Extra-deep 2015 NHL draft has a few surprises

We're several weeks into the season now and while the picture is far from clear, it's a little less fuzzy and starting to come into sharper focus. At Red Line Report, we were anticipating that 2015 would bring a terrific draft crop, with a star-studded top end and quality depth through the second round.

Thus far, we're pleased to report that the early season has confirmed that notion for us, and has even brought some positive surprises to further increase our optimism. We'd like to highlight a few those.

The logical place to start is in Topeka, Kan. … wait, what?! That's right - Topeka. Because that's where stud Slovakian netminder Matej Tomek now resides.

While we liked Tomek a lot as an underager for Slovakia on the international stage last year, he simply made a mockery of the North American Hockey League's season-opening showcase event. And while it might be bold, we've already moved him into our first round and feel as though he could challenge Barrie's Mackenzie Blackwood (our presumptive preseason favorite) for the top spot among all goalies.

One other prospect we didn't anticipate rising to the top level so quickly is swashbuckling Swedish blue-liner Jesper Lindgren — an Erik Karlsson clone who takes big risks, but is also providing big rewards.

In the Western Hockey League, huge Tri-City defenceman Brandon Carlo seems to improve by leaps and bounds right before our eyes every time we see him. Meanwhile, Brandon's tank-like winger Jesse Gabrielle has made a huge leap forward in his progression, and if the offensive production he has shown early on continues, he'll rocket up our draft list since we already liked his truculent style.

Our choice for early season revelation in Quebec is Saint John defenseman Thomas Chabot. He was virtually unknown to us when the season began, but has quickly drawn our attention with his athleticism and passing ability.

One final name we'd like to throw out there is Minnesota rearguard Ryan Zuhlsdorf. He's playing the early part of the schedule with Sioux City in the USHL before heading back to Edina for his high school season, and we have taken a real shine to his great skating and intelligent puck movement.

Rising

-Dylan Strome (Erie): Off to a fabulous start in early OHL play, and is starting to remind us of how dynamic his older brother was in the "O."

-Ryan Zuhlsdorf (Sioux City): Incredibly poised and intelligent d-man has gone from bantam to Sioux City's best defender in just two years. We were blown away by his mature and polished game at the Fall Classic.

-Thomas Chabot (Saint John) — Has shown a very attractive combination of lean athleticism and puck moving skills from the back end.

-Glenn Gawdin (Swift Current): Two-way center already has surprised us with his attention to detail and offensive confidence. Further physical development could push him beyond what we initially thought possible.

-Matt Spencer (Peterborough): Has looked smooth in his puckhandling and quick with his decisions from the blue line. Was already an intimidating physical force.

Falling

-Chase Pearson (Youngstown): Has not adapted yet to the quicker pace in the USHL, and surprisingly seems to lack jump in his stride.

-Chaz Reddekopp (Victoria): Has been handling the puck like it's a bomb at the end of his stick, and is just not showing any ability to become involved in the offensive flow.

News and notes from around the scouting community

Last year was a lean year for high school talent in the Upper Midwest with just a handful of players drafted, including some that we frankly couldn't fathom. This year, however, is shaping up to be tremendously exciting for the sheer number of potential draft picks.

There must have been something in the water because the players Red Line likes are all rangy 6'2" or bigger defencemen. Players like Will Borgen (Moorhead High), Tyler Jutting (Shattuck St. Mary's), Adam Parsells (Team Wisconsin), and the Lakeville North High tandem of Jack McNeely and Jack Sadek have emerged as the top five kids in the region, although there is a strong cluster of 5-7 more players who are right on their tail. Maybe some teams will be willing to take on bigger projects like Colin Gallagher, Jacob Olson, Luke Jaycox, or Ty Pelton-Byce, all of whom could push the top five by season's end.

Speaking of high school, there's a growing trend of players opting to play before/after their high school season, which is encouraging yet worrisome at the same time. Yes, we like to see players challenge themselves at higher levels of competition, but then playing down to the lesser level of competition can create bad habits and might cause developmental stagnation.

Two kids in Red Line's early rankings, Jared Bethune and Ryan Zuhlsdorf, are doing exactly this — spending the fall with their respective United States Hockey League clubs before heading back to Warroad and Edina when the season starts. It's a sort of litmus test also, and we got to see their true colors at the USHL's season-opening showcase event in Sioux City. Bethune was exposed as a straight-line, meat-and-potatoes type of forward, while Zuhlsdorf emerged as a fluid and directionally sound defender with high end hockey sense. And we fear that they'll return home where Bethune will fill the net, and Zuhlsdorf's development might stall.

-Last year, the Saskatoon Blades finished in the WHL basement after going all-in hosting the Memorial Cup the previous season. Fortunately for scouts, Nikita Scherbak's surprise emergence made the team a worthwhile visit. Now that Scherbak has left for greener pastures, it looks like once again we could have a surprise emergence even if wins are few and far between for the club.

Wyatt Sloboshan is an undersized (5-10 179) forward who has had an impressive start to his rookie campaign, leading all Blades scorers and consistently finding the score sheet in four out of the first five games. He's an opportunistic player who has shown great anticipation with an uncanny ability to intercept passes in high reward areas. He was never even on Red LIne's radar until the season opened, so safe to say he has been a hugely pleasant surprise.

-Three hours south of Saskatoon, the Swift Current Broncos are starting to become a beacon of success that all small market Canadian Hockey League franchises should try to emulate. By bringing in talented young players year after year, it encourages even the most hesitant prospects to commit to your organization.

During the last four years, Swift Current has produced nine NHL draft picks and this year looks like more of the same, as early on, two young Broncos have turned in impressive performances. Glenn Gawdin did not take his Hockey Canada under-18 team snub lightly and has shown a committed effort so far in all phases of play while leading the team's second line down the middle.

Meanwhile, Jake DeBrusk is playing on the team's top line and showcasing surprising offensive capabilities while patrolling the sideboards with purpose and aggression so far.