The 2018-19 season is just around the corner. With the NHL preseason starting
soon, it won't be long before it's revealed which members of the 2018 NHL Draft
 class will be making their debuts this season.

Now, with major junior camps opening over the next couple weeks, the focus for
some turns to the young players getting set for their chance to hear their
names called at the 2019 NHL Draft in Vancouver next June. While their upcoming
 seasons will play a major role in defining their future, these young players
are getting set to play in arguably the biggest games of their early careers.

With U.S. National Development Team star Jack Hughes more than likely a
no-doubter at first overall, there's a number of players jousting for the next
few spots. That said, there's a number of centers and defensemen up for grabs
in the first few rounds - with the WHL providing a lot of talent for teams to
choose from in June's draft.Jack Hughes is undoubtedly the number one pick
heading into the 2018-19 campaign. (Photo by Dave Reginek/Getty Images)

With THW's Ryan Pike having already released his preliminary rankings with his
top 50 and Larry Fisher releasing his top 124, here's just one more early list
to flood your head with this year's draft-eligible players.

In it, I'll provide you with my top 93 prospects. While I haven't had the
opportunity to watch each of these players play live - being from southwestern
Ontario - I am relying on the few opportunities I have had as well as video and
 other input in making up my first preseason draft rankings for THW.Preseason
Rankings - Top 93

No.PlayerPos.2017-18 Primary Team

1Jack HughesCU.S. National Development Team (USHL)

2Kakko KaapoRWTPS Turku U20 (Jr. A SM-Liiga)

3Bowen ByramDVancouver Giants (WHL)

4Alex TurcotteCU.S. National Development Team (USHL)

5Kirby DachCSaskatoon Blades (WHL)

6Dylan CozensCLethbridge Hurricanes (WHL)

7Peyton KrebsLWKootenay ICE (WHL)

8Alex NewhookCVictoria Grizzlies (BCHL)

9Matthew RobertsonDEdmonton Oil Kings (WHL)

10Raphael LavoieCHalifax Mooseheads (QMJHL)

11Ryan SuzukiCBarrie Colts (OHL)

12Blake MurrayCSudbury Wolves (OHL)

13Arthur KaliyevLWHamilton Bulldogs (OHL)

14Anttoni HonkaDJYP U20 (Jr. A SM-Liiga)

15Trevor ZegrasCU.S. National Development Team (USHL)

16Nolan FooteLWKelowna Rockets (WHL)

17Matthew BoldyCU.S. National Development Team (USHL)

18Cole CaufieldDU.S. National Development Team (USHL)

19Valentin NussbaumerCEHC Biel-Bienne (NLA)

20Tobias BjornfotDDjurgardens U20 (SuperElit)

21Mikko KokkonenDKettera (Mestis)

22Vasili PodkolzinFVityaz Podolsk U17 (Russia)

23Victor SoderstromDBrynas U20 (SuperElit)

24Albin GreweRWDjurgardens U20 (SuperElit)

25Nils HoglanderLWAIK (Allsvenskan)

26Michael VukojevicDKitchener Rangers (OHL)

27Jakob PelletierFMoncton Wildcats (QMJHL)

28Tag BertuzziCGuelph Storm (OHL)

29Alex VlasicDU.S. National Development Team (USHL)

30Sasha MutalaRWTri-City Americans (WHL)

31Ben BrinkmanDEdina High (USHS-MN)

32Cam YorkDU.S. National Development Team (USHL)

33Daniil GutikLWLoko Yaroslavl (MHL)

34Maxim CajkovicRWMalmo Redhawks U20 (SuperElit)

35Artemi KnyazevDIrbis Kazan (MHL)

36Drew HellesonDU.S. National Development Team (USHL)

37Oleg ZaitsevDMHK Dynamo Moskva (MHL)

38Simon HolmstromRWHV71 U20 (SuperElit)

39Samuel PoulinLWSherbrooke Phoenix (QMJHL)

40Spencer KnightGU.S. National Development Team (USHL)

41Nikita AlexandrovCCharlottetown Islanders (QMJHL)

42John BeecherCU.S. National Development Team (USHL)

43Marshall WarrenDU.S. National Development Team (USHL)

44Vojtech StrondalaCHC Kometa Brno U20 (Czech U20)

45Yegor SpiridonovLWStalnye Lisy Magnitogorsk (MHL)

46Ilya MironovDLoko-Yunior Yaroslavl (NMHL)

47Moritz SeiderDAdler Mannheim (DEL)

48Case McCarthyDU.S. National Development Team (USHL)

49Lassi ThomsonDIlves U20 (Jr. A SM-Liiga)

50Danil AntropovRWOshawa Generals (OHL)

51Luke ToporowskiLWSpokane Chiefs (WHL)

52Lev StarikovDWindsor Spitfires (OHL)

53Petr CajkaC/WZug U20 (Elite Jr. A)

54Grant SilianoffCShattuck St. Mary's Prep (USHS)

55Henri NikkanenRWJYP U20 (Jr. A SM-Liiga)

56Vladislav MikhailovCMHK Dynamo Moskva (MHL)

57Leevi AaltonenLWKalPa U20 (Jr. A SM-Liiga)

58Xavier ParentFHalifax Mooseheads (QMJHL)

59Ryder DonovanCDuluth East High (USHS-MN)

60Matias MaccelliLWDubuque Fighting Saints (USHL)

61Graeme ClarkeRWOttawa 67's (OHL)

62Josh WilliamsRWMedicine Hat Tigers (WHL)

63Simon LundmarkDLink├╢ping HC (SuperElit)

64Brady MeyerCCentral Illinois Flying Aces (USHL)

65Martin Hugo HasDTappara U20 (Jr. A SM-Liiga)

66Matvei GuskovCKrasnaya Armiya Moskva (MHL)

67Colten EllisGRimouski Océanic (QMJHL)

68Mason PrimeauCGuelph Storm (OHL)

69Massimo RizzoFPenticton Vees (BCHL)

70Nikita OkhotyukDOttawa 67's (OHL)

71Matej TomanLWHC Cese Budejovice (Czech2)

72Harrison BlaisdellFChilliwack Chiefs (BCHL)

73Philip BrobergDAIK U20 (SuperElit)

74Anthony RomanoRWAurora Tigers (OJHL)

75Robert MastrosimoneFChicago Steel (USHL)

76Michal TeplyLWBili Tygri Liberec U20 (Czech U20)

77Nathan StaiosDWindsor Spitfires (OHL)

78Phillip TomasinoCNiagara IceDogs (OHL)

79Filip PrikrylCHC Plzen U20 (Czech U20)

80Danny WeightFU.S. National Development Team (USHL)

81Brooklyn KalmikovLWCape Breton Screaming Eagles (QMJHL)

82Isac AnderssonC/LWFr├╢lunda HC J20 (SuperElit)

83Hugo AlnefeltGHV71 J20 (SuperElit)

84Judd CaulfieldFU.S. National Development Team (USHL)

85Dillon HamaliukLWSeattle Thunderbirds (WHL)

86Kaedan KorczakDKelowna Rockets (WHL)

87Elmer SoderblomC/RWFr├╢lunda HC J20 (SuperElit)

88Henry ThrunDU.S. National Development Team (USHL)

89Taylor GauthierGPrince George Cougars (WHL)

90Nolan MaierGSaskatoon Blades (WHL)

91Kalle LoponenDKärpät U20 (Jr. A SM-Liiga)

92David KopeRWEdmonton Oil Kings (WHL)

93Alex BeaucageRWRouyn-Noranda Huskies (QMJHL)

Now, remember these are preseason rankings. There';s a full season ahead giving
 these young players chances to move up and down the list. Some could fall
outside the top 93, while others could make appearances as we head towards the
2019 NHL Draft.Closing Out the Ranks

With that, there are a few things worth noting as we finish off these preseason
 rankings.

Arseni Gritsyuk spent the 2017-18 season with Avangard Omsk U17 over in Russia
and absolutely dominated the opposition. He fired home 28 goals in 36 regular
season games and finished with a total of 75 points along with a plus-65
rating. He also tallied three points in five games at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup,
but the real test will come as he makes the jump to the MHL next season.
That';s why he';s sitting just outside my top 100 - ranked 101st.Michal Mrazik
is a big left-winger with a lot of growing to go. He';s already 6';4″ and
 weighs just under 200 pounds. While he only had 20 points in 40 regular season
 games, he went on to tally seven points in 12 relegation games and six points
in four games in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. He';ll have to take some steps in his
game to climb higher than 104th.Brett Budgell may be my sleeper of the draft.
After having an incredible season with the London Jr. Knights of the Alliance
Hockey League, Budgell spent time in the USHL with the Chicago Steel - tallying
 just four points in 14 games. From there, he joined the QMJHL';s Charlottetown
 Islanders where he notched 10 goals and 22 points in 32 regular season games
with another 12 points in 18 postseason games. That said, he plays a
blue-collar type of game and could find himself climbing out of the 107th
rank.Brett Budgell scored 58 points in 32 regular season games with the London
Jr. Knights in his minor midget season. (Photo courtesy of Todd Budgell)

As always, I look forward to your thoughts on these preseason rankings. Are
there players missing from this list - or some that maybe shouldn';t be on it
in your opinion? Be sure to leave your thoughts by commenting below or via
email at andrew@thehockeywriters.com.

The post 2019 NHL Draft: Forbes'; Top 93 Preseason Rankings appeared first on
The Hockey Writers.

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheHockeyWrite...
--- SBBSecho 3.06-Win32
 * Origin: TequilaMockingbird Online - Toms River, NJ (1:266/404)