| 31 January 2012
The world will get its first comprehensive look at some of the premiere talents of the 2012 Draft class since the release of NHL Central Scouting's midterm rankings, when the CHL Top Prospects Game takes place at Prospera Place in Kelowna, BC on Wednesday night.
Draft-eligible participants include Mikhail Grigorenko (CSS ranked second amongst North American skaters), Ryan Murray (ranked third), Matt Dumba (seventh), and Martin Frk (25th), among others.
But as intriguing as the event can be for team-builders and mock draft enthusiasts, this year's CHL game will fall short, with several of its greatest rising stars sidelined. Most prominently absent will be Sarnia Sting winger, Nail Yakupov.
Yakupov, ranked first overall in Central Scouting's ranking and the consensus first overall pick in this June's draft, has lived up to all the hype this year with 55 points in 29 OHL games, in addition to playing a major role in Russia's silver medal win in this year World Junior Championships. It has also been an injury plagued season for the Russian. His knee injury sustained at the WJC kept him off the ice until January 27th, and will keep him off the ice for the Prospects Game.
Yakupov isn't the only Sting player with Draft aspirations to suffer a knee injury, though. Alex Galchenyuk, third in Sarnia scoring and 20th in the OHL in 2010-11, was widely considered to be a top-ten pick heading into this season, but a torn ACL suffered in a preseason game has kept him out all season, making him a serious draft day wildcard.
Morgan Rielly, who had 18 points in 18 games on defense for Moose Jaw Warriors, will miss the remainder of the season due to knee surgery, while Ryan Murray of the Everett Silvertips will participate despite missing much of the first half of the season with an ankle sprain.
The game will also be without one of the CHL's brightest stars between the pipes. Malcolm Subban, brother of Montreal Canadien P.K. Subban, who hasn't played in a game since mid-December due to a groin injury and will not participate tonight. Subban is the top ranked goalie, leading the OHL in both goals against average and save percentage.
With so many prominent performers missing from the event, and thus so much gray area headed into the final rankings and the draft, there are still a few players on which we can focus on Wednesday night.
Obviously, Murray is regarded as one of the draft's best puck-moving defenseman. After only participating in 25 games this season, and six WJC games in which he had three assists, the game will offer Murray a good opportunity to strut his stuff for scouts, as well as to serve as the headliner for the event.
Also worth a look is Tanner Pearson of the Barrie Colts. Pearson is presently ranked 22nd, but is ranked second in the OHL scoring race with 73 points in 40 games. Despite his scoring pace, as well as his six points in six games at the WJC, Pearson, who sat 22nd among OHL players in the preliminary rankings before the season, now sits only 22nd in the overall rankings. Pearson's scoring ability could push him into top-10 territory when the final rankings emerge, especially if he can stay healthy like his counterparts have not.
Matt Dumba is also making a push in the WHL that garners more attention. Highly regarded entering the season, Dumba has turned it up since the end of his WJC campaign with Team USA, recording six goals and 13 points in the month of January, his best production month and moving him to ninth among WHL defenseman in scoring.
Despite injuries sapping a bit of the strength from this year's event, it does allow us the opportunity to look for our underdogs in this year's draft, our rising stars, our "Jeff Skinners." Regardless, the empty holes in this years CHL Top Prospects rosters for Team Orr and Team Cherry indicate a draft this summer, with lots of chances to be taken and lots of guesses to be made.
Let the speculation begin!
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