• PROSPECT-UPDATE ARCHIVE
The WHL is often a major contributor to the NHL draft, but it won't be this year.
For whatever reason, the West is almost completely devoid of high-end talent going into this draft. Only one player, Spokane defenseman Ty Smith, is in the conversation for a top 10 selection, but it drops off after that. Just look at the first 31 North American skaters listed in the NHL Central Scouting midterm rankings. Smith comes in at No. 14, while Moose Jaw defenseman Jett Woo (who has been hurt for most of the season) is at No. 20. Red Deer defenseman Alexander Alexeyev is 26th, and that's it.
So you have only three WHL players -- all defensemen -- in the top 31. You don't see a WHL forward until Milos Roman at No. 40, and these four players are the only WHLers into the top 50. By contrast, the OHL has four players in the top 10 (16 in the top 50), and the QMJHL has four players in the top 15 (10 in the top 50).
Not a banner year for the WHL. On Tuesday, however, the WHL was pretty much the only show in town with seven games. Two draft prospects from those games made it onto the abbreviated top-performances list below. Check them out here:
COLE FONSTAD -- Fonstad had a goal and an assist in Prince Albert's 6-2 win over Brandon on Thursday, lifting him to a point-per-game average for the season. The 5-foot-10 Raiders center scored the eventual game-winning goal for a 3-1 lead at 1:33 of the second period. Later in the second he had the primary assist on a goal that made it 4-2 at 18:21. Fonstad now has 19 goals and 63 points in 63 WHL games, including points in four of his last five games. (Note: Ninth appearance on this list in 2017-18)
EGOR ZUDILOV -- Zudilov helped Lethbridge beat Moose Jaw with a crucial third-period goal and an assist on the game's first goal. In the process, the Russian left wing earned No. 1 star honors for the first time since Oct. 27. His assist came at 2:12 of the first period, and his goal -- at 11:56 of the third -- pulled the Hurricanes into a 3-3 tie. Lethbridge went on to win with 1:34 remaining. Through 54 WHL games, Zudilov has seven goals and 22 assists, but he has been hot of late with points in five of his last seven outings. (Note: Second appearance on this list in 2017-18)