January Draft Report: Mid-Season Rankings Breakdown

 

Welcome to the first 2020 NHL Draft Report! This monthly column will take an in-depth look at the prospects eligible for the 2020 NHL Draft. Each month we will have a feature story, prospect spotlight and a “Team of the Month”. If there is any prospect you’d like to hear a bit more about, let us know!  

 

 

This month’s feature is a Rankings Review. We are going to take a look at my personal 2020 NHL Draft rankings and break it down into tiers. With 100 prospects on the rankings, we won’t be able to talk about every single player but we will dive into a few notable players in each tier. With information on over 50 players from this draft class, this exercise will serve as the prospect spotlight as well this month. 

 

Alexis Lafrenière is the cream of the crop. Currently scoring at a 2.167 points-per-game pace, the Rimouski Oceanic star has been everything that was expected and more in his draft-eligible season. He understands the game at a level that very few players do and his ability to convert on what he sees is what makes him special. The best description of his playing style is “Elite Skilled-Grinder”. He has the ability to go into the corners with the puck against a good defenseman, win that battle and then walk the second defenseman on his way to putting his excellent shot past the netminder. 

 

 

Lafrenière is a special talent and should make an immediate