31 Teams in 31 Days - Vegas Golden Knights

Vegas is up next!

1. Ben Jones - Niagara IceDogs
Very successful final season in the OHL for the IceDogs captain as he broke the 100 point mark for the first time, establishing new career highs in all categories. He remains such a work horse who can play in any situation for his team. He's the type of guy who can be out on the ice whether you're one goal down or one goal up with a minute to go. He also plays with such a high intensity level. Jones is tenacious in puck pursuit, always buzzing and circling to force turnovers. He also has a great IQ in all three zones, and that makes him one of the OHL's elite defensive forwards. Offensively, the biggest difference for me was him gaining another step in his skating stride. More explosive this year, allowing him to be more of a factor in transition, leading the rush instead of consistently being the trailer. He was also way more difficult to separate from the puck, something that made him more dominant overall in the offensive zone. Needless to say, he took the necessary steps forward. Moving to the pro level next year, Jones is a very underrated prospect in NHL circles. I like his odds of at least developing into a quality 3rd/4th line center, but I would not rule out more given his terrific progression. I think continuing to improve his skating will be key for him, as in order to continue to be that strong two-way pest, further improvement will be needed. 

2. Jordan Kooy - London Knights
Decent year for Kooy as he entered a platoon with Joseph Raaymakers on a solid Knights team. He also saw the bulk of the playoff starts, a good thing for his development. As a player, I'm not sure there was a ton of progression from his draft year. Consistency issues still plagued him. I think a lot of that still has to do with his reads and coverage (can be prone to some 'poor' goals), in addition to sloppy rebound control. But Kooy is that big (6'3), athletic netminder that teams are looking for. There is still potential there. Next season will be a big one for him as he takes on the starting role in London. The defense for the Knights could be a bit raw and that means Kooy is really going to have to step up his game to stabilize things, especially early in the season. If he does not and consistency issues continue to plague him, I could see London making a move to shore up their goaltending, which would obviously not be great for his development.

3. Connor Corcoran - Windsor Spitfires
There were some positives to take from Corcoran's season for sure. Corcoran received a significant amount of powerplay time for the Spitfires, which was terrific for his growth as an offensive defender. We saw his confidence in his shot really grow and he generates a fair amount of power in his slap shot. His distribution skills at the point and overall vision took a nice step forward too. Defensively, things were not as bad for him as his -45 would indicate. Corcoran is a smart player and he knows how to use his mobility to his advantage in the defensive end. That said, he will still need to increase his intensity in the defensive end, something that I wrote about last year. Working harder to win those one on one battles in traffic. When he's not able to use his mobility to stay ahead of the play, when the play gets tighter, he is not as effective. Would also like to see him clean up his play with the puck in his own end. Later in the year, I thought he struggled with his decision making and became a tad turnover prone. Would like to see him really use that skating ability to start the breakout and evade pressure. Next year, Corcoran will likely need a big year to get a contract from Vegas. I would say that he would need to get himself over the 45/50 point plateau, in addition to becoming a more dominant defensive player. Windsor having more success as a team would help too.

4. Mason Primeau - North Bay Battalion
Primeau definitely looked better with North Bay than he did with Guelph to start the year. With a greater role and some special teams time, Primeau was able to showcase his skill set more effectively. The son of former NHL'er Wayne, Mason is definitely going to be a project for Vegas...and for Stan Butler and the Battalion. There are certainly some things to work with. Primeau shows massive potential down low because of his 6'5 frame. That reach and size plays well below the hash marks as he looks to establish and maintain possession along the wall. I think Primeau sees the ice well for a big man too and has potential as a big, rangy playmaker. But like any raw player, the list of things for him to improve is likely greater. His skating isn't terrible for a man of his size. I think he moves reasonably well straight. But his start ups and agility will need to improve. His ability to receive the puck and carry through the neutral zone will also need to improve, especially as a center. Would also like to see him assert himself physically near the crease to score more goals. Hopefully he learned a thing or two from fellow big man Justin Brazeau in that regard. Primeau will likely be North Bay's second line center this year behind overager Matthew Struthers. I would love to see him in the 55 point range next year (or greater), with the big improvement coming in his 19/20 year old season.

5. Paul Cotter - London Knights
The Golden Knights 4th rounder transferred from Western Michigan early in the year to the Knights. Initially upon his arrival, Cotter was getting pretty good ice time and was looking pretty good as a first or second line center, playing with guys like Foudy and Formenton. I was impressed by his tenaciousness on and off the puck. Not sure I expected Cotter to be such a pain in the ass for the other team to play against. He's very effective along the wall. But as the season went on, and after the Knights brought in Kevin Hancock, Cotter found himself buried in the lineup. By the time the playoffs rolled around, he was centering the fourth line. He may not be as innately skilled as some of the others in London's lineup, but I was kind of shocked to see how he sort of fell out of favour with the coaching staff given his physicality. I would be shocked if he is returned to London for his OA year, given how things were at the end of the year. He has an NHL contract with Vegas. And I think he's a good enough skater and strong enough away from the puck to play a 3rd/4th line role in the AHL with Chicago.