Jack Eichel, a pair of generational center talents guaranteed to go with the first two picks of the draft, the depth of the 2015 class has been sorely underrated. There are several other players with the potential to become stars and valuable contributors at the NHL level.
At the top of every month preceding the draft, we at TodaysSlapshot.com are willing to help familiarize hockey fans with a new list of the top available prospects for the upcoming entry draft. As opinions tend to vary even among the most respected scouting bureaus, I am also providing the reader with the March ratings by the International Scouting Services (ISS), McKeen’s Hockey (MK), Future Considerations (FC) and Hockey Prospect (HP).
Total: $7.03M
The way Ottawa’s cap situation is structured, there is going to be a prominent player coming off an ELC on an annual basis which, from a long-term planning standpoint, is a good way to stagger things. Tkachuk then becomes the one to watch for in the coming months as he’s eligible for an extension now. He’s not near the top of the scoring charts but power forwards tend to get paid quickly which makes his case intriguing. The Sens have tried to bypass bridge contracts with the players they perceive to be long-term core assets and Tkachuk is certainly in that category but unless he has a breakout year offensively, it may be in his best interest to go the more traditional route and take a short-term pact with the hopes of cashing in with a higher payday down the road.