Monday, June 12, 2023

Eichel on the Brink, Kelly Cup for Hickey; Draft Profiles UPDATED

With Vegas's' 3-1 win over Florida Saturday Night, Jack Eichel and the Golden Knight are just one win away from claiming the 2023 Stanley Cup. Game 5 is set for Tuesday evening in Sin City. Eichel, who has 23 points, is just one point off the playoff scoring lead.  In game 4, he set up the second period go ahead goal before the Panthers rallied to score an extra-attacker goal and to win in overtime.

The North Chelmsford, Mass., native, who led BU to the 2015 NCAA championship game, tells NHL.com he is dreaming about winning the Cup with Vegas ahead of game 5. 

►Brandon Hickey, also a member of the BU's 2015 Hockey East champs, became the seventh Terrier to win the ECHL's Kelly Cup as the Florida Everblades swept the Idaho Steelheads in the finals. Hickey assisted on the game-winning goal in the 4-3 game 4 victory. 

Former BU captain Bobo Carpenter played five games for the Everblades during the regular season, but none in the playoffs.

The previous Terrier ECHL champs:

2021-22:  Carpenter (Florida Everblades); 2018-19: JJ Piccinich (Newfoundland Growlers); 2015-16: Justin Courtnall (Allen Americans); 2002-03: Carl Corazzini and Brendan Walsh (Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies) 1996-97: JP McKersie (South Carolina Stingrays, didn’t play in playoffs).

 

►Montreal fans can't hear enough about Lane Hutson, whom the Canadians drafted in the second round a year ago. MontrealHockeyNow.com provides a look back at his freshman season and some thoughts about the future the BU fans will appreciate.

What’s Next

Hutson is headed back to the NCAA for his sophomore season. He will play a prominent role for Boston University, which should include top-pairing duties as well as first power play unit responsibilities.

However, don’t be surprised if he ends up staying in the NCAA beyond for a third year.

It’s not that he necessarily needs three years to be ready to make the jump to professional hockey, but rather, there is absolutely no rush when it comes to his NHL ascension.

Of course, given that he already shattered all expectations during his rookie year, his NHL potential will have to be re-evaluated following the conclusion of his second season.

Regardless of how long he stays in the NCAA, one thing is certain: Lane Hutson is one of the most exciting prospects in Montreal Canadiens’ history.

 

Looking ahead 

With the NHL Entry Draft just a few weeks away, draft profiles and mock drafts are appearing online, with numerous mentions of incoming BU freshmen.

Dobber Prospects final draft rankings pegs defenseman Tom Willander at #20.

20 Tom Willander D | Rögle BK J20 (J20 Nationell) | 6-1 | 179 lbs | Shoots: R

The rise of Tom Willander over the course of the draft season has been meteoric. In the first part of the season, Willander was viewed as a 3rd round pick by most outlets. By mid-season, he had climbed up to the early to mid-2nd round. Finally, Willander finds himself firmly in the 1st round by nearly every scouting outlet around. The rise really wasn’t a result of one big moment, but more a testament to his consistent play and steady improvement. Willander doesn’t go out and put up the point total that Lukas Dragicevic does or make the breathtaking plays that Axel Sandin Pellikka does either. In fact, he doesn’t wow you at all, but he makes the difficult tasks look routine.

Willander makes plays under pressure as well as anybody in this draft. He retrieves pucks when opponents are breathing down his neck. He can turn back or use a head fake to lose an opponent and create space for himself to make an outlet pass and exit the zone – he’s the best in the draft at this. Willander defends the rush well by using his size (6-1) and his incredible skating. He makes simple, yet effective, plays on offense to get the job done. He’s not an offensive defenseman in the traditional sense, but he can make sure his team isn’t spending too much time in their own zone. To me, Willander projects as a number 3 defenseman who can play in the most critical situations, defend at an advanced level, and offer some value in transition. If his offensive game can develop a bit more at Boston University over the next couple of years, that will go a long way.

►TheHockeyWriters.com's profile of Willander suggests he could land with Detroit with the ninth draft pick. McKeensHockey.com has him ranked #23. EyesOnThePrize profile.

 

USHL Draft Preview: RD Gavin McCarthy (video clip)

   Image

● The Buffalo News McCarthy Blazing his own path to the NHL draft

 

►The Athletic's Scott Wheeler, who previously ranked Willander at #27 and McCarthy at #77, has profiled his top 12 overagers who draft-eligible, including Chicago Steel forward Jack Harvey.

Jack Harvey — C, Chicago Steel, 5-foot-10

When Jack Harvey was first eligible for the 2021 draft, I had both a USHL source and a Minnesota high school source tell me that despite the fact that he’d only registered 17 points in 48 games on a loaded Steel roster, that he was the league’s most underrated NHL prospect. Two years later, he has now finished second in the USHL in goals (40) and fourth in points (74) and is off to Boston University in the fall as a USHL Second All-Star Team member. I thought he played well in the 2022 and 2023 BioSteel All-American Games and was dominant as a shot creator in some of my viewings with the Steel this year, regularly creating good looks for himself. He’s sneaky-strong for his size and while I would like to see him play with a little more fight at times, he can attack at defenders into his shot and adjust it ever-so-slightly before getting it off. He’s got really quick hands, and I’m interested to see what he’s going to look like in the college game at the very least.

Looking back

https://twitter.com/USHL/status/1665737600827551745?s=20https://twitter.com/USHL/status/1665737600827551745?s=20

https://twitter.com/USHL/status/1665737600827551745?s=20

https://twitter.com/USHL/status/1665737600827551745?s=20

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