NHL Draft Watch: Strome shining brightly without McDavid
NHL Draft Watch is your guide for eligible players worth keeping an eye on leading up to June's draft.
Rising/Falling
Rising: Dylan Strome, C, Erie (OHL)
Anyone who thought Strome was riding Connor McDavid's coattails was silenced after McDavid injured his hand. Strome kept scoring with McDavid out, recording seven goals and 12 points in seven games as part of a 10-game, 20-point streak.
Strome shares a lot of his brother Ryan Strome's offensive talent and awareness, as well as a the work ethic necessary to succeed at the pro level. He is one of the top face-off specialists in the OHL thanks to his attention to detail, such as when and how different officials drop the puck.
"I find myself in more of an offensive-type role and who needs to produce points for the team, kill penalties and basically do whatever the coaching staff needs," Strome told NHL.com in November.
Strome cooled off slightly along with Erie in December, with one goal and 10 points before the holiday break, but a strong second half to the season should cement his status as a top-five prospect.
Rising: Anthony Beauvillier, LW, Shawinigan (QMJHL)
The Shawinigan Cataractes are still mired in the hangover of their 2012 Memorial Cup victory after missing the playoffs, but Anthony Beauvillier is helping them get them back into contention.
Beauvillier leads draft-eligible forwards in the QMJHL with 25 goals. He scored six goals during a five-game streak leading into the holiday break and has 27 points in 16 games since the start of November. His speed and puck-handling allow him to beat defenders in many different ways.
Concerns about Beauvillier's size have kept him out of the first-round conversation, but his two fighting majors this season speak to his tenacity and willingness to play a physical game. He could be a steal in the second or third round in June.
Falling: Nicolas Roy, C, Chicoutimi (QMJHL)
Expectations were high for Nicolas Roy following an impressive rookie season, but the tall center has been sliding down the draft board due to an inconsistent sophomore campaign with Chicoutimi.
Roy's season began with two points in seven September games and he didn't fare much better in October, going on a four-game drought and finishing the month with six points. He duplicated that total in November, and even though he matched it in just five December contests, the concerns about Roy's offensive ceiling seem very real.
A strong second half to the season could help Roy climb back into the top 30, but teams are not going to wait for him when there are so many other talented centers having standout draft years against similar competition.
Spotlight
World Junior Hockey Championship
The stars of the annual World Junior Hockey Championship are typically 19-year-olds already drafted by NHL teams, but most rosters contain a few draft-eligible prospects hungry to make an impact against older competition.
The Canadian team includes draft-eligible forwards McDavid and Lawson Crouse. Everyone has already heard about McDavid, but Crouse has quietly climbed into the top 10 on the International Scouting Service rankings and continues to impress scouts with his forechecking.
Draft-eligible forward Jeremy Bracco narrowly missed the cut to make Team USA, which still boasts plenty of draft-eligible talent between Jack Eichel and blue-liners Noah Hanifin and Zach Werenski - all of who are projected as top-10 picks.
The Russian team features Ivan Provorov on its blue line. Provorov has 37 points in 35 games as a rookie in the WHL and is well-accustomed to playing on North American ice. Lanky forward Alexander Dergachyov is also draft-eligible.
Finland boasts 2015 prospects Sami Niku, Sebastian Aho and Mikko Rantanen on its roster, as well as a pair of 2016-eligible players. Rantanen plays with TPS of SM-Liiga and is considered a first-round prospect.
Sweden was set to enter the tournament with projected top-10 defenseman Oliver Kylington patrolling its blue line, but an undisclosed injury ended his tournament before it started. The team also has Rasmus Asplund and Jens Looke, who need breakout tournament performances to get noticed in June.
The Czech Republic is bringing a draft-eligible goaltender to the tournament in Daniel Vladar, who has performed admirably against much older competition with HC Kladno of the Czech2 division. Forwards David Kase, Michael Spacek and Pavel Zacha can all improve their standing with productive tournaments.
Slovakia has one draft-eligible player in defenseman Erik Cernak. The Germans are bringing defenseman Kai Wissmann along with forwards Maximillian Kammerer and Manuel Wiederer, while Switzerland has four 2015 prospects: Jonas Siegenthaler, Timo Meier, Kay Schweri and Denis Malgin.
Denmark's one 2015-eligible player is forward Alexander True.