144th Overall: Louka Cloutier, G/Chicago Steel
Louka Cloutier has an ultra-late birthday, and he won’t turn 18 until August, so we really can’t gauge much on what his ceiling is until we see more of what he’ll do in the NCAA when he attends the University of Nebraska-Omaha. He was very average for the Chicago Steel this past season, finishing a 34-game stint in the regular season with a 3.68 GAA, a shutout, and a 0.904 save percentage.
176th Overall: Frankie Marrelli, D/Ottawa 67’s
I went with value over everything else when deciding to add Frankie Marrelli to the system in this mock draft. He’s got two seasons of experience in the OHL, and he’s not the greatest points producer, having put up just 41 in 110 games, but he’s also a throwback player who will add some old-school, physical play to the system.
203rd Overall: Charlie Cerrato, C/Penn State
Charlie Cerrato had experience playing for the US National Development Team before he continued his career with the Youngstown Phantoms, where he put up 50 points and 12 goals in 45 regular season games. He won’t make the highlight reel thanks to a simple approach, but Cerrato is also one of those players who won’t make many mistakes. He has limited upside, but playing a safe game, especially with the puck, can lead to increased opportunities for linemates.
208th Overall: Axel Nyman, G/Rogle BK J18
He’s another prospect on this list who won’t turn 18 until August, but Axel Nyman’s textbook size (6’5, 198 lbs) enticed me to take a chance on him with the final pick. He’s got ways to go from a productivity standpoint at J20 Nationell, but he’s a raw product who would be an enticing project for an organization once in North America.
(Statistics powered by Elite Prospects)