In a surprising move to some, Ontario Hockey League scoring champion Dylan Strome has leap frogged Jack Eichel to overtake the #2 position in HIS Top 30 Prospects ranking for the month of April. So, for the first time this season, two Erie Otters occupy the #1 and #2 positions on the HIS NHL Draft eligible prospects rankings.
Personally speaking, I agree with the decision to move Strome ahead of Eichel at this point in the season. Its not how you start the season, its how you finish the season. Strome is unconscious right now, and has been for the past three months. That's not to say that Eichel has been a piker, either. Jack has been full value for his Terriers.
There isn’t a hotter draft eligible hockey player in North America and perhaps the world right now than the 6’3 200 lb. 18 year old from Toronto. Strome recently recorded 6 points in Erie’s come from behind win against the Niagara IceDogs. It’s important to note that Strome accomplished his 6 point feat while his buddy Connor McDavid sat out that game with the “flu…. The 6 point game in Niagara allowed Strome to pass his best friend Mitch Marner of the London Knights to win the OHL scoring title on the final day of the regular season. Strome’s 129 point regular season also gave him the Erie Otters scoring record which was set by Connor Brown (128 points) in 2014. Strome has fought himself out of the shadows of his teammate and great friend Connor McDavid. Strome’s red hot play didn’t end after the regular season ended. He has recorded 5 points in the first four games of the Otters’ first round playoff series versus the Sarnia Sting. Strome scored the OT GWG in Tuesday night’s Game 4 to propel the Otters over the Sarnia Sting in their OHL playoff game. The Otters now lead their series with Sarnia 3 games to 1. Strome scored twice in Sunday’s Game 3.
Eichel, the consensus #2 pick in the ISS Hockey and Central Scouting rankings from September until March 2015, and likely will remain in the two-hole when their ratings are released later this week. Eichel led the U.S. college ranks in scoring as a freshman and broke Chris Drury’s Terriers school record for overall scoring, as well as freshman scoring. Jack Eichel has been the engine that has been pulling the Boston University train this season. His Terriers have punched their ticket to the NCAA Frozen 4 where they have a great chance of winning the national championship. Eichel was uncharacteristically quiet in last weekend’s Terrier OT wins over Yale and Minnesota-Duluth. Despite his recent “slump…, Eichel is still one of the best NHL draft eligible talents in the world.
Thanks, ESPN
1 McDavid, Erie OHL 2 Strome, Erie OHL 3 Eichel, Boston University Hockey East 4 Hanifin, Boston College Hockey East 5 Crouse, Kingston OHL 6 Marner, London OHL 7 Rantanen, TPS Turku Finnish Elite Liga 8 Barzal, Seattle WHL 9 Provorov, Brandon WHL 10 Zacha, OHL 11 Werenski, Michigan Big Ten 12 Konecny, Ottawa OHL 13 Connor, Youngstown USHL 14 Bittner, Portland WHL 15 Meier, Halifax QMJHL 16 Svechnikov, Cape Breton QMJHL 17 Greenway, USA Under-18 NTDP USHL 18 Merkley, Kelowna WHL 19 Chabot, Saint John QMJHL 20 Zboril, Saint John QMJHL 21 Carlo, Tri-City WHL 22 Ek Eriksson, Farjestad Swedish Elite League 23 White, USA Under-18 NTDP USHL 24 Kylington, Farjestad Swedish Elite League 25 Harkins, Prince George WHL 26 Larsson, Frolunda SweJE 27 Bracco, USA Under-18 NTDP USHL 28 Senyshyn, Soo Greyhounds OHL 29 Roy, Sherbrooke QMJHL 30 Carlsson, Linkoping Swedish Elite League