TORONTO, ON – Every October the National Hockey League's Central Scouting Division releases preliminary rankings for the upcoming NHL Draft at the end of the season. This year, six Lumberjacks including A-rated
Tynan Lawrence (Fredericton, NB, CAN) were among those ranked.
The preliminary rankings differ from the mid and end season rankings. Rather than players ranked in numerical order, this list features letter grades associated with rounds. While the grades are a good measuring stick for where a player starts the season in the eyes of NHL Scouts, it is worth noting that Neither
Matvei Gridin ('24 #28, CGY) or
Vaclav Nestrasil ('25 #25, CHI) received "A" grades before being selected in the first round of the draft.
A – First Round
B – Second or Third Round
C – Fourth or Fifth Round
W – Sixth or Seventh Round
LV – Injured or not enough playing time to be categorized
Just like Lumberjacks fans, NHL Scouts have had to wait to see Lawrence take the ice in the 2025-26 season. The 2025 Clark Cup Playoffs MVP, Lawrence followed up his stellar season last year with a head turning performance at the 2025 Hlinka-Gretzky Cup.
Not only is Lawrence elite with the puck on his stick, his full 200-foot game has draft experts projecting him as a first line center that can play against other team's top units. As of Wednesday, of last week, Lawrence is eligible to come off the Injured Reserve and can make his season debut at any moment.
Niklas Aaram-Olsen – B
A 2025 Phase II selection of the Lumberjacks, Aaram-Olsen has started the 2025-26 season in Sweden playing with Örebro in the U20 Nationell League and SHL. Aaram-Olsen is a Norway native and has represented his home country on the international stage from the U16 through U20 levels.
His smooth skating is paired with an innate ability to produce in the offensive zone. As a 16-year-old last season, Aaram-Olsen recorded 41 points in 42 J20 Nationell games with Örebro. This season he already has 13 points in 10 games.
In the modern era of hockey, NHL GMs are always looking for players that can dominate the game physically without sacrificing skill. Berzkalns is the prototypical Power-Skill forward. With his 6'3, 205-pound frame, Berzkalns dominates the ice and has shown his scoring touch with 7 points in the first 10 games of the season.
Another attractive part of Berzkalns' game is his experience playing in the big moments. On the surface, he is a Clark Cup Champion. He also has international experience playing for his home country, Latvia including appearing in five games at the 2025 World Junior Championship.
Teddy Lechner – C
The latest player to make his Lumberjacks debut, Lechner started the season in Minnesota playing for Team APX in the UMSEHL. During the high school season, Lechner has spent each of the last two years playing for Academy of Holy Angels where he recorded 28 points in 24 games during the 2024-25 campaign.
After selecting him in the Phase I Draft this past summer, the Jacks got a taste of Lechner in game action this past weekend against Dubuque in what was a battle between the top two teams in the USHL. Lechner played meaningful minutes on both nights and finished the weekend with a +2 rating.
This season the Lumberjacks have boasted the #1 defense in the USHL. Celski has been a big reason for that success. Both literally and figuratively. At 6'3, 205 pounds, Celski is one of the biggest players on the Lumberjacks roster. His physicality has increased over the start of the season, and his ability to create a difference in the Jacks zone continues to be elite.
His size and defensive awareness has NHL scouts keeping an eye on #2 in the black and gold this season.
It's a little early in the year for draft experts to start tagging players as "risers", but
Will Keane has put the experts on notice that his name belongs around the draft.
Through the first 5 weeks of the regular season, Keane has a 3-1-0-0 record, 2.00 goals against average, and .934 save percentage. His win total is tied for 11
th in the league, GAA is 5
th, and his save percentage is 2
nd among all qualified goalies.
After playing Michigan High School Hockey last season at Saint Mary's Prep, Keane is showing not only that he is a Bonafide USHL goaltender, but that he is a legitimate NHL prospect.
### (10/20/25)
About the Muskegon Lumberjacks
The Muskegon Lumberjacks are proud and dedicated members of the United States Hockey League (USHL), the nation's only Tier I junior hockey league and leading producer of NCAA players and National Hockey League draft picks in the United States. The club's goal is to create an environment where student-athletes develop into successful young men, both on and off the ice. This includes playing the game the right way while maintaining academic excellence in the classroom and staying actively involved in the West Michigan community. The organization is committed to providing high-quality, affordable, and top-notch family entertainment while serving as positive role models for the youth and local community.
