2. Keaton Verhoeff, RHD (University of North Dakota, NCAA)
Many scouts are starting to give Ivar Stenberg the No. 2 spot, but I’m sticking with Verhoeff – for now. I still think his unique blend of size, mobility and offensive awareness will take him far in the NHL. His ice time has fluctuated a bit and his offense has quieted down, but he’s still playing a ton of quality hockey against much older competition. I appreciate that he jumped to the NCAA to push himself, and I think it’ll have positive long-term effects. I’m not sure he’ll be able to exploit opponents with the puck in the NHL like he did in the WHL, but I have full confidence he’ll find multiple ways to be extremely impactful.