While there’s plenty of time for draft boards to change, before next June, I thought it’d be fun to look at some of the top prospects coming out of Canada, this year.
For this article, we’ll be examining five players from the WHL that I’ll be keeping a close eye on.
So, without further ado, let’s get started.
Justin Sourdif – Center – 5’11” – 165 lbs. – Vancouver Giants
Heading into his full sophomore season, Sourdif has been a prominent fixture of the Giants’ offense, contributing 46 points (23Gs|23As) in 64 games played, last season. In 17 post-season appearances, Sourdif continued to find the score sheet finishing with 8 points (2Gs|6As).
He’d go on to play in this year’s Hlinka Gretzky Cup, representing Team Canada, where he averaged 1 PPG over 5 games.
Those numbers speak volumes about his consistency and ability to find the back of the net, but that doesn’t tell you the full story about his game and style of play. Foundationally, Sourdif’s ice-vision and positioning drive his success.
Although 5’11” and a bit lanky, Sourdif has no issue getting to the net. In fact, crashing the net seems to be his first instinct. He can take his fair share of chops and dish ‘em out, too; very rarely looking out of place, physically, when attacking the dirty areas.
He’s a remarkably good skater with clean edges and up-tempo speed. As a shooter, he quickly corrals the puck for a one-timer and can go top cheese, with ease. …Ch-ease.
HockeyProspect.com currently has Sourdif ranked as the 11th-best prospect available for the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. While that may be a bit of a reach, in my opinion, it still speaks volumes about his potential. I currently have Sourdif ranked as a mid-1st-round prospect, but even I might move him up my draft board by the time June gets here.
Seth Jarvis – Right-Wing – 5’9” – 165 lbs. – Portland Winterhawks
Jarvis, much like Sourdif, is an undersized forward who finds a lot of success down low.
A natural goal scorer, Jarvis does a nice job of tracking the puck and running with his linemates on breakaway opportunities. His paddle and the puck seem magnetized, as he’s usually around the puck cleaning up rebounds. Has excellent control on his backhand shot. Jarvis’ WHL career statistics suggest he could be quite the playmaker with nearly 60% of his points generated from assists.
As a skater, Jarvis does a nice job of reaching top acceleration before moving at a fast-paced glide, widening his stance for greater balance.
2020 is shaping up to potentially be one of the best drafts in NHL history. The top-5 is more like a top-10, and thus, a late first-round pick would hold greater value than in years past. My feeling with Jarvis is, he could end up being the benefactor of a team with one of those late picks – a team already in Stanley Cup contention who could work Jarvis’ into their line-up as a spark plug.
A solid performance in this year’s Hlinka Gretzky Cup has Jarvis fresh in the minds of scouts. 2019-20 could prove to be a make-or-break season for Jarvis’ draft stock, who I currently have ranked in the 20-35 range.
Kaiden Guhle – Defense – 6’3” – 187 lbs. – Prince Albert Raiders
Selected with the 1st-overall pick in the 2017 WHL Bantam Draft, Guhle had an added level of pressure put on him before he ever made it to Prince Albert.
A physically imposing defenseman, Guhle does a nice job of locking down the opposition with solid board battles and bone-crushing checks. I’d liken him to a freight train, a north-south powerhouse of force.
Naturally, as you might expect, Guhle’s shot is heavily rooted in what a defensive defenseman’s offensive game usually looks like: heavy bombs from the point and a powerful wrister.
An inconsistent performance at this year’s Hlinka Gretzky Cup left scouts with as many questions as they had exclamations. But, I like to err on the side of optimism and I’ll say that, while it wasn’t his best outing, a stacked Team Canada might’ve handcuffed Guhle, to an extent.
That doesn’t excuse untimely penalties and defensive hiccups, but this hit on top 2022 draft–eligible prospect, Brad Lambert, sure does.
Kaiden Guhle doesn’t show any mercy to Brad Lambert. #HlinkaGretzkyCup pic.twitter.com/u2Hn77mrWu
— Lassi Alanen (@lassialanen) August 5, 2019
Guhle is going to have to live up to the hype of being a former 1st-overall selection, this season, with Lukas Cormier, Noah Delemont, Jamie Drysdale, and Jeremie Poirier nipping at his heels. With a stacked group of forwards leading the head of the class, I wouldn’t expect to hear Guhle’s name called until the lottery selections have been made.
Kyle Crnkovic – Left Wing – 5’6” – 154 lbs. – Saskatoon Blades
I’m sure you’ll hear Crnkovic referred to as a “bulldog,” many times, throughout the season. But, he’s not really a bulldog so much as he is a poodle. He’s small, sure, but he puts on a show. I’m saying all of that to give you some context because Crnkovic is VERY good, but I don’t think his story will be properly told by draft analysts.
In an era where smaller players are becoming the norm, Crnkovic will draw comparisons to [INSERT NONSENSICAL COMPARISON, SOLELY BASED ON HEIGHT, HERE].
All jokes aside, Crnkovic is a deceptive playmaker with a hell of a shot. He does a nice job targeting an open linemate for an assist or picking his spot to fire one in, himself. For a left shot, left-winger, Crnkovic creates a lot of space for himself to operate.
He can play at varying speeds, but his stride is a bit… for a lack of a better word, clunky. By comparison, Sourdif is an elite skater that captivates your attention, whereas Crnkovic impresses you with his ability to hang in the play.
And while many are going to point to his size as a question mark for physical play, know that Crnkovic isn’t afraid to attack the net or fight through traffic.
As for his draft stock, I can’t see it rising high enough for Crnkovic to hear his name called on day one. That said, he’ll be a fixture of many teams’ draft boards on day two.
Cross Hanas – Left Wing – 6’1” – 165 lbs. – Portland Winterhawks
Son of Winterhawks’ scout, Trevor, Cross was selected by Portland with the 77th-overall pick, in the 2017 WHL Bantam Draft. But, don’t go thinking he got the job because of his dad.
Hanas is a reliable two-way forward whose work on the defensive end leads to his offensive production. He’s a patient player who anticipates well.
From an IQ standpoint, Hanas might be overlooked by analysts. He seems to make the most out of every shift, whether he’s seeing the scoresheet for a goal/assist or simply balancing the scales in his +/- column.
He’s very mature and hasn’t backed down from big moments, having already represented Team U.S.A. in various international tournaments. From Highland Village, Texas, Hanas had been a fixture of the Dallas Stars’ Tier 1 bantam club.
His skating is fun to watch. He can dance with defenders just as easily as he can blow right past them while heading north-south.
Once he makes his way into the offensive zone, Hanas has a knack of finishing his stride with a wrap-around attempt; which he can score on with his forehand or going Lacrosse-style. Away from the net, Hanas has shown great accuracy and power in his wrist shot, as well as great passes while quarterbacking the play.
Hanas is easily a day two prospect because the first-round is loaded more than ever, this year. But that said, he’ll be a wise pick up on day two.
Anywho, that’s it for me this time. Cheers, Heroes!
Follow Keith on Twitter @keithfries
