NHL Top prospects game: Who hurt, helped stock?

The top draft prospects from the CHL face off in Guelph for the Sherwin-Williams CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game. Who helped their stock and who hurt their stock?

Every year the CHL collects their top draft eligible prospects and splits them into two teams lead by Don Cherry and Bobby Orr. Current stars of the NHL have featured in this game like Connor McDavid, Taylor Hall and Aaron Ekblad.

This year all eyes are on Andrei Svechnikov, Ryan Merkley, Ty Dellandrea, Filip Zadina, Barrett Hayton and goalie Alexis Gravel . All of these players have been ranked in the top 50 of TSN’s midseason draft rankings.

Andre Svechnikov – Stock down

Andre Svechnikov continues to get high praise from scouts everywhere, he is ranked the second-best player in the entire draft and has the speed and size to be a good player. He is having a strong season with the Barrie Colts of the OHL totaling 36 points in just 26 games. Svechnikov gave viewers glimpses of why he is ranked so high. He has a great burst of speed in the offensive zone and has the capability to make plays anywhere.

Svechnikov was held pointless in the game, that is part of the reason his draft stock took a hit this game.

Just like in this year World Juniors tournament Svechnikov failed to take over the game or even a period. When Svechnikov was on the ice in the offensive zone he was noticeable and did a respectable job at using his vision to distribute the puck. When he didn’t have the puck or wasn’t in the offensive zone he had a tendency to disappear on the ice and wasn’t noticeable at all.

Svechnikov will have to hold off a surging Filip Zadina, and an electric Brady Tkachuk to hold on to his number draft ranking and lock himself into the number two draft position.