Morgan Frost, C
5’11” / 170 lbs
27th Overall, 2017 Draft
Drafted from the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the OHL, Frost quickly became a fan favorite prospect in Philadelphia. The 20-year-old playmaker attacks the game will a cool head and plays a very smart game. Frost is fantastic at finding teammates and moving the puck around the ice. In his last two seasons for the Greyhounds, Frost recorded consecutive 70 assist seasons and accumulating a total of 221 regular season points.
Not only is he an offensive threat, but Frost is also a threat when in the defensive zone, using a combination of speed and smart skating to disrupt the opposition. Overall, he has very few flaws to his game, and could easily become a lower-tier 1C in the future if he sticks to his guns and plays a hard game.
Player Comparison: Logan Couture
Projection: Second Line Center
Cam York, D
5’11” / 174 lbs
14th Overall, 2019 Draft
Playing for an incredibly gifted USNTDP team, it just made sense that Cam York would shine. The quick defenseman is a threat on both sides of the ice, using his IQ and great skating to cut off passing lanes and predict exactly what’s coming next.
Offensively, York is a power play quarterback and commands the blueline, but also moves the puck in deep whenever he can. He really enjoys taking low-danger shots to just hope for a rebound or deflection to make it to a teammate near the crease. This is something that isn’t exactly a great aspect of his game and may be a change he will need to make when transitioning to the NHL.
Player Comparison: Keith Yandle
Projection: #3 Defenseman
Joel Farabee, LW
6’0” / 163 lbs
14th Overall, 2018 Draft
Farabee is one of the best two-way prospects in the league right now. He uses his swiftness and edge-work to evade defensemen in the offensive zone and creates lanes by forcing defensemen to back off of him. His major downside is his shot and strength, mostly due to his smaller size.
His shot is accurate, but lacks the power behind it to be a clinical scorer. I see this as something to take with a grain of salt because of how hard of a worker Farabee is. He puts full effort into everything he does on the ice, so as time goes on, he will only get better and more experienced. His play in the defensive zone reflects that effort, as he uses his skating and IQ to backcheck well and is certainly NHL caliber defensively.
Player Comparison: Brendan Gallagher
Projection: Second Line Winger
Isaac Ratcliffe, LW
6’6” / 201 lbs
35th Overall, 2017 Draft
Being as big as he is, obviously Ratcliffe plays a very physical game. He is not afraid to throw his body around, but also is a very precise and swift skater. He uses his body to protect the puck when moving down the boards, but also can use his skating to beat defensemen one-on-one.
His play is similar to that of Oskar Lindblom of the Flyers, as he gets most of his offensive chances while in deep. He is very effective in defensive board battles and uses his body to block any lanes and body check. His one flaw may just be his overall speed, which he certainly can improve over time.
Player Comparison: Corey Perry
Projection: Middle Six Forward
Bobby Brink, RW
5’8” / 159 lbs
34th Overall, 2019 Draft
Bobby Brink was someone projected to go mid-late first round in the 2019 NHL Draft, but slowly dropped further and further and eventually was taken 34th by the Flyers. He would have been a very risky pick to take in the first round, so I was not surprised when I saw him drop to the second. Brink is a great skater with impeccable eyesight and stick handling. For a player of his size, those are necessary aspects of his game.
However, Brink does have one big downside that I saw happen often while watching him play in the USHL. He often skates around with the puck and doesn’t seem to know what to do next. This leads to him losing possession and giving up breakaways the other way. When he has a plan, though, Brink is a fantastic goal scorer and has a strong, accurate shot. Defensively, although he is small, he is not slouch. Brink uses his elusiveness, like York, to read plays and be a nuisance in the defensive zone. If Brink can sure up his hockey IQ and straight-line speed over the next few years, he could become an impact player in the middle six.
Player Comparison: T.J. Oshie
Projection: Middle Six Winger
Other Notable Prospects:
German Rubstov, C
Yegor Serdyuk, RW
Bryce Brodzinski, RW
Wade Allison, RW
Kirill Ustimenko, G
Overall Grades:
Forwards: A-
Defensemen: B-
Goalies: B+