Four T-Birds crack NHL Central Scouting’s midterm rankings

Tuesday morning, NHL Central Scouting released their 2015 midterm rankings of players eligible for the upcoming NHL Draft. Four T-Birds made the list: center Mathew Barzal, wings Ryan Gropp and Keegan Kolesar, and defenseman Ethan Bear.

Last year Seattle finished the season absent from Central Scouting’s final list. In 2013, Seattle had five players in the final rankings but only one, Shea Theodore, was actually drafted. Theodore, selected 26th overall by the Anaheim Ducks that year, was ranked 11th among North American skaters. Roberts Lipsbergs (85), Jared Hauf (103), Jerret Smith (172), and Taylor Green (190) were the other four skaters to make the list.

Barzal, who is ranked ninth overall, has been near the top of the rankings since the beginning of the season and has been widely expected to be a top-10 pick since he was drafted by the T-Birds as a 15-year-old. Now 17, Barzal hasn’t had much of a chance to show off his skills this season as he’s missed a significant amount of time with a cracked kneecap. After scoring 18 points in his first 16 games, Barzal will need to re-establish himself as one of the league’s elite talents when he makes his expected return this week.

Despite missing a large chunk of the season, Barzal’s rankings haven’t dropped much, if at all, in most scouting circles. Morgan Rielly, now of the Toronto Maple Leafs, played in only 18 regular-season games during his draft year and was still picked fifth by the Toronto Maple Leafs. As long as Barzal comes back at full health and is able to pick up where he left off, an NHL club will still invest a very high pick on him.

Gropp, a native of Kamloops, British Columbia, comes in at 62nd overall, but other scouting services have him ranked as high as the 30s, which likely puts him somewhere in the second or third round of the draft. The left wing with great speed and one of the best shots in the league has proven that he can excel without Barzal on his line. In 40 games this season, Gropp has 33 points, putting him on pace to surpass his total of 42 points in 59 contests last season.

With Barzal returning from injury, he won’t participate in the BMO CHL/NHL Top Prospects game on Thursday, Jan. 22 in St. Catharine’s, Ontario. Gropp, however, will suit up for Team Orr alongside NHL Central Scouting’s top prospect, the Erie Otters’ Connor McDavid.

After Gropp, the next T-Bird on the list is Keegan Kolesar, who comes in at No. 94 after not being included in the scouting service’s list of preliminary players to watch, which was released in September.

Kolesar has 28 points and 63 penalty minutes in 44 games and has made huge strides at both ends of the ice this season. Despite his large build at 6 feet 1 and 216 pounds, Kolesar displays what he calls “silky” hands and good skating to accompany his intimidating presence in front of the net and in the corners. As the season wears on, watch for Kolesar to continue to improve and potentially move up the rankings even further. Built more like a linebacker than a right wing, Kolesar’s combination of size and skill will be very attractive to NHL teams.

Rounding out the list for Seattle is Ethan Bear, a 5-foot-11, 204-pound defenseman with a cannon for a shot. In 17 fewer games, Bear has surpassed his goal, assist, and point totals from last season. Through 41 games, the Ochapowace, Saskatchewan native has 27 points on nine goals and 18 assists, and currently sits at an even plus/minus rating.

After surprising as a 16-year-old rookie, Bear has been given a much larger role this year, manning one of the points on Seattle’s power play and killing penalties. Bear is currently ranked 133rd on Central Scouting’s list.

Although more names made the list in 2013, it appears much more likely that Seattle will have more players selected when the NHL Draft rolls around this summer. All four players offer a very unique and desirable skill set and still have major room for growth.

For Seattle, the ability to develop players and put them in the NHL means that this team, which has shown flashes of greatness this season, will be an even bigger force to be reckoned with next year. Additionally, it will become a more desirable location for highly-ranked players with their eyes on a professional career as they see players on the current roster excel.