Increasingly efficient technology and the newest National Hockey League Collective Bargaining Agreement have meant that scouts have had their collective thumbs on the pulse of every conceivable source of amateur talent worldwide.
The Canadian Tier II Junior ‘A’ ranks are no different, as scouting staff from the world’s best league are a common sight in rinks from Woodstock, N.S., to Powell River, B.C. As a result, the amount of young men being selected in the draft from that level is increasing; likewise, the quality of those leagues – not often on the collective radar of hockey fans in the larger Canadian communities – continues to advance at a tremendous pace.
With that in mind, here is a quick look at the prospects that are expected to be taken in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft from the across the Canadian Tier II landscape, in order of estimated selection.
Adam Tambellini: Forward, Surrey Eagles (BCHL)
The son of former NHLer and recently replaced Edmonton Oilers general manager Steve Tambellini, Adam will be heading to the tutelage of head coach Dave Hakstol at the University of North Dakota next season. At around six-foot-four and 170 pounds, the left winger did it all for the Eagles (and the Vernon Vipers before them), putting up 1.13 points-per-game throughout his BCHL career while being as solid on the penalty kill as he was on the power play. He has good feet and blistering shot to go with a high compete level. Should go in the late second or early third round at the draft, with the only question being how he will adapt to higher level of competition after having everything come easy to him at the Tier II level. Tambellini will also need to continue to fill out his frame at the NCAA level.
NHL comparable: Andrew Ladd, Winnipeg Jets
Matt Buckles: Forward, St. Michael’s Buzzers (OJHL)
The best word to describe the Cornell commit is ‘fierce’. Buckles is built like a truck and competes with a ferocity rarely matched throughout junior hockey. How high a quality of next-level offensive talent he possesses is still very much a question mark, but at six-foot-two and 210 pounds of intensity, the Toronto native projects to be an effective, pro-level power forward. Buckles excels along the wall and often creates offensively simply by battling his way to the front of the net and overpowering the opposition. He likely projects as a mid-fifth to mid-sixth-round draft pick.
NHL comparable: David Clarkson, New Jersey Devils
Luke Ripley: Defenceman, Powell River Kings (BCHL)
Ripley, a solidly built six-foot-four and 200-pound stay-at-home defender, has been here before. In 2012, the Kitimat, B.C., native was passed over completely at the draft, and subsequently decided to make another run for it by switching from the North American Hockey League to the BCHL with the Powell River Kings. It turned out to be a wise decision as he won himself a commitment to the University of Notre Dame and a spot on the NHL’s radar. Ripley combines his very projectable frame with strong mobility; and when scouts see that mix, they tend to take notice. He is not particularly offensive, but he is a high-character prospect with leadership potential. With that in mind, a mid-to-late sixth-round pick looks to be his probable fate.
NHL comparable: Toni Lydman, Anaheim Ducks
Brett Boehm: Forward, Flin Flon Bombers (SJHL)
The right winger out of Martensville, Sask. has been a sniper at every level he’s played at, including as a rookie last season in the Saskatchewan junior league. His production started at a very fast pace to begin the year (to the tune of 27 points in 19 games), but fell off eventually – though he did end up with 25 goals and 54 points in 49 games. Some of that drop off can be attributed to the effort Boehm put into improving his play in his own zone, an element he had mostly neglected until reaching junior. The University of Minnesota-Duluth commit appears headed for a late sixth-round pick.
NHL comparable: Michael Ryder, Montreal Canadiens
Johnson Edwardh: Forward, Okotoks Oilers (AJHL)
Not yet committed to a school, the only Alberta leaguer to make the list was as streaky a scorer as anybody in the AJHL this past season. He elevated his game to an impressive level in the playoffs, leading the league in goals (13) and game-winners (6) in 16 games as his club fell in the final. At five-foot-11 and 170 pounds, he has some growing to do and is certainly a project, but his playoff dominance relative to his youth in a difficult league looks to help him slip into the seventh round at the NHL draft.
NHL comparable: Patrick Sharp, Chicago Blackhawks
David Pope: Forward, West Kelowna Warriors (BCHL)
A strong rookie season for the Edmonton native with good size at six-foot-two and 175 pounds has propelled Pope onto the NHL’s radar. A strong, fluid skater with fairly good puck skills, he is headed south to the United States Hockey League’s Waterloo Blackhawks before beginning his collegiate career at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. A long-term, raw project with a strong offensive slant, Pope will probably slot in among one of the last picks of the draft.
NHL comparable: Derick Brassard, New York Rangers
Nolan De Jong: Defenceman, Victoria Grizzlies (BCHL)
De Jong, a University of Michigan commit, has rapidly been growing in all aspects of his game. A smart defender coming in at six-foot-two and 181 pounds, he took strides to become one of the top defencemen in the BCHL this past season and earned a spot as a draft-eligible player on Canada West at the World Junior ‘A’ Challenge (along with the aforementioned Luke Ripley). Needs to find a more physical edge and use better positioning instead of relying simply on size and reach to play defence, but as a long-term project in a good program like the Wolverines’, De Jong looks to fit into a late seventh-round slot.
NHL comparable: Johnny Oduya, Chicago Blackhawks
Honourable Mentions
– Victoria Grizzlies’ (BCHL) hulking defender Keegan Kanzig has the size and character, and uses them to dominate physically, but he needs to be more reliable as a puck mover to progress.
– Troy Josephs, a talented forward for the St. Michael’s Buzzers (OJHL), was initially thought of as a draft prospect, but injuries and inconsistency have set him back. He certainly has the tools to go somewhere in the future, however.
