Disclaimer: These rankings are based on the players we have viewed sufficiently both live and on tape. This draft class currently has a large number of players worthy of first-round consideration and some of those we, unfortunately, have not been able to view enough given the current climate. Perceived omissions are not a slight at any draft-eligible prospects or programs. We look forward to 2021 when these players can hit the ice again to develop and chase their dreams.
Pandemic and difficulties aside, our scouting team has knuckled down and produced this beauty!
Given the number of games played within the current format, we felt more comfortable producing a top 22 with honorable mentions as to this day, sample sizes and viewings are limited. In fairness to the respective competitions, their teams and players; critiquing hundreds of players based on small workloads isn’t simply fair at this stage. However, we do feel confident in this list as we have sufficient viewings both live and on tape of the players mentioned. We feel these players at this stage have produced consistently and have shown fantastic growth from previous seasons, earning their place within the Top 22. We are going to release more comprehensive rankings closer to the draft; with videos, reports and data! DUBNetwork Scouting’s goal is to deliver the best coverage at the appropriate time.
Our December Top 22 will be released over five parts, released on Mondays and Fridays, eventually finishing with our top five prospects; a bit of anticipation never hurt anyone after all!
This edition will include the “Honorable Mentions.” Prospects that are well and truly knocking on the door of first-round consideration that couldn’t squeeze in and are solid late first/early second talents.
Honorable Mentions:
Logan Henley – Fort Saskatchewan Rangers U15 AAA
Ash Glover: “A mature bodied defenseman, Henley showcases superb elusiveness in transition. He is able to generate speed by way of linear crossovers and by leg strength alone, seeing him create separation with minimal effort.”
“He has a great change of pace and his edgework is competent. Some dorsiflexion work and time spent elongating his stride will aid in more consistent movements across his shifts. Henley has a great read as to where the spaces are around him and displays a good understanding of how to use both his skating and size to force himself through holes through middle-ice and along the wall.”
“Henley plays well in the cycle and when zone entries don’t present themselves plays an effective dump and chase, making use of his frame and speed getting in deep. Shows good stickhandling when in space and has clean hands around the net front. He possesses a good wrist shot, his slap shot and control from range is still developing. Good gap control and effective stick discipline allow him to keep attackers to the outside. Has a good nose for sniffing out passing lanes, anticipating entry angles and closing attackers down.”
“Does show some indecision under duress below the goal-line, doesn’t utilize the boards as much as he should and can be prone to pushing pucks into the slot areas.”
“Overall Henley is a very raw talent but he has a very intriguing skill-set that will only improve as he matures. Defensive prospects who combine good skating, play a physical brand of hockey and are a legitimate scoring danger don’t come along too often. Keep you’re on him as the season goes.”
Roger McQueen – Saskatoon Stallions U15 AA
Zach Moffat: “Unique blend of size, mobility, and versatility. A fluid mover that is deployed in all situations by his team. Operates the point or half-wall on the powerplay. He has a layer of skill that few his size has at this age and he appears comfortable in his frame despite the sudden growth spurt. Good hockey IQ in his reads and ability to support down low as he is not afraid to come below the goal line to win a battle and get into transition quickly. Decent puck skills, especially in stride for a prospect of his height.”
“There is a strong foundation here to develop a solid all-around player at the next level. It will be interesting to see how his game changes as he fills out and will need to better utilize his size in a more physically demanding environment. Opportunity for improvement with his start/stop as he tends to circle away from the puck to maintain positioning, forcing him to turn his back on the play at times which also limits the effectiveness of his reads. He’s ahead of the game being a late birthday and already this comfortable in his frame.”
Ryder Ritchie – Rink Hockey Academy (Kelowna) U15 Prep
Kaden Moore: “Ritchie is a highly-skilled forward with high compete levels and battles tremendously hard finding ways to win puck battles. Ritchie has very good senses on both sides of the puck as is developing a nice two-way style. He uses his offensive acumen combined with a really good set of hands in-tight and a quick release to get himself in good areas to get the puck and capitalize.”
“This makes Ritchie an offensive threat at all times as he’s deceptive with the puck, pulling it into his body to move around a defender then shooting it mid-move, throwing both defender and goalie off.”
“Ritchie’s shot and hands aren’t his only threat as he has good vision setting guys up to score. Ritchie’s skating is at a good level. He’s small, slippery with good north/south skating and good separation speed, as well as very good movements east/west. Ritchie uses his hips and edges to get under and around guys to leverage his way around the ice and create space with the puck. Ritchie’s defensive game is good as he’s reliable and hard-working, never giving up on a play. Ritchie has put size on since last season and will only continue to grow. He’s yet to fill into his body and adding that strength will make him an elite difference-maker on the ice.”
Landon Cowper – Rink Hockey Academy (Kelowna) U15 Prep
Kaden Moore: “Cowper is not a sexy defenseman by any means but he gets the job done super effectively, think Evan Bouchard. Cowper’s skating is very good with a good north/south speed but at this stage is still lacking a separation ability. He has very good east/west skating ability with edge work that allows him to throw off and evade opposing players with ease, allowing him to create space for himself somewhat offsetting his speed within his first strides.”
“Cowper passing ability is high-end; he makes great tape-to-tape break out passes and can thread the puck through small seams to create offensive chances.”
“Cowper’s shot from the point has a way of getting through traffic and finding its way onto the net, creating scoring chances. Cowper has a good stick and makes smart pinches to keep plays alive. Cowper’s spacing and anticipation on the ice are very good and uses it to his advantage on both sides of the puck. Cowper’s strengths however are more so offensive; he works well in the offensive zone and can run the powerplay. Cowper’s defensive abilities aren’t a hindrance to his team as he pulls his weight in his own end, but by no means is he a shutdown defender. He does however skate into lanes and proves disruptive in the neutral zone, often generating offence.”
“Cowper’s tool-set makes him an effective offensive defender with tremendous transitional abilities who can run your powerplay and drive offensive.”
Jonas Woo – Winnipeg Warriors U15 AAA
Brayden Abbott: “Jonas Woo is the heads up offensive defenceman that teams go crazy for. He accelerates through the neutral zone and deceives the opposing defenders by utilizing his mobility through quick cuts and shoulder fakes. Woo plays hard through each shift and is always looking to make an impact on the play, whether it is with a pass, a bit hit, or a goal.”
“Woo has very mature positioning for his age, he pinches at the right time and rarely gets caught trying to cheat up ice. Playing a team-first game Woo keeps his head on a swivel trying to find the best option rather than rushing a play that isn’t there.”
“In the defensive zone, Jonas covers the slot well and is quite scrappy on the walls battling to win loose pucks. Woo is the all-around defensive package as he takes advantage of his elusive skating, physical play, and vision to become a threat in every aspect of the game.”
Linden Burrett – Burnaby Winter Club U15 Prep
Ash Glover: “A skillful defender, Burrett excels as being a great first option and link-up player from the back-end. Evasive in all three zones, Burrett proves to be a handful for forecheckers, back checkers and can have it his own way in transition. He provides great momentum from the back-end by way of crisp exit passes or by his ability to evade oncoming forecheckers and start the rush. He works well in the cycle and can maneuver in tight spaces, extending play for his teammates.”
“Burrett has good senses when to pinch and jumps deep into the offensive zone regularly. He has the ability to control the pace of the game in the cycle and isn’t limited to being stuck to one side of the ice. Burrett has a good nose for creating space on the boards and generating offence off of it.”
“Burrett is a good skater who has good edges and good technique. Whilst he may lack elite top-end speed, he has a fluid stride and can move laterally well with power and his backwards skating is impressive. Defensively he positions himself well and skates square-on to oncoming attackers.”
“One of the areas I’d like to see improvement in is his physicality and ability to cope with bigger bodies. Burrett senses pressures and often rushes his possessions, leading to errors.”
“He also struggles at times with angles and how he attacks defenders, often cramping himself for room. Burrett is a reliable puck mover who in time can become a more reliable two-way player.”
Full Steam Ahead
Thanks for reading part one of our December Top 22 featuring some of the best U15 prospects of this year’s draft class. We hope you come back this Friday to check out numbers 22 through 17. We look forward to sharing more content featuring video and media to give you better insights into these promising young players! Like these players, we are going to do our best with what this season gives us and we are happy to have you be a part of our journey.