The CHL held its annual import draft today, where teams from across the Canadian junior leagues get to select the rights of players around the world. Often these are recently drafted prospects, or those seen to have good chances at next year’s draft. Being selected has no guarantee that the player will actually ever suit up for the team, as Filip Chytil proved last season. Chytil was selected seventh-overall by the North Bay Battalion, but ended up spending the year with the New York Rangers and Hartford Wolf Pack after impressing in his first training camp.
There are clear benefits from picking at the top of the draft though, as the Barrie Colts found out last season. Andrei Svechnikov was the first-overall selection, and ended up scoring 40 goals in 44 games before being the second-overall pick in the NHL draft last week. This year saw Slovakian-born Maxim Cajkovic go first to the Saint John Sea Dogs after tearing up the Swedish junior leagues last season. Cajkovic is eligible for the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. Teams are only allowed a certain number of import players, which leads to some passing on their selections even in the early part of the draft. Check out last year’s draft to see some familiar names.
The full results are below:
Round 1
1. Saint John – Maxim Cajkovic (RW, Slovakia)
2. Edmonton – Vladimir Alistrov (LW, Belarus)
3. Sudbury – Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (G, Finland/Buffalo Sabres)
4. Shawinigan – Valentin Nussbaumer (C, Switzerland)
5. Prince George – Matej Toman (LW, Czech Republic)
6. Flint – Jan Jenik (RW, Czech Republic/Arizona Coyotes)
7. Val-d’Or – Daniil Berestnev (LW, Russia)
8. Calgary – PASS
9. Peterborough – Liam Kirk (LW, Great Britain/Arizona Coyotes)
10. Chicoutimi – Artemi Knyazev (D, Russia)
11. Kootenay – Valtteri Kakkonen (D, Finland)
12. Erie – Petr Cajka (C, Czech Republic)
13. Moncton – PASS
14. Kamloops – Martin Lang (LW, Czech Republic)
15. Saginaw – Ivan Prosvetov (G, Russia/Arizona Coyotes)
16. Baie-Comeau – PASS
17. Red Deer – Oleg Zaitsev (C, Russia)
18. Ottawa – Marco Rossi (C, Austria)
19. Cape Breton – PASS
20. Lethbridge – Akira Schmid (G, Switzerland/New Jersey Devils)
21. Guelph – PASS
22. Gatineau – Yaroslav Likhachyov (RW, Russia)
23. Saskatoon – Emil Malysjev (D, Sweden)
24. Mississauga – Filip Reisnecker (LW, Czech Republic)
25. Sherbrooke – Oliver Okuliar (LW, Slovakia/
26. Prince Albert – Aliaksei Protas (RW, Belarus)
27. North Bay – Yegor Postnov (LW, Russia)
28. Charlottetown – Alexander Dersch (D, Germany)
29. Seattle – Andrej Kukuca (RW, Slovakia)
30. Windsor – Kari Piiroinen (G, Finland)
31. Quebec – Alexei Sergeyev (C, Russia)
32. Medicine Hat – Mads Sogaard (G, Denmark)
33. Oshawa – Nando Eggenberger (LW, Switzerland)
34. Rouyn-Noranda – Marcel Dlugos (D, Slovakia)
35. Vancouver – PASS
36. Niagara – Kyen Sopa (LW, Switzerland)
37. Victoriaville – Egor Serdyuk (RW, Russia)
38. Victoria – Phillip Schultz (C, Denmark)
39. Kingston – Ian Derungs (LW, Switzerland)
40. Drummondville – Oliver Turan (D, Slovakia)
41. Tri-City – Krystof Hrabik (C, Czech Republic)
42. London – Matvei Guskov (C, Russia)
43. Rimouski – PASS
44. Brandon – Erik Brannstrom (D, Sweden/Vegas Golden Knights)
45. Owen Sound – Manuel Alberg (RW, Germany)
46. Halifax – Samuel Fagemo (RW, Sweden)
47. Regina – Sergei Alkhimov (F, Russia)
48. Barrie – Maksim Zhukov (G, Russia/Vegas Golden Knights)
49. Acadie-Bathurst – Kristian Kovacik (C, Slovakia)
50. Spokane – Yegor Arbuzov (D, Russia)
51. Kitchener – Axel Andersson (D, Sweden/Boston Bruins)
52. Blainville-Boisbriand – Jasper Rannisto (D, Finland)
53. Kelowna – Lassi Thomson (D, Finland)
54. Hamilton – Philip Broberg (D, Sweden)
55. Portland – Dean Schwenninger (C, Switzerland)
56. Sarnia – PASS
57. Everett – Peter Melcher (RW, Slovakia)
58. Sault Ste. Marie – Roman Pucek (LW, Czech Republic)
59. Swift Current – Joona Kiviniemi (LW, Finland)
60. Moose Jaw – Daniil Stepanov (LW, Belarus)
Round 2
61. Saint John – Filip Prikryl (C, Czech Republic)
62. Edmonton – PASS
63. Sudbury – PASS
64. Shawinigan – PASS
65. Prince George – PASS
66. Flint – PASS
67. Val-d’Or – PASS
68. Calgary – PASS
69. Peterborough – Erik Cermak (LW, Czech Republic)
70. Chicoutimi – PASS
71. Kootenay – PASS
72. Erie – PASS
73. Moncton – PASS
74. Kamloops – Joonas Sillanpaa (D, Finland)
75. Saginaw – PASS
76. Baie-Comeau – PASS
77. Red Deer – Ivan Drozdov (RW, Belarus)
78. Ottawa – PASS
79. Cape Breton – PASS
80. Lethbridge – Danila Palivko (D, Belarus)
81. Guelph – PASS
82. Gatineau – David Aebischer (D, Switzerland)
83. Saskatoon – Kristian Roykas Marthinsen (LW, Norway/Washington Capitals)
84. Mississauga – Nikita Zuyev (D, Belarus)
85. Sherbrooke – Taro Jentzsch (LW, Germany)
86. Prince Albert – PASS
87. North Bay – David Maier (D, Austria)
88. Charlottetown – PASS
89. Seattle – Simon Kubicek (D, Czech Republic)
90. Windsor – PASS
91. Quebec – PASS
92. Medicine Hat – Vasily Podkolzin (LW, Russia)
93. Oshawa – PASS
94. Rouyn-Noranda – PASS
95. Vancouver – PASS
96. Niagara – Daniel Bukac (D, Czech Republic/Boston Bruins)
97. Victoriaville – Mikhail Abramov (RW, Russia)
98. Victoria – PASS
99. Kingston – PASS
100. Drummondville – PASS
101. Tri-City – PASS
102. London – Vladislav Kolyachonok (D, Belarus)
103. Rimouski – PASS
104. Brandon – Jiri Patera (G, Czech Republic/Vegas Golden Knights)
105. Owen Sound – Moritz Seider (D, Germany)
106. Halifax – Marcel Barinka (C, Czech Republic)
107. Regina – Nikita Sedov (D, Russia)
108. Barrie – Matej Pekar (C, Czech Republic/Buffalo Sabres)
109. Acadie-Bathurst – PASS
110. Spokane – PASS
111. Kitchener – PASS
112. Blainville-Boisbriand – PASS
113. Kelowna – PASS
114. Hamilton – Tim Fleischer (C, Germany)
115. Portland – Michal Kvasnica (RW, Czech Republic)
116. Sarnia – PASS
117. Everett – PASS
118. Sault Ste. Marie – Jaromir Pytlik (LW, Czech Republic)
119. Swift Current – Roope Pynnonen (D, Finland)
120. Moose Jaw – Yegor Buyalski (F, Belarus)