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<p>The NHL’s schedule might be light this week, but the rest of the hockey world will keep on trucking. </p>



<p>The NHL All-Star Game is this weekend, with just six games happening in the lead-up to the festivities. So it’s a good time to start brushing up on prospects, with notable games to watch in major junior, the AHL, KHL, Sweden, Finland, NCAA, and much more.</p>



<p>Here’s a look at 11 prospects that have caught my attention in recent weeks, highlighted by one that has made the WHL look silly:</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">WHL</h2>



<p>– On one hand, going from the AHL to the WHL seems like a massive demotion. But <strong>Chaz Lucius </strong>has used the experience from a 12-game run with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose and turned it into a chance to dominate with the Portland Winterhawks. He’s up to five goals and 15 points in just six games, recording at least two points in every game since making his major junior debut. Lucius, who scored the game-winner in the bronze medal game at the World Junior Championship for USA, is one of the top prospects in the <strong>Winnipeg Jets’ </strong>system. After recovering from an injury ahead of the WJC, everything has been smooth sailing for a forward the Jets stole at 18th overall in 2021.</p><div class="injected-ad injected-video" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="0" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="223"></div>



<p>– After a solid four-point run at the world juniors earlier this month, <strong>Kevin Korchinski </strong>has kept the momentum flying high with Seattle. Korchinski had three points in two games over the weekend and 12 points in his past nine games since returning to the Thunderbirds, highlighted by four multi-point efforts. The <strong>Chicago Blackhawks </strong>drafted him seventh overall last year for the way he uses free space to his advantage, and he’s on pace to be one of six WHL defenders to hit the 70-point mark this season.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">OHL</h2>



<p>– <strong>Josh Bloom </strong>was a massive addition to an already strong North Bay scoring core, and with 16 goals and 37 points in 29 games, he’s been as advertised. The <strong>Buffalo Sabres</strong> prospect had six points in three games last week, putting his projected total to just under 80. Bloom won’t be a high-output winger at the next level, but he has good size, speed and offensive zone awareness. The team likes him, given it signed him to an entry-level contract in last April.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="1" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="172"></div>



<p>– When you’ve got a nearly 20-point gap over everyone on your team, scoring-wise, people notice. <strong>Boston Bruins </strong>draft pick <strong>Matthew Poitras </strong>had a wonderful weekend for Guelph, recording six points in two games – including a four-point effort in a 5-4 overtime win over Sudbury on Sunday. He now has a 15-point advantage over St. Louis Blues prospect Michael Buchinger for the team lead in points as the team chases a playoff berth in the Midwest Division. The 18-year-old is a forward-thinking prospect that seems to always be in a solid scoring position and doesn’t force plays to make something happen. Poitras is on pace for 66 assists and 85 points this year, which would be quite the bump from his 50-point rookie campaign.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">QMJHL</h2>



<p>– Since getting traded to Sherbrooke at the deadline, <strong>Jacob Melanson </strong>has made goalies across the QMJHL look goofy with 11 goals and 19 points in 11 games. After scoring 25 goals in 27 games with Acadie-Bathurst, Melanson is on pace for just under a goal per game, which would make him the only player to do that this season. All the 19-year-old has done since getting drafted by the <strong>Seattle Kraken</strong> in the fifth round in 2021 is score.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="2" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="205"></div>



<p>– I’ll keep this one short since I already mentioned <strong>Montreal Canadiens</strong> prospect<strong> Riley Kidney </strong>a few weeks back. After going without a point in his first game with Gatineau, Kidney is up to 22 points in his last seven games, with all of them being multi-point efforts. He has 67 points in 39 games this year. Absolutely absurd.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ncaa">NCAA</h2>



<p>– There’s nothing overly special about fourth-year players scoring at a point-per-game pace, but <strong>Robert Mastrosimone </strong>is doing so much for the independent Arizona State University squad. Selected in the second round by the <strong>Detroit Red Wings</strong> in 2019, Mastrosimone has nine goals and 29 points in 29 games, highlighted by four points in his past four games. The smaller forward has a non-stop motor with a great shot, but he’s developed into a solid playmaker and an overall well-rounded prospect over the past few years.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="3" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="145"></div>



<p>– Not many players go directly from U-18 prep hockey to NCAA star, but <strong>Scott Morrow</strong> has done exactly that. Taken 40th by the <strong>Carolina Hurricanes</strong> in 2021, the two-way defender with good size has 22 points in 25 games this year with UMass, including nine points in his past 10 games. He went scoreless on the weekend but still sits fourth in scoring among U-21 defensemen overall. He’s the third-highest-scoring defender from the past two seasons behind Luke Hughes (New Jersey) and Michael Benning (Florida), so the Hurricanes must be pleased.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">AHL</h2>



<p>– With Dustin Tokarski getting a couple of looks with the big club, <strong>Taylor Gauthier</strong> has stepped in and done everything needed of him with the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins. Signed by the <strong>Pittsburgh Penguins</strong> as an undrafted prospect last year out of the WHL, the 21-year-old has a 5-1-0 record, with his lone loss coming on Jan. 6 against Charlotte. He was excellent on Saturday in a 28-save effort over Bridgeport and stopped every shot sent his way in a pair of relief efforts over the past three weeks. So he isn’t getting much playing time, but Gauthier has been a positive presence as a first-year pro after spending much of the season with the ECHL’s Wheeling Nailers. Gauthier thrived with heavy pressure with the Prince George Cougars, so it’s good to see him putting up solid numbers as a pro.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="4" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="233"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">KHL</h2>



<p>– The <strong>New Jersey Devils</strong> have a promising blueline, and <strong>Shakir Mukhamadullin</strong> could eventually be brought over to bring size to the lineup. The 21-year-old stands at 6-foot-4, can be intimidating on a 1-on-1 and he can definitely skate well. He had a solid three-game points streak last week that ultimately ended on Sunday, but he’s on pace for 25 points this season, which would be among the top of U-21 players in the KHL this season. Mukhamadullin already signed his NHL entry-level contract and skated in three playoff games with Utica, so it will be interesting to see what the Devils do with him next year.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Liiga</strong></h2>



<p>– It’s never easy to put up points as a young forward in the Finnish Liiga, and <strong>Roni Hirvonen</strong> knows that all too well. But the 21-year-old <strong>Toronto Maple Leafs</strong> prospect has five points in his past four games, marking one of the best stretches of his tenure with HIFK in his fourth year in the Finnish Liiga. He’s third among U-21 scorers, and while HIFK has struggled to put up goals, Hirvonen has started to show some decent consistency. His significant pro experience will help for when he eventually heads over to North America, which could happen as early as the end of this season after signing an entry-level contract back in May.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="5" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="221"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Recently by Steven Ellis</h2>



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