Canadiens Prospect Power Rankings: There’s No Stopping Sean Farrell

Things are heating up for several players in the Canadiens prospect pool.

To be more accurate, players that were already on fire continued to produce great results, a common theme throughout the season.

As we approach the final stretch of the season and the games take on more importance, it’ll be interesting to evaluate how certain players react to the pressure.

Let’s jump right into the rankings.

Canadiens Prospect Power Rankings Week 16

1. Sean Farrell,  C/LW, Harvard University (NCAA). Drafted: 124th overall (2020), Age: 21

Points This Week: 2 GP, 3 G, 1 A  Season Totals: 27 GP, 17 G, 29 A, 46 PTS.

Previous Ranking: 1st (unchanged)

Farrell only scored one goal in Harvard’s 5-3 win over Union, which actually lowered his overall points-per-game pace.

But he quickly returned to his ridiculous scoring ways the following game, scoring two goals and an assist against RPI on Saturday night to push his current points streak to five games.

The game against RPI was his 14th multi-point effort of the year and the sixth time he earned three or more points in a game.

He’s currently third overall in NCAA scoring, and trails only 2023 top prospect Adam Fantilli for the country’s best points-per-game ratio (1.7).

No other player in the organization is closer to being NHL-ready, and consequently, we should expect Farrell to sign his entry-level contract before the end of the current NHL season.

He maintains his firm grip on the No.1 position this week despite some strong effort from other players in the Canadiens prospect pool.

2. Riley Kidney, Centre, Gatineau Olympiques (QMJHL). Drafted: 63rd overall (2021), Age: 19

Points This Week: 2 GP, 0 G, 9 A. Season Totals: 46 GP, 23 G, 60 A, 83 PTS.

Previous Ranking: 3rd (+1)

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but Riley Kidney earned many, many points in very, very few games.

The trade to the Gatineau Olympiques hasn’t just improved his new team, it’s led to a flood of production from a player many people tend to underrate.

In just 15 games with Gatineau, Kidney has scored 9 goals and 29 assists, which is slightly above 2.5 points per game pace.

If I had to offer any criticism, it’s that I’m not convinced his shot will translate to the NHL. But when you watch him play, it becomes quite apparent that he tends to create second-chance scoring opportunities with his shots, which often leads to rebound goals.

Thanks to another nine-point week, Kidney jumps to No.2 in our rankings.

3. Lane Hutson, Defenceman, Boston University (NCAA). Drafted: 62nd overall (2022) Age: 18

Points This Week:  2 GP, 1 G, 1 A. Season Totals: 29 GP, 10 G, 28A, 38 PTS.

Previous Ranking: 2nd (-1)

This may be incredibly unfair, but Hutson drops to third this week due to the performance by Kidney, but I wouldn’t go as far as suggesting he had a bad week.

It was closer to a good week, which would be exciting for most prospects, but in Hutson’s case, the bar has been set sky-high due to his ridiculous scoring rate.

Overall, there are still some aspects of his game that could stand to be improved, including positioning while defending the rush, but Hutson continues to be one of the best prospects in hockey.

Then, for the second time this season, Lane beats the buzzer to give us the lead!

Watch on ESPN+: https://t.co/x39Oj2rUN5@hockey_east | @espn pic.twitter.com/Vh3zyATEoB

— BU Men's Hockey (@TerrierHockey) February 19, 2023

4. Adam Engstrom, Defenceman. Rogle BK Angelholm (SHL). Drafted: 92nd overall (2022), Age: 19

Points This Week: 3 GP, 1 G, 3 A Season Totals: 36 GP, 6 G, 8 A, 14 PTS.

Previous Rank: 4th (unchanged)

It’s always a little more difficult to get a good read on players developing in Europe, and often that’s the best thing for their careers. The scrutiny is less intense, allowing them to focus on what matters most.

Adam Engstrom’s scoreline may not seem impressive at first glance, but when evaluating production from the SHL, we must keep the quality of competition in mind. It’s incredibly tough to crack a roster as a young player, and even more so to stick around throughout the season.

Engstrom hasn’t just stuck around, he’s been great.

Canadiens fans often dream about the potential impact of a defenceman like Hutson, but I’d suggest adding Engstrom’s name to that dream because he has the skillset necessary to flourish in the NHL.

Other than his great skating and top-notch anticipation, Engstrom has earned a very impressive amount of points so far this season,

To give you an idea, we can simply look at the Under-20 scoring race in the SHL.

First-round pick Marco Kasper leads the charge (22 points), followed closely by future first-round pick Leo Carlsson (21 points), with another first-round pick, Filip Bystedt, filling out the top 3 (18 points).

When you consider Engstrom is a third-round pick and is a defenceman, the mere fact that he’s fourth on that list with 14 points is rather impressive.

An absolute bomb from #Habs prospect Adam Engström, who scores his sixth SHL goal of the season. #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/1H6Ppvdlta

— Patrik Bexell (@Zeb_Habs) February 21, 2023

5. Joshua Roy, Right Wing, Sherbrooke Phoenix (QMJHL). Drafted: 150th overall (2021), Age: 19

Points This Week: 3 GP, 6 G, 4 A  Season Totals: 42 GP, 32 G, 30 A, 71 PTS.

Previous Ranking: 8th (+3)

A 10-point week (!) including a five-point game against his former team, the Saint John’s Seadogs was enough to propel Joshua Roy back into the top five.

When it comes to Roy, it’ll be more important to gauge his overall value once the games take on more importance, but it’s always nice to see him push past the boredom and explode from an offensive standpoint.

Following a relatively sleepy start of the season, Roy has now joined the QMJHL’s scoring leaders and is top 10 in both points as well as points per game.

6. Logan Mailloux, Defenceman, London Knights (OHL). Drafted: 31st overall (2021), Age: 19

Points This Week: 3 GP, 0 G, 2 A. Season Totals: 46 GP, 20 G, 24 A, 44 PTS.

Previous Ranking: 6th (unchanged)

With 15 shots in three games, you’d normally expect a little more production from Mailloux, but you can’t fault him for his overall effort.

He continues to slowly erase some of the defensive issues in his game, and with it, is on the cusp of cracking the Canadiens prospect power rankings’ top 5.

The real test will be the playoffs, and since Mailloux’s return, the London Knights have looked like a powerhouse. It’ll be interesting to see how they perform once a potential Memorial Cup run is on the table.

7. Owen Beck, Centre, Peterborough Petes (OHL). Drafted: 32nd overall (2022), Age: 18

Last Week: 2 GP, 0 G, 0 A  Season Totals: 46 GP, 20 G, 32 A, 52 PTS

Previous Ranking: 5th (-2)

I only caught one of Beck’s games this week, and despite the lack of offence, I would have a hard time describing his performance as bad.

For the most part, the Peterborough Petes have struggled to produce complete-game efforts, which has cost them dearly in the standings

Regardless, we’ve come to expect more from the 18-year-old, which explains why he dropped out of the top five for the first time this season.

With that in mind, given his track record, don’t be surprised if this particular Canadiens prospect bounces back in the near future.

8. Filip Mesar, Right Wing, Kitchener Rangers (OHL). Drafted: 26th overall (2022). Age: 18 

Points This Week: 3 GP, 0 G, 2 A Season Totals: 38 GP, 16 G, 21 A, 37 PTS

Previous Ranking: 7th (-1)

Mesar had a difficult week from a defensive standpoint, especially during Monday night’s 4-0 loss to the Hamilton Bulldogs.

He continues to score at a semi-regular rate, but given his draft position, falling below a point per game is slightly disappointing.

It’s been a very busy year for the Canadiens prospect, and he’s still just in his first year of North American hockey, but there’s something left to be desired on most nights.

Sometimes it’s intensity, other times it’s his defensive awareness, but most of the time it’s simply a matter of questionable decision-making, which should improve as he gains more comfort with experience.

9. Jakub Dobes, Goaltender, Ohio State (NCAA), Drafted: 136th overall (2020), Age: 21

Stats This Week: 2 GP, 2 Win,  0.91- SV%.  Season Totals: 18-11-3, 0.918 SV%, 2.24 GAA, 3 SO.

Previous Ranking: 9th (unchanged)

Technically, Dobes only won one game this week, with the other game counting as a tie for NCAA standings purposes.

But we get to count it because it was a shootout win against Michigan, that featured great saves on players such as Fantilli and Frank Nazar.

Dobes was also excellent in the very first ‘Faceoff on the Lake’, an outdoor game that took place at First Energy Stadium, in Cleveland. He made 35 saves on 37 shots, powering the Ohio State Buckeyes to a 4-2 win against the Wolverines

His numbers aren’t quite good enough to justify pushing him past players like Mesar or Beck, but he’s trending upward at the right time and looks set to make a push up the rankings soon.

10. Jared Davidson, Centre, Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL). Drafted: 130th overall. Age: 20

Points This Week: 3 GP, 2 G, 0 A. Season Totals: 50 GP, 32 G, 40 A, 72 PTS.

Previous Ranking: 10th (unchanged)

Davidson had a down week, at least for his standards, and is at risk of falling out of the top 10.

Players like Vinzenz Rohrer, Joel Teasdale and William Trudeau are thriving, while Davidson is showing some signs of fatigue down the stretch. If he was a little younger, he wouldn’t be at risk of losing his spot to another player, but we all know how important it is to keep age in mind when discussing development.

Best Of The Rest

11. Vinzenz Rohrer  12. Oliver Kapanen 13. Joel Teasdale 14. Anthony Richard 15. William Trudeau 16. Cedrick Guindon. 17. Jayden Struble 18. Emil Heineman 19. Petteri Nurmi 20. Xavier Simoneau (unchanged)

Reminder: 

The Canadiens’ prospect power rankings are based on the overall season, as well as the most recent week of action.

Factors such as the strength of a prospect’s team, the league in which they play, their age, and expectations related to their draft position will also be considered.

Week 1: Lane Hutson Takes Top Spot

Week 2: Owen Beck Jumps To First

Week 3: Lots Of Movement In The Top 10

Week 4: Lane Hutson Back In First Place

Week 5: Prospects Heating Up Ahead Of WJC

Week 6: Sean Farrell’s Impressive Scoring

Week 7: Filip Mesar Shines

Week 8: Owen Beck Takes Over First Place

Week 9: Filip Mesar Makes A Big Jump

Week 10: The Jakub Dobes Show

Week 11: New Reigning Champion

Week 12: Kidney Scoring At Will

Week 13: Top Canadiens Prospect Thriving

Week 14: Hutson Reigns Supreme

Week 15: Sean Farrell Excels