Will Hobey Baker Winner Dryden McKay Get an NHL Deal? Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MTg2NDYzNzI2OTQ0MTM0ODUx/usatsi_16903499.jpg] Whether going from unranked to the middle of the pack or jumping into the top 10, these prospects made huge leaps from 2021 to this year’s THN top-100 prospects list from the recent Future Watch issue, available here [http://THN.com/free]. Marco Rossi, MIN 2021: 19 // 2022: 9 Rossi went from missing an entire season to top-tier prospect. His adjustment to the professional game has been seamless, as evidenced by his scoring at a near point-per-game clip as an AHL freshman. Topi Niemela 2021: N/A // 2022: 35 From third-rounder in 2020 to top of the prospect chart in Toronto. He’s producing at a prolific rate from the blueline as a teenager in Finland’s top league. He’s not that big, but Niemela is smart, fast and skilled. Kaiden Guhle 2021: 34 // 2022: 16 His Canadian captaincy at the WJC was cut short, but the big blueliner’s mix of offensive acumen and defensive deftness has the Canadiens looking as though they’ve found themselves a future blueline pillar. Ridly Greig 2021: 94 // 2022: 43 The Senators’ late first-rounder in 2020 has added an additional offensive element to his game, while his physical nature and willingness to stir the pot will win fans over. Scott Perunovich 2021: 68 // 2022: 25 The 2020 Hobey Baker Award winner’s minor-league excellence earned him an NHL opportunity, and he didn’t disappoint. Perunovich has the makings of a power-play quarterback and top-four defender. Daniil Tarasov 2021: NR // 2022: 59 Tarasov is best equated to a fresh cut of prime beef: raw and in need of some seasoning. Given his brief NHL spell, though, Columbus’ goaltending situation could be ironed out for the foreseeable future.
