The top five prospects in the 2015 NHL draft class are from North America, but European prospects will still receive plenty of attention when the first round begins June 26.
Here are the top 15 European players in this year’s draft, including players who competed in North American and overseas leagues in 2014-15.
1. Ivan Provorov, 6-0, 201 pounds (Defenseman, Brandon/WHL)
Stats: 60 GP, 15 G, 46 A, 61 P
Provorov is the second-best two-way defenseman in this class. (Boston College’s Noah Hanifin is No. 1.) He’s a very good skater, creates offense at even strength and on the power play, and takes on tough defensive assignments. Provorov also is among the most NHL-ready D-men available.
2. Pavel Zacha, 6-3, 210 (Center, Sarnia/OHL)
Stats: 37 GP, 16 G, 18 A, 34 P
The Sarnia Sting have produced some really good centers since the 2004-05 lockout, most notably Steven Stamkos and Alex Galchenyuk. Zacha is a quality goal scorer with high-end speed. He’s one of the most exciting forwards among European prospects and projects to be a second-line center at the NHL level.
3. Timo Meier, 6-1, 209 (Right Wing, Halifax/QMJHL)
Stats: 61 GP, 44 G, 46 A, 90 P
Meier is an offensive dynamo with a powerful, accurate shot, high-end speed, great puck-handling skill and a high hockey IQ. He’s going to be one of the first right wingers to come off the board in the first round because of his first-line caliber skill set.
4. Mikko Rantanen, 6-4, 211 (Right Wing, TPS/Finland)
Stats: 56 GP, 9 G, 19 A, 28 P
Rantanen is a prototypical power forward with excellent size, above average skating and the offensive tools needed to be a consistent point producer in the NHL.
5. Mathew Barzal, 5-11, 175 (Center, Seattle/WHL)
Stats: 44 GP, 12 G, 45 A, 57 P
Barzal can score goals, but his best asset is his playmaking ability. He’s an excellent passer, has good vision and thinks the game at a high level. He lacks ideal size for a top-six center, but he makes up for it with a high compete level and a willingness to battle for puck possession in dirty areas.
6. Oliver Kylington, 6-0, 185 (Defenseman, Farjestad/Sweden)
Stats: 18 GP, 2 G, 3 A, 5 P
Kylington is an exciting puck-moving defenseman who skates well and is capable of quarterbacking a power play. His puck retrieval skills and ability to start breakouts with quick, accurate passes out of the defensive zone also are impressive. Kylington doesn’t play a punishing style of hockey, but he’s perfect for a team that plays a fast-paced game.
7. Jakub Zboril, 6-1, 184 (Defenseman, Saint John/QMJHL)
Stats: 44 GP, 13 G, 20 A, 33 P
Zboril is a hard-working defenseman with a powerful shot and a high hockey IQ. He needs to be a more consistent defender, but all of the tools needed to be a quality two-way player are present.
8. Evgeny Svechnikov, 6-2, 199 (Left Wing, Cape Breton/QMJHL)
Stats: 55 GP, 32 G, 46 A, 78 P
Svechnikov scored above a point-per-game rate in the Q this season with a powerful and accurate shot. He also protects the puck well with his size and ability to stick handle through traffic. His defensive game has a lot of room for improvement, but he’s certainly one of the more offensively gifted prospects in this class.
9. Filip Chlapik, 6-1, 196 (Center, Charlottetown/QMJHL)
Stats: 64 GP, 33 G, 42 A, 75 P
Chlapik is an excellent skater and uses his vision and hockey smarts to create scoring chances for linemates. His 75 points this season set a team record for a rookie.
10. Gabriel Carlsson, 6-4, 183 (Defenseman, Linkoping Jr./Sweden-JR)
Stats: 39 GP, 0 G, 7 A, 7 P
Carlsson is a polished defender with impressive size and strength. He makes the smart, simple play in his own end and is rarely caught out of position. This level of hockey smarts will quickly earn him the trust of his future NHL coaches.
11. Jacob Larsson, 6-2, 191 (Defenseman, Frolunda-JR/Sweden-JR)
Stats: 30 GP, 8 G, 11 A, 19 P
Larsson is a puck-moving defenseman who skates well and uses his size to win puck possession and punish opponents along the boards. He was named the top defenseman in Sweden’s U-18 league during the 2013-14 campaign.
12. Joel Eriksson Ek, 6-2, 180 (Center, Farjestad/Sweden)
Stats: 34 GP, 4 G, 2 A, 6 P
Eriksson Ek is a two-way player who’s reliable in any type of situation. His best asset is his shot, which features a quick release and plenty of power.
13. Daniel Sprong, 6-0, 180 (Center, Charlottetown/QMJHL)
Stats: 68 GP, 39 G, 49 A, 88 P
Sprong is a very good goal scorer, but his best attributes are his speed and acceleration. He has all the tools needed to be a consistent point producer in a modern NHL that is becoming increasingly reliant on speed and skill.
14. Michael Spacek, 5-11, 187 (Right Wing, Pardubice/Czech Republic)
Stats: 40 GP, 5 G, 7 A, 12 P
Spacek played professionally in the Czech Republic this season and provides valuable versatility with his ability to create offense at center or right wing.
15. Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson, 6-1, 190 (Center, Omaha/USHL)
Stats: 50 GP, 15 G, 38 A, 53 P
Karlsson’s shot and vision making him an offensive threat, and he’s also very reliable on faceoffs. He projects to be an early to mid second-round pick.
Thumbnail photo via Twitter/@PR_NHL
