The last list before the NHL draft from NHL Central Scouting is out, and if that list proves accurate, the Brandon Wheat Kings are in for a big day at the draft.
Four Wheat Kings, three skaters and a goaltender, have cracked the final list of the season for Central Scouting. Defenseman Gio Pantelas, defenseman Cam Allard, forward Joby Baumuller, and goaltender Filip Ruzicka are all on the new list.
There was never any doubt that Pantelas would be there; the 6-foot-2, 211-pound defenseman has had a prototypical draft season, representing Canada at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup, playing in the CHL vs. USNTDP game, and then playing in the WHL Top Prospects Game. He set career highs across the board offensively with 37 points in 68 games and featured on both of Central Scouting’s previous lists, coming in this time at 46th.
The second half proved to be well-used for Allard, a 6-fot-3 defenseman who shoots right. He finished with seven goals and 19 points in his first full season in Brandon and shot up the rankings, moving up 60 spots from the midterm rankings to 130th.
After his first 40-goal season, Baumuller appears on Central Scouting’s list for the third time this season. He finished with 40 goals and 62 points despite missing ten games due to injury, and is ranked 156th, rising slightly from the mid-terms as well.
Perhaps the most impressive rise came from Ruzicka. After a stellar playoff series against Calgary, and after amassing a 26-14-1 record and a .906 save percentage in the regular season, he jumped up from the 13th ranked North American goaltender to the fourth.
This year’s NHL Entry Draft will take place June 26th and 27th in Buffalo.
