NHL Releases Mid-Season Rankings for 2010 Entry Draft

[Thrillhouse]

NEW YORK -- Left wing Taylor Hall of the Ontario Hockey League’s Windsor Spitfires has been named the top draft-eligible skater from North America as the NHL Central Scouting Bureau today released its mid-season rankings for the 2010 Entry Draft, June 25-26, at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles.

Hall, whose award-filled career in Windsor already includes OHL and CHL Rookie of the Year honors in 2007-08 and MVP of the Memorial Cup in 2008-09, is the leader of a dominant Spitfire club that has posted the OHL West's top record (33-5-4).

Last week, Hall was recognized as one of the top three players on Team Canada at the 2010 World Junior Championship in a coaches poll conducted by the International Ice Hockey Federation. Ranking second on Team Canada in scoring with 12 points (six goals, six assists) in six games, Hall was named alongside 2008 NHL first-round draft picks Jordan Eberle and Alex Pietrangelo.

Center Tyler Seguin of the OHL’s Plymouth Whalers earned the No. 2 ranking among North American skaters. Seguin had topped Hall as the leading OHL draft-eligible prospect in Central Scouting's Preliminary Rankings in November.

In addition to their rivalry as top draft prospects, Hall and Seguin are staging a neck-and-neck battle for the OHL scoring lead with identical point totals of 28-39--67. Hall has played 37 games. Seguin has played 39.

Defenseman Cam Fowler, Hall's teammate in Windsor, is rated third among North American skaters. Fowler ranks fifth among OHL defensemen in scoring with 41 points (three goals, 38 assists) in 35 games and was a key member of the United States team that captured the gold medal at the 2010 World Junior Championship last week. Fowler recorded two assists and a +8 rating in eight tournament games.

Joining Hall, Seguin and Fowler among the top North American skaters are No. 4-ranked Brett Connolly, a right wing with the WHL's Prince George Cougars, and No. 5-ranked Riley Sheahan, a freshman center at the University of Notre Dame (CCHA).

For the first time in its 46-year history, the NHL Entry Draft will be held in California as the Los Angeles Kings and STAPLES Center host the two-day event on June 25-26, 2010. Round one, on Friday, June 25, will be broadcast live by Versus in the U.S. and TSN and RDS in Canada as well as NHL Radio, beginning at 7 p.m. ET. NHL Network (U.S. and Canada) will carry rounds 2-7 on Saturday, June 26, beginning at 1 p.m., ET.

Center/left wing Mikael Granlund, who plays for Finnish league club HIFK, is the top-rated European-based player. Granlund is averaging nearly a point per game in his first season in Finland's top league, tallying 19 points (five goals, 14 assists) in 20 games. He also starred for Finland at the 2010 World Junior Championship, leading his club in scoring with 1-6--7 in six games.

Calvin Pickard of the Western Hockey League's Seattle Thunderbirds is the top-rated North American goaltender. Pickard's older brother Chet, a goaltender with the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals, was selected by the Nashville Predators in the first round of the 2008 Entry Draft.

The mid-season ranking features the top 210 skaters and 32 goaltenders in North America and top 100 skaters and seven goaltenders from Europe.

In its 35th year of operation, the NHL Central Scouting Service provides scouting and evaluation of draft-eligible players to NHL member clubs. Headed by Director of Central Scouting E.J. McGuire, NHL Central Scouting employs eight full-time and 15 part-time scouts throughout North America. To report on prospects playing in Europe, the NHL employs the services of Goran Stubb and his staff of six scouts at European Scouting Services, based in Finland. Combined, the NHL Central Scouting and European Scouting Services will see in excess of 3,000 games this season.

[blackngold]

[thepolishkid88]

Id take Fowler before Seguin and maybe before Hall.

[Sugden Flu]

Looks good. If the Leaf's keep up the good work the Bruin's will be sittin' pretty.

[dtdc2k3]

being in DC i get no coverage at all of any type for college hockey and juniors that being said is this years draft considerd a week year or a storng year? who are the best players in the draft this year. i saw the hall kid during the world juniors on NHL network is he suposed to be a superstar?

[canuckfan]

The way the Oilers are going right now I fully expect Hall to be in Edmonton with Eberle next season....

[thepolishkid88]

Originally Posted by dtdc2k3

being in DC i get no coverage at all of any type for college hockey and juniors that being said is this years draft considerd a week year or a storng year? who are the best players in the draft this year. i saw the hall kid during the world juniors on NHL network is he suposed to be a superstar?

Nothing like last years class which is a rare class. 03 and 09 were great draft years. This year is top heavy with little depth and next years looks much worse. 2012, if I am counting years correctly, will be a pretty good draft class.

Originally Posted by canuckfan

The way the Oilers are going right now I fully expect Hall to be in Edmonton with Eberle next season....

As do I. Think he still needs a bit more time down, needs some more muscle on him too.

[mattyp]

Originally Posted by Sugden Flu

Looks good. If the Leaf's keep up the good work the Bruin's will be sittin' pretty.

that's fuking hilarious, and sadly true

[Cat Smasher]

Weak draft it appears, really weak.

[HordiBrusk29]

Originally Posted by thepolishkid88

2012, if I am counting years correctly, will be a pretty good draft class.

Some scouts I've talked to believe that 2012 could be better than the 2003 draft which would really say a lot. Although it's still early to make that prediction just yet, IMO.

[caps05]

Originally Posted by dtdc2k3

being in DC i get no coverage at all of any type for college hockey and juniors that being said is this years draft considerd a week year or a storng year? who are the best players in the draft this year. i saw the hall kid during the world juniors on NHL network is he suposed to be a superstar?

Only quoting your post because I'm a fellow Caps fan, and I have a somewhat-related question.

Isn't the NCAA Frozen Four supposed to be played in DC in a couple of years? Or was it maybe a regional? I could just be imagining things, on the other hand.

[bigjohnson]

Originally Posted by caps05

Only quoting your post because I'm a fellow Caps fan, and I have a somewhat-related question.

Isn't the NCAA Frozen Four supposed to be played in DC in a couple of years? Or was it maybe a regional? I could just be imagining things, on the other hand.

I reckon it was in DC last year. I knew someone that went.

[caps05]

Originally Posted by bigjohnson

I reckon it was in DC last year. I knew someone that went.

I knew it was one of these years, just couldn't remember.

[thepolishkid88]

Originally Posted by HordiBrusk29

Some scouts I've talked to believe that 2012 could be better than the 2003 draft which would really say a lot. Although it's still early to make that prediction just yet, IMO.

That 03 class had about 6 guys who never played at least 1 NHL game, through the first 2 rounds. I would be suprised if that happened again but it is looking that way with the 2 Swedish defenders coming into the draft I believe that year.