2023 NHL Draft Countdown – No. 55-51: Trey Augustine, Cameron Allen, Roman Kantserov, Carson Bjarnason, Gavin McCarthy

Over the next few weeks leading into the 2023 NHL Draft, we’ll be counting down the Top 100 prospects in this year’s class based on Daily Faceoff’s list. Today, we have No. 55 Trey Augustine, No. 54 Cameron Allen, No. 53 Roman Kantserov, No. 52 Carson Bjarnason, and No. 51 Gavin McCarthy.

Scouting Report: “The Michigan State commit is a B-rated goalie on the NHL’s Central Scouting’s initial watch list, making him one of the top projected goalies for the draft. Some scouts believe Augustine can go in the second round, others in the third. USA’s goaltending situation can always be tough to predict because they’re typically backstopping a dominant group in front, but Augustine has done a lot of the heavy lifting himself.” – Steven Ellis, Daily Faceoff

Scouting Report: “The Guelph Storm have played better as a team for an extended period of time and defenceman Cameron Allen is part of the reason they are improving. He made some excellent puck plays in the Top Prospects Game. His outlets were on target and led to offensive chances for Team Red. Allen provides plenty of pushback physically, too. He’s hard to play against.” –Jason Bukala, Sportsnet

Scouting Report: “If you want quality playmaking, this is where you go to hang your hat. Kantserov is a quality passer of the puck and can squeeze his passes onto a teammate’s stick with surgical precision. A smart craftsman, the Magnitogorsk native has thus far been able to rely on his cerebral advantage to stay ahead of the curve against opponents who are physically superior to him.” – Anton Rasegard, Habe Eyes on The Prize

Scouting Report: “Bjarnason had his best game against Team Switzerland. He used his size to his advantage, especially in the first period when he made saves by moving laterally and stretching out his legs. Team Canada gave up several Grade A chances early in the game. It pleased me to see Bjarnason “start on time”. He made several stops from the deep middle slot. There are times he loses his posts and it affects his angle coverage. He had a great game in the quarters, but I’m monitoring for a consistent result in the semis on Saturday.” – Jason Bukala, Sportsnet

Scouting Report: “McCarthy’s toolkit is one that should do well in the pro game. He’s got good size, he’s a right-shot, he skates well, and he’s showing a lot of offence this season in the USHL. I don’t think he’s a natural puck-mover, but McCarthy has good skill and can make the occasional tough offensive play. His skating allows him to transport pucks up ice. Defensively he’s solid. He can run around a little bit, but he’s quite physical, and his skating lets him close on plays well. I think he will play a regular role on an NHL team.” – Corey Pronmam, The Athletic