Rinkside Roundup: Denton Mateychuk is ready for the NHL

As the new year and the World Junior Championships continue approaching, prospects from around the hockey world continue to take strides in their development. 

From the AHL to the OHL, this past week saw some fantastic performances from youngsters, and we picked out a quintet of drafted players to highlight. Mobile playmaking defencemen, especially, caught our eye with strong two-way displays against professional competition.

Denton Mateychuk has made the jump from the WHL to the AHL look seamless and has lost none of the offensive steam that prompted Columbus to pick him 12th overall in 2022. Seamus Casey looked stellar in his eight-game NHL stint to start the season but has found even more comfort with New Jersey’s affiliate in Utica. On the other side of the pond, Carolina Hurricanes brass will be glad to see Noel Fransén excelling playing upwards of 20 minutes a night for Västerås in HockeyAllsvenskan.

OHL forwards got in on the action as well. Saginaw’s Joey Willis scored his third hat-trick in five games this week, ballooning his season scoring rate to 1.5 points a game. On the flip side, 2024 Blackhawks selection Jack Pridham transferred to the league to join the Kitchener Rangers from the West Kelowna Warriors of the BCHL in light of the recent NCAA decision to allow commitments who have played with and against professionally contracted players, thus freeing up CHLers to transfer to the college ranks.

Let’s dive straight into the week’s performances and storylines.

Denton Mateychuk, LD, Cleveland Monsters (Columbus Blue Jackets)

Season Stats: 6G, 12A, 18PTS

Last Week Stats: 2A, 2PTS

The most frequent activating blueliner during the 2022 draft cycle in a class including Lane Hutson, Denton Mateychuk’s offensive game has continued to blossom and diversify in the past couple of seasons. Following an excellent WHL career as captain of the Moose Jaw Warriors, he’s made the leap to professional hockey and came close to cracking the Columbus Blue Jackets’ opening night roster with a strong performance in camp.

Mateychuk has rapidly become not only the best defenceman on the Cleveland Monsters but one of the AHL’s most dynamic and productive players. He tied for seventh in league scoring – tops among blueliners – and has scored two more points than he’s played games. In a season wherein he’s already averaged over 23 minutes a game, his ice time continues to climb game to game. Not a bad way to start a professional career.

This past week, the Winnipeg, MB product played two strong games against the Milwaukee Admirals, tilting the ice in Cleveland’s favour with a highly engaged style of play, closing his gaps in the neutral and offensive zones with real tenacity and haste, cutting down counter-attacks before they had a chance to get started. He leveraged his high degree of anticipation and four-way mobility to create advantages on both sides of the puck.

Denton Mateychuk has arrived in the AHL and then some. Next stop: Columbus.

Seamus Casey, RD, Utica Comets (New Jersey Devils)

Season Stats: 4G, 13A, 17PTS

Last Week Stats: 4A, 4PTS

Another dynamic blueliner from the class of ‘22 who loves to activate in the offensive zone and excels as a puck carrier in transition, Seamus Casey has been lights out for the Utica Comets early this season. 

Among just a handful of AHL defencemen who have exceeded a point-a-game scoring rate so far this season, Casey has been instrumental in creating offence both on the cycle and off the rush. His rush patterns and habits support his playmaking game; he implements delays, cutbacks, and shoulder fakes to buy himself pockets of space. Most importantly, he executes on these pockets with pace and precision, looking the part of an NHL blueline creator.

He highlighted his intelligence and sense of timing on that assist, one of four he contributed this past week in a pair of road victories. On the defensive side, Casey’s game also rests on timing and space manipulation. His stick remained active across the two games and he timed his switches from covering passing lanes to lunging for the puck very well. He got boxed out and physically overwhelmed a few times but always reset himself in a useful – if not always perfect – spot. 

Casey’s playing some fantastic hockey already, just a couple of months into his professional career, and could be a key roster piece for the Devils in as little as a year. 

Noel Fransén, LD, Västerås IK (Carolina Hurricanes)

Season Stats: 2G, 11A, 13PTS

Last Week Stats: 1G, 2A, 3PTS

Noel Fransén flew under the radar a bit last season, overshadowed by Alfons Freij and Leo Sahlin Wallenius, the two other mobile puck-moving Swedish defencemen at the top of the 2024 class. Both went in the second round, but Fransén remained available when the Carolina Hurricanes' 69th overall pick rolled around. The early returns of that swing have been beyond stellar.

Fransén has gained a level of composure under pressure, making almost every area of his game more efficient and fluid. This extends from his retrieval habits to his rush defending and his offensive game in space, using what’s given to him rather than rushing his play, even when the dying seconds of overtime are ticking down.

This past week, he averaged over 22 minutes in Västerås’ pair of games, gaining increased trust on defensive zone draws as well as in overtime with the space to create with his feet and hands. 

Fransén will need a few more years to develop into an NHL piece, though the crowded blueline in Carolina could get in the way. The Hurricanes’ ability to find talent outside the top 32 has been among the league’s best in the past half-decade, and Fransén’s hot start to the campaign could put him on the path to becoming yet another uncovered mid-round gem.

Joey Willis, C, Saginaw Spirit (Nashville Predators)

Season Stats: 16G, 14A, 30PTS

Last Week Stats: 4G, 3A, 7PTS

Believe it or not, Joey Willis’ four goals in two games presented a slowing down of his scoring pace, as he averaged three goals in the three games prior. Nashville’s 111th pick in the 2023 Draft has been a core component to yet another dominant Saginaw Spirit team this season, skating important minutes on both sides of the puck and playing with consistent intelligence, intensity, and pace. 

In his hat-trick against the powerhouse London Knights, Willis scored in a variety of ways. His first came off an in-motion one-timer skating backward off on an offensive zone draw. The next two came from within foot of the crease, created by smart positioning, unrelenting tenacity, and the goalscorer’s ability to get stick on puck in crowded high-danger areas. 

Playing with Michael Misa certainly has its fair share of benefits, but Willis has been far from a passenger in his minutes with the standout 2025 draft-eligible. He’s an adaptable forward, comfortable on the wing and at centre, as a complementary piece or taking on more play-driving responsibilities. Nashville’s fourth-round swing keeps looking better by the week.

Jack Pridham, RW, Kitchener Rangers (Chicago Blackhawks)

Season Stats: 4G, 4A, 8PTS

Last Week Stats: 3G, 1A, 4PTS

One of the higher profile players to have already taken action on the recent NCAA decision, Jack Pridham wasted no time switching to the OHL from the BCHL in search of stronger competition – and higher-end teammates – while conserving his Boston University commitment. Chicago’s third-round selection from this past June has gotten off to a flying start in Kitchener, logging eight points in his five first contests. 

A speedy North-South attacker, Pridham has the pace and intensity to make that style work from the wing against professional competition. He always searched for quick give-and-go connections in the BCHL but couldn’t always rely on his teammates to execute those plays at a high pace. That has now shifted. His second goal against Erie came off a nice link-up upon entry in the offensive zone on the powerplay, shelving the puck before the lone defender could get across. 

This season in the OHL, Pridham should continue to explore his link-up play and ability to play off of high-IQ linemates. Once he jumps to college next season, he’ll be able to focus on the more intricate off-puck habits that remain a tad inconsistent. Boston University is the ideal landing spot to get exactly that drilled into him while preserving and fostering his offensive skill and pace.