It’s that time of year again, when Corey Pronman releases his midseason NHL prospect report that ranks the top 50 prospects for the NHL clubs. You can read the post in full right here, but it does require an ESPN Insider subscription. Over the summer Charles Hudon, Noah Juulsen, Nikita Scherbak, and Martin Reway all made the cut for the top 100 prospects, which you can look at here on EOTP.
At the midway point of this season the list has been cut in half with Hudon being the only holdover from the summer, he is joined by the rookie AHL forward Michael McCarron.
41. Charles Hudon, LW, Montreal Canadiens (Previous 42)
Age: 21 | Ht: 5-10 | Wt:179
Current Team: St. John’s(AHL) | GP:32 | G:11 | A:13
After a stellar rookie season for the Hamilton Bulldogs Hudon has continued to be relied on as the IceCaps go to forward in all situations. Pronman praises Hudon’s playmaking skills.
He excels as a playmaker with the puck on his stick, showing a high level of skill and great vision on top of being a shifty skater.
His continued production this season was enough to earn a short call up to the NHL where he registered two points before being returned to the AHL this season. Able to play in all situations and produce points consistently it’s clear Hudon is the prospect to watch in the AHL.
43. Michael McCarron, C, Montreal Canadiens (Previous: Unranked)
Age: 20 | Ht: 6-5 | Wt: 238
Team: St. John’s(AHL) | GP: 34 | G:13 | A:12
McCarron went from being unranked in Pronman’s summer rankings to being included in the top 50 by the midway point of this season. And for good reason, McCarron has developed into a crucial player in the IceCaps offense this year by leading the team with 13 goals. The gargantuan rookie forward uses his body well to create havoc in front of the opposing goalies and dominates play along the board. Pronman notes that McCarron has improved his skating in addition to becoming a much more defensively responsible player in the AHL as opposed to his time in the OHL with London/Oshawa.
Honorable Mention: Noah Juulsen
Unfortunately Juulsen did not make the top 50 ranking in Pronman’s midseason report, and it’s hard to disagree with. Despite being the last overall cut from Team Canada’s World Junior squad the Canadiens 2016 1st round pick hasn’t matched his production of previous seasons.
