With the 2019 NHL Draft taking place in just over two months in Vancouver, the league has released its final rankings for prospects potentially getting picked this year.
The lists include two Prince George Cougars and one Spruce King among more than 250 players (forwards, defencemen, and goaltenders) from across the world.
Layton Ahac made the biggest jump of the three northern capital-based prospects.
The Spruce Kings blue-liner is now ranked 62nd among North American skaters moving up 52 spots from 114th, which means he now has a chance at being picked by an NHL team as early as the second round.
If every player is picked as predicted in the report, the North Vancouver product would be the last pick in the second round of the draft.
The 18-year-old currently leads his fellow defencemen with 14 points in the playoffs (five goals, nine assists), and finished the regular season with 32 points in 53 games that included 28 assists.
The contributions he's made has propelled the Spruce Kings to a second straight B.C. Hockey League (BCHL) Fred Page Cup Final, in which the team leads 2-0 in the best-of-seven series with Vernon.
Spruce Kings Layton Ahac moves up to the #62 ranked North American skater! https://t.co/5SWYL9jGQG
— Spruce Kings (@SpruceKings) April 15, 2019
Cougars defenceman Cole Moberg also got a healthy jump, improving his final ranking from 175th to 139th.
His position could see him getting drafted in the fifth round as he finished the 2018-19 season with 42 points in 61 games for Prince George, including 13 goals.
However, Taylor Gauthier saw his prospect status slip a couple of spots among North American goaltenders.
The 18-year-old Calgary product went from fifth place to seventh after compiling 15 wins in 55 starts this year with the Cougars, while also putting together a 3.25 goals-against-average (GAA) and a .899 save-percentage (SV%).
He’s currently with Canada’s national squad in Europe, hoping to claim a roster spot on the Under-18 team for the 2019 World Championships in Sweden.
The 2019 NHL Draft is slated for June 21 and 22 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver.
. @tgoats_35 gets the start in pre-tournament action. #U18Worlds https://t.co/LpQdoS6xIX
— PG Cougars (@PGCougars) April 15, 2019
