Via The Score: 2009 Entry Draft – Update on Major Junior Forwards

What follows here is a list of most of the major junior forwards taken in the last draft, and their performance so far this season. I’ve cut out all the players who were drafted as overagers to make things fairer. Players are ranked by points per game, and ties are broken by goals per game.

1. Taylor Beck, 70th overall (OHL): 18GP – 11G – 20A – 31PTS (1.72 PTS/GM)
2. Brayden Schenn, 5th overall (WHL): 17GP – 9G – 15A – 24PTS (1.41 PTS/GM)
3. Andrej Nestrasil, 75th overall (QMJHL): 20GP – 10G – 17A - 27PTS (1.35 PTS/GM)
4. Cody Eakin, 85th overall (WHL): 21GP – 21G – 6A – 27PTS (1.29 PTS/GM)
5. Gabriel Dumont, 139th overall (QMJHL): 14GP – 7G – 11A – 18PTS (1.29 PTS/GM)
6. Gabriel Bourque, 132nd overall (QMJHL): 17GP – 4G – 17A – 21PTS (1.24 PTS/GM)
7. Peter Holland, 15th overall (OHL): 10GP – 4G – 8A – 12PTS (1.20 PTS/GM)
8. Carter Ashton, 29th overall (WHL): 18GP – 9G – 12A – 21PTS (1.17 PTS/GM)
9. Eric Wellwood, 172nd overall (OHL): 19GP – 11G – 11A – 22PTS (1.16 PTS/GM)
10. Levko Koper, 185th overall (WHL): 17GP – 10G – 9A – 19PTS (1.12 PTS/GM)
11. Linden Vey, 96th overall (WHL): 23GP – 9G – 16A – 25PTS (1.09 PTS/GM)
12. Michael Latta, 72nd overall (WHL): 14GP – 7G – 8A – 15PTS (1.07 PTS/GM)
13. Nazem Kadri, 7th overall (OHL): 15GP – 10G – 6A – 16PTS (1.07 PTS/GM)
14. Philip Varone, 147th overall (OHL): 17GP – 3G -15A – 18PTS (1.06 PTS/GM)
15. Alex Hutchings, 93rd overall (OHL): 19GP – 9G – 11A – 20PTS (1.05 PTS/GM)
16. Benjamin Casavant, 205th overall (QMJHL): 15GP – 7G – 8A – 15PTS (1.00 PTS/GM)
17. Scott Glennie, 8th overall (WHL): 19GP – 8G – 12A – 20PTS (1.05 PTS/GM)
18. Ryan Howse, 74th overall (WHL): 21GP – 15G – 7A – 22PTS (1.05 PTS/GM)
19. Steven Anthony, 187th overall (QMJHL): 21GP – 12G – 10A – 22PTS (1.05 PTS/GM)
20. Ethan Werek, 47th overall (OHL): 16GP – 9G – 7A – 16PTS (1.00 PTS/GM)
21. Casey Cizikas, 92nd overall (OHL): 18GP – 8G – 10A – 18PTS (1.00 PTS/GM)
22. Jordan Szwarz, 97th overall (OHL): 17GP – 8G – 8A – 16PTS (.941 PTS/GM)
23. Tomas Vincour, 129th overall (WHL): 19GP – 10G – 7A - 17PTS (.895 PTS/GM)
24. Byron Froese, 119th overall (WHL): 16GP – 7G – 7A – 14PTS (.875 PTS/GM)
25. Mitchell Callahan, 180th overall (WHL): 19GP – 7G – 9A – 16PTS (.842PTS/GM)
26. Zack Kassian, 13th overall (OHL): 12GP – 5G – 5A -10PTS (.833 PTS/GM)
27. Kyle Clifford, 35th overall (OHL): 15GP – 6G – 6A – 12PTS (.800 PTS/GM)
28. Dave Labrecque, 153rd overall (QMJHL): 19GP – 5G – 10A – 15PTS (.789 PTS/GM)
29. Garrett Wilson, 107th overall (OHL): 23GP – 10G – 8A – 18PTS (.783 PTS/GM)
30. Philippe Paradis, 27th overall (QMJHL): 20GP – 7G – 7A – 14PTS (.700 PTS/GM)
31. Jimmy Bubnick, 155th overall (WHL): 21GP – 6G – 8A – 14PTS (.667 PTS/GM)
32. David Gilbert, 209th overall (QMJHL): 18GP – 4G – 7A – 11PTS (.611 PTS/GM)
33. Andy Bathgate, 151st overall (OHL): 21GP – 4G – 8A – 12PTS (.571 PTS/GM)
34. Jordan Caron, 25th overall (QMJHL): 7GP – 1G – 3A – 4PTS (.571 PTS/GM)
35. Tyler Randell, 176th overall (OHL): 17GP – 2G – 7A – 9PTS (.529 PTS/GM)
36. Marcus Foligno, 104th overall (OHL): 19GP – 1G – 9A – 10PTS (.526 PTS/GM)
37. Kirs Foucault, 103rd overall (WHL): 20GP – 6G – 4A – 10PTS (.500 PTS/GM)
38. Landon Ferraro, 32nd overall (WHL): 9GP – 1G – 2A – 3PTS (.333 PTS/GM)
39. Garrett Mitchell, 175th overall (WHL): 10GP – 1G – 1A – 2PTS (.200 PTS/GM)
40. Cameron Abney, 82nd overall (WHL): 16GP – 1G – 2A – 3PTS (.188 PTS/GM)
41. Ashton Bernanrd, 174th overall (QMJHL): 18GP – 1G – 2A – 3PTS (.167 PTS/GM)
42. Jamie Devane, 68th overall (OHL): 7GP – 0G – 1A – 1PTS (.143 PTS/GM)
43. Evan Bloodoff, 157th overall (WHL): Injured, has not played

Taylor Beck, pictured above, has had an incredible start.  After he was picked (by Nashville) Predators’ scout Jason Bukala gave a brief description for the team’s website; he called him a “power-forward” and used the word “strong” four times in five sentences.  Beck also did a Q&A session with Hockey’s Future, prior to the draft and he hinted that skating was an area he needed to work on, and that he was working on his defensive game.  As of this moment, Nashville fans have to be pleased with his performance; the third round pick is the best junior scorer of the ’09 draft group so far.

Aside from Beck, Brayden Schenn is off to a phenomenal start.

via Hockey Or Die! – The Score.

Kings Prospect Mack Truck — er — Kyle Clifford, in the Barrie Examiner

Colts forward Kyle Clifford is built like a Mack truck. He weighs 200 pounds and stands six feet tall. The 18-year-old Los Angeles Kings draft pick nearly stuck with the NHL squad at the beginning of the year.

He was just about qualified to play against 35-year-olds, and now he’s going into the corners against 16-year-olds.

“There are different ages out there, and there are bigger guys and younger guys,” Clifford said. “But I treat every player the same way, whether he’s 16 or 21 years old.

“We’ve got to play hard, but you’ve got to know your limits and play fair.”

via Accidents will happen in contact sports – The Barrie Examiner – Ontario, CA.

The Hockey News/Hot List: Beefing up Broadway

9. Kyle Clifford, LW – Barrie Colts (OHL): The Kings grabbed Clifford ostensibly for his toughness and the Barrie winger paid them back right away. Clifford dropped the gloves four times in two games against the Phoenix rookies last week and will get a chance to do big things with what promises to be a good Colts team this year. Drafted 35th overall by Los Angeles in 2009.

via The Hockey News: The Hot List: The Hot List: Beefing up Broadway.

YouTube – Scott Mitchell vs Kyle Clifford

Rookie Camp Notes: Very VERY Short

Loktionov: Looks bigger. Wouldn’t be surprised if he makes it this year. Moller/Loktionov/Purcell? Probably too much to hope for.

Dwight King: still big.

Brandon Kozun: speed and scoring touch.

Mikus: doesn’t look like a kid, but I didn’t see him do anything exciting.

Hickey: looks bigger and stronger. Wouldn’t be surprised if he made it either.

Teubert: looks like he’s halfway more grown-up than last year, when he was clearly a kid.

Campbell: still kind of dorky.

Clifford: kept noticing him. He looks young, but was stronger than most of the kids out there on the puck.

Schenn: works his ass off. Seems a year or two away and that’s fine.

Wudrick: appendicitis. Had surgery on Thursday or Friday.

Red Line Report’s list – USATODAY.com: “Somebody will get an itchy trigger finger early in the second round” — GUESS WHO!

Both Jerry D’Amigo and Kyle Clifford flew under the radar a bit despite coming from hockey scouting hotbeds in Ann Arbor, Mich. and Ontario. D’Amigo, a New York native who has been a member of the U.S. Under-18 team, has been overlooked a bit since he was not considered one of the flashy offensive stars of the national program. But he was consistently one of their most effective two-way performers all season, and has really worked hard in his two years with the Ann Arbor-based team rounding out the skills portion of his game. His puckhandling and finish around the net have improved vastly while he maintained his blue collar, lunch-pail work ethic.

Clifford didn’t bloom until the second half of his second season in the OHL, but he’s blossomed into a power winger who can skate, drop the gloves and pop the occasional goal. He’s a legitimate tough guy who skates quite well for a big man and has enough skill to play a regular shift. Lots of teams are laying in the weeds on this kid and somebody will get an itchy trigger finger early in the second round for fear that another club will jump up and grab him.

via Duchene, Tavares top forwards on Red Line Report’s list – USATODAY.com.