Playoffs are here for many European leagues, the NCAA tournament is nearly upon us, and several Preds prospects are impressing worldwide.
Semyon Chistyakov
The KHL playoffs are here, and Semyon Chistyakov and Avangard Omsk are well-positioned for a run at another championship. Playing as the second seed in the Eastern Conference, Omsk is currently up two games to none over Lada Togliatti in the first round.
Chistyakov continues his important role as Omsk’s top shutdown defender, playing more than 21 minutes each night. He finished his regular season with four goals and 24 points in 59 games. Just six of those points were primary ones scored at even strength, but Chistyakov allowed just 1.99 even-strength goals per 60 minutes all year.
Vladislav Yeryomenko
If there was any team in the east that best Chistyakov’s Omsk this year, it was Vladislav Yeryomenko’s Metallurg Magnitogorsk. The conference’s top seed is up two games to one against Amur Khabarovsk so far, and Yeryomenko is playing as a depth defender for the contenders.
In 31 regular-season games, Yeryomenko was in and out of the lineup and dealt with injury issues as well. He posted three goals and eight points, including three primary points scored at even strength. I don’t ever expect Nashville to sign Yeryomenko to an entry-level contract, but his KHL deal expires this spring; it remains to be seen where he’ll head next.
Konstantin Volkov
This has been a tough season for Konstantin Volkov. His team, Dynamo Moscow, finished atop the KHL’s Western Conference, but his story has been a lot different. In 2022-23, Volkov was arguably the best backup in the league, finishing with a 0.928 save percentage in 31 games. This year, however, he appeared in just ten games, losing starts to number-one goalie Ilya Konovalov and rookie Maxim Motorygin.
In those ten games, Volkov posted a 0.889 save percentage and allowed 6.242 goals below average. His contract is up this offseason, and I doubt he’ll see any playoff action to boost his stock.
Anton Olsson
It’s been a journeyman year for Anton Olsson. The young Swedish defender began the year with Skellefteå AIK of the SHL; when he struggled to maintain a spot on their blueline, he took a seven-game loan to Jukurit of the Finnish Liiga. He played quite well, scoring two goals and three points but wound up injured and returned to Sweden.
After a few more games with his SHL club where he didn’t top nine minutes of ice time, Olsson was loaned to AIK of the HockeyAllsvenskan for the remainder of the season. Playing a tier down in the Swedish hockey landscape, Olsson still isn’t wowing folks on the ice. His European contract is up this summer, and Nashville has until next summer to sign him but time is running out for the 2021 third-round pick.
Jesse Kiiskinen
Jesse Kiiskinen has had an okay post-draft season, totaling four goals and ten points in 38 games for the Liiga’s Pelicans. He was a late cut from Finland’s World Junior Championship (WJC) roster but played with a vengeance in January, scoring three goals and five points in 11 games.
Since the start of February, Kiiskinen has been assigned to the Pelicans’ U20 squad, and it’s just been flat-out unfair. In six games in the U20 SM-sarja, Kiiskinen has tormented opponents, racking up eight goals, 14 points, and a stunning 58 shots on goal. It’s clear he’s too good for the junior circuit; he just needs more ice time against pros.
Adam Ingram
As the St. Cloud State Huskies fight for their postseason hopes, Adam Ingram is quietly piecing together an impressive sophomore campaign. Sitting 14th in the Pairwise ranking right now, the Huskies have some work to do to ensure they make this year’s NCAA tournament, and Ingram will be a big part of that.
In 32 games this year, Ingram has pitched in nine goals and 25 points—good for fourth on his team. 11 of Ingram’s 25 points have been primary ones scored at even strength as he’s a major power-play contributor for the Huskies. But still, he’s notched a primary point on 55.0 percent of the even-strength goals he’s been on the ice for, taking advantage of the five-on-five opportunities his line generates.
A strong postseason and a step forward in 2024-25 could land Ingram an NHL deal before he graduates.
Kalan Lind
It’s been a bit of a rocky year for Kalan Lind mostly due to injury and illness, and yet he’s still pumping in a point-per-game campaign. The 2023 second-round pick has 14 goals and 40 points in 39 games this season and is coming off an impressive February.
In 11 games, the Red Deer forward has scored five goals and nine points for a Rebels team that’s fifth from last in the WHL in goals scored with 3.13 per game. Lind hasn’t quite had the chance to put up eye-popping numbers the past two seasons due to missing significant time, but he’ll be back for a fourth campaign with Red Deer in the fall and have a chance to truly dominate the league.
Isak Walther
Isak Walther is a prospect I’ve been so tantalized by since he was drafted almost five years ago. When he was playing junior hockey in Sweden, I was intrigued by his 6’4″ frame but had concerns about his skating; when he came to the University of Vermont in 2021, those concerns were exacerbated.
But last year, his sophomore season, I saw progress; I saw a player who won a lot more of the battles he should be winning and one who put home nine goals and 19 points in 36 games for a mediocre Catamounts team. That’s why this year’s been a bit disappointing.
He hasn’t taken a step back but time missed due to injury means he hasn’t taken another step forward. His ten points in 21 games is fine, but here’s to hoping he can become a game-changing forward for Vermont in his senior year.
Graham Sward
The incredible story of Graham Sward continues. The Wenatchee Wild captain put together a stunning February, scoring 16 points in 13 games and bringing his season total to 73 points in 58 games. He’s neck and neck with Sharks’ prospect Luca Cagnoni (75 points) for the WHL defender scoring title, and even his non-power play production remains impressive. Sward has scored 1.50 primary points per 60 minutes of even-strength ice time; only one other defender in the pipeline is above one, and that’s Tanner Molendyk (1.28).
Sward is helping lead a Wild team that sold at the trade deadline to a playoff birth and has gone without a point in just 14 games this year. I expect him to sign an entry-level deal with Nashville in the coming months.
