The Loons 2021 Draft Class is now official. Looking at this class - Beniers is obviously the headliner and as much of a sure thing as you can get in this years draft. After Matty B the rest of the class appears to be full of question marks just like most things in 2021. The 2021 draft has been referred to as a poor draft but a lot of that is based on not having a top end, franchise altering player at the top of the draft. Another factor has been the lack of games that these prospects have been able to play and impress the scouts. However I feel like this draft has a lot of depth and I will be interested to see how many late rounders become productive NHLers due to all the uncertainties from this year. Hopefully its some of these new Loons!
Our 2021 draft class consists of 5 left wings, 1 center, 4 defensemen and a goalie; 6 Americans, 2 Canadiens, 2 Swedes and a Russian.
2. Matt Beniers
The absolute highlight of our class. Matty caught our eyes during the 2020 World Juniors. Going from limited playing time on the 4th line at the beginning of the tournament to centering the 2nd line alongside of fellow Loon Matt Boldy in the gold medal game. Matty is constantly labeled as a high floor, second line center that can play in all situations. We see a chance for more then that. Matty has always played over his age group and our hope is that his offense will catch up to the rest of his strong game, making him a top liner for Seattle. Matty projects as Capeside's third line center with Eichel and Zegras ahead of him on the depth chart.
120. Ryan Ufko
Through much of the draft we had been contacting teams in order to move up to grab Ryan, but thankfully he fell in our lap at pick 120. Ryan was on our radar once he committed to UMASS. We previously had been holding on to a much earlier pick in order to draft a different UMASS commit. However, we ultimately decided that Ryan's more well rounded game made him the better choice for us. We are excited to see how UMASS can take Ryan to the next level after watching the success of Cale Makar and Zac Jones.
155. Lucas Forsell
It's not everyday that a 17 year old gets to see time in the SHL, but Lucas did this year. Lucas missed being 2022 eligible by a week making him one of the youngest players in this draft. Lucas has high end skill but needs to improve his strength and build in order to handle playing against men day in and day out. Lucas is definitely a gamble but one that could have a huge payoff.
156. Liam Gilmartin
Liam will never be top liner or probably never even in the top 6 but he is an extremely hard worker and will do whatever it takes to make the team better. He plays a physical game has good hands - will need to work on his skating next year in the OHL with London.
158. Kyle Masters
We believe that Kyle is one of those players that can drastically out produce his draft spot. Kyle has missed a lot of time the past two years due to injury and covid shutdowns, however the skill is there. Kyle is a tremendous skater with great puck moving skills. Was ranked as high as 38 by Elite we feel Kyle can be an absolute steal in the 8th round.
171. Oskar Jellvik
Oskar was a highly touted player in Sweden a few years ago however his play has leveled out lately. Skill is still there but he needs to spend some time with Liam and get his head on straight. Honestly - was picked because he is a Bruin.
183. Justin Janicke
Justin is the brother of fellow Loon Trevor Janicke, but Justin is the much more skilled Janicke. Justin is a fantastic skater with top end speed. After being the first overall pick in the USHL entry draft , Justin will look to improve his overall strength in the USHL before heading off to join Trevor at Notre Dame.
200. Arsenii Sergeev
After failing to be able to draft Svedeback, Sergeev was the best goalie available. After struggling in the USHL two seasons ago Arsenii bounced back in a league I have never heard of (NAHL). Arsenii is a project and adds goaltending depth to our system.
222. Nate Benoit
Nate is a local project that is committed to the University of North Dakota. Nate will definitely get great coaching there.
241. Ty Murchison
Scouting reports rave around Ty's skating and vision, but will need to work on his strength and defensive game in the NCAA to get the most out of his potential.
244. Jalen Luypen
Jalen was eligible last year and passed up by the NHL. After a solid year of work he was drafted by Chicago this year. Jalen is known as a hard worker and has seen steady improvement in the WHL. High potential for a 7th round NHL pick - well worth a gamble at 244
*Two picks were also sent to Tampa for a 7th & 8th round pick in the 2022 draft.
This draft was all about Matty Beniers, anything else we get out of this class is gravy.
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