Scouching's Midseason 2021 NHL Draft Rankings

I'll start this post by wishing you all a very Happy New Year, and I hope you and yours are well. Things are still very strange, but hopefully before too long, we're all able to start the road back to some kind of normalcy. That goes for both the hockey world and in our respective personal lives. 

To say this 2021 draft class comes off as equal or an improvement on the classes of 2019 or 2020 might be a bit unlikely, but I'm not counting myself among the people who think this is a historically poor group of draft eligibles. The groups in the first two tiers should be solid core members of an NHL team, with the third and fourth being reliable complimentary pieces, or nice swings to take with high end individual traits. I'm personally very interested in the fifth tier and where they end up, as many players in that range are, in my opinion, quite undervalued and may be players you could draft late and end up with a contributing piece to a roster.

This list is driven largely through production data from www.eliteprospects.com, with my Cat% and ESG rates derived from data graciously provided by Dave MacPherson of Pick224.com. If you're unaware, I build my own database of prospect data that is available to any Patron of the project. As of time of writing (Feb 16, 2021), I've tracked 268 performances across 99 players from all over the planet, which is already well on the way to surpassing my database for the 2020 Draft. That's largely thanks to your support and motivation to continue the work, so I hope that what I provide in return is valuable. All of this provides the backbone to how I construct my list, while also considering what I'm seeing with my eyeballs saved as 6 gigabytes of MP4s.

If you're unfamiliar with my data, here's a  brief outline of what I'm indicating below:

• NHLeS - Age, league and position adjusted measure of prospect value. 20+ is generally 1st round with some limitations for European men's league players.
• INV% - Player involvement in team offense on average.
• P1/60 - Estimated primary points per 60 minutes of ice time.
• ESGF/60 - Estimated even strength goals scored while on the ice per 60 minutes.
• ESGA/60 - Estimated even strength goals against while on the ice per 60 minutes.
• OffCat% - Percentage increase in goals for rate at even strength relative to their team.

• DefCat% - Percentage decrease in goals against rate at even strength relative to their team.

• TotCat% - Percentage increase in goals differential at even strength relative to their team. ​

If you're a Patron of the project, you can view my rankings as they change over the year, with the full rankings at the $25 tier along with my full data sheet of >800 skaters and goaltenders' data. A demo version of the rankings and full data sheet is available at the $5 tier and above.

If you're new here, I generally tend to think of my rankings in "Tiers", which attempts to group players into a pool from which I feel the order could be interchangeable, with the numbers ordering the players as how I might push for them in a draft discussion. I find that it creates much more balanced and nuanced discussion, especially considering these players are so young and may have wildly different potential trajectories that may differ reasonably depending on which NHL organization picks them up.

With that all taken care of, here's the list!

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Tier 1 - I Just Like 'em a Bit More...

• Lots of changes here since November. Luke Hughes is still locked in at the top end, but what I've tracked of Beniers and his teammates, plus his exceptional World Junior performance all factor into him being the #1 player on my list. Could I consider Lysell or Eklund at 1? Potentially by the end of the year, but I feel as though the potential with the top 3 names could be more impactful in all areas of the game in the NHL.
• Why Beniers at 1? He's a positive outlier in my tracking with regards to his transition game, his two-way energy is exceptional, and his ability to create shot attempts for his linemates is completely unparalleled. Of 68.3 SAT/60 Michigan has taken with Beniers on the ice, 34.6 of them have come off Beniers, or through a Beniers pass. Just Xavier Bourgault and Matthew Coronato are responsible for a comparable percentage of their team's overall offense, and neither have as projectable a transition game offensively in my opinion. Beniers also is completing dangerous passes at double the rate those other two are.
• Jesper Wallstedt is just a robot. I don't know a ton about goaltending specifically, but he seems so dialed in constantly in almost any situation. Square to the puck, not wasting motion with his legs, staying calm in the net, there's a lot that really stands out to me. No draft eligible goaltender has ever played more than 10 games in an SHL season and put up a .900 save percentage. The last goaltender of any kind to play that amount of games at that level was in 1999. Wallstedt is a net positive stopping pucks relative to his workload, and he has a strong documented track record of stopping pucks at multiple levels. If he's a franchise goaltender, he could be the most valuable player at the top end of this draft, and he certainly deserves consideration in this range.
• I've been asked already about Lysell > Eklund, and yes, when you look at production, it should be the other way around, but I see Eklund playing top minutes with Alexander Holtz and Jacob Josefson, some high end SHL talents, and Lysell playing about half the 5v5 minutes Eklund is playing in a brand new program after a midseason transition. I lean towards favouring Lysell's pace, underrated two way game, and ability to attack the net with the puck over Eklund's intelligent, agile approach. Eklund thrives off of evasion off the boards with the puck, perimeter playmaking, and strong off-puck offensive instincts, and is certainly not a huge step down, but Lysell is one of a very small number of players who excites me almost every time he steps on the ice at every level I've seen him this season.

Tier 2 - A.K.A. Tier 1B

• My early views of Owen Power were troubling to say the least, but I'll admit that he's improved in my latest game of tracking and in recent weeks. If he gets a head of steam going with the puck on his stick, he's borderline unstoppable. His passing game, especially in the offensive zone can be exceptional. The trouble with him largely surrounds his lack of side to side mobility away from the puck to reliably close out transitions and box out opponents. He's allowing far too many pucks inside to the middle of the ice, and under pressure, his ability to settle pucks and get them to safety can completely collapse. Putting him at #1 in my view is a huge, huge risk where you're hoping he can adjust to the NHL game when he seems to still have trouble shutting play down defensively and defusing offensive pressure at the NCAA level. Top ten pick that could be a middle pair puck rusher with nice offensive tools? I could see it. I'm just not surprised he and Johnson's DefCat% are so poor.
• Speaking of Kent Johnson, he's arguably the most gifworthy player in this draft, but his pace and decisionmaking tendencies are troublesome. He tries to go one on one more often than you'd like, and can ignore clear passing options leading to far more work for himself than is necessary. His work rate away from the puck is underrated and he's capable of turning play around, but he's a pretty big boom or bust player in my view. Another year or two at college would be advisable to simplify his processing of the game at high pace, improving his strength, while retaining the remarkable skill he's gifted with.
• Aaty Raty has been flirting with significant improvements in his game. I tracked a U20 level game of his and it was unfair to the opponent. Just an incredible performance, with his return to the Liiga showing clear signs of improvement. His intelligence, agility, skill, transition game and ability to get shots off from inside dangerous areas are all there, if inconsistent at times. He's playing more of a physical brand recently, but he still retains strong fundamentals that could pay significant dividends if things break right.
• Yes, that's Simon Robertsson in there. I've absolutely loved what I've seen of him over the year. Early in the year I saw a highly offensive leaning, defensively negligible skilled winger with tremendous agility and a remarkable shot, but over time, he's improved on his ability to cover ice away from the puck, and has been getting his chances at the SHL level without looking out of place. His defensive game has gotten more reliable, but he's not likely going to be a tremendous two-way force. He's exciting, his data at the J20 level was dominant, and I think there's huge potential for an offensive scoring winger here that puts him in this group.
• Yes, Robertsson is above Simon Edvinsson here. Edvinsson's game has certainly settled down as the year goes on, and in my tracking, he seems to have found a sweet spot in the Allsvenskan. He's a player who can be a ton of fun to watch until he isn't. His puck management needed to simplify far more often, and that seems to be happening, but he's unafraid to attack the neutral zone with skill and power through his skating. His DSAT% through all this is still 62.2%, and his ability to shut down defensive transitions is highly underrated. Risky, absolutely. Stash him in Sweden for a few years and continue to work on his fundamentals, and there could be a really interesting two-way defenseman.
• I honestly don't have a ton to say about Brandt Clarke. He's improved game by game, with underrated defensive results, but I question his pace outside the defensive zone, his passing vision, and projectability to play the style he loves to play, but I will not count him out at all.

Tier 3 - The Rock Solids

• All of these names are really reliable names that I think could turn into useful auxiliary pieces.
• Names like Sillinger, Rosen, and Guenther show great offensive potential, Sillinger and Rosen especially for their shooting potential. Guenther is a tough one to place considering how much he's playing, but what I saw in the AJHL didn't quite meet my expectations, but I'll be on him quick once he starts playing again.
• Oskar Olausson has been playing in the SHL for a while, and I'm not 100% sure there's a true offensive weapon down the road, but he's been using his size effectively, and he's an efficient player per puck touch. He finds open ice at high speed in offensive transitions, and has skill to evade defenders in open ice. A two-way winger to place in your middle six seems perfectly reasonable in this range, and Olausson feels like a safe bet to get to that point.
• I just really liked Logan Stankoven last season and really wish he were playing. If he's available in the 2nd round like some rankings seem to indicate, I'd take a rambunctious little guy who can shoot.
• Fyodor Svechkov might be one of the most underrated players in the draft. His data shows all the telltale signs of a really good player on a really bad team. His DSAT% of 38% is admittedly bad. His Pass% of 61.3% is also bad. Lada generates just 9.8 dangerous shot attempts/60 with Svechkov on the ice at 5v5. All of this is bad, but, Svechkov is #12 in my tracking in total offensive transitions, and #6 in controlled offensive transitions. His OCZT% of 75% at those workloads puts him tied for 2nd with Joshua Roy behind Matthew Coronato. With the skating and pace he brings at the Russian 2nd division pro level, I feel as though that's more proejctable than the highly positional, relatively low pace transition game that Coronato and Roy bring. Svechkov is a big-time mystery box, but he has a skill under pressure that I haven't seen in many this year. I think there's a lot to like, especially if he finds his way onto a better Russian program. As a centre, his transition game is excellent at the VHL level on a team as lacklustre as Lada Togliatti, so with time, I'm hopeful.

Tier 4 - Big Time Maybes

• I think most of these players could be complimentary pieces focused primarily on offense, but I like McTavish's intensity which together with his shooting talent puts him at the top.
• Zach L'Heureux has fallen off a bit. He doesn't think through his play as much as I'd like, he can disappear in his own end, and the potential he shows doesn't come out as much as it could. I got similar feelings as I did with Dawson Mercer, but maybe a step below in terms of pure upside. He could be higher by the end of the year, but I've wanted more out of him more often than he's impressed me.
• If Nikita Chibrikov brought more of his best every shift, he'd be much higher. He's insanely skilled and creative, but his defensive game is almost nonexistent to the point of being a detriment. There's a long way to go, but patience could pay off.
• Carson Lambos and Daniil Chayka just strike me as perfectly fine options to fill out your defense group with. You won't have to worry a ton about either, but their ability to drive play with the puck is hit or miss. Lambos in the Liiga shows the importance of playing at high pace as he felt a bit overwhelmed with the intensity level, and seemed to be a bit unsettled. All of this is forgivable, but these two defenders to me are likely to be reliable, if not exciting at 5v5.
• Speaking of exciting, Scott Morrow is in here. Tony Ferrari's interview with him was highly enlightening and encouraging, and only made me like the guy more. His skating, skill, and all-around offensive game at the prep level is absolutely outstanding. His data is laughably ridiculous. 81% DSAT%, 81% passing on 103 attempts per 60 5v5 minutes, an 88.7% OCZT%, 19.4% DCZT%, and has a staggering 94.7% success rate entering the offensive zone with control. If there was a single player outside the top tiers that could become a truly great defenseman, he's the one I'd put money on and expect a good payout. I'm hopeful he plays a bit in the USHL, but I'm willing to bet on his potential. His defensive game can be a bit patchy, getting beat in low pace situations where you wish he'd put in a few extra percent, but once that puck hits his stick, if he's focused, he's ridiculous. A couple seasons with North Dakota working through some potentially bad habits with the puck, and a bit of a lack of defensive intensity at times, and this guy could be one of the more exciting defenders in a team's pipeline.
• I'm already ready for the Samoskevich > Coronato discussion. Samoskevich's production and data is not on Coronato's level, but Coronato plays with much older USHL linemates, is a 2002, and doesn't have the speed or skill that Samoskevich can display. I don't mind either player, but I feel there's more runway with what Samoskevich can do now, but Coronato could be a nice complimentary offensive piece with solid power play passing vision.

Tier 5 - The Meat of the Draft

• ​This is arguably the most interesting group of players in the entire draft to me. Full of fun, big swings, and potentially some great defensive players that I'm sticking my neck out on.
• Ayrton Martino is almost all offense, but he's remarkably explosive, skilled, and puts opponents on their heels constantly. He's skilled, has legitimate dual-threat offense, and his tracked data so far is absolutely outstanding. If he can bring his work rate up away from the puck and avoid cheating in the defensive zone chasing offense, there could be a special player here. On the other hand, he's prone to earning a few breakaways in every game I've seen and he could be a player where you take the pros with the cons as he scores in bunches.
• I'm still on the Jiri Tichacek train. His recent performances at the junior level have been impressive, and he's a defenseman where I'm betting on his mobility and skill long term. He's a project, and needs to refine his puck play to be quicker, more reliable and consistent, but when he's dialed in, he's a tremendous undersized defenseman. He can close gaps defensively well with very good results, and if he gets stronger on his feet, it could translate well to the NHL game leading with his stick, positioning and covering ice with his mobility before relying on physical play. I'm a big believer in the fundamental tools on Tichacek.
• Brent Johnson is a guy who I'll go to bat for after being turned onto him just a few weeks ago. His game has evolved and adapted to the USHL level over the year and he's playing tremendous amounts of ice time for the Stampede. He's remarkably skilled and evasive on his feet, he's one of the better players at separating pucks from opponents that I've tracked, and when he connects on strong breakout passes, it gets hockey nerds like me out of my seat. It's inconsistent and he can panic under pressure, but that seems to be going away as he gets more experienced. If he continues to improve in games 4-7 with the results he's been putting up with regards to goal impacts, he could easily be a name I look at in the 1st round.
• For Jake Martin, see Brent Johnson. I like Martin's puck separation ability, and his ability to use mobility to stick to forecheckers in the neutral zone, but Johnson's skill and puck management seems to have a higher ceiling. Martin could very easily be a modern defensive defenseman who you don't notice often for the right reasons. He should be available much later than where I have him listed, but I've been impressed with him all season long, especially relative to other NTDP defenseman like Hreschuk, Schmidt, and Behrens.
• I need to get back on tracking Franceso Pinelli, but I've been underwhelmed with his play in the Slovenian league. That is not a good hockey league, and while his data was dominant, he wasn't playing with any kind of speed or pace that felt anything close to high end. Other players who haven't played all season have looked better in their early games, but again I need to go back and check in again.
• I've got names like Coronato, Pastujov, and Pinelli in here for all similar reasons. I just don't know how their games translate as they are to the next level. Pastujov is skilled with nice diverse offensive tools, and both he and Coronato drive great offensive transition results, but once they're faced with pressure consistently, especially having tracked Pastujov against a mediocre NCAA program, there are questions. These guys could very easily be nice efficient pieces that can work with faster, more exciting linemates, but I'm not clamoring for them where I've seen them ranked by a few others.
• Lorenzo Canonica didn't blow me away in the World Juniors, but his play in Shawinigan has been rock solid, with a great release on his shot, and solid pace and skill to evade defenders. He may end up down in Tier 6, but I see flashes of high skill at high pace out of him that I like.
• If I'm being honest, I've liked Ville Koivunen over Samu Tuomaala, but Tuomaala's fundamental talents feel like a  higher level relative to Koivunen. Koivunen brings intelligence and efficiency, but Tuomaala has pace and skill that you really wish he'd be more aggressive with.

Tier 6 - Big Bois and Big Swings

• There's a lot of small players who are big swings in here. Namely, Jeremy Wilmer, Marcus Almquist, Lukas Gustafsson and Sean Behrens. Outside of that, a lot of players that have been impressive in specific areas, or low upside guys who might be useful pieces down the road.
• Gustafsson is barely playing on a powerful Chicago Steel team, but his production has been good in exclusively 5v5 minutes. His skating and passing ability in conjunction is at a high level, able to generate speed quickly and fire hard passes all over the ice. He's gotten barely any fanfare this year, and if you can land him as a late round swing, I'd throw his name out there. A defender playing well under 10 5v5 minutes a night scoring at a 25 point pace over a full USHL season would an interesting case and relative to a teammate in this range Ryan Ufko, I've liked Gustafsson's pass execution, skill, and ability to generate speed a bit more, to be perfectly honest.
• Ufko is an odd one. He has a heck of a shot from the point, but it doesn't come out super often as I've found he's locked in neutral zone play that isn't particularly exceptional. He's a smaller defender who plays small, doesn't have a ton of pace to his decisions or passing ability, and an overall low involvement in transitions  going both directions with mediocre results going both directions.
• Elias Stenman is underrated, especially if you can snag him as a swing in the later rounds. He's intelligent away from the puck and makes a living just making little plays to drive play in the right direction. I'm circling back on him but he seems to have translated to the men's level well considering he's on one of the worst teams in the HockeyEttan. His U20 data is also outstanding, but that's over just a 12 game sample.
• David Gucciardi is one that I've come across due to his production and having been involved in a trade for Scott Morrow's rights a while back. He's a strong defender with a powerful stride and able to cover ice effectively, but the real fun is his shooting ability combined with the skill he has with the puck. His ability to corral odd pass attempts and turn them into something positive is notable, and his DCZT% of 22.2% is among the lowest I've tracked. His passing is literally very hit or miss, completing just 56.8% of his attempts, but his head often seems to be in the right place. Both Youngstown and Waterloo's forwards have issues driving play with speed and aggression, and many outlet passes are intercepted and shut down by opponents, but when Gucciardi gets going, he can really get going. Another one where if he's a late round swing, you could do much worse.

Tier 7 - Whipping Cupcakes

• These are just a bunch of interesting names that aren't that much of a step up on my 8th tier. I really like what I've seen out of the young players here like Blake, Orr, Wong, Brown and Savage. Stjernborg, Poltapov, Katelevsky, and Vilen play relatively simple games that could translate if their fundamentals improve over time.
• The Defensive Dmitri's are curious to me. Kuzmin and Kostenko are both very skilled, mobile, but not perfect. Kuzmin attempted a lacrosse goal at one point this year, and his mobility is almost worth betting on alone. His OCZT% and DCZT% split of 62.2% and 28.1% are notable for a men's league player, even if he's playing in Belarus. He's also maintaining control on 50% of his offensive zone entries, which for a defenseman is quite remarkable. Kostenko is a hard one to read for the same reasons Fyodor Svechkov is, but I've been a fan of his for a while and could be swayed to take him in the 2nd round if there was enough support for the idea.
• I'm still waiting for Vlad Lukashevich to take the steps I thought he would, and he just hasn't shown a ton that wows you outside of being a good MHL defenseman with some nice skill, but it isn't there enough, and he doesn't push play nearly as often as you'd like for a defenseman with as much fun potential as him.
• Joona Korhonen is a fun one I've just started tracking. He could easily end up in Tier 6 for his skill and fun factor, but Ilves' junior team was just awful with him on the ice in both games I've tracked, and his off-puck game seems to need plenty of work. He's fun, but I need to see more to be sure of what's there.
• Kalle Ervasti is another interesting low upside defensive player. He covers ice well, moves pucks efficiently, and if he can start stitching together strong sequences turning play around, he could be an interesting player to pick up late.
• Ethan Cardwell should've been drafted. If it were up to me, he would've been, and he's absolutely dismantling the Swedish 3rd division this year with pace and skill. He gets to dangerous areas, he attacks hard, and he's very nearly a draft year player this year. Of all the DY players loaned in the HockeyEttan, only William Stromgren comes close to the pure production Cardwell has put up, and his two way results have been better.

Tier 8 - Really Digging Deep...

• Just a whole lot of "we'll see" here. Everyone loves to talk about Alexander Kisakov, but I don't think I buy the hype. If he's available in the 3rd round and beyond, we can talk, but his A-rating from CSS is a bit questionable. He gets to dangerous areas to shoot, has nice pace, and decent defensive results, but his passing is really hit or miss, and his ability to exit the defensive zone is significantly better than entering the offensive zone.
• Alexander Suvorov, Olen Zellwegger, Cameron Berg, and Valtteri Karnaranta are just a ton of fun to watch at their respective levels, and Berg should've been the guy I took for Team Scouching at the end of the 2020 Draft, but alas, I am a coward.
• Theo Jacobsson is a guy flying under the radar that I've really liked. He's gone from dominating the U18 level, to barely playing at the U20 level, to playing against men all in the same season, and there are adjustments that are hopefully on the way. He's skilled, pretty quick on his feet, and is one of the best overall transition players I've tracked with an OCZT%/DCZT% split of 86.7% and 35.7% respectively. Again, if you're talking 7th round swings on Europeans you can stash for four years, Jacobsson would be an interesting bet.
• Jere Virolainen seems to have detractors, but he's a guy who is efficient whenever I've seen him with a few moments where I'm standing there going "ooooooh!". Creativity making plays below the goal line, physical play to free pucks up around the ice, skill under pressure to evade players, there's a lot to be interested in, just not super high in the draft.
• Liam Gilmartin is slowly improving with the NTDP, and I think there's potential for an energy winger down the road. He's got a solid combination of speed, skill and work rate that could take him a ways, even if he isn't going to light up the scoreboard consistently. I wouldn't be surprised to see him play with more confidence and vision more often, because it often pays off for him when he does. He can be a bit overly simplistic, but if anything that means he could easily play a more straightforward role down an NHL lineup with his fundamental tools
• Kirill Gerasimyuk is just a hilarious profile. A .900+ SPCT goaltender in the VHL, facing a hilarious 36 shots against per game with SKA-Varyagi in the MHL, and outperforming his 3.6 xGA per game allowing just 2.5 goals per game. He's faced 40+ shots 10 times in 25 appearances, and registered a .900 SPCT or more in every one. Just two MHL games have been below a .900 SPCT. Nine of his appearances have been over a .950 SPCT. He's a goalie who is facing many, many shots, and many, many dangerous shots, and stopping many of them. He's a guy I'd add to my list in the mid rounds and let him grow with SKA's program.

The Watchlist

• ​And so, we get to the watchlist. Limited usage guys, guys I've had a good feeling about for reasons I can't explain, or curious data players who are outperforming what I've seen that I need to see more of.
• Bennet Roßmy is playing second division German hockey, but he's got skill and size that I like. A good release, good international results, and solid pace all seem like something worth keeping an eye on, even if he doesn't get drafted.
• Pick224 highlighted Olli Nikupeteri, and I was impressed checking him out. A great released paired with solid skill showed a curious player to keep an eye on.
• I just love watching Dmitri Zugan skate. He's been playing more and more over the year, getting more and more confident, but he's going to need to attack the offensive zone with more aggression to produce more. The talent is there, the fun factor is there, and the work rate is high.
• William Trudeau's data is excellent, but what I've tracked and seen of him is... not. Might need to circle back, but there's such a variance here that I might've picked his worst games to track. He's got solid mobility, and good offensive instincts with a nice shot from the point and good puck distribution ability, but a DSAT% of 21.4% and an OCZT% of 36% is underwhelming at best.
• Aleksi Heimosalmi, Johnathan Myrenberg and Valtteri Koskela are defenders who can skate and that's why you bet on them long term. Miks Tumanovs is the same, but older and probably not a guy you draft, but I've loved his skill, size, and skating ability for such a big defender.
• The Ufa bois are in here. Yegor Suchkov should've been drafted, Daniil Bashkirov was one of the more surprising Russians on the World Junior team, working his way from 13th forward to second line centre with a few notable moments on the penalty kill. Alexei Pustozyorov also has caught my eye, but he's a D+3 and might be one you keep an eye on to snag as a free agent if he continues to improve. Daniil Aimurzin has been very good in the VHL, and absolutely dominant in the MHL, but he's a D+1 that you might just keep an eye out for as he plays more in the KHL next year. I'd still push for Suchkov over all. He's just so much fun, and I watched him step on KHL ice for the first time ever, making a dang fool out of Vladislav Kolyachonok and Brennan Menell at the same time.
• Elias Sjostrom caught my eye in his brief U20 appearances, but his U18 production is laughably ridiculous. He's mobile with a solid point shot, low viewings and a low level of play leave him down here.
• Same goes for Karl Umegard. He's small but a little buzzsaw that's a ton of fun to watch. Really young, and might be a guy you watch develop for another year, but he's caught my eye a few times when he's played with MODO's U20 team.
• Sebastian Lundman was a U18 beast who hasn't fully projected to the U20 level, but the data I tracked on him was promising. Nice dual threat offense, nice skill and evasiveness, but just not getting the results. I wouldn't be surprised to see him take a step next year.

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This year's draft has as significantly higher amount of shrugging from me than I'm used to. I get the feeling that if I'm working for an NHL team, I'm waiting for unheralded guys in the higher tiers to slip later than they should such as Tichacek, Johnson, Gucciardi, Martino, or even names like Scott Morrow or Logan Stankoven could. I'm most interested in the 2nd round range of my list and what might come out of that group. There are re-entries that I'd push for, but in terms of draft eligibles, there are only a few players that are flying under the radar that I truly feel confident about in terms of their projection. I'm really curious to see where this group ends up in 5-10 years, though. As I said, I don't believe it's as bad as some might say, but it's definitely not as exciting as the last two years where I've really dug into the group.

The 2021 Scouching Reports start in March, so stay tuned for those, NHL Rookie Reports are rolling in, and stay in the loop for more What Actually Happened To... installments both here on Scouching.ca and at McKeens.

We're still not out of the woods yet with COVID-19, so I'll take a bit of time to remind you to stay as distanced as you can, wear a mask whenever you do leave your domicile, and do your part to look out for your community. It's been a really, really hard year for everyone, but the less careful we are, the longer this goes on. I want to get back into the rink just like everyone else and meeting all of you lovely people, but there's still work to do that starts with the individual.

- Will