NHL Prospect Roundup: Sean Farrell looks like a smart pickup for the Montreal Canadiens
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Another week, another look to the future.
After a wild week of trades in the Canadian Hockey League, some of the circuit’s top stars are already clicking with their new teams. Shane Wright, for example, is up to six points in three games with Windsor and will likely be the focus of next week’s roundup.
But today, we’re going to have a heavy NCAA focus. If you’re a Habs fan, you’re loving the play of Sean Farrell, who has been on an absolute tear in the three seasons since the team took him.
Let’s get looking at 10 prospects making some noise right now:
NCAA
– The Montreal Canadiens selected Sean Farrell in the fourth round in 2020, and he instantly became found money. He led the USHL with a whopping 72 assists and 101 points in 2020-21 and then had 28 points in 24 games as a freshman with Harvard. Heck, he was even USA’s best player at the 2022 Olympics and was excellent in a middle-six scoring role at the World Championship. He has taken his performance in the NCAA to another level, with his three-goal weekend sitting him at 25 points in 17 games to lead Harvard over a host of other NHL-drafted prospects. The biggest knock against Farrell is his 5-foot-9 frame, but Montreal has never been afraid to give opportunities to smaller prospects.
– After a quiet season at the University of Minnesota, Tristan Broz transferred over to Denver for 2022-23 and is starting to finally find his stride. He had four goals on Saturday against Miami and another two assists the night before. He had another four-point night just a few weeks ago against Lindenwood. This past weekend’s games were the best of the Pittsburgh Penguins prospect’s NCAA career, and the rest of the season will be about building upon his recent momentum.
– Joe Miller, a 2020 sixth-rounder, isn’t on the high end of the Toronto Maple Leafs‘ prospect charts, but he’s starting to really shine as a freshman at Harvard. He’s up to 10 goals and 15 points in 17 games, highlighted by his three goals this weekend against Clarkson and St. Lawrence. He’s up to eight points in his past five games as Harvard sits second in the ECAC. I’m not sure what his NHL future looks like, but he’s playing well as a college rookie, at least.
WHL
– The Kamloops Blazers are one of the top teams in the CHL in terms of quality draft prospects, and left winger Daylan Kuefler is a big reason why. Selected by the New York Islanders as an overage prospect last year, Kuefler is up to 24 goals and 45 points as a 20-year-old. There’s nothing overly incredible about that, but he has seven multi-point efforts over the past 11 games, including eight points in his last five games. When drafting an older prospect – in this case, someone who was passed over two years in a row – you’re hoping for someone who’s more pro-ready immediately. With a good 6-foot-2 frame and an excellent release, Kuefler could be a decent depth player one day.
OHL
– Francesco Arcuri was a prized acquisition by the Kitchener Rangers after Kingston went full fire-sale mode earlier this year. The Dallas Stars prospect had 12 points in his first nine games, including a pair of three-point efforts. Arcuri loves to use his teammates as much as possible, but he has a quick release and can be dangerous in close. He’s the second cousin of Mike Cammalleri, so he’s had some good hockey influence in his lifetime.
– Brandt Clarke is probably too good to be playing in the OHL and the Los Angeles Kings likely know it. But without a roster spot with the big club, and not eligible to play full-time with the Ontario Reign, he returned to the Barrie Colts after winning gold with Canada at the World Junior Championship. Clarke had assists in his first two games this week but really took over with a two-goal, four-point effort over Mississauga on Sunday. The Colts are now 3-0-0 with him in the lineup and look destined for a long playoff run with him leading the charge.
QMJHL
– It’s been a good few days for 19-year-old defenseman Frederic Brunet, who kicked off Friday with a four-point night and added another three assists on Sunday. He’s now up to eight points in four games since Rimouski moved him to Victoriaville. The Boston Bruins selected him in the fifth round to add a presence as a two-way offensive blueliner, but he has also cleaned up his defensive play as well.
AHL
– Zac Jones, a 22-year-old offensive defenseman, had a ton of hype after leaving UMass in 2021, earning a 10-game stint with the New York Rangers to close out the season. He hasn’t managed to stick with the club full-time, but the offensive defenseman had a big weekend with three points in two games against Providence. He had a two-assist night against Charlotte on Tuesday as well, marking one of the best stretches of his pro career. He has already played 16 games with the Rangers this year and will likely be back up at some point if a spot opens up.
– The Minnesota Wild had hoped that top prospect Marco Rossi would make a big impact as a rookie this season. Instead, he had just one assist in 16 games before getting sent back to the AHL in late November. Now back in Iowa, he has been very streaky as of late, Rossi is up to 16 points in 17 games and, if he remains in the minors for the rest of the season, might tie his 53-point rookie campaign from last year. Sending him back was all about getting his confidence back, and it seems like it’s working it out.
HockeyAllsvenskan
– Sweden’s offense struggled to generate much of anything at the WJC, but Noah Ostlund still managed to put up four points. Drafted 16th overall by the Buffalo Sabres last year, Ostlund has been effective since returning to Djurgardens, putting up three points in two games this week. He had a pair of goals against Karlskoga in a 4-3 loss, scoring his first goals in HockeyAllsvenskan since Nov. 4. Hopefully this helps kickstart a good end to the regular season, with Ostlund sitting at four goals and 14 points in 21 games in his second year of Swedish pro hockey.
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