While Denver has some exciting NHL Entry Draft prospects on the way for this upcoming season, and we looked at them earlier this week, the Pioneers also boast some already drafted players in the pipeline.

This time, we take a look at those two, as well as the other two confirmed incoming freshmen and a few potential down-the-road prospects who could hear their names called this weekend as well.

Already drafted

Goaltender Filip Larsson (1998)

By the numbers: Larsson, who will turn 20 in August, had one of the best seasons by a goaltender in the nearly 40-year history of the USHL as a Junior league. His .941 save percentage for Tri-City was a league record, and his 1.65 goals-against average was the second-best mark ever. He also had seven shutouts. Add it up and the 6-foot-2, 180-pounder was the league’s goalie of the year. This was his first season playing in North America and he also was a member of Sweden’s World Junior Championship team.

Coach’s take: “He’s a dynamic goaltender. If you were to take a pen and a paper and draw up a goalie you want, you’re going to end up with picture of Filip Larsson,” DU assistant coach Tavis MacMillan said. “He has the right approach to game, all kinds of physical and mental abilities. He reads plays, anticipates so well. He’s going to make real tough saves look pretty easy at times. Filip is going to play a big part in our program right away. With a young team there’s going to be nights he’s big for us.”

Forward Cole Guttman (1999)

By the numbers: Guttman (5-9, 170) spent most of this past season trying to rehab a hip injury before ultimately having surgery to repair a torn labrum. He’s expected to recover fully and be ready for the start of DU’s season. He caught Tampa Bay’s attention with a 54-points-in-53-games campaign a year ago for Dubuque of the USHL in 2016-17. He was the team’s captain this season and had 11 points in 17 games before shutting it down.

Coach’s take: “To have that kind of season at 17 in a league that’s that hard to score tells you what type of player he is,” MacMillan said. “He’s a really reliable, dependable all-situations player. You can ask to him produce and he will. There is no question he was hurting last year and hopefully this (surgery) will help him get back to where he was before.”

Also coming to town

Defenseman Kyle Mayhew (1997)

By the numbers: At 5-8 and 150 Mayhew put up 43 points (eight goals) in 69 regular- and post-season games for Fairbanks of the North American Hockey League. He is an elite skater with a high hockey IQ.

Coach’s take: “He’s a really, really good skater; very mobile, moves the puck really well,” MacMillan said. “He fits in the model of the D we’ve had here – smaller, mobile, can get back and retrieve pucks. He can get his eyes up and make that pass out of the zone, and he can use some deception and use his legs to get past defenders. He also was a key contributor to Fairbanks’ power play. He has the ability to fight for ice time right away. We’re excited to see what he can do. … He’s a very smart kid, and physically he hasn’t come close to maturing, so his development in our outstanding strength and conditioning program under Matt Shaw will be fun to watch.”

Forward Tyler Ward (1999)

By the numbers: The 5-10, 170-pounder left the BCHL to play for Tri-CIty of the USHL, where he was Larsson’s teammate this past season. His numbers – 23 points and 10 goals in 60 games – were just about the same as the year before in the BCHL, but he posted them in a much tougher league.

Coach’s take: “Two years ago he was injured (wrist) and came back in playoffs and had a big-time run (16 points, nine goals in 11 games),” MacMillan said. “He got off to real good start in Tri-City. He’s a goal socrer, he knows how to finish. He can find space. He’s got to find his offensive confidence, but once he does, watch out. I wouldn’t judge him based on numbers in USHL, he’s a much better player than that. You’ll see a lot more offense out of him playing with us.”

Future DU prospects

The Pioneers potentially have at least two more future prospects – both 2000 birth years – who could be selected in the Entry Draft, forwards Brendan Budy and Ryan O’Reilly.

Budy signed a National Letter of Intent with the Pioneers in November and is ranked No. 125 by NHL Central Scouting. The 5-10, 170-pounder served as captain of Langley in the BCHL this past season, when he had 56 points (22 goals) in 49 games plus five more points in six playoff games. He might follow Ward’s lead and play a season in the USHL before coming to Denver.

O’Reilly, a Texas native, already is in the USHL, spending the past season and the end of the previous season with Madison. Already 6-2, 201, O’Reilly is rated No. 196 after a campaign in which he had 34 points (21 goals) in 45 games.

Both are anticipated to arrive at Denver in 2019, but the school cannot confirm that or comment on them due to NCAA rules.

More work to do

DU plans to fill out its roster with another goaltender and another defenseman at some point this summer, MacMillan said. Those players will be needed because of a couple of departures from the roster.

A goaltending spot opened when rising sophomore Dayton Rasmussen and the program parted ways earlier this month. Rasmussen, who played high school hockey in Minnesota before spending a season with the Colorado Thunderbirds 16U AAA team, is a strong bet to return to the USHL, where the Chicago Steel holds his rights.

By doing that, Rasmussen could play a season of junior and then sign with another Division I program and have three seasons of NCAA eligibility left. The affable Rasmussen, who was on the CSS preseason watch list and also could get drafted, went 1-1-1 with a 3.28 goals-against average and a .882 save percentage in his four appearances last season.

One potential replacement emerged recently when goaltender Michael Corson tweeted about his commitment to play at DU, a move the program has not confirmed. Corson is a 6-4, 180-pound 1999 birth year. The Chicago-area native, had a 3.58 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage in a time share situation for the Cowichan Valley Capitals of the BCHL.

The other departure is rising senior defenseman Sean Mostrom, who completed his degree in three years and graduated early. He told me this week he considered pursuing a graduate degree and DU and playing a fourth season, but he received a job offer in Denver he could not pass up. Another all-around good guy as well as being the team’s unquestioned premier fisherman, Mostrom’s departure leaves the Pioneers with just seven upperclassmen, including three seniors.

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