2020-21 End of season prospect report: Forwards
The 2020-21 season saw some NHL debuts while a number of prospects made the jump to pro hockey in the AHL and Europe.
Logan Brown
Brown's season was marred by injury as he was only able to suit up 13 times with Belleville where he had a pair of goals and seven assists.
He played one game for Ottawa, appearing in the team's season finale on May 12.
Angus Crookshank
The North Vancouver native started his season in the NCAA as he completed his junior season with New Hampshire notching nine goals and nine assists in 20 games. The 21-year-old registered his first career hat trick on Feb. 6 as he scored four times in a 7-6 victory over UMass.
Crookshank would pen his entry-level contract with Ottawa on March 17 and he would go on to play 19 games with Belleville, finishing in a tie for fifth in team scoring with five goals and 16 points. He began his pro career with a six-game point streak and in the process tied Belleville's franchise record for most consecutive game with at least one assist.
Phillippe Daoust
Daoust's season was disrupted several times due to Covid-19 but the Moncton Wildcat forward still turned in an impressive year as he finished the year second in team scoring with 28 points (six goals) in 21 games.
He set a career high with a five-point effort on March 24 as he was involved in all five Moncton goals in a 6-5 loss to Bathurst.
Eric Engstrand
The 21-year-old winger played 45 games in the Swedish Hockey League this year with Malmo where he had a goal and four assists.
Alex Formenton
Formenton began his season in the AHL with Belleville and wound up appearing 13 times for the Sens scoring four goals.
The 21-year-old made his NHL season debut on March 24 for Ottawa and would go on to play a career high 20 games, scoring four times and adding two assists while also registering a +6.
Ridly Greig
After just missing out on Canada's World Juniors squad, Greig began his season in Belleville where he played four games before heading back to junior.
Greig suited up 21 times with the WHL's Brandon Wheat Kings where he simply dominated, tallying 32 points (10 goals) in just 21 games. His 1.52 points per game average was a new career best while he was held pointless in just three games and recorded 12 multi-point games.
The 2020 first round pick would return to Belleville to conclude his season, scoring his first pro goal in the process, as he finished the AHL campaign with a goal and two assists in seven contests.
Roby Jarventie
Jarventie spent the vast majority of his season in his native Finland where in 48 games with Ilves, he scored 14 times, a league high for rookies, and added 11 assists. He'd also have an assist in five playoff games.
The 18-year-old would sign his entry-level contract on April 27 and finished his season on an amateur tryout with Belleville where he'd score twice and add an assist in four games.
Jarventie also won a bronze at the 2021 World Juniors as Finland beat Russia for third place.
Mark Kastelic
Kastelic's first pro season saw the 2019 fifth round pick play 31 times with Belleville where he had four goals and 10 points.
Parker Kelly
In his second pro season, Kelly finished third in scoring for Belleville with 18 points (10 goals) in 33 games.
And of course, the 21-year-old would memorably make his NHL debut in Ottawa's season finale against Toronto where he scored on his first NHL shot in the Sens' 4-3 overtime win.
Viktor Lodin
Lodin was a crucial piece of Timra's season as they won the HockeyAllsvenskan and earned promotion back to the SHL.
Timra blew away the competition in the regular season, tallying 118 points, 22 more than second place, before winning the playoffs courtesy of a 4-1 series win over Björklöven.
Lodin himself had 40 points (14 goals) in 47 regular season contests before scoring four times and adding five assists in 13 playoff games.
Luke Loheit
Loheit was part of the Minnesota-Duluth team that made the NCAA Frozen Four before losing 3-2 in overtime to the eventual champions, Massachusetts.
Of course, it was Loheit's Bulldogs who beat North Dakota in the fifth overtime earlier in the NCAA Tournament in one of the most memorable college hockey games of all-time.
The 20-year-old Loheit had three goals and five points in 28 games this year.
Jakov Novak
In his junior year with Bentley, Novak played at a better than a point-per-game pace, scoring seven goals and adding 10 assists in 15 games.
Shane Pinto
It'd likely be quicker to list every award Pinto didn't win in 2020-21 as he absolutely dominated the NCHC with North Dakota.
Pinto took home Player of the Year honours unanimously (the first time in conference history) and was also named Forward of the Year and Defensive Forward of the Year on top of winning the NCHC's Penrose Cup as regular season champions and the Frozen Faceoff after leading the conference in goals (15) and points (28).
He was also named to the NCHC First All-Star Team as well as NCAA West All-American Team and was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award.
After his North Dakota season concluded, Pinto signed his entry-level contract and played 12 games for Ottawa scoring his first NHL goal on May 5 and adding six assists as he concluded a sensational season.
Cole Reinhardt
Reinhardt's first pro season saw him play 33 games with Belleville where he would score six goals and add six more assists as a 20-year-old.
Egor Sokolov
The Russian forward led Belleville in scoring this season as he tallied 25 points, including a team-high 15 goals, while playing in all 35 games. He scored a hat trick on April 3 becoming just the fourth rookie in Belleville history to score three times in a game.
He was rewarded for his excellent rookie season by being named to the 2020-21 AHL Canadian Division All-Star Team.
Photo credit: Andre Ringuette
