Welcome back to part three of our special edition prospect review series. In part I, I looked at the top fantasy hockey prospects of the KHL. In Part II, I covered the top fantasy hockey prospects of the AHL. In Part III, I covered the top fantasy hockey prospects of the NCAA.
This week we’ll take a tour through the CHL. It’s three leagues, I know. We probably won’t get super deep into any one league. I will do my best to be selective and choose players of interest, providing some late-rounders outperforming their draft position to give some added depth.
With the NCAA, I have excluded players invited to their country’s World Junior team selection camp. Unless they have already been cut from the team. The reason is, that my Christmas series on the World Juniors is just around the corner.
This provides an opportunity to give deeper coverage and not duplicate players.
Now, I need to give my regular disclaimer. I am not a prospect expert. Nor am I pretending in any way to be one. I am simply a collector and sharer of information. The purpose is to bring my observations to your eyes and allow you to uncover a hidden gem.
That said, let’s dive in.
CHL Fantasy Hockey Prospects
Riley Heidt, C, Minnesota Wild – WHL
Drafted 2023, Round 2, 64th Overall
This inclusion should be no surprise. He’s tied for the league lead in points with 63 in 31 games. Some thought his skill level would push him into the first round of the draft, instead, he slid to the last pick of the second round.
He’s a strong skater who likes to muck it up. He battles in the corners and fights for pucks. Exactly what you want in a 5’11” forward. He’s not the biggest, but he might be the feistiest.
I can’t help but be reminded of Tampa Bay selecting Brayden Point 79th overall. Perhaps not that big of a steal or ceiling, but not that far off either.
Denver Barkley, C, Philadelphia Flyers – OHL
Drafted 2023, Round 5, 95th Overall
Undersized and uber talented, sound familiar? He needs to work on his strength, this puts him a few years away from the NHL.
The offensive talent is all there, it’s all about developing him for the pro game and then the NHL. He’s an explosive, creative offensive talent. You’ll need to exercise patience with him if you add him to your prospect pool. 2025-26 would be the earliest I would expect Barkley to touch NHL ice in the regular season.
Luca Cagnoni, D, San Jose Sharks – WHL
Drafted 2023, Round 4, 123rd Overall
Cagnoni is having a really strong draft year, plus one. After putting up 64 points in 67 games last year, Cagnoni has five goals and 39 in his first 30 games of the season.
He’s not the biggest defender, so mobility and smarts are a must. Luckily, mobility is his greatest asset. He also processes the game at a high level.
If you are looking for a boom-bust, high-end offensive defenceman, Cagnoni fits the bill. He will be a wait. Think two to four years. He turns 19 today. Expect another year of junior before a couple of years in the AHL.
Outside of Calen Addison, the Sharks don’t have a lot of prospects like Cagnoni. A shallow prospect pool on defense opens potential doors and could speed up his timeline, even if, only slightly.
Graham Sward, D, Nashville Predators – WHL
Drafted 2022, Round 5, 146th Overall
Folks might need to re-think his bottom pairing ceiling. In his draft year, plus two, he is tearing up the WHL. He has seven goals and 46 points through 33 games. At 6’3″, his stride is not the prettiest or smoothest. This was a big knock in his draft year, skating.
Regardless, it’s hard to ignore a defenceman on pace for 92 points. If you thought Cagnoni was a home run swing, crank it up for Sward. More likely to be a bottom-pairing defenceman than not, this makes fantasy hockey fun. Taking a chance on a potential late bloomer and hitting it out of the park.
Mathieu Cataford, RW, Vegas Golden Knights – QMJHL
Drafted, 2023, Round 3, 77th Overall
Leading the league in points, Cataford does everything well. As described by Elite Prospects “There isn’t a single skill missing from Mathieu Cataford’s toolkit.” Kinda says it all.
He does everything very well and with a high level of skill. This is another third-round pick from the 2023 draft that looks like an absolute steal. After digging into him for this article I claimed him in two pools. I love finding a diamond in the rough.
One thing I look for with forward prospects is balanced scoring. Cataford has 22 goals and 29 assists. That’s what I want to see. A player who doesn’t score in junior or is goal-heavy often has trouble adapting to the pro ranks. They need dimension to their game. It’s an archaic formula, but it can help.
Andrew Cristall, RW, Washington Capitals – WHL
Drafted 2023, Round 2, 40th Overall
Expected to go in the first round, Cristall slid to the middle of the second round. So far, he’s making a lot of teams wish they had taken him earlier.
In 26 games, Cristall is rocking with 52 points, a two-point per-game pace. The Capitals, desperately in need of skilled prospects have drafted one with skills for days in Cristall.
Still, a year or two away, this is one you want to stash and hold on to.
Hunter Brzustewicz, D, Vancouver Canucks – OHL
Drafted 2023, 3rd Round, 75th Overall
The Canucks look like they hit one out of the park with this selection. He is currently tied for the league lead in scoring with his teammate Rehkopf. Yes, a defenceman.
Other than playing in the CHL, it is hard to understand how he didn’t make the USA World Junior team. It is one of this year’s mysteries.
He’s elusive and smart. He won’t be Quinn Hughes 2.0, but the ceiling is very high for Brzustewicz. The Canucks appear to be turning the prospect development corner of late as well.
Ethan Gauthier, RW, Tampa Bay Lightning – QMJHL
Drafted, 2023, Round 2, 37th Overall
At 5’11” Gauthier isn’t the biggest forward, but don’t tell him that. He loves to throw his weight around. For multi-cat pools, here lies a potential second-line winger with an offensive punch who hits and will mix in a few penalty minutes.
We love finding a player who can tick off all the categories.
That will do it for this week. Thanks for reading.
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