The Journey – Dobber’s Top 200 Forward Rankings – Post-Draft Additions

Kevin LeBlanc

2016-07-30

Clayton Keller - USA TODAY Sports Images

 

The Journey examines Dobber’s Top 200 prospect forwards list after the draft and takes a closer look at some of the new additions. You can see Dobber’s July Rankings for prospect forwards here.

 

Not surprisingly, the top four forwards drafted enter the top-200 list in spots one through four. Although Pierre Luc-Dubois was drafted third overall in June, Jesse Puljujarvi leapfrogs him for the third spot in Dobber’s list. Likely some of this is due to Puljujarvi's ceiling and potential partnership with Connor McDavid. However, in a multi-category league, Dubois could have gotten the nod due to his peripheral stats, and the fact that he projects as a center in Columbus. Let's take a look at some of the later round forwards and why they were ranked where they were:

 

Clayton Keller – Arizona Coyotes

From a points-only perspective, Keller has one of the highest ceilings in this draft class. In his 62 games last season, he showed off his offensive upside by posting 107 points playing alongside fellow first-rounder Kieffer Bellows. A consummate playmaker, Keller’s only drawback is his size.

At just 5-foot-10, 170 pounds, he has been compared to Art Ross and Hart Trophy winner Patrick Kane in both frame and offensive potential. Keller should fit well into what the Coyotes are building in the desert offensively, where he will have the ability to play among top-end talent both at even strength and on the power play.

Keller will begin his college career in the fall at Boston University, but may not be wearing the Terriers sweater for very long.

 

Tyson Jost – Colorado Avalanche

Checking in at No. 40 on Dobber’s list is Jost, another high-ceiling playmaker who may not have yet scratched the surface of his potential. Playing in the BCHL for the Penticton Vees, Jost averaged over two points per game last season.

Although he did not play against the toughest competition in the BCHL, you have to take into account that he also did not play alongside the talent that some of the other players in the CHL did. Captaining Canada’s U-18 team in Grand Forks, Jost collected 15 points in seven games and was named the tournaments best forward.

He will attend the University of North Dakota this fall and could follow in the footsteps of another Fighting Hawks (man, it pains me to type that) forward with a high talent and leadership quotient, Jonathan Toews.

 

Riley Tufte – Dallas Stars

As a raw prospect, Tufte was drafted into a perfect situation in Dallas, which gives him the time to develop without the need to be rushed to the NHL level. Splitting time between Minnesota High School hockey and the USHL’s Fargo Force, Tufte posted 57 goals in 52 games.

At 6-foot-5 and possessing an elite-level shot with a sniper’s mentality, Tufte has plenty of the physical tools to make it as a modern-day power forward in the NHL.

The Minnesota native will stay home for college, attending the University of Minnesota-Duluth in the fall where he should receive the structured coaching needed to smooth out some of the rough edges of his game.

If you have time to wait on him, Tufte could be even higher on this list for those in multi-category leagues where owners will benefit from his physicality in the hits department.

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German Rubtsov – Philadelphia Flyers

After falling down draft boards due to the Russian hockey doping scandal that kept him out of the U-18s, Philadelphia took a chance on a player who they are hoping will repay them in the future.

Rubtsov played in the Russian equivalent of the USNTDP system last season and projects as a top-six forward with all-around playmaking ability. He is an incredibly hard worker on the ice, willing to both forecheck and backcheck to win pucks back for his team.

Rubtsov is likely to stay in Russia to continue his development, but when he does make his way to North America, he shouldn’t be far from being an impact forward in the Flyers lineup.

 

Rasmus Asplund – Buffalo Sabres

The only second rounder from the 2016 Entry Draft that lands inside the Top 200. Asplund  put up modest numbers in 46 games for Farjestad.

Although he isn’t flashy, Asplund does all things well and will be a player who can be used up and down the Sabres lineup in the future. He uses his speed in one-on-one situations to keep defenders off balance and his playmaking abilities set-up teammates for scoring opportunities while playing a possession first game.

Asplund is signed to play in Sweden again next season and should feature in a more prominent role leading to better offensive numbers. He is a player who could be in line for a breakout season in 2016-17.

 

Kieffer Bellows – New York Islanders

For the third year in a row, the Islanders drafted a forward with their first-round selection. The second of three forwards drafted in the first round from the USNTDP, Bellows is a strong, goal scoring winger heading to Boston University in the fall.

He has some work to do in college to refine his game in all zones, but he already possesses the top-end ability to put the puck in the net. It’s unlikely that Bellows will be an impact player by the time John Tavares’ contract runs out, but if Tavares chooses to re-sign with the Islanders, he could find an ideal linemate in the young power forward.

Keep an eye on Bellows as a candidate to fly up this list if he has a successful freshman campaign.

 

Give Kevin a follow @kleblanchockey for NHL prospect talk and happenings. 

 

 

One Comment

  1. Jokke Nevalainen 2016-07-30 at 15:29

    Good article but you could have also added a few words about some first round picks who didn’t make it to Dobber’s Top 200 prospect forward list and why. Players like Gauthier, Borgstrom, Jones, Thompson and Howden. I think some people might be wondering why Gauthier isn’t on the list (I’m not but some might).

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