Daily 2018 Draft Prospect Updates

Nov. 21, 2017

PROSPECT-UPDATE ARCHIVE

It was a fairly busy Tuesday in prospect land with several games in Europe and action in both the QMJHL and WHL. Several of the games were high-scoring track meets, helping increase the pool of top performances.

Five players make the list for Tuesday, and four of them are from the WHL, which is clearly the weakest of the three major-junior leagues as far as 2018 draft prospects. No WHL player has really stepped up as a no-brainer first-round pick, and some who showed early promise, have faded. So here's hoping one of the four below takes it up a notch in the next several months. Here are those top five for Tuesday:

Stars of the Night

CALEN ADDISON -- Addison, a defenseman, erupted for a goal and three assists in Lethbridge's 10-4 win at Victoria on Tuesday -- his first WHL four-point game. The game's No. 3 star began with a power-play assist at 15:41 of the first period for a 2-1 lead. He followed that up with three second-period points -- a power-play assist at 7:13 to make it 3-2, a goal at 9:32 to go up 4-2, and the primary assist on another power-play goal, making it 6-2, at 16:59. Addison, a projected second- or third-rounder in June, is now average better than a point per game with 22 in 21. (Note: Third appearance on this list in 2017-18)

RYAN CHYZOWSKI -- It was a big night for the Medicine Hat Tigers, who rolled to a 7-4 win at Prince George. Chyzowski picked up a goal and an assist, while winning 13 of 25 face-offs to earn No. 2 star honors. He got the game's first goal just 5:25 after the opening faceoff and set up an empty-netter to close the scoring with 14 seconds to go. Chyzowski now has nine goals and 16 points in 21 WHL games. Last season, he had five and 12 in 52. (Note: Fourth appearance on this list in 2017-18)

CHASE HARTJE -- An American defenseman playing in the WHL, Hartje had two assists in Moose Jaw's 7-6 overtime win over Saskatoon on Tuesday. The first came on a power-play goal at 19:16 of the first for a 3-0 lead. The second came on the game-winner at 3:57 of OT. Hartje has 10 points -- all assists -- in 16 games with two-assist showings in two of his last three games.

JESPERI KOTKANIEMI -- Kotkaniemi, one of the few Finnish draft prospects playing in that country's top league, could be a first-round pick in June. he showed why Tuesday in Pori's 3-1 win at Lappeenranta, picking up a goal and an assist. His goal was the eventual game-winner, breaking a 1-1 tie at 9:26 of the third period. He later assisted on the final goal at 18:01. Kotkaniemi's goal was his first since Oct. 20. He has scored six times in 25 Liiga games to date.

JOSH TARZWELL -- Tarzwell helped Lethbridge run up a 10-4 win at Victoria on Tuesday. His goal and two assists marked the first three-point game of his WHL career. He also won 10 of 15 face-offs. Early on, he recorded the lone assist on the Hurricanes' first goal at 10:12 of the first period. In the third, he set up a power-play goal at 7:46 to make it 8-3 before scoring at 15:29 for a 9-4 lead. Tarzwell has three goals and seven assists in 20 games. In 2016-17, he had two goals and three assists in 36.