Jack Eichel and Connor McDavid highlight 2015 CSS Future Watch.
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Following last month’s draft, prospect camps have opened up. Some have already been held with the Rangers holding theirs prior to the Fourth Of July weekend. Day 3 concluded with the shootout highlighted by some fancy moves and finishes from Chris McCarthy, Bryan Moore and Vinni Lettieri. The goalies were Brandon Halverson, Colin Stevens and Matt O’Connor.

New York Rangers’ beat writer Jim Cerny also had this exclusive interview with 2014 third round pick Keegan Iverson. He’s a 6-1, 219-pound forward who currently plays for the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League. Selected 85th overall, Iverson scored 22 goals and 20 assists for 42 points, 70 penalty minutes and a plus-16 rating in 67 games. During the postseason, he tallied four goals and four assists with 12 PIM. Describing himself as a “power forward and a team guy who’ll drop the gloves when I need to,” that should endear him to our fans. Here, we see Iverson step in for fallen teammate Alex Schoenborn.

Iverson played on a deep team that featured 100-point scorers Nicolas Petan (WPG ’13 2nd) and Oliver Bjorkstrand (CBJ ’13 3rd). Picture a dozen players drafted over the past four years including Iverson’s teammates Chase DeLeo (WPG #99) and Dominic Turgeon (DET #63) also taken this year. Forward Paul Bittner (22-27-49) isn’t draft eligible until 2015. He put up six goals and six assists in the WHL playoffs. Figure him to be on some scouts lists.

Ironically, Bittner appears on the NHL’s Central Scouting list among top WHL skaters in their 2015 CSS Futures. Topping the charts among North Americans are Canadian Connor McDavid and American Jack Eichel. McDavid stars for the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League. In his second year, he tallied 28 goals and 71 assists for 99 points in 56 games while adding four goals and 15 helpers in 14 postseason contests. Eichel played for the U.S. National U18 Team registering 20 goals and 25 assists for 45 points with 20 penalty minutes and a plus-20 rating. The 17-year old forward from North Chelmsford, Massachusetts will attend Boston University this Fall. Here are some cool highlight reels for both McDavid and Eichel.

Another player to keep an eye on is Czech center Pavel Zacha. In a recent Canadian Hockey League Draft, the Sarnia Sting selected him number one overall. But there’s no guarantee the 17-year old Czech forward will come over. Agent Allan Walsh tweeted that Zacha is under contract back home playing for Liberec Bili Tygri HC. In his first pro year, he posted four goals and four assists with 10 PIM in 38 contests.

“Sarnia just wasted the #1 overall pick in the CHL Import Draft on a player who’s not coming and has a professional contract. #RookieGM,” Walsh mentioned. There isn’t much video on Zacha. Though I did find a random one from a Liberec game of him skating.

It’s always intriguing to follow prospects. I’ll be putting up more features from the 2014 Draft for all four Battle clubs. Stay tuned.