2021 NHL Draft: Top WHL prospects

The 2021 NHL Draft will be held on July 23-24. NHL.com is counting down to the draft with in-depth profiles on top prospects and other features. Today, a look at the top eligible prospects from Western Canada. NHL.com's full draft coverage can be found here.

Dylan Guenther of Edmonton is expected to be the first player selected in the 2021 NHL Draft from the Western Hockey League, which features an elite-level prospect at each position this year.
The first round is scheduled for July 23 (8 p.m. ET; ESPN2, SN, SN NOW), with rounds 2-7 on July 24 (11 a.m. ET; NHLN, SN, SN NOW).
The WHL had 57 players represented on NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters eligible for the draft.

Guenther (6-foot-1, 175 pounds) is the first player from the WHL to appear in the ranking of skaters, at No. 5. The right wing is followed by Winnipeg defenseman Carson Lambos (6-1, 197), who is ranked No. 11. Sebastian Cossa (6-6, 210) of Edmonton is No. 1 on NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American goalies.
Guenther scored 24 points (12 goals, 12 assists), including six power-play points (two goals, four assists) in 12 WHL games this season. He scored seven points (four goals, three assists) in seven games for first-place Canada at the 2021 IIHF Under-18 World Championship.
Lambos (6-1, 197) played two games in the WHL before sustaining a lower-body injury that ended his season. Cossa (6-6, 210) was 17-1-1 with a 1.57 goals-against average, .941 save percentage and four shutouts in 19 games.
There are 18 WHL teams with at least two players listed on Central Scouting's final rankings, and 21 represented with at least one player. Brandon, Edmonton, Portland and Seattle have the most players, each with five.
To break it down, here are five questions with NHL Central Scouting's John Williams:

What makes Guenther such an offensive force, and is there anyone that he reminds you of in the NHL?
"He's got the size, separational speed, and can pull away from people, protect the puck well with his body. He has a very high hockey IQ. I think you saw that at the U-18s when they used him on penalty kill. I think he's deceptive in terms of how good a playmaker he is just because people just expect him to score but when that's taken away from him, he can make plays in tight areas. When I watch him, I get kind of a Max Pacioretty sort of vibe. He's got similar size as Max and has that kind of potential."
Does Saskatoon center Colton Dach (No. 19; 6-4, 196) possess the same skills and toughness as his brother, Chicago Blackhawks center Kirby Dach?
"At this stage, Colton's development isn't where Kirby's was. Kirby was an elite player coming into the WHL, similar to what Guenther did stepping in as a 16-year-old. We weren't sure what to expect of Colton at the start of the season. He's a big, strong kid and he got better. Towards the end of the season, Saskatoon's top center got injured and Colton stepped in and proved that he can play center. He can be the big center or play sort of the power game. He played his off-wing (right wing) most of the time and showed that he can handle that, which isn't easy for a young player."
Can you explain the similarities and differences between left-handed defenseman Lambos and right-handed defenseman Corson Ceulemans (No. 14 in NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters) of Brooks in the Alberta Junior Hockey League?
"As a 16-year-old (in 2019-20) Lambos was a top-pair guy who played power play, penalty kill, and big minutes. He's got a very mature game, very calm and kind of a commanding presence on the ice. He can control the tempo of a game. Ceulemans' game doesn't quite have the maturity at this stage, but when he's played for Canada in international events, he's been very good when given a specific role and he can execute it well. Ceulemans has high-end to his game. He's going to a great program (University of Wisconsin). At this stage, I'd say Lambos is more firm in ability and little more mature."

Cossa checks the boxes for what NHL teams are looking for in a goalie. Could he be a candidate to be chosen in the first round?
"If you remember the final four teams in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, each starting goalie was a first-round pick. I know teams could be hesitant to do it but Cossa, with his size, athleticism ... I think he's got the chance to be a No. 1, franchise-type goalie. The conventional thinking was always that a goalie was 5-to-7 years away. But Cossa's a very competitive type of goalie."
Can you name a few other WHL players beyond the first-round projection who could turn out to be solid NHL contributors one day?
"I'm looking at some kids who went through the draft last year, like left wing Simon Knak (No. 86) of Portland. I thought he should have been drafted last year and was surprised he wasn't. He proved this year he's legitimate, leading Portland with 16 goals and ranked second with 29 points. Edmonton has a few of these-type players; center Jalen Luypen (No. 133) and right wing Carson Latimer (No. 149), who got an opportunity to play more when Guenther left to go play with Canada at the U-18's. They both can generate some offense and are each competitive on the puck, physical."