Europe offers a solid pool of top end prospects available in the 2020 NHL Draft. The dynamic and dynamite German, Tim Stützle. A future starting goalie from Russia – Yaroslav Askarov. The dynamic pair of forwards, Lukas Raymond and Alexander Holtz from Sweden. All four of these prospects will likely be premium picks on the 6th of October – Round 1 of the 2020 NHL Draft.
Today: four more European players, representing three different countries, are on track to be selected during the NHL’s opening round.
Additional European Prospects
The remaining European top prospects originate from Finland, Russia and Germany. These four additional players are, surprise surprise, forwards. Any which way you slice it, the 2020 NHL Draft is chalk full of talented forwards. So without further adieu:
Anton Lundell: Espoo, Finland – HIFK, Helsinki (Liiga)
Lundell is likely the highest caliber prospect of today’s group of prospects. The 6’1, 185-pound left shot center spent last season with HIFK in the Finnish Liiga – Finland’s highest professional league. The late, 2001 born Lundell was able to produce 10 goals and 18 assists in 44 games with his Helsinki (HIFK) team in 2019/20. Lundell is described as one of the most complete two-way centers available in this draft and will likely be a top 15 selection on October 6th.
Rodion Amirov: Salavat, Russia – Salavat Yulaev Ufa (KHL)
Another late (October) born 2001, Rodion Amirov has been described has a highly skilled, and exciting offensive player. Many draft pundits have pegged the left winger as the most skillful player with the puck in this 2020 draft class. Last season, Amirov played parts of the season with three different teams, in three separate Russian leagues – 21 games with the KHL’s Salavat Yulaev Ufa club, 5 games with Toros Neftekamsk of the VHL, and 17 games with Tolpar Ufa of the MHL. The VHL/MHL are Russian junior leagues so Amirov has been gaining experience against top competition within and outside his peer class. Amirov is projected to be taken in the 2nd half of the 1st round.
German Hockey Talent
Over the past several years, Germany has been producing more and more young hockey talent. Historically, Germany is a football (soccer) nation, but the country has recently been producing some excellent hockey players. In a year where Leon Draisaitl led the league in scoring with 110 points, and a candidate for the Ted Lindsay award (Most Outstanding Player) – why would we not talk about more Germans? In addition to top-3 pick Stutzle, Germany offers two other potential first round selections:
John-Jason Peterka: Muenchen, Germany – Munich (DEL)
From Munich, Peterka played for his home team Red Bull during the 2019/20 DEL season. At the age of 18, the left-shot, right winger put up 7 goals and 4 assists in 48 DEL game last season. Peterka also joined Stutzle on the German World Junior team (see above). Paterka may be taken in the 1st round, but look for him towards the back half of the opening round.
Lukas Reichel: Nuremberg, Germany – Berlin (DEL)
Another German with late round first potential is left-winger Lukas Reichel. Reichel played last season with Berlin of the DEL and racked up 12 goals and 12 assists over 42 games. That is a decent pace for an 18-year-old player in Germany’s highest professional league. As such, Reichel could be taken in the middle to ladder half of the opening round.
Two things have become clear as we inch closer to the 2020 NHL Draft. Firstly, the 2020 NHL draft has a ton of high end forward prospects. As a result, I am very interested to see how NHL teams prioritize D-men and how this might affect the entire 2020 draft.
Secondly, it is encouraging for the game of hockey to see such amazing advancement from an otherwise soccer crazed country. After two straight years of NHL first round picks from Germany, the country continues its evolution of prospect development. Having three German players projected in the 1st round is conclusive evidence that the revamped development system is clearly working. Well done Deutschland.
NOTE: Prospect and NHL Draft News: Top European Players – Sweden
