Gastrin has been excellent in Swedish national team action, developing into quite a responsible two-way player. Gastrin will not be a point producer in the NHL, but he will do so many other things that excite you. He’s defensively responsible, wins a ton of face-offs and can play the wing when you need him to. We’ve seen him play with some of Sweden’s better players in international junior tournaments, and he has never looked out of place.

Ihs-Wozniak struggled out of the gate this year, but he ended the season as one of Sweden’s top young players. He closed with a great showing at the U-18s, which scouts were thrilled to see after a quiet Hlinka Gretzky Cup. That helped him get back into the first-round conversation like many expected. Ihs Wozniak is streaky, but the goal-scoring instincts are definitely there. He just needs to figure out how to be more consistent if he’s going to excel at the next level.

McKinney was one of the USNTDP’s top forwards all year long, and he was also one of the most aggressive. McKinney is a mid-sized, two-way center who can play on the penalty kill, block shots and win a ton of faceoffs. He’s not going to be a play driver in the NHL, but he’s detail-oriented and astute. McKinney is also not afraid to land a big hit to channel some energy. I hope he gets stronger when he heads to college to really maximize his pure power, but the overall package right now is a solid base to build around.

Nesbitt was often one of Windsor’s better shot generators, and while he didn’t put up Liam Greentree numbers, he’s still going to finish at close to a point per game. He’s a big, 6-foot-4 center – teams typically like that. I wish he had more top speed, but I think Nesbitt has a solid ceiling. He showed how good he could be around the net during the U-18s, creating havoc and pushing guys around while jumping in on rebounds. Some scouts don’t know if he’ll be more than a third-line center, but I feel confident he’ll be an NHLer.

Nilson has hung around the 30-35 range for most of the year for me. I don’t think he has high-end skill and he’s definitely not a play-driver. But he’s a great passer who can also wire home shots, too. He’s been productive in the Swedish U-20 league and has some pro experience with Djurgardens’ Allsvenskan team. I can see Nilson becoming an effective bottom-six forward because he’s so committed to winning every battle while still maintaining his position in his own zone.

Ryabkin is one of the most divisive players in this draft because he started out as a potential top-five pick but looked distant back in Russia and needed a change of scenery. He’s been productive since his move to Muskegon, though, playing at a 40-goal pace in a full season. We’ve also seen him flesh out his physical and playmaking games, with his passing and hockey sense being two of his best traits. A boost of confidence in the USHL seems to have really helped Ryabkin’s stock after falling out of the first round in the eyes of many at the halfway point of the season.