• PROSPECT-UPDATE ARCHIVE
The power outage that set this site back by more than a month is history. Daily updates have finally caught up to real time just days before the start of the World Under-18 tournament in Russia. That showcase event will be the last chance for many prospects to boost their draft position in a very crowded, talent-filled pool.
What have we learned over the past month? Well, Rasmus Dahlin, Andrei Svechnikov, and Filip Zadina are still a solid top three (in that order). We've also learned that London's Evan Bouchard is looking like a top-five pick even though his London team made an early playoff exit. Who gets picked first? Bouchard or Adam Boqvist? At this point its hard to tell.
Speaking of defensemen, Michigan's Quinn Hughes completed a very strong freshman year in Ann Arbor when his team fell in Thursday night's Frozen Four semifinals. Both he and Boston University forward Brady Tkachuk were very impressive in their first (and perhaps lone) college seasons. They both did the U.S. NTDP program proud.
In any case, it's good to be back on track. Here are the top five performances from Friday:
JEREMY DAVIDSON -- The Massachusetts-Amherst recruit had his best game of the season, with two goals and two primary assists for Central Illinois in a 6-5 OT loss to Muskegon. Davidson, the No. 2 star, opened the scoring at 4:36 of the first period. He followed that six minutes later with the primary helper on a 2-0 goal. In the middle period, he set up a goal to make it 4-1 at the 27-second mark. He closed his night with the goal that forced OT -- scored with 3:24 left in regulation. Both the two goals and four points were USHL career highs for Flying Aces rookie right wing. Davidson now has nine goals and 24 points in 57 games.
CALEN KIEFIUK -- Kiefiuk was named the No. 3 star of Central Illinois' 6-5 OT loss to Muskegon with two goals and an assist. The Michigan recruit assisted on the opening goal and scored one of his own to make it 3-0 at 10:36 of the first period. His second goal came just 27 seconds into the third, giving the Flying Aces a 4-1 lead. It was the first USHL three-point game for Kiefiuk, who has 18 goals and 22 assists in 57 games this season. (Note: Third appearance on this list in 2017-18)
JACHYM KONDELIK -- What a night for Kondelik. The Muskegon forward erupted for a hat trick and assist in a 6-5 OT win at Central Illinois. Kondelik, a Connecticut recruit, just about did it all as the game's No. 1 star. His first point was the primary assist on a goal that cut the lead to 4-3 at 17:51 of the second period. His amazing third began with a power-play goal at 3:45, pulling Muskegon into a 4-4 tie. He then scored short-handed at 13:00 to put his team in the lead at 5-4. His final act was his best -- the game-winner at 3:07 of overtime. With goals in three of his last four USHL games, Kondelik now has 16 goals and 32 points in 42 games. His three goals and four points were both career-highs. (Note: Third appearance on this list in 2017-18)
OLIVIER RODRIGUE -- Drummondville's stellar goaltender kept dominating the QMJHL playoffs with 21 saves in the Voltigeurs' 4-2 win over Victoriaville. The game's No. 1 star allowed to early goals in the first, but was perfect after that -- closing the game with 56:21 of shutout time in the opening game of his team's second-round playoff series. That gave him four consecutive wins. His playoff record is 5-0-1 with a 2.03 GAA and .911 save percentage. (Note: 14th appearance on this list in 2017-18)
ANDREI SVECHNIKOV -- Barrie won Game 2 of its second-round playoff serie in style -- beating Kingston 4-1 at home. Svechnikov was a big part of the win, scoring two goals on seven shots to earn No. 3 star honors. He scored those goals in a span of 20 seconds during the third period, and both were unassisted. The first, at 18:39, bumped the lead up to 3-1. The second -- into an empty net -- closed the scoring. Svechnikov now has a three-game playoff point streak and is averaging two points per game through his first four postseason outings. (Note: 23rd appearance on this list in 2017-18 -- leads all players)