I posted this on the other thread, but here is my review of the guide since this is the guide thread:
Ok, I recieved my copy on Monday the 18th.
Including the front and back covers (which McKeen's does) there are 32 pages. The front cover is a glossy JVR and the back a glossy Pat Kane, both in USA uniforms. There are 3 feature articles on JVR (2 pages), Backlund and Voracek (1 page each). Page 2 has what they call their honor roll, broken into the WHL, OHL, QMJHL and Best of the Rest. The actagories are: Smartest Player, Best Skater, Fastest Skater, Best Shot, Hardest Shot, Best Body Checker, Hardest Worker, Best Defensive Forward and Best Hands. They have a top three in each category for each of the 3 leagues, and top 5 for the beats of the rest.
They list the top 300 (100 per page) and then starting on page 8 they begin their profiles 4 per page in a 4 column format for the first 60 (page 15 and the last page has 2 players and their NHL Scouting Combine Select Performances). This is followed by #'s 61 through 99 with 9 or 10 players written up on per page (these are smaller write-ups than the top 60 but filled with good info).
The actual player profiles are filled with scouts quotes which is very nice indeed. McKeen's rankings seem to make sense when you read the quotes from the scouts.
Pages30-31 is a mock draft, and we all know that virtually all of the mocks out there are all over the place.
There was one small advertisement on page 15, curiously for Bonnechere Caves. I found that strange, beneath itwas the publishing info.
The guide was not that well edited as there are several mistakes like James O'Brien's stast listing him as playing on team Czech in 05-06 and in the QMJHL in 06-07. There was at least one size discrepancy where a player was listed at one size and the writeup had something else. and the type setting was mangled a little on the honor roll. Not bad enough to take away from the whole publication, but noticable at that price. I think they rushed it a little as they waited until the combine was over to put in a small slightly interesting, but of limited value piece of info from it. My advice would be to skip the combine and postthe info on the web site, and get the guide out in May. It would cut down on customer angst (which I am betting they had more than they needed, including with me - who they did not handle well at first [but that is another story] before they reconsidered and began sending the email version which I recieved the day I recieved my guide.)
I enjoyed reading the write-ups and articles. I knew alot about most of the players by reading Cup's excellent free draft, Timlaps well done one, the THN reports and the Flyers Web site draft info as well as THN. The Scout quotes was where the value was in the McKeen's guide.
Was it worth the $21 I spent? In a free market, I'd say the scaricity of this type of info and the high cost of production for a limited demand would be yes. Is it really worth it compared to other things (non NHL draft related) that you can spend your money on, no, probably not.
Would I buy it again? I don't know. Maybe. I am enjoying it though.