• PROSPECT-UPDATE ARCHIVE
We had plenty of draft-prospect action on Friday, and just enough players made the cut for a full list of 10 top performances.
It was another big night for the U.S. NTDP Under-18 team, which placed two players on the list below. It was also a big night for defensemen, as three blue-liners are on the Friday list. It's only fitting in both cases, since the 2018 draft pool features a lot of talented Americans and defenseman. So without further ado, here is the complete list:
NICOLAS BEAUDIN -- Beaudin's scoring pace slowed a bit of late. He was back in form on Friday -- notching a goal, an assist, and six shots in Drummondville's 3-2 loss to Victoriaville. The game's No. 3 star assisted on a goal at 4:46 of the second period for a 1-1 tie. He then made it 2-2 by scoring on a power play at 4:32 of the third period. Beaudin has nine goals and 39 points in 44 games, making him the QMJHL's second-highest scorer among first-year draft-eligible defenseman. Friday marked his first goal since Dec. 13, snapping a 10-game drought. (Note: Seventh appearance on this list in 2017-18)
AUSTIN CHORNEY -- On a great night for defensemen, Chorney's emergence was a pleasant surprise. He earned No. 2 star honors for Salmon Arm on Friday in the Silverbacks' 5-3 BCHL win over Chilliwack. Chorney, who has only six goals and 11 points this season, started his scoring binge with an unassisted goal at 18:23 of the second period, tying the game 2-2. He then assisted on a goal at 4:12 of the third to put Salmon Arm up 3-2. Chorney has not yet committed to an NCAA program, so it will be interesting to watch for his next move. (Note: Seventh appearance on this list in 2017-18)
NOAH DOBSON -- Bathurst's star on the blue line came through with a goal and two assists in Friday's 7-3 victory at Saint John. He scored on a power play at 14:19 of the second period to go up 3-1, got a power-play assist for a 6-2 lead at 2:20 of the third, and helped close the scoring with a primary assist at 11:10. Dobson has 10 goals and 44 points in 45 QMJHL games, including goals in three of his last four games. He has five goals in seven January games and now leads all QMJHL draft-eligible defensemen in scoring. (Note: Fifth appearance on this list in 2017-18)
JOEL FARABEE -- Boston University has a great forward on the way in Farabee, who had a goal and two assists Friday in the U.S. NTDP Under-18 team's 7-6 win at Cedar Rapids. He assisted on the opening goal at 1:19 of the first period, assisted on another goal at 13:36 of the first for a 4-3 lead, and made it 6-4 with a power-play goal at 10:03 of the second. Farabee has posted a remarkable 12 goals and 21 points in only 12 USHL games this season. His 1.75 points-per-game average ranks second in the league among players who have appeared in at least 10 games. (Note: Fourth appearance on this list in 2017-18)
DAMIEN GIROUX -- Giroux had two assists in Saginaw's 4-2 win at Sudbury on Friday, earning No. 3 star honors. His first assist was a beautiful feed for a game-winning goal at 8:55 of the third period. He got another primary assist on the power-play empty-netter that closed the scoring with 15 seconds to go. Giroux now has 14 goals and 32 points in 43 OHL games. This was his first multi-point game of the 2018 calendar year. (Note: Second appearance on this list in 2017-18)
BLAKE McLAUGHLIN -- Speaking of red-hot college recruits, McLaughlin was on fire again in Chicago's 6-2 USHL win over Muskegon on Friday. The future Minnesota Gopher scored two goals and was named the game's No. 3 star. His first goal, scored on a power play just 41 seconds into the middle period, stretched the lead to 4-1. His second closed the scoring at 17:57 of the third. McLaughlin has 16 goals and 34 points in 26 games. He is on a five-game scoring streak with five goals in the past two games alone. (Note: Seventh appearance on this list in 2017-18)
RYAN McLEOD -- With two goals an assist, and five shots on Friday, McLeod was the No. 1 star of Mississauga's 5-2 win over Barrie. He registered the lone assist on a goal at 6:29 of the first period to go up 2-0. He scored on a power play at 19:51 of the first to make it 3-0 -- a goal that stood up as the game-winner. He also closed the scoring with another power-play goal at 16:47 of the third. McLeod has 13 goals and 34 assists in 44 OHL games. Friday marked his first multi-point game since Jan. 3 and his first No. 1 star selection since Nov. 10. (Note: Eighth appearance on this list in 2017-18)
TODD SCOTT -- Traded by Vancouver to Edmonton at the WHL deadline, Scott has made a quick adjustment to his new hockey home. On Friday, he was brilliant, stopping 43 shots in the Oil Kings' 5-1 win at Kootenay. The game's No. 1 star stopped all 11 shots faced in the first period, 20 of 21 in the second period, and all 12 in the third. This was his first win since joining the Oil Kings and his second 43-save performance of the 2017-18 season. (Note: Fifth appearance on this list in 2017-18)
ANDREI SVECHNIKOV -- In a draft year without a generational defenseman, Svechnikov would be a No. 1 overall pick. The Barrie Colts' superstar rookie scored two more goals on Friday in a 5-2 loss at Mississauga. Svechnikov's goals came in a roughly two-minute span of the second period. He scored his first at 3:31 to cut the lead to 3-1 and then found the net again at 5:40 to trim it to 4-2. With 19 goals and 30 points in 23 OHL games, Svechnikov leads all OHL rookies in goal-scoring. He has five goals and nine points in seven games since his return from the World Juniors. (Note: 12th appearance on this list in 2017-18)
OLIVER WAHLSTROM -- The best American sniper in the 2018 draft pool continued to score in bunches with two goals and two assists for the U.S. NTDP Under-18 team in its 7-6 win at Cedar Rapids. Wahlstrom, the No. 1 star, got the primary assist on the opening goal just 79 seconds in before scoring at 13:36 for a 4-3 lead. In the second period, he assisted on a goal at 10:03 to make it 6-4, and in the third, he scored his 12th USHL goal on a power-play at 14:51. That gave Team USA a 7-5 lead and stood up as the game-winner. Wahlstrom is averaging a goal-per game and 1.58 points per game in the USHL this season. His 25 overall goals leave him two shy of Josh Norris' team-leading total in 2016-17. (Note: Fourth appearance on this list in 2017-18)