Predicting what NHL teams might do at the NHL Draft every year is a tricky bit of business, and you can go at it from one of two angles. You can try and rank things based on where you believe players will be selected in the draft. Or you can also rank things based on the level of impact you believe the player will one day have in the NHL.
There's definitely some degree of overlap in the two projection styles, but it's unbelievably difficult to know for sure if a player who thrives at the pace and competition of the amateur level will be able to do the same against the bigger, stronger, faster pace of the NHL.
As we look back on The Hockey News' 2020 NHL Draft Preview Issue, published right before the greatest draft in Sens history, it sheds some light on just how hard these predictions are.
For example, everybody's number one that year was Alexis Lafreniere, but five years later, no one would rank him in that spot again in a re-draft. THN's 100 projections that year included six future Senators and one that didn't make the top 100 but was still drafted early in the second round.
- Tim Stutzle prediction: 3rd overall (picked 3rd overall) Correct
- Jake Sanderson prediction: 11th overall (picked 5th overall) 6 picks earlier
- Tyler Kleven prediction: 33rd overall (picked 44th overall) 11 picks earlier
- Ridly Greig prediction: 45th overall (picked 28th overall) 17 picks earlier
- Egor Sokolov prediction: 71st overall (picked 61st overall) 10 picks earlier
- Roby Jarventie prediction: Not in top 100 (picked 33rd overall)
- Donovan Sebrango prediction: 87th overall (picked 63rd overall – DET) 24 picks later
The die isn't fully cast on the 2020 Draft class, but it's getting there, and it's always interesting to look back at how people felt about certain players. Some players proved everyone right, while others proved everyone wrong.
The Hockey News Archive
May 11, 2020/vol. 73, issue 06
Prospect Rankings
Games were cancelled, but the show must go on. So we look ahead to a draft featuring elite-level talent and depth. Oh, and watch out for the Germans!
WHILE THE SEASON didn't end the way anyone predicted, scouts and GMs will still have to select their future – and by all accounts, it’s a great draft class.
Alexis Lafreniere went post-to-post as the No. 1-rated prospect, and the Rimouski Oceanic phenom only strengthened his grip on the top spot as the campaign went on. Quinton Byfield is a good bet to go No. 2 thanks to his incredible upside, but what happens next will be fascinating.
Tim Stutzle could become the highest-drafted German since Leon Draisaitl went third in 2014, but don’t count out Lucas Raymond or even Jamie Drysdale. No matter what happens, it’s going to be a celebratory draft for German hockey. Stutzle, J.J. Peterka and Lukas Reichel make up the nation’s best class ever.
In the following pages, you will find our ranking of the top 100 players in the 2020 draft class. The top 62 prospects get full reports, written by senior writers Ryan Kennedy and Ken Campbell, featuring quotes from NHL scouts, while we provide snapshot descriptions of the remaining hopefuls. From Alexis Lafreniere to Alex Laferriere, we’ve got you covered.
This article originally appeared on The Hockey News:
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