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