![]() ![]() On one hand, some of those concerns have at least some merit. With Byfield, the combination of his unremarkable world juniors, his at-times mediocre defensive play and the strength of the rest of the draft resulted in debates about whether he should be the No. For a while, Lafreniere’s skating was one such so-called concern. When a top prospect has been on the scene for years like Byfield has, there’s a tendency to begin to look for things to nitpick in their games. I would chalk up most of that distaste to the creeping effects of overexposure. Some scouts soured on Byfield in the second half. Quinton Byfield - C, Sudbury Wolves, 6-foot-4 He’s never going to be the fastest player in the world or have the hardest shot, but he has all the tools he needs to be a dominant player with and without the puck at the NHL level. And when he doesn’t have the puck, he knows how to get open, where to go to get it and how to engage physically. Or he can lean on them, leverage his strength, drop his shoulder and drive to his spot. He can play through defenders with his touch and stickhandling ability. Lafreniere wasn’t just the most talented player in junior hockey this season, he was also probably the strongest on his skates (which says something considering underneath one of his skates was a taped ankle for most of the year). Alexis Lafreniere - LW, Rimouski Oceanic, 6-foot-1 For more information on how I evaluate, the things I look for and my process, please consult the 2020 update to my guide to scouting.ġ. Many of the players ranked in this top 100 will be available in the final rounds of the draft. This list does not attempt to predict the draft or account for team preference. My draft board will vary widely from that of most NHL teams and scouts. Note: While I consult scouts, coaches and managers throughout the year on many of these players, these rankings represent my evaluations of each of the prospects listed. There are eight, arguably nine, skaters who would be top-five selections in most other drafts, plus a goalie who deserves to go in the first round (something I’m rarely comfortable saying).īelow are my evaluations of the top 50, followed by the complete top 100 (including each player’s movement versus their midseason ranking). On the whole, and without the presence of a generational talent, the class of 2020 is a strong one, particularly at the top of the draft. This breakdown is indicative of a weaker USA Hockey crop, a rebound CHL age group and a Swedish class that is more in line with the country’s status as a hockey superpower. That’s reflective of a draft that is strong at forward and weaker with defencemen and goalies than it was a year ago, when 64 forwards, 30 defencemen and six goalies featured in my final 2019 ranking.įor a better sense of where my top 100 players come from this year, I have also broken down the list by nationality, including a weighted look at the strength of each country’s players across several tiers.Ī year after no Swedes appeared in my top 10 and the Americans challenged the Canadians for the most total players on my board, the demographics have shifted in 2020. This final top 100 includes 67 forwards, 29 defencemen and four goalies. ![]() It will be followed by a Tuesday look at 10 players who just missed the cut. This piece includes commentary from coaches and managers on many of the draft’s prospects, tape on most others and complete evaluations throughout. ![]()
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