StevenToddIves
Registered User
2020 Draft — Preliminary Rankings
Okay, so this took me a lot of time I could have been spending at the bottom of a whiskey bottle wondering how Paul Fenton got a job as an NHL GM but I didn't, so take it easy on me. Again, this is a preliminary ranking; I hope to have a 2-round (top 62) by May and a 3-round (93) for draft day in June. And -- while I greatly look forwards to all the "where are Poirier and Gunler???" questions, it's time to start drinking.
1 LW Alex Lafreniere, Rimouski QMJHL
Put it in the bank, he will be a star. A dominant winger in every aspect of the game who excels on every millimeter of the ice for every second of every shift. His compete level and hockey IQ are off the charts, and he’s only going to get better.
2 C Quinton Byfield, Sudbury OHL
Freakish athletic ability combined with an advanced capability to process the game and outstanding vision. His potential is perhaps the highest in this draft; ideally he could be a 6’5-240 center with elite skating and plus-plus tools across the board.
3 C/LW Tim Stutzle, Mannheim DEL
One of the best skaters in the draft, this young German phenom has the vision, hands and mind to keep up. It’s as if the pace of the entire game picks up whenever the puck is on his stick. The WJC tourney showed he could not only play with the best players his age in the world, he could dominate them.
4 C Marco Rossi, Ottawa OHL
The best 2-way forward in this draft will also become the best Austrian ever to play the sport of hockey. His offensive skills border or the sublime, and when you combine that with a compete level which is second to none in the draft class you get a future superstar center at the NHL level.
5 RD Jamie Drysdale, Erie OHL
A breakout machine in the defensive zone, a break-in machine in the offensive zone. Drysdale combines off-the-charts skating and vision, his outlet passes are surgical. He is extremely comparable to Cale Makar at a similar age — and despite being slightly undersized at 5’11-175, the kid is pretty good in his own zone.
6 RW Alexander Holtz, Djurgardens SHL
The Patrick Laine of the class of 2020, Holtz can flat out shoot the lights out. You know his shot is coming, you know where it’s going, you still can’t stop it. That’s a rare and dangerous weapon. But don’t think it’s Holtz’s only weapon — he’s big and fast and plays a terrific and complete 200-foot game.
7 LW/RW Lucas Raymond, Frolunda SHL
Raymond is another contender for both best skater in the class of 2020 and best passing/vision. Though smaller and not as dangerous a shooter as fellow Swedish “Terror Twin” Holtz, Raymond also plays a tenacious and complete game. Don’t let his lack of statistical output for Frolunda scare you off — he has excelled at every international tournament versus players in his own peer group.
8 LW Cole Perfetti, Saginaw OHL
This kid is like a magician on the ice. Despite relatively unremarkable physical tools, his super-computer like hockey IQ and instincts allow him to slow the game down and make offensive plays which mystify and dazzle. He’s going to score and score big at every level, including the NHL.
9 LD Jake Sanderson, US-NTDP USHL
The son of ex-NHL-er Geoff actually reminds me more of Ryan Suter. Despite lacking one standout skill, Sanderson is simply excellent across the board in every aspect of the game. He projects to a future top-pairing, 25-minute per game, all-situations guy — a rare commodity in today’s NHL.
10 RW Jack Quinn, Ottawa OHL
Thus far, I would say Quinn has somehow flown under the radar as the most underrated prospect in the 2020 draft class. I do not expect this to last — his goal scoring is on par with top-10 locks Holtz and Perfetti, and he also displays excellent vision and a complete, two-way game. I do not see how some pundits are still leaving a potential 40-goal scoring, two-way first line winger out of their top 20s, but that’s not a mistake I’m willing to make — he’s locked in my top 10.
11 C/LW Jan Mysak, Hamilton OHL
The best Czech export in the class of 2020 is fast, tenacious and can downright snipe. He’s smart with and without the puck and can play up and down the lineup at either center or the wing; Mysak is a force on both the PP and PK. His upside is a top-line, high-scoring forward.
12 C Anton Lundell, HIFK FIN
Big-bodied two-way centers who play near-flawless two-way games are a precious commodity in the NHL, which gives Lundell a better chance than any prospect to break into the “Big 8” with an early selection. The question with Lundell is whether he possesses the puck-skills to be a top line pivot, or is he an all-situation 2C providing secondary offense at the NHL level?
13 C Connor Zary, Kamloops WHL
Very comparable to Lundell in that Zary is an outstanding two-way center with an astounding all-around game. No one doubts this, but the question with him is also whether he projects to 1C or 2C in the NHL. Zary is not as big as Lundell, but he plays at an even faster pace — I’d say the demarcation between the two is razor thin.
14 LW Rodion Amirov, Salavat Ufa, KHL
A highly skilled winger with a projectable 6’0-170 frame, Amirov has the tool kit to be a top-line scorer for whichever team drafts him. He is a very good skater with a penchant for turning seemingly routine plays into high-danger offensive opportunities.
15 RD Braden Schneider, Brandon WHL
Though the NHL trend has gone towards offensive-minded rearguards, I would confidently say that you win more with guys like Schneider on your backline. He’s big (6’2-200), physical, positionally sound, skates well and routinely shuts down opposing star forwards. Is he ever going to score 60 points? No, but he’s very smart and capable with the puck and has a very high floor as a smothering defensive force with 40+ point potential.
16 C/RW Dawson Mercer, Drummondville QMJHL
Another guy you win with! Mercer can slot all over the line-up; he’s a stud goal-scorer with a wicked shot for the Voltigeurs, but on Team Canada’s gold medal winning team he was a smothering, physical force on a checking line. He’s versatile enough to excel on wing or at center, his hockey smarts are off the charts, his compete level sky-high. The type of player you want on the ice when either up or down by one goal in the final minute of a big game.
17 G Yaroslav Askarov, Ska-St. Petersburg, VHL
Perhaps the highest regarded draft-eligible goaltender since Carey Price going into the 2019-20 season, Askarov had a tough WJC and inconsistent season. As goaltenders represent the most difficult position in terms of projectability, he is still considered a worthy choice in the top 10 by some scouts and a risk at the end of the first round by others.
18 LD Shakir Mukhamadullin, Salavat Ufa, KHL
To me, he is kind of the mystery man for draft-eligible 2020 defensemen — and I don’t mean just how to spell his name. Mukhamadullin is a very good skater who plays a shut-down style with extreme physical edge, but can sometimes be caught over-committing. He has a cannon of a shot — as hard as any D in this class — but needs a ton of work with accuracy. If everything comes together, we could be talking about one of the better future D in the NHL. If it doesn’t? We could be talking about one of the better future D in the KHL.
19 LW/C Dylan Holloway, Wisconsin NCAA
No mystery here — simply a big, bull in a china shop forward with an extraordinary compete level and high hockey IQ. Holloway hits everything that moves and hits it hard. Not a guy to carry the play, but a power forward with the requisite skill to complement a scoring line and score copiously from the dirty areas.
20 LD Kaiden Guhle, Prince Albert WHL
Like fellow WHL stud defenseman Schneider, Guhle is likely a jack-of-all-trades mid-pairing D; rather than a first pairing type. An excellent skater with a booming point blast, Guhle has higher offensive upside. He’s also physical and smart enough to shine in a shut-down role. Nothing not to like here.
21 C Hendrix Lapierre, Chicoutimi, QMJHL
Perhaps the wild card of the 2020 class, Lapierre’s vision/passing ability are on par with anyone in the “Big 8” and he is an outstanding skater. But three concussions in one calendar year are enough to frighten me away from using a top 20 overall pick.
22 C/RW Mavrik Bourque, Shawinigan QMJHL
Not big or a speed demon, Bourque makes up for this with extraordinary vision and a hockey IQ in the stratosphere. His motor is always set on warp-drive and he plays a solid two-way game; certain to be a top-6 presence and fan favorite for any team’s fan base.
23 RW Jacob Perreault, Sarnia OHL
Another sniping RW for Devils fans to know. One of the better skaters in the draft, the son of ex-NHL-er Yanic can absolutely wire the puck. He is also a top-notch puck handler and creative puck distributor. The only aspect keeping him from a top 15 slot is a penchant for poor two-way play and an occasional propensity to float. If coaching and development alleviate these concerns, Perreault has big-time potential as a top-line scorer.
24 RD Justin Barron, Halifax QMJHL
At the outset of the season, I would have expected Barron to be higher on this list, but he’s had a tumultuous 2019-20 campaign. A slow start was accentuated by serious injury difficulties brought on by blood clots. At his best, he is a do-it-all, two-way D with a tantalizing mix of size (6’2-195) and plus-skating who is extremely intelligent both with and without the puck.
25 C/LW Marat Khusnutdinov, SKA-St. Petersburg MHL
Most people have not heard of this kid, because he is often left off top 100 rankings, much less the first round. I’m here to tell you why they are all wrong. Were Khusnutdinov 6’0 instead of 5’9 or from Toronto instead of Russia, he’d be all over everyone’s radar. A caustic mix of blinding speed, an elite shot, tenacious two-way play and spectacular puck skills make him impossible to ignore if you’re lucky enough to see him on the ice. I’m going out on a limb and saying he has NHL top-line upside.
26 RW/C Seth Jarvis, Portland Winterhawks WHL
Great hands, great feet and a great mind for thinking one step ahead of the game — that’s the best way to describe Jarvis. He’s mostly a pivot now, but I suspect his NHL future lies on the wing. If he learns to persevere with more tenacity against tight-checking and physical defenses, the sky is the limit for him.
27 C Vasily Ponomarev, Shawinigan QMJHL
A creative, shifty and fast player with high-end hand-eye coordination, Ponomarev has a Datsyuk-ian ability to make something out of nothing. He’s a outstanding two-way player with a high motor and I’d go so far to call him a weapon on all special teams, penalty kill or power play.
28 LD Ryan O’Rourke, Sault Ste. Marie OHL
Again, anyone who reads my hockey ramblings knows how much I value the physical, shut-down defenseman. One could call O’Rourke “prototypical” in this respect — he engages physically at every opportunity; he’s a bruiser. He’s smart with the puck and can unload a devastating shot. But most of all, he makes you battle for every inch of ice, and this is not a kid who loses many battles.
29 LW JJ Peterka, EHC Munchen DEL
Two Germans drafted in the NHL first round? It could happen. Peterka is an outstanding skater who plays the game at light-speed with a high intensity level. Combine that with very nice puck skills and scoring ability and you have a heck of a prospect on your hands.
30 RW Sam Colangelo, Chicago USHL
A 6’2-205 power winger with high-end scoring ability and a complete game? Yes, please. If this kid can improve his skating a notch, especially acceleration, his development could go on a massive upswing and make him one of the steals of 2020.
31 LW Jake Neighbours, Edmonton WHL
Hockey is different from real life in a few ways. One of them is that I dislike nasty people in real life — but in hockey I love them. Neighbours is not only a highly-skilled winger who can compliment any scoring line, he also plays with tremendous edge. It’s as if anything between him and the opposing goal is an impediment to be run over with maximum mean. I’d hate him if I had to play against him, but I’d draft him in the first round.
32 C Jaromir Pitlik, Soo Greyhounds OHL
There are some players who you take a chance on due to their overall potential despite their level of play as a draft eligible — Pitlik is one of those. A 6’3-200 pivot with an overflowing offensive tool kit — well, I’ll overlook some of his positional difficulties and a bit of clunkiness in his skating stride. He’s a four year investment which could pay off in huge dividends at the NHL level.
All “Just Missed” Team
C Ty Similanic
LW Roni Hirvonen
RW Ozzy Wiesblatt
LD Emil Andrae
RD Topi Niemela
G Joel Blomqvist
P.S.
My "sleeper prospect of the day" posts will also likely be included on this thread.
P.P.S.
A pre-emptive thank you and #$%@ you to anyone who points out any typos I may have made due to lack of sleep.
Okay, so this took me a lot of time I could have been spending at the bottom of a whiskey bottle wondering how Paul Fenton got a job as an NHL GM but I didn't, so take it easy on me. Again, this is a preliminary ranking; I hope to have a 2-round (top 62) by May and a 3-round (93) for draft day in June. And -- while I greatly look forwards to all the "where are Poirier and Gunler???" questions, it's time to start drinking.
1 LW Alex Lafreniere, Rimouski QMJHL
Put it in the bank, he will be a star. A dominant winger in every aspect of the game who excels on every millimeter of the ice for every second of every shift. His compete level and hockey IQ are off the charts, and he’s only going to get better.
2 C Quinton Byfield, Sudbury OHL
Freakish athletic ability combined with an advanced capability to process the game and outstanding vision. His potential is perhaps the highest in this draft; ideally he could be a 6’5-240 center with elite skating and plus-plus tools across the board.
3 C/LW Tim Stutzle, Mannheim DEL
One of the best skaters in the draft, this young German phenom has the vision, hands and mind to keep up. It’s as if the pace of the entire game picks up whenever the puck is on his stick. The WJC tourney showed he could not only play with the best players his age in the world, he could dominate them.
4 C Marco Rossi, Ottawa OHL
The best 2-way forward in this draft will also become the best Austrian ever to play the sport of hockey. His offensive skills border or the sublime, and when you combine that with a compete level which is second to none in the draft class you get a future superstar center at the NHL level.
5 RD Jamie Drysdale, Erie OHL
A breakout machine in the defensive zone, a break-in machine in the offensive zone. Drysdale combines off-the-charts skating and vision, his outlet passes are surgical. He is extremely comparable to Cale Makar at a similar age — and despite being slightly undersized at 5’11-175, the kid is pretty good in his own zone.
6 RW Alexander Holtz, Djurgardens SHL
The Patrick Laine of the class of 2020, Holtz can flat out shoot the lights out. You know his shot is coming, you know where it’s going, you still can’t stop it. That’s a rare and dangerous weapon. But don’t think it’s Holtz’s only weapon — he’s big and fast and plays a terrific and complete 200-foot game.
7 LW/RW Lucas Raymond, Frolunda SHL
Raymond is another contender for both best skater in the class of 2020 and best passing/vision. Though smaller and not as dangerous a shooter as fellow Swedish “Terror Twin” Holtz, Raymond also plays a tenacious and complete game. Don’t let his lack of statistical output for Frolunda scare you off — he has excelled at every international tournament versus players in his own peer group.
8 LW Cole Perfetti, Saginaw OHL
This kid is like a magician on the ice. Despite relatively unremarkable physical tools, his super-computer like hockey IQ and instincts allow him to slow the game down and make offensive plays which mystify and dazzle. He’s going to score and score big at every level, including the NHL.
9 LD Jake Sanderson, US-NTDP USHL
The son of ex-NHL-er Geoff actually reminds me more of Ryan Suter. Despite lacking one standout skill, Sanderson is simply excellent across the board in every aspect of the game. He projects to a future top-pairing, 25-minute per game, all-situations guy — a rare commodity in today’s NHL.
10 RW Jack Quinn, Ottawa OHL
Thus far, I would say Quinn has somehow flown under the radar as the most underrated prospect in the 2020 draft class. I do not expect this to last — his goal scoring is on par with top-10 locks Holtz and Perfetti, and he also displays excellent vision and a complete, two-way game. I do not see how some pundits are still leaving a potential 40-goal scoring, two-way first line winger out of their top 20s, but that’s not a mistake I’m willing to make — he’s locked in my top 10.
11 C/LW Jan Mysak, Hamilton OHL
The best Czech export in the class of 2020 is fast, tenacious and can downright snipe. He’s smart with and without the puck and can play up and down the lineup at either center or the wing; Mysak is a force on both the PP and PK. His upside is a top-line, high-scoring forward.
12 C Anton Lundell, HIFK FIN
Big-bodied two-way centers who play near-flawless two-way games are a precious commodity in the NHL, which gives Lundell a better chance than any prospect to break into the “Big 8” with an early selection. The question with Lundell is whether he possesses the puck-skills to be a top line pivot, or is he an all-situation 2C providing secondary offense at the NHL level?
13 C Connor Zary, Kamloops WHL
Very comparable to Lundell in that Zary is an outstanding two-way center with an astounding all-around game. No one doubts this, but the question with him is also whether he projects to 1C or 2C in the NHL. Zary is not as big as Lundell, but he plays at an even faster pace — I’d say the demarcation between the two is razor thin.
14 LW Rodion Amirov, Salavat Ufa, KHL
A highly skilled winger with a projectable 6’0-170 frame, Amirov has the tool kit to be a top-line scorer for whichever team drafts him. He is a very good skater with a penchant for turning seemingly routine plays into high-danger offensive opportunities.
15 RD Braden Schneider, Brandon WHL
Though the NHL trend has gone towards offensive-minded rearguards, I would confidently say that you win more with guys like Schneider on your backline. He’s big (6’2-200), physical, positionally sound, skates well and routinely shuts down opposing star forwards. Is he ever going to score 60 points? No, but he’s very smart and capable with the puck and has a very high floor as a smothering defensive force with 40+ point potential.
16 C/RW Dawson Mercer, Drummondville QMJHL
Another guy you win with! Mercer can slot all over the line-up; he’s a stud goal-scorer with a wicked shot for the Voltigeurs, but on Team Canada’s gold medal winning team he was a smothering, physical force on a checking line. He’s versatile enough to excel on wing or at center, his hockey smarts are off the charts, his compete level sky-high. The type of player you want on the ice when either up or down by one goal in the final minute of a big game.
17 G Yaroslav Askarov, Ska-St. Petersburg, VHL
Perhaps the highest regarded draft-eligible goaltender since Carey Price going into the 2019-20 season, Askarov had a tough WJC and inconsistent season. As goaltenders represent the most difficult position in terms of projectability, he is still considered a worthy choice in the top 10 by some scouts and a risk at the end of the first round by others.
18 LD Shakir Mukhamadullin, Salavat Ufa, KHL
To me, he is kind of the mystery man for draft-eligible 2020 defensemen — and I don’t mean just how to spell his name. Mukhamadullin is a very good skater who plays a shut-down style with extreme physical edge, but can sometimes be caught over-committing. He has a cannon of a shot — as hard as any D in this class — but needs a ton of work with accuracy. If everything comes together, we could be talking about one of the better future D in the NHL. If it doesn’t? We could be talking about one of the better future D in the KHL.
19 LW/C Dylan Holloway, Wisconsin NCAA
No mystery here — simply a big, bull in a china shop forward with an extraordinary compete level and high hockey IQ. Holloway hits everything that moves and hits it hard. Not a guy to carry the play, but a power forward with the requisite skill to complement a scoring line and score copiously from the dirty areas.
20 LD Kaiden Guhle, Prince Albert WHL
Like fellow WHL stud defenseman Schneider, Guhle is likely a jack-of-all-trades mid-pairing D; rather than a first pairing type. An excellent skater with a booming point blast, Guhle has higher offensive upside. He’s also physical and smart enough to shine in a shut-down role. Nothing not to like here.
21 C Hendrix Lapierre, Chicoutimi, QMJHL
Perhaps the wild card of the 2020 class, Lapierre’s vision/passing ability are on par with anyone in the “Big 8” and he is an outstanding skater. But three concussions in one calendar year are enough to frighten me away from using a top 20 overall pick.
22 C/RW Mavrik Bourque, Shawinigan QMJHL
Not big or a speed demon, Bourque makes up for this with extraordinary vision and a hockey IQ in the stratosphere. His motor is always set on warp-drive and he plays a solid two-way game; certain to be a top-6 presence and fan favorite for any team’s fan base.
23 RW Jacob Perreault, Sarnia OHL
Another sniping RW for Devils fans to know. One of the better skaters in the draft, the son of ex-NHL-er Yanic can absolutely wire the puck. He is also a top-notch puck handler and creative puck distributor. The only aspect keeping him from a top 15 slot is a penchant for poor two-way play and an occasional propensity to float. If coaching and development alleviate these concerns, Perreault has big-time potential as a top-line scorer.
24 RD Justin Barron, Halifax QMJHL
At the outset of the season, I would have expected Barron to be higher on this list, but he’s had a tumultuous 2019-20 campaign. A slow start was accentuated by serious injury difficulties brought on by blood clots. At his best, he is a do-it-all, two-way D with a tantalizing mix of size (6’2-195) and plus-skating who is extremely intelligent both with and without the puck.
25 C/LW Marat Khusnutdinov, SKA-St. Petersburg MHL
Most people have not heard of this kid, because he is often left off top 100 rankings, much less the first round. I’m here to tell you why they are all wrong. Were Khusnutdinov 6’0 instead of 5’9 or from Toronto instead of Russia, he’d be all over everyone’s radar. A caustic mix of blinding speed, an elite shot, tenacious two-way play and spectacular puck skills make him impossible to ignore if you’re lucky enough to see him on the ice. I’m going out on a limb and saying he has NHL top-line upside.
26 RW/C Seth Jarvis, Portland Winterhawks WHL
Great hands, great feet and a great mind for thinking one step ahead of the game — that’s the best way to describe Jarvis. He’s mostly a pivot now, but I suspect his NHL future lies on the wing. If he learns to persevere with more tenacity against tight-checking and physical defenses, the sky is the limit for him.
27 C Vasily Ponomarev, Shawinigan QMJHL
A creative, shifty and fast player with high-end hand-eye coordination, Ponomarev has a Datsyuk-ian ability to make something out of nothing. He’s a outstanding two-way player with a high motor and I’d go so far to call him a weapon on all special teams, penalty kill or power play.
28 LD Ryan O’Rourke, Sault Ste. Marie OHL
Again, anyone who reads my hockey ramblings knows how much I value the physical, shut-down defenseman. One could call O’Rourke “prototypical” in this respect — he engages physically at every opportunity; he’s a bruiser. He’s smart with the puck and can unload a devastating shot. But most of all, he makes you battle for every inch of ice, and this is not a kid who loses many battles.
29 LW JJ Peterka, EHC Munchen DEL
Two Germans drafted in the NHL first round? It could happen. Peterka is an outstanding skater who plays the game at light-speed with a high intensity level. Combine that with very nice puck skills and scoring ability and you have a heck of a prospect on your hands.
30 RW Sam Colangelo, Chicago USHL
A 6’2-205 power winger with high-end scoring ability and a complete game? Yes, please. If this kid can improve his skating a notch, especially acceleration, his development could go on a massive upswing and make him one of the steals of 2020.
31 LW Jake Neighbours, Edmonton WHL
Hockey is different from real life in a few ways. One of them is that I dislike nasty people in real life — but in hockey I love them. Neighbours is not only a highly-skilled winger who can compliment any scoring line, he also plays with tremendous edge. It’s as if anything between him and the opposing goal is an impediment to be run over with maximum mean. I’d hate him if I had to play against him, but I’d draft him in the first round.
32 C Jaromir Pitlik, Soo Greyhounds OHL
There are some players who you take a chance on due to their overall potential despite their level of play as a draft eligible — Pitlik is one of those. A 6’3-200 pivot with an overflowing offensive tool kit — well, I’ll overlook some of his positional difficulties and a bit of clunkiness in his skating stride. He’s a four year investment which could pay off in huge dividends at the NHL level.
All “Just Missed” Team
C Ty Similanic
LW Roni Hirvonen
RW Ozzy Wiesblatt
LD Emil Andrae
RD Topi Niemela
G Joel Blomqvist
P.S.
My "sleeper prospect of the day" posts will also likely be included on this thread.
P.P.S.
A pre-emptive thank you and #$%@ you to anyone who points out any typos I may have made due to lack of sleep.
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