2021 NHL Draft Rankings: Rounding out Top 100, late-round sleepers to know [UPDATED]

Adding on to last week's final list and flagging prospects worth learning more about

When I was getting to the end of doing my final draft rankings there were about a dozen players that I was still on the fence on over inclusion. With the clock ticking, I decided to cut the list down to 90 (which you can view here) and get a little extra time to go over the guys I was on the fence about.

There were a few players that made my Top 90 that I know full well could be available late and maybe one or two that might not get drafted at all. There always seems to be a few. However, with the benefit of an extra week to keep reviewing video, I thought I’d get some more names on paper and give draft followers a chance to learn about some guys that I think might go late that I had notes on and liked, but maybe had one or two things that just didn’t give me enough confidence to put them higher. The first 10 players are now part of the completed Hockey Sense Top 100, with the rest players that I liked to be drafted, but not quite enough to get them into the final list.

Not all of these guys are going to be traditional sleepers as I know there are other outlets that may have them much higher than I do, but since I have the space and flexibility to get more players in front of your eyes, I figured I’d take advantage.

91. Artyom Grushnikov, D, Hamilton Bulldogs (OHL)

I listed Grushnikov as an honorable mention on my list that came out because I’m pretty sure he’s got a chance to go in the top three rounds of the draft despite not playing anywhere last season. My capsule didn’t talk much about him as a player, as opposed to his situation, so I wanted to get him back in here to give an honest assessment based on video viewings that are more than a year old now. Grushnikov is a solid two-way defenseman who has good size and mobility. He jumps into plays well and handles himself well in the defensive zone. What we don’t know is if he’s tacked on weight and how he’s kept himself in shape without games as he was supposed to play for Hamilton this season. Russia didn’t have him at the World U18s, which would have been a great chance to see how he has progressed. His skating is a standout trait and he has shown good poise with the puck at 16. Without new viewings, I hedge significantly. Based solely off his draft-minus-one viewings, there’s an awful lot to like.

92. Liam Dower Nilsson, C, Frölunda (SHL)

A highly-regarded forward in Sweden’s 2003 birth year for some time, Dower Nilsson averaged better than a point per game with Frölunda’s U20 team before the Swedish junior season was canceled. He got five games in with the senior team and was loaned out to Hanhals IF in third-division HockeyEttan, where he averaged a point per game. At the World U18s, Dower Nilsson was given a featured role for Sweden, but never really stood out in a meaningful way. He has a good work ethic, two-way responsibility and can make some plays. A lack of a dynamic element makes me wonder if he has that extra gear to find to reach the NHL. The disruption to his season didn’t create the best development environment to a player that I think can be a lot more than he showed this season.

93. Dmitry Kuzmin, D, Dinamo-Molodechno (Belarus)

Any player who scores with The Michigan usually doesn’t do it multiple times in a season. It’s even rarer to see a defenseman do it, but Kuzmin did it once in Belarus and once at the World U18s. He has a lot of offensive flair. I think his puck skills are high end, he skates well with good edges and can extend plays. His shot is fine, but it’s those in-tight skills that look pretty good to me. He is below average in size for a defenseman and spent most of these season playing in the top pro league in Belarus, where he handled himself quite well. Kuzmin was supposed to be playing in the OHL this season after signing with Flint, but when that was wiped out, he stayed home. There’s not a ton of precedent for what he did as a defenseman in the pro league in Belarus, but he is a unique talent that will be one to watch as he comes over to North America next season.

94. Brent Johnson, D, Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL)

Johnson is an intriguing offensive defenseman who is one of the better passers among blueliners in this draft. He has a great sense of timing and makes plays in the offensive zone with decisiveness. Johnson has a solid shot from the blue line, too, and does well getting shots through. He’s a bit slight for a defenseman and doesn’t necessarily have the mobility to alleviate those concerns. He’s an average skater and doesn’t defend particularly well. The Texas native was really effective with the puck on his stick, though. He had 32 points as a USHL rookie and is headed to the University of North Dakota next season.

95. Topias Vilén, D, Lahti (Liiga)

While Vilén has very little flash in his game, he is an effective puck mover who makes confident plays with the puck and does a nice job in transition. He defends adequately with some physicality and solid footwork, but he has room to improve. What I do like, though, is his aggressiveness, as he attacks pucks decisively and engages with the opposition quickly. Vilén gets pucks through well and has a good sense of when to shoot and where. In 35 games this season with Lahti, he put up a respectable eight points. That is the 11th most by a U18 blueliner in Finland’s top pro league ever. At the World U18s, Vilén occasionally showed flashes of his pro-level experience, putting up four assists. While he has offensive ability, I don’t see any dynamic element in his game that allows him to separate himself further from his peers.

96. Matvei Petrov, LW, MHK Krylia Sovetov Moscow (MHL)

A big forward with an electric release, Petrov has a lot of tools. He also had a lot of points – 42 in 58 games in Russia’s top U20 league, good for third among U18 players in that circuit. The numbers can be a bit deceiving, however, as almost half of them came on the power play. Scoring regardless of strength is never a bad thing, but Petrov thrives on the extra time and space in a way that doesn’t translate as easily 5-on-5. His scoring ability is high-end for this class in particular and it’s not like he’s always on the perimeter. Petrov didn’t do himself many favors at the World U18s either. His role in the lineup was limited, and without getting power play time he wasn’t much of a factor. He finished the tournament with one secondary assist. On tools alone, he’s on the list, but I think there’s reason to view him with some skepticism.

97. Oscar Plandowski, D, Charlottetown (QMJHL)

Plandowski was in the mix very late in the process for the first list I put out. He has good two-way capabilities, skates well and can make solid outlet passes. He had just 17 points in 39 QMJHL games and two points in eight postseason contests, so his offensive game still can come along a bit, but there are flashes. He has a good shot, with both good one-timer and catch-and-shoot capabilities. He gets the puck off his stick in a hurry. Defensively, he’s solid with good footwork and an ability to keep everything in front of him. There’s maturity in his game, but the skill level needs to keep coming for him to have a better chance of being a true two-way guy at the next level.

98. Sean Tschigerl, LW, Calgary Hitmen (WHL)

A force during the short WHL season, Tschigerl played his way onto my radar with some solid production in the WHL and an ability to poach pucks. He developed some more touch and anticipates well. Tschigerl also competes, not quitting on a play until it’s finished. It was also pretty remarkable how often he found himself or put himself at the right spot at the right time. The blessing of the season is that he played, the curse of the season is that we have to decide if he really is how much we can read into 21 games. He scored nine of his 13 goals over the last eight games of the season, too. You take some of the numbers with a grain of salt, but looking at how he scored them, while also knowing he has some room to grow and build strength, the comfort level in him as a prospect grows.

99. Alexei Kolosov, G, Dinamo Minsk (KHL)

After going undrafted last year, Kolosov had planned to join the OHL’s Erie Otters last season. When he was forced to stay home, he got himself into KHL games with Minsk this season and handled himself well. He also had some solid moments on a Belarus team that struggled at the Men’s World Championship. A slightly below-average size for a goaltender, Kolosov battles and has good quickness. A season ago, he was excellent for Belarus in their the Division I U20 championship and got a lot of reps against men in Belarus’s second division. He’s never had a particularly strong team in front of him, but competes every time out and gives that team a chance. I liked what I saw and I think his performance at the World Championship put him on enough radars that will see him get picked.

100. Aleksi Malinen, D, JYP (Liiga)

Despite a relative lack of physical maturity, Malinen was given a decent-sized role with JYP in Liiga all season. Some games he played limited minutes, sometimes he was getting top-four deployment. It’s a pretty remarkable thing for a young guy like that to get that much trust put in him. Malinen seems to think the game at a high level, but doesn’t always execute at a high level. There’s not a ton of offensive ability for him and he’s only OK defensively. I think he’ll get better as he gets more strength because there were games this year he was overwhelmed physically and just could not really stop the opponent from dictating in battle situations. Even at the U18 worlds, he was on the wrong end of puck and net-front battles. I think there’s enough that he can build off of due to his hockey sense, and teams will be impressed by the way he handled his first season of pro hockey.

********UPDATE********

DND. Logan Mailloux, D, SK Lejon (HockeyEttan)

Update: As reported by Frank Seravalli and subsequently detailed by Katie Strang in The Athletic, Mailloux was investigated and subsequently fined for “offensive photography” and “defamation” after secretly photographing he and a woman engaged in a sexual act without the women’s consent. The photo was said to have been shared on his Snapchat among his SK Lejon teammates, which got back to the victim and she immediately went to the police. According to Seravalli at The Daily Faceoff, Mailloux paid a fine equivalent to $1,650 USD. Swedish law does not allow them to name minors even after conviction, though both Strang and Seravalli confirmed this to be Mailloux.

I was not aware of this incident before the piece was published, and would have never have listed him had I known. I did not do enough of my own due diligence about Mailloux’s off-ice conduct while researching his on-ice play, which is on me. As a result of this news coming to light and the serious nature of the offense, I am officially listing Mailloux as a do-not-draft after previously listing him No. 95 on my list. I apologize to my readers for not doing more legwork to better understand Mailloux’s background and what happened this season.

*****

Later round players to know

These are players that I couldn’t find a spot for on my list, but made enough of an impression to warrant mentioning. While they’re not numbered, I did order them in a way relative to where I think they should be drafted at least among one another. Some of these players very well could get drafted higher, but I have them as safer projections in the 4th to 7th-round range.

Noah Meier, D, ZSC Lions (NLA)

Meier just missed last year’s draft cutoff and made some nice strides this season playing mostly in Switzerland’s second division. He also got 18 games in a the top pro level, putting up one assists, while dressing but not playing a ton in nine playoff games. Meier thrived more in the second division where they were giving him top-four deployment and special teams action. It was good for his development. Meier is fair defensively and I think there’s some underlying offensive potential in his game. He has a sneaky shot from the point, gets pucks through well and makes good passes in transition. He’s one of those classic players that isn’t great at any one thing, but has enough tools to give him a chance.

Dmitri Katelevsky, RW, Kazan (VHL)

Playing most of the season in Russia’s second division, Katelevsky was challenged and still found success. He has a big frame, with good strength to go along with it. He’s hard to knock off the puck and has good offensive instincts. His skating is not good and possibly not good enough to get drafted, however his size profile and instincts at the net front are solid. Even though he scored just one goal at World U18s, I thought he found ways to impact the game and disrupt the opposition in the offensive zone. He has a good feel for where to be and how to time plays, too. That’s where he intrigues me enough to think he could get picked somewhere.

Aku Koskenvuo, G, HIFK U20 (Finland U20)

Finland’s primary starter at the World U18 Championship, Koskenvuo held his own despite a leaky defense in front of him. He had some good games and some bad ones, like has been the case all season. His numbers in just 13 games were below-average with an .893 save percentage while playing for HIFK’s U20 program. Despite the subpar numbers, you can see the elements in Koskenvuo’s game that he can build on. He’s a big goaltender with solid mobility and competitiveness. He fights traffic well and finds pucks amid chaos. There are some good technical elements in his game, too. Whoever ends up drafting Koskenvuo will do so knowing that he has an especially long timeline. He’s on track to attend Harvard by the start of 2022-23, which means he won’t be able to get reps in Liiga, though I’m not sure he’d have been ready for that anyway. So it’s at least another year of junior, then college. There’s a lot of runway for him to develop yet.

Kyle Kukkonen, C, Maple Grove (MN-HS)

A late 2002-born player who stayed with his high school team this season, Kukkonen put up massive points in a great season for Maple Grove H.S. He also spent time with the Minot Minotauros in the NAHL where he continued to excel offensively. Kukkonen has impressive hand skills that high school defensemen couldn’t handle. With a high-end shot, he was able to score with ease throughout the season. He dominated whatever level he was at this season with the puck on his stick. Away from the puck he needs work and has to get stronger. Headed to Michigan Tech next season, Kukkonen should play a featured role right away, which will be good for his long-term development.

Jimi Suomi, D, Jokerit U20 (Finland U20)

An electric skater, Suomi gets up and down the ice quickly. He appeared in 15 U20 games with Jokerit this season, putting up 11 points. He also had four assists in this year’s World U18s. The skill he has is pretty solid, but he is an undersized defenseman who plays small. Defensively, you’re not getting a ton of value out of him and his puck decisions at times were immature. I think there’s a foundation of a player there, with that skating and skill, but he’s the kind of player that frustrates you more than not while watching him. If he can find a way to put it together, he might have a chance. Suomi was supposed to play for the Chicago Steel this year, which would have given us a longer look at him and probably some good development, but the pandemic ruined those plans. He has signed a pro contract with TPS and plans to stay in Finland next season.

Simon Motew, D, Chicago Cougars (USPHL Premier)

Motew was supposed to play for the Kitchener Rangers this year, as he did at 16 in 2019-20, but the Highland Park, Ill., native found a temporary home with the Chicago Cougars in the Tier III USPHL. An OHL defenseman in that league should dominate, and Motew did — putting up silly numbers. In just 21 regular-season games with the club he averaged 2.14 points per game. In the playoffs, he had 16 points in five games. Those numbers are difficult to contextualize because of the quality of competition. On tape, Motew has decent mobility and good soft-touch skills highlighted by a quick release and confident passing. The problem I have is that the way he played in the USPHL is probably not how he’s going to be playing at higher levels. He always had a green light and he converted on so many chances. One wonders what his OHL season would have looked like. He did have similar flashes in the PBHH Invitational as well, where he was playing against better competition. Without a normal season to see how he progressed against a higher level of play, Motew is a challenging player to figure out for this draft, but I saw enough to think he’s got a chance to be a late pick with some upside. Similar to my intrigue regarding Mailloux, I’m fascinated by the player and will be waiting to see more next season.

Arseni Sergeev, G, Shreveport Mudbugs (NAHL)

I have to thank a well-informed Hockey Sense subscriber for telling me to dig in a little more on Sergeev, because I liked what I saw after the tip. The North American Hockey League has been a spot where young goalies have really been able to develop and grow into higher-end goalies. The league has become a frequent stop for NHL scouts as a result. Sergeev put up great numbers while splitting games with Cole Hudson, who is two years his senior. Hudson ultimately got the net for the postseason run, leading the Mudbugs to a Robertson Cup title. Sergeev is a late 2002 who has been in North America the last two seasons. He is big and quick, but can get a little scrambly in the crease. This is a total upside play for the team that drafts him. Sergeev will likely play in the USHL next season after getting drafted by the Tri-City Storm. He’s going to need a lot of reps and patience, but after putting up a .936 save percentage in 20 appearances this season, he showed there’s a really talented goaltender waiting to be molded further. I could see him being a late pick as a result.

Brett Brochu, G, London Knights (OHL)

A second-year eligible player, Brochu didn’t play anywhere this year, at least not permanently. He did get a game as an emergency call-up for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the AHL. It’s hard to gauge much off of that performance, where he came in to a rude awakening with Hershey putting five past him. Brochu also was in Canada’s World Junior camp but did not make the team. Brochu had a tremendous 2019-20 season with the London Knights with the best goals-against average in the OHL and an all-rookie selection. He was one of the youngest players eligible for last year’s draft. At 5-foot-11, many teams will not list him at all, but he competes, has good athleticism and technique and plays aggressive to try to make up for the size gap. If a team took him, I doubt it’s before the seventh round, but I think he’s at least worth a long look as the draft board thins out.