Each season, while we focus on the draft class ahead, I interrupt that coverage to provide an early look at the players to keep an eye on two drafts out. Normally when this list drops all of the players have moved past their minor hockey careers to begin playing at top junior levels or, in some cases, pro levels. This year, because of the OHL and WHL delays, there are some who had to be considered here who have yet to play hockey at a level that matters, making this exercise even trickier than usual. The good news is that a couple of those OHL and WHL players, namely Shane Wright and Matthew Savoie, I’ve watched for a couple of years (Wright in the OHL last year and with the Don Mills Flyers before that; and Savoie in the WHL last year, and the AJHL and USHL this year). The other good news is that this draft class is heavy on talent from the U.S. National Team Development Program, and a smattering of them playing in the QMJHL, Slovakia, Finland, Russia, Sweden, Austria (via Germany) and the Czech Republic — all of whom have played close to normal schedules.
