet "As a boy Cozens dreamed of one day playing in the NHL, growing his love for the game and sharpening his skills on a backyard rink. Day after day, he played on that rink until it was pitch black out and his father arrived to force him off. There have been many great hockey players with..." April 10

CBC "Centre could go as high as top five; no Blades player has been a top-five selection since 1988. There is a lot of anticipation in Kirby Dach's world these days. There's the anticipation of taking part in his first Western Hockey League playoffs with his..." April 10

Last Word On Hockey "Selected second overall in the 2016 WHL Bantam Draft, Kirby Dach emerged as a dominant player this season. He put up 25 goals and 73 points in 62 games for the Saskatoon Blades. Dach’s strong play has led the Blades to second place in the WHL East Division, finally moving..." April 10

Last Word On Hockey "This year’s version of the US National Team Development Program Under-18 squad is loaded. This is especially true at the centre position. Trevor Zegras becomes the third NTDP centre in our draft rankings. Zegras finished last season as the top centre on the Under-17 team..." April 10

NHL.com "It can be challenging to be on a team with Jack Hughes, especially if, like the projected No. 1 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, you play center. But Trevor Zegras of USA Hockey's National Team Development Program under-18 team doesn't view being labeled No. 2 behind Hughes as a..." April 10