1 | | - | | Tier 1 -- Clear first overall; safe pick with a very respectable ceiling |
2 | | - | | Tier 2 ---- Clear second overall; high upside pick |
3 | | - | | Tier 3 ------ No longer the clear choice at number three; injury concerns and an uninspiring playoff performance call his value into question. |
4 | | - | | Is his production inflated this season? Yes. Is he an excellent prospect anyway? Also, yes. His defensive game is coming along nicely as well. |
5 | | - | | High risk, high reward pick; a strong playoff performance thus far helps solidify his spot at the top of the draft. |
6 | | - | | Tier 4 -------- There's a lot to work on with Eiserman, but the potential is great. I'm not even a huge fan of the sniper archetype, so I'm not sure why so many people have him ranked a lot lower than this. I suspect he will rise back into the top ten on a lot of lists before the end |
7 | | - | | I'm not as sold on him as most seem to be, but he's still a high end prospect. Really athletic player with lots of potential |
8 | | - | | Not the greatest playoff run, but I think some people were a bit harsh in their reaction |
9 | | - | | Broke into the top 11 with a strong performance in the first round of the playoffs |
10 | | - | | I think Dickinson is capable of more, but it's hard to put him above other prospects who are actually showing that they are |
11 | | - | | Connelly is very talented; the only question is whether you want him in your organization and on your team |
12 | | - | | Tier 5 ---------- Yakemchuk is very skilled for a defenseman his size. I don't think he quite belongs with the top prospects, but I like him better than the rest of the field. |
13 | | - | | He's smart and produces well, but it's not enough to put him with the players above |
14 | | - | | An intriguing profile, but ultimately I think more offence or more elite defence is needed to justify a higher selection |
15 | | | | Tier 6 ------------ Sennecke is a player I liked a lot last season, and he's played his way back into the top 20 after falling out of it during the first half of the season. His combination of skill and size make him an interesting high upside bet at this stage. |
16 | | - | | Doesn't have the type of pace I would like, but he accomplished a lot on a terrible team |
17 | | - | | Another bet on upside, Hage's ability to play a skilled game at high speed make him a good candidate to reach a top six role in the NHL. |
18 | | - | | MBN is a very effective hockey player, who is almost certain to be a middle six calibre player. He's a good, safe pick for a team that already has a strong core in place. |
19 | | - | | Chernyshov is another player with a lot of potential. His size and power game could work very well at the NHL level, and his defensive game isn't half bad either. |
20 | | - | | Basha could play a variety of roles at the NHL level depending on where he lands in a top 9. He rounds out the top 20 for me. |
21 | | | | Tier 7 ---------------- From here, the draft really starts to open up, so there's lots of room for players in tiers 7-10 to move up or down the rankings. Stiga was a player I had previously ranked too low, so thanks to Zora for getting me to go back and realize my mistake. He's got great skating, surprising levels of skill, and the ability to play up and down the lineup effectively. |
22 | | - | | Prince George is so dominant that it's hard to really judge Parascak's playoff performance so far. I'd take a player with his smarts and production at this point in the draft. |
23 | | - | | Brunicke is a very skilled defenseman whose production really doesn't warrant a selection this high in the draft, but who I think has potential to be a steal four or five years down the road |
24 | | | | Artamonov's great run in the KHL sputtered in the second half and ended in lacklustre fashion. He showed enough promise in the first half to keep him from falling too far though. |
25 | | | | I'm not sure that Letourneau ends up being anything at the NHL level, but players with his size and skill level are worth taking just in case. |
26 | | | | Tier 8 ------------------ Boisvert's skating needs work, but there's a solid player there if it can be improved |
27 | | - | | Surin is a hard-working pest who is strong on the forecheck and has underrated skill. He's been great in the MHL playoffs as a 17 year old. |
28 | | | | Badinka is a big, mobile, physical defender who is great at defending the rush. Probably a middle pairing guy if he pans out. |
29 | | - | | Elick is another physical defensive defenseman with size who could earn a middle pairing role |
30 | | | | A strong, well-rounded, two-way forward who plays a mature game |
31 | | - | | This is probably too low for Jiricek given the upside, but I like the players I have above him better at this point. |
32 | | - | | A strong playoff performance brings Ritchie back into the first round |