Guide to Draft Guides?

[HoweFan]

I like the listings you gave. The draft you gave Detroit was awesome. Just take Wallinder at 32 for them and I’ll be ecstatic

 

[Sharksrule04]

Anyone know if there is a physical copy option this year for the THN Draft Preview issue?

 

[Aaron Vickers]

Hey guys! We've released our 2020 NHL Draft Guide over at FC Hockey. Probably the most fun I've had putting our draft guide together, especially given the circumstances. We went a little heavier on some articles than we have in the past few years, so hopefully you'll enjoy the little extras that went into this year's guide! Enjoy.

2020 NHL Draft Guide

Promo code: 2020HF for the HFBoards crew!

 

[TopC0rner]

Hey guys! We've released our 2020 NHL Draft Guide over at FC Hockey. Probably the most fun I've had putting our draft guide together, especially given the circumstances. We went a little heavier on some articles than we have in the past few years, so hopefully you'll enjoy the little extras that went into this year's guide! Enjoy.

2020 NHL Draft Guide

Promo code: 2020HF for the HFBoards crew!

Just a question about the guide.

Is your top 100 in the draft guide the same as the last one on your website, or did you make changes?

 

[Aaron Vickers]

Just a question about the guide.

Is your top 100 in the draft guide the same as the last one on your website, or did you make changes?

We've made changes to it. We have our final ranking in the 2020 NHL Draft Guide, but we haven't yet released the top-100 to the website yet. I imagine we'll do just that in advance of the NHL Draft Lottery.

 

[neelynugs]

would be curious to hear feedback from anyone who gets the FC draft guide.
have never gotten it but enjoy their website and work.

 

[pgfan66]

would be curious to hear feedback from anyone who gets the FC draft guide.
have never gotten it but enjoy their website and work.

This year’s edition has more than just the player profiles, which is great. Has some additional content with scouts’ thoughts. The profiles are great as always - much shorter than HP for example, but I often find HP needlessly long. This has everything you need to know, and you get profiles on 200 players plus the top 2021 eligibles. I think it’s their best guide yet. Highly recommend.

 

[Mark Edwards]

@Mark Edwards not to put you on the spot, and I know you don't know exactly yet...but do you think June/July or Aug/Sep for release?

We want to release it ASAP so it will not be an August/September release. If it managed to slip into July, it would not be very deep into July. I'll have a better idea by the weekend where we are at. Thanks for your patience, we want it released yesterday so we are going as fast as we can.

 

[tcat84]

still king. red line is excellent. i particularly like that when they're against the grain,
they don't care. courage of conviction. the profiles are very detailed as well.

So i visited their website and it's so outdated, there's mentions of the 2015 draft on there for some reason. But there's no mention of the 2020 draft which is odd. It is also 50$ US though when they update it, their twitter says its done.

 

[HoweFan]

Apparently I didn’t download the proper listing for Recruts. I sent Grant an email about it and he immediately corrected my error. It is quite a comprehensive guide. You may not agree with some of his scouting reports but they are interesting and quite a refreshing change. I recommend it to anyone.

 

[LastWordArmy]

Our guide is pretty comprehensive and is updated daily. Were planning on going 150 players deep plus the mock draft will likely be 3 rounds when we get the draft order.

It's also all free.

You can find the table of contents here.

2020 NHL Entry Draft Headquarters - Last Word on Hockey

 

[neelynugs]

So i visited their website and it's so outdated, there's mentions of the 2015 draft on there for some reason. But there's no mention of the 2020 draft which is odd. It is also 50$ US though when they update it, their twitter says its done.

yeah i don't think red line is big on the technology thing, but that 2015 piece you mention
looks like a sample for customers to look at. the bonus of ordering red line by phone is
you get to chat with kyle - he seems to enjoy discussing prospects with anyone.

 

[Kakko Schmakko]

Our guide is pretty comprehensive and is updated daily. It's also all free.

You can find the table of contents here.

2020 NHL Entry Draft Headquarters - Last Word on Hockey

Thank you

 

[MBH]

I know www.draftprospectshockey.com is the new kid on the block but I think we have just as much right to be mentioned with these other scouting outfits.

Draft Prospects Hockey is in year two and our upcoming draft guide will be can't miss draft material for anyone who wants a complete, comprehensive rundown of the talent available each year. To pre-order the guide and receive a complimentary copy of our 2020 preview magazine release last fall go here: DRAFTPRO – 2020 NHL DRAFT GUIDE (PRE-ORDER TODAY) – DRAFT PROSPECTS HOCKEY

Just as a little background I started Future Considerations in 2008 with Aaron Vickers and was in charge of all the scouting - directing the team and writting all the scouting reports during my 10 years with that group. This new company has ten very talented scouts located around the globe and attending games regularly.

We also introduced a mock draft simulator recently that has become very popular and if you have not tried it our I suggest you take a spin. draftsim

I've bought your pre-season guide twice by mistake. Any chance I can get a refund on one? Also, when does the real one come out?

 

[Baaaaaaaaaaaaah]

yeah i don't think red line is big on the technology thing, but that 2015 piece you mention
looks like a sample for customers to look at. the bonus of ordering red line by phone is
you get to chat with kyle - he seems to enjoy discussing prospects with anyone.

Has anyone confirmed whether Redline actually has a 2020 draft guide available given the state of the website? And if so what forum does it come in...website seems to imply fax???!!!

 

[neelynugs]

Has anyone confirmed whether Redline actually has a 2020 draft guide available given the state of the website? And if so what forum does it come in...website seems to imply fax???!!!

their guide came out a few weeks ago. couple of people i know got it via email in PDF.
not sure about the hard copy, but assume that's still an option.

 

[Baaaaaaaaaaaaah]

their guide came out a few weeks ago. couple of people i know got it via email in PDF.
not sure about the hard copy, but assume that's still an option.

Thanks. Got my hands on it yesterday, and it came in PDF form.

 

[DanStewart]

I've bought your pre-season guide twice by mistake. Any chance I can get a refund on one? Also, when does the real one come out?

I refunded your second purchase, and the guide is scheduled for mid next week. Thank-you for your support.

 

[MBH]

Thanks. Got my hands on it yesterday, and it came in PDF form.

What do you think of it? Rich info? Pretty rich price.

 

[Baaaaaaaaaaaaah]

What do you think of it? Rich info? Pretty rich price.

It's not a bad package at all honestly. It's as expensive as Black Book and you get a heck of a lot less for the money (only 33 pages). However, it is no BS and I really liked a few things about it.

-For every player he does a projection (e.g., 1st line winger) as well as style comparison to an NHL regular.
-He does a section on NHL team needs.
-He does some "awards", like ranking players with the best hands, toughest, and my favorite, the Scarecrow ($5 million skills and 10 cent heads).
-Doesn't really hold back if he loves or hates a player.
-Section on sleeper picks
-Very deep with over 300 players ranked.

His rankings are clearly not a mock draft, so I am sure anyone that gets the report will probably be as startled with his rankings as I was initially. The more the ranking sunk in though it was no more off the wall than most lists this year given the volatility and uncertainty around this draft as a whole. It felt more like a true NHL team internal list.

In my non-scout opinion, he seems to have done a better job past the 1st round about not fantasizing about 5'8 sleepers that don't usually project as well.

 

[Josh A]

Our guide is pretty comprehensive and is updated daily. Were planning on going 150 players deep plus the mock draft will likely be 3 rounds when we get the draft order.

It's also all free.

You can find the table of contents here.

2020 NHL Entry Draft Headquarters - Last Word on Hockey

Looks great guys!

 

[MBH]

I wish these guides would give up on the journalism and just do scouting.
waste of space.

 

[MBH]

It's not a bad package at all honestly. It's as expensive as Black Book and you get a heck of a lot less for the money (only 33 pages). However, it is no BS and I really liked a few things about it.

-For every player he does a projection (e.g., 1st line winger) as well as style comparison to an NHL regular.
-He does a section on NHL team needs.
-He does some "awards", like ranking players with the best hands, toughest, and my favorite, the Scarecrow ($5 million skills and 10 cent heads).
-Doesn't really hold back if he loves or hates a player.
-Section on sleeper picks
-Very deep with over 300 players ranked.

His rankings are clearly not a mock draft, so I am sure anyone that gets the report will probably be as startled with his rankings as I was initially. The more the ranking sunk in though it was no more off the wall than most lists this year given the volatility and uncertainty around this draft as a whole. It felt more like a true NHL team internal list.

In my non-scout opinion, he seems to have done a better job past the 1st round about not fantasizing about 5'8 sleepers that don't usually project as well.

Thanks. I think I'll order it Monday.

 

[Rogi]

I've bought the hockey news draft mag every year for I don't know how long. I gather they're only doing digital this year. Is there any magazines that are selling a hard copy not digital? Can anyone give me a list of who?

 

[Hossa]

It's not a bad package at all honestly. It's as expensive as Black Book and you get a heck of a lot less for the money (only 33 pages). However, it is no BS and I really liked a few things about it.

-For every player he does a projection (e.g., 1st line winger) as well as style comparison to an NHL regular.
-He does a section on NHL team needs.
-He does some "awards", like ranking players with the best hands, toughest, and my favorite, the Scarecrow ($5 million skills and 10 cent heads).
-Doesn't really hold back if he loves or hates a player.
-Section on sleeper picks
-Very deep with over 300 players ranked.

His rankings are clearly not a mock draft, so I am sure anyone that gets the report will probably be as startled with his rankings as I was initially. The more the ranking sunk in though it was no more off the wall than most lists this year given the volatility and uncertainty around this draft as a whole. It felt more like a true NHL team internal list.

In my non-scout opinion, he seems to have done a better job past the 1st round about not fantasizing about 5'8 sleepers that don't usually project as well.

Redline hasn't really changed up their approach in years, so those looking at past samples (eg. from 2015) can anticipate something very similar this year, and your description sounds like it's the same old. The player awards - amusing and insightful as they can be - are an example of something that feel dated to long time readers.

I haven't ordered Redline this year because I found my assessment of players diverging a bit from theirs, but I do think they do a very good job of cogently describing a player in a way that helps me understand how they play if I have not seen them. And you are right that they don't lean towards 5'8" sleepers like some, and if anything are behind the curve on going small, but there are preferences and biases in their approach. That to me has always been central to its appeal, that the entire draft guide feels coherent in a way a team list would be.

As an aside, I don't understand using page numbers or word counts as an indicator of value for money. Less can often be more, and being concise is a skill, while padding your word count with stats and context is not. If I could change something about Redline it would be refreshing its presentation and making it more accessible, not longer.