Daily 2018 Draft Prospect Updates

Oct. 22, 2017

PROSPECT-UPDATE ARCHIVE

Although there were many games played on Sunday, not too many draft prospects stood out. There were just enough to make a full list of 10, but the 'Wow' factor was only there for a few of them. Hopefully, the absence of some injured stars won't mean there are many days like this ahead. It was a good day, just not a great one.

As for the Sunday breakdown, eight of the 10 players come from the major-junior ranks, with four QMJHL players, three from the OHL, and two WHL draft hopefuls. Here they are:

Stars of the Night

CALEN ADDISON -- Addison is a defenseman with the Lethbridge Hurricanes who will be drafted during the first few rounds in June. He outdid himself on Sunday with the first three-point game of his WHL career in Lethbridge's 7-2 pounding of Medicine Hat. All three of his points came on assists -- one per period -- earning him No. 3 star honors. He got the assist parade rolling with the primary helper on a goal at 15:05 of the first period for a 2-1 lead. He then assisted on the game-winner for a 3-1 lead at 5:57 of the second. His assist at 12:20 of the third made it 5-2. Addison now has 12 points in 10 games. (Note: Second appearance on this list in 2017-18)

OSKAR BACK -- Back, a 6-foot-2 center, started the 2017-18 season in the SHL with Karlstad's men's team, but he struggled at that level and has since returned to Under-20 play. Going against players closer to his own age has already made a difference. On Sunday, he scored twice and added an assist in Karlstad's 6-3 win over Gothenburg. Back scored the first goal of the game, shorthanded, at 1:39 of the opening period. He later picked up the primary assist on a goal that made it 2-0 at 9:54 of the first, and he scored his second goal at 12:53 of the third for a 5-2 lead. Back has great size, so he could be among the first Swedish forwards drafted.

EVAN BOUCHARD -- Bouchard, who has long been viewed as a high pick in the 2018 draft, continued his strong OHL season with a goal and assist in London's 5-2 win over Mississauga. The game's No. 2 star, he assisted on the game's first goal at 18:28 of the opening period and scored just 24 seconds into the second for a 3-0 lead. That goal stood up as the winner. Bouchard has been named No. 2 star in two of his last three games and has three goals and eight assists on the season. (Note: Second appearance on this list in 2017-18)

LUCAS FITZPATRICK -- The Shawinigan Cataractes' rookie backup goaltender is pretty good and will be a definite candidate to be drafted out of the QMJHL despite his limited playing time. On Sunday, he stopped 40 shots in Shawinigan's 7-4 victory at Moncton for his first QMJHL win. Fitzpatrick was particularly dominant in the final period, making 23 saves against a desperate Screaming Eagles team. (Note: Second appearance on this list in 2017-18)

RHYS FORHAN -- Forhan's North Bay Battalion team rolled over Kingston 8-2 on Sunday, and Forhan was a big part of the win with a goal, an assist, and a plus-3 rating. It was a much-needed shot in the arm for a player who had not been scoring much this season and did not get a Central Scouting preliminary grade. His goal, at 7:12 of the first period, tied the score at 1=1. He then had the primary assist on a goal at 13:32 of the third for a 7-2 lead.

DANIIL ISAYEV -- The Yaroslavl junior goaltender has been playing extremely well in the MHL and was also outstanding in the recent Russia-Czech three-game series, where he won Game 2 for the Russians, who went on to take the series.. On Sunday, he made 18 saves for a shutout of visiting Beijing. Isayev has won both of his starts since returning from the Czech series and is now 7-2 with two shutouts. (Note: Third appearance on this list in 2017-18)

ANDERSON MacDONALD -- MacDonald started the season with a bang, but had cooled off of late. On Sunday, he regained his Week 1 form with two goals, an assist, and six shots on Moncton's 7-4 loss to Shawinigan. The No. 3 star, MacDonald scored just 17 seconds into the game and followed that up with a power-play goal at 14:16 of the second period, cutting the lead to 5-3. He finished his day with an assist on a power-play goal that pulled the Wildcats closer at 6-4. It was MacDonald's first multi-point QMJHL game since Sept. 30. He now has a four-game point streak. (Note: Third appearance on this list in 2017-18)

ADAM McCORMICK -- The Cape Breton defenseman had a goal and an assist in Cape Breton's 6-5 overtime victory at Saint John. He started with the primary assist on the game's first goal, scored on a power play at 3:13 of the opening period. He later scored at 7:33 of the third period to cut Saint John's lead to 4-4. McCormick's goal was the second of four unanswered goals that brought the Screaming Eagles back from a 5-2 deficit. With eight points in 14 QMJHL games, McCormick already has more than one-third of his total from 2016-17. (Note: Second appearance on this list in 2017-18)

RYAN McLEOD -- McLeod's Mississauga team fell to London 5-2, but the IceDogs center had a very active game, scoring a goal and winning 16 of 30 face-offs in the loss. The game's No. 3 star, McLeod scored at 8:30 of the second period to get his team on the board after the IceDogs fell behind 3-0. He now has a seven-game OHL point streak with none points over the span. (Note: Second appearance on this list in 2017-18)

TRISTEN NIELSEN -- Nielsen was the No. 1 star of Calgary's 2-1 WHL shootout victory over visiting Prince George. Nielsen scored at 16:57 of the first period to open the scoring. He now has goals in back-to-back games, but his biggest obstacle to being drafted is his size at 5-foot-9.