NHL Draft Stock Watch: Korchinski, Schaefer among rising players in CHL playoffs

Five weeks sounds like a lot, but before you know it, the NHL draft will be here. The season is still not officially over, but we’re inching ever closer to that. There are 85 prospects in Buffalo currently at the NHL Scouting Combine, while a few others will be participating in the league finals across the CHL, marking the last meaningful games for scouts to get their views in.

In the Ontario Hockey League, the Windsor Spitfires will meet the Hamilton Bulldogs in the championship series. Over in the QMJHL, it will be the Shawinigan Cataractes against the Charlottetown Islanders. Lastly, the WHL may provide some of the most important draft viewings as the Seattle Thunderbirds will take on the Edmonton Oil Kings.

And that’s where we’ll start this week’s NHL Draft Stock Watch. The Seattle Thunderbirds have two players that have shot up draft boards over the course of the season with one being a lock for the first round and another making a stronger case. There’s also another player who has consistently elevated his level of play and has made a late push for mid-round consideration. All three players can raise their stocks a little higher against an absolutely loaded Edmonton Oil Kings squad.

The big risers

Kevin Korchinski, D: Playing a top-four role on Seattle’s defense, Korchinski has been a key player in the Thunderbirds’ rise to the WHL final. During the Western Conference final against Kamloops, Korchinski had three goals to extend his postseason total to six. He actually had four goals over the course of the regular season. He’s shown an ability to jump into plays and play more aggressively when his team needs offense. Defensively, he’s adequate, but the offensive elements of his game have really rounded out this year.

When it comes to defensemen, the consensus suggests that Simon Nemec and David Jiricek are the top two in the draft. There’s not much consensus about who will go next. Korchinski is absolutely in the mix to be that player, though. He’s 6-foot-2 and has room to tack on more strength to his lanky frame, and his offensive capabilities suggest some strong potential. While he has stiff competition to be the No. 3 defenseman off the board in July, he’s getting the extended audition at a key time of the season to show just how much his game has progressed this year.

Reid Schaefer, LW: Another riser on Seattle’s roster, Schaefer has picked up a little first-round buzz in the late stages of the season. He had 58 points in 66 regular-season games and now has 18 points in 19 playoff contests. He wasn’t as offensively effective in the last series against Kamloops, but has been a key forward the whole way, playing big minutes and causing problems for opposing defenses.

Schaefer is 6-foot-3 and 214 pounds, can win battles along the walls, is hard to knock off the puck and then has some nice offensive touch for a player of his size. NHL Central Scouting ranked him 31st among North American skaters, which is in line with what I’ve heard from some NHL teams. He’s a good skater for his size and that strength he plays with has really been on display this postseason. Schaefer is a key piece on a team that’s made it farther than most expected them to and that’s a great last impression for him to leave with NHL teams.

Jordan Gustafson, C: With 14 points in the postseason, Gustafson has continued a strong season that will likely find him drafted in the mid rounds, possibly as early as the second round. He’s a solid two-way player with good work ethic and good enough skill to be an offensive threat. His skating is probably one of his better assets. His performance this postseason has certainly put him more firmly on the map as NHL teams finalize their boards.

Other players of note from the CHL playoffs

Fraser Minten, C, Kamloops Blazers: After finishing fifth in scoring on a very deep Kamloops squad, Minten continued his strong play into the playoffs with 16 points in 17 games before the Blazers were eliminated by Seattle in the Western Conference Final. He played upwards of 20 minutes in the most important games, was strong in the faceoff circle and made his team better. He’s been a riser throughout the season, showing that he can play alongside and against top junior players and more than hold his own.

Nathan Gaucher, C, Quebec Remparts: A bitterly disappointing end to Quebec’s season on home ice doesn’t overshadow a strong end-of-season performance by Gaucher. He’s floated around the late first round throughout the season because he’s a big, rugged center who has a solid two-way game and enough skill to put up some points. I think there was some hope his offensive game would pop a little more because he has the ability to be physically dominant in the junior ranks, but he performed admirably enough. It would have been nice to get a longer look at him in the QMJHL final or in the Memorial Cup, but that’s hockey. He’s going to have a strong enough body of work to remain in the first-round conversation.

Eye on the USHL

Elsewhere in junior hockey, the USHL wrapped up its Clark Cup championship series between the Sioux City Musketeers and Madison Capitols a few weeks back. Sioux City ended up winning the best-of-five series in Game 4, ending a 22-year title drought for the USHL franchise. I made it out to Game 3 of that series and saw plenty of NHL scouts in the building. Most eyes, and mine as well, were trained on two players who acquitted themselves well.

Dylan James, LW, Sioux City: James has been a riser throughout the season after averaging nearly a point per game in the USHL. He now has a Clark Cup championship and was just named the league’s rookie of the year. James is headed to the University of North Dakota next season, which is a perfect spot for him to continue to round out his aggressive, strong game. He’s a net-front force despite not being a towering forward and goes to all the dirty areas to compete. He skates well enough and showcased improved skill throughout the season. He was one of the real surprise stories in the USHL this year after only getting seven games the previous season in the AJHL due to the COVID shutdown.

Quinn Finley, LW, Madison: Finley is an intriguing prospect in that he clearly has advanced skill and can make a lot of high-level plays, but he missed a chunk of this season and his number didn’t really pop. However, he was much more effective in the postseason with 10 points over 14 games to play a leading role in his team’s Clark Cup bid that came up just short. Finley is one of the youngest players in this draft, which is another reason scouts are intrigued by him, because there’s a lot of room for him to grow. He has to get a lot stronger to be an effective pro, but I think he gave teams a reason to consider him on their draft boards in the mid-rounds.

One for the road…

Adam Sykora, LW, HK Nitra: Playing on the same team as top draft prospect Simon Nemec, Sykora made a name for himself among scouts with his impressive play throughout the season in the Slovakian pro ranks. Anyone that wasn’t paying attention yet couldn’t avoid how well Sykora played for Slovakia at the recent Men’s World Championship, too. He wasn’t as utilized as much Nemec or Juraj Slafkovsky, but in limited ice time, Sykora made a positive impact. Sykora is a very good skater, has refined skill and absolutely no fear. He finished the Worlds with two goals and an assist in six games as Slovakia reached the playoff round. I think he may have solidified himself in the second-round range with how well he played there to build off what was a strong draft season.

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