Here’s a note on how I go about ranking draft-eligible players. I think the eye test is the best and most effective way. On television, you’re not being shown everything. You miss a lot behind the play. I can’t be everywhere but I take good notes and will update them regularly. So if I saw a player two years ago live, I still update him with newer information. I try and watch as many full games as possible. I have a DVR that is always jam-packed with hockey. I also use different streaming services to see games or tournaments I can’t attend in person. I do watch iso video as well. If I don’t have enough on a player, I don’t rank them. I did that with Ilya Samsonov a few year’s ago and numerous other times.

I don’t have a big corporation budget. I don’t have any metrics for draft-eligible players. A smart man once told me once they have them that work for every league across the board, he’ll use them, and then, so will I. We’re not there yet. I talk to these players. I talk to scouts/player development coaches, to see if they agree or disagree with what I’m seeing. The scouts are the experts. I’m not a scout. Teammates have some bias, I know that but competitors will tell you a lot. Players know Jack Hughes said a lot of teams picked his brain about so many different players in their interviews. I’ve been doing that for a long time. I do use my gut when it’s a close call and most things are even. I toil over my rankings and with that here is my final version 3.0.

1. Jack Hughes – 5-10, 179 – C – NTDP
2. Kaapo Kakko – 6-2, 190 – RW – TPS
3. Alex Turcotte – 5-11 -186 – C – NTDP (in pants)
4. Vasily Podkolzin 6-1, 196 – RW – KHL
5. Bowen Byram – 6-1, 195 – D – WHL
6. Cole Caufield – 5-7.25, 163 – RW – NTDP
7. Kirby Dach – 6-4, 198 – C – WHL
8. Victor Soderstrom – 6-0, 182 – D – SHL
9. Moritz Seider – 6-3, 208 – D – DEL
10. Trevor Zegras – 6-0, 173 – C – NTDP
11. Peyton Krebs – 5-11.5, 183 – LW – WHL
12. Dylan Cozens – 6-3, 183 – C – WHL
13. Cam York – 5-11, 172 – D – NTDP
14. Philip Broberg – 6-3, 200 – D – SWE-Als
15. Matthew Boldy – 6-2, 196 – LW – NTDP
16. Bobby Brink – 5-8, 165 – RW – USHL
17. Thomas Harley – 6-3, 193 – D – OHL
18. Raphael Lavoie -6-4, 199 – RW – QMJHL
19. Alex Newhook – 5-10.5, 192 – C – BCHL
20. Spencer Knight – 6-3.5, 193 – G – NTDP (in shorts)
21. Ville Heinola – 6-0, 178 – D- LUKKO
22. Ryan Suzuki – 6-0, 180 – C – OHL
23. Ryan Johnson – 6-0, 170 – D – USHL
24. Arthur Kaliyev – 6-2, 194 – LW – OHL
25. Jakob Pelletier – 5-9, 165 – LW – QMJHL
26. Philip Tomasino – 6-0, 183 – C – OHL
27. Samuel Poulin – 6-2, 207 – LW – QMJHL
28. Ronnie Attard – 6-4, 205 – D – USHL
29. Marshall Warren – 5-11, 170 – D – NTDP
30. Nils Hoglander – 5-9.5, 188 – LW – SHL
31. Connor McMichael – 5-11.75, 172 – C – OHL